Ever see this on the email signature of a frontline employee? “Click here to let my manager know how I’m doing.” Funny how you never see that on a manager’s email. Or a vice president’s email. Or the CEO’s, for that matter. Imagine that for a minute. The CEO could have a link at the bottom […] Read more… Read More»
A wise CEO believes, “A role for everyone, and everyone in her role.” …Or does he? Think of how that plays out in the enterprise. The CEO is in charge of everything, of course, and so he has a number of top executives reporting to him, each in charge of one area within the business. […] Read more… Read More»
Chances are good that the downturn of 2007-2008 caught your company off guard. Most firms I know were heavily into growth mode when the music suddenly stopped and there was a mad scramble for the remaining chairs. Yes, companies play musical chairs just like kids at a party. You can’t grow while seated, and when […] Read more… Read More»
The other day I read a story by Alex Williams in The New York Times, “Friends of a Certain Age,” about how it becomes harder to form friendships once we exit our twenties and (often) marry. As Williams relates, research tells us we need three things in order to form real friendships (as opposed to […] Read more… Read More»
I live in South Florida, where the grass grows year-round. But it didn’t take me long to realize it grows twice as fast during summer rainy season as it does the rest of the year. Clearly, faster grass growth causes rain. I also notice my family eats out a lot more in the rainy season. […] Read more… Read More»
People who are eager to add value and grow want to work here. Our competitors get the other folks. – Morning Star employee Leaders: the struggle for profits, market share, shareholder value and stock price starts – and ends – with the competition over talent. Does your company attract people who are eager to add […] Read more… Read More»
I frequently listen to music as I work. For almost three years my music source of choice was the online service Pandora. Until two weeks ago. I’m done with Pandora; I’ve replaced it with Songza, which so far seems great. Here’s why. Pandora operates on the “fremium” model, which means you can get their basic […] Read more… Read More»
I’m sometimes asked how I made the transition from a focus on customer service to a focus on leadership. “What transition?” is my usual reply. When I wrote Five-Star Customer Service in 2005, I opened with a story that illustrated a culture of service: George Boldt, who was paid $1 million a year to manage the […] Read more… Read More»
Something unexpected happened with a recent post I wrote, “If it can be measured, it can be manipulated” (link below). My intention with the post was to point out the pressure employees feel to game whatever system you throw at them, and the futility of managing by metrics. It’s a call for managers to work […] Read more… Read More»
Does culture really matter? Let’s forget the touchy-feely crap for a minute and look at this from a skeptic’s point of view. Seriously, so what if people hate their company and its poisonous culture? We’re here to make money for our shareholders, not make good times for our workers. Well, maybe. But… maybe not. I […] Read more… Read More»
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