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Building Performance Trust

August 14th, 2009

You can have outstanding ideas, yet never leverage them into winning at working results. That\’s because the secret behind those ideas lies in performance. Yours. Getting the okay to pursue your idea is directly related to the level of confidence other people have in your ability to deliver it. And if you do, you will create for yourself opportunities on a regular basis. One successful idea delivery leads to another and another and another. Bigger and bigger ideas are entrusted to people who consistently turn ideas into reality. You see, not only does an idea need to be a good one, but the... Read More

Choosing a Path

July 14th, 2009

Reading in the airport while waiting for a flight to Houston, a housekeeper was tidying around me when approached by another facilities employee. After a few minutes of easily overheard chit-chat, she received coaching from her now apparent supervisor. “You know,” he said “I\’d like you to pace yourself.” Intrigued by his words, I stopped reading to eavesdrop and heard as he told her, “You\’re doing too good a job. You don\’t need to work this hard.” “I like my area clean and looking good for everyone,” she said, confused by his... Read More

Leveraging Your Future

June 11th, 2009

A friend\’s hairstylist saw her bookings drop as the economy fell, ultimately losing her job at a salon. But when my friend asked her if she\’d be willing to make a house-call to style her ailing mother\’s hair, the stylist saw an opportunity. Ultimately, she launched a specialized in-home business and now makes more money than she ever did. In these difficult times I\’m enamored by this simple success story. I regularly talk to people on my radio show, work with individuals or client organizations, and connect with people when I speak at conferences. Recently I\’ve... Read More

The Echoes Heard at Work

May 13th, 2009

Coward. That word, along with others less printable, popped to mind when I heard a story about a friend\’s son. It turns out, he learned he was no longer employed via a text-message to his cell phone on a Sunday night. The brief message from his ex-boss informed him that his last work day had been Friday. It\’s no surprise to hear about another job lost as unemployment soars, failed businesses close, consumers shut their pocketbooks, and entire industries restructure. But I\’m surprised any boss who wants to grow their business, have an engaged team, or achieve lasting results... Read More

WHAT ARE YOU FOR?

April 14th, 2009

Resist. Resist. Resist. That seems to be the congressional model these days. Whatever one party is for, the other is against. Before an idea makes it to the blogosphere, opposing party political pundits are railing against whatever approach or bill or stance was taken. Now before smugness gets the better of us, I\’d suggest we take a closer look. The against-it-resist-it road is alive and well in many workplaces, too. Of course the labels are different. It\’s not those Democrats or Republicans, it\’s those employees or that management; it\’s the boss or the workers; the... Read More

The New Dance

March 12th, 2009

Poor Pluto. Stripped of its planetary status by the International Astronomical Union and reclassified as a “dwarf planet,” two years ago, Pluto\’s demotion heralds new rules for planet classification. Debate by renowned astronomers from seventy-five countries culminated in the decision to reduce the number of planets to eight “classic” ones. This reclassification got me thinking. Like a company reorganization or leadership change, the rules were altered. And no matter if you were among scientists advocating for more planets or less, it no longer matters. The decision... Read More

WHAT KIND OF WORKPLACE FUTURE?

February 13th, 2009

In 1883, as soon as construction ended on the Brooklyn Bridge, the scams started. George C. Parker is credited with originating the idea of selling the Brooklyn Bridge, convincing people they could earn a fortune charging tolls for bridge access. Some erected traffic barriers even as Parker boasted he “sold the Brooklyn Bridge twice a week for years.” Eventually he was sentenced to life in prison. Today we have our own George Parkers and Brooklyn Bridges. They come with small, medium, and large packaging. From sophisticated Ponzi schemes by vetted professionals that capture headlines,... Read More

FOLLOW-ME LEADERS

January 13th, 2009

“Weren\’t you afraid?” This is a common question friends ask after seeing pictures of how close we were to lions, elephants, leopards, and hippos. After all, our safari into the African bush wasn\’t Disney\’s Animal Kingdom, and watching a lion pride hunt and kill its prey made that apparent. But I never was fearful. There were times when adrenalin heightened my awareness, but the trust in our trackers and guides transcended my fear. I wish I could say the same about many who guide our workplaces and hold leadership roles in our organizations. In that terrain, I am... Read More

Working for the Right Person

December 12th, 2008

“I don\’t know,” the Gen-Y acquaintance mused. “I\’m thinking about grad school, but it\’s more work than I thought to prepare for the GREs. Then if I do all that and don\’t get into the program I want, it\’s a waste of time. Plus, did you know it could cost more than $40,000 to get a masters degree? I don\’t want that kind of debt, especially since I\’ll never make it up in a starting salary.” By the end of answering my question about his post gap-year plans, this young man described several options he was pondering for his future.... Read More

BETTER TOGETHER

November 12th, 2008

During the Beijing Olympics, beach volleyball players Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh were undefeated in their second gold medal Olympics, with an amazing record of 108 consecutive wins. Watching the advancing duo during the Olympic coverage, I heard commentators mention that when either woman was asked during interviews which one of them was better, they responded, “We\’re better together.” That contrasts sharply with end-zone-prancing receivers or star-encrusted players whose look-at-me antics signal an “I am the best” message. These athletes communicate that their... Read More