For each of the past twenty years, my wife and I have watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation while putting up our Christmas Tree. Why we still laugh uncontrollably at the same bits we’ve seen so many times is something our kids may never fully understand, but I digress. This classic movie’s plot centers around the plans Clark Griswold (Chevy…
If you are a person who enjoys peace and serenity, you don’t yell ‘fire’ in a crowded theater nor do you whisper ‘bomb’ when going through airport security. And unless you want to incite a riot, you’d better not let the word ‘entitled’ slip out around a business owner, manager, or employer. Regardless of how…
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. An inscription on the James Farley Post Office in New York City. Ozzy is an 8-year-old golden retriever who loves to fetch our morning newspaper. Although our driveway is nearly as long as a football field, he…
There are an estimated 50 million people in the world who claim they play the guitar. Meet the one person who works it. Mike Rayburn is a guitar virtuoso. In fact, his concerts have sold out Carnegie Hall eight times. But this isn’t about the talents of a renowned musician; it’s about the relentless work ethic that underlies a brilliant career. And…
Last week I had the privilege of taking a behind the scenes tour of Zappos and speaking with several of their top leaders. Mine was not the popular tour advertised on their website, but rather a real peek behind the curtain to see the wizardry of this renowned workplace culture phenomena and iconic brand. I’ve read…
Long before the iPhone 6 was launched, I was hooked on Apple. My first desktop computer was a MacIntosh SE II with a whopping 1 mb of ram, and I’ve been an Apple fanatic ever since. But as much as I crow about their products, I rave even more about the counter-intuitive culture that is continually on…
Even though the midterm elections are months away, I’ve already maxed-out on the amount of negative political ads my mind can tolerate without imploding. The rough and tumble game of political campaigning has always involved an element of truth-twisting, scandal-mongering, and mudslinging. However, politics of late has become so ugly that most ads on TV should be…
At first, Mindy appeared like she was going to be a great fit. She had a solid track record. She interviewed well. All her references checked out. But she’s completed her training 6 months ago and, for whatever reason, she’s performing well below your expectations. It cost you/your organization a pretty penny to get her this…
This is a guest post by my good friend and colleague, Robert Wendover. Bob is the Director of the Center for Generational Studies and the award-winning author of Figure It Out! Making Smart Decisions in a Dumbed-Down World. I highly recommend this book! Go ahead, I dare you. Ask a random person within your firm or organization, “How does this…
The Seattle Seahawks throttled the Denver Broncos (my home team) in the Super Bowl last year. Yet these two teams were, arguably, the most aggressive in signing free agents to upgrade their teams during the off-season and both are odds-on favorites to repeat as the teams in next year’s big game. That’s because when it comes…