To get back to Kansas, Dorothy never had to jump through all the death-defying hoops the Wizard put her through. She had everything she needed (ruby shoes) from the very beginning. All she lacked was the understanding of how to unlock their magical powers. Since they began making their way into the workforce in the late 90’s, business leaders, owners, and…
Every manager has been told that it’s important to acknowledge, recognize, and reward their top performing employees. Unfortunately, most haven’t been coached on how to do this effectively. And if one of the goals is to get the performer to continue performing at a high level, the why has to be linked to the what. “You’ve done a good job…
Imagine that you are walking alone across a vacant parking lot on a breezy day, when out of the corner of your eye you notice a crumpled-up bill blowing at your feet. You immediately step on it to keep it from escaping, and then reach down to discover that it’s a $100 bill. No one…
Leni and Lou are fraternal twins. They were born 3 minutes apart, eat the same food every meal, and sleep in the same room. But aside from their DNA, they are as different as night is from day. While Lou yearns to be outdoors with a ball in her hand, Leni would walk past five balls, two…
When rules are broken in situations that don’t call for immediate termination, gain your composure and think “Open The Front Door Now.” This is the acronym for a simple formula that helps you address—and correct—many of the annoying small issues and problematic behaviors of your employees. Treating these problems according to the OTFDN formula will get them…
There are limits to the extent an employer will go to keep an employee happy, even when the employee is a top performer or in one of those almost-impossible-to-replace positions. But unless they are feeling neglected, unappreciated, or mistreated, most employees would prefer not to go through a job change and would rather stay with…
Every employee who works for you will eventually arrive at a crucial intersection, if they haven’t already. At that point, you hope they turn right and buy-in to your leadership and the vision and values of your company. Turning that direction means that they see a future for themselves with your organization so they’ll invest themselves fully…
I’ve been writing and speaking about millennials since they first made their way into the workplace as teenagers in 1998. Since then, I’ve interacted with thousands of mature business owners and leaders who’ve confessed their struggles and frustrations in managing this enigmatic generation. Today, more than half of all millennials (born 1980-2000) are 25 and older, and the part-time teen workers of 1998 are…
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…