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…
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…
Is it just me, or have you noticed an outbreak in the number of flaky people out there? I’m not talking about liars, cheaters, and thieves. Flakes aren’t bad people who intentionally do bad things. Flakes are the irresponsible ‘me first’ knuckleheads who are lacking in the simple social graces. To assure we’re on the same page, allow me to share…
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…
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…
“Do as I say, not as I do.” There was a time when a parent who smoked, drank excessively, cursed, etc. could demand – and often expect – a different standard of behavior from their children simply by telling them ” I want you to have a better life than the one I’m living, so…
Most readers of this blog are business owners, execs, leaders, and managers looking for ideas and strategies for engaging and developing the emerging workforce. This particular post, however, is written for the emerging workforce, i.e. millennials. While this generation is not lacking in talent, many are somewhat deficient in the revered social skills, primarily because…