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…
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…
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…
“I can’t believe the way these young associates come to work!” Chris told me after a recent presentation. “Where did they get the idea that ‘business casual’ means cut-off shorts, flip-flops and a tank top?” That certainly wasn’t the first time I had heard the rumblings of a bewildered employer lamenting the haphazard fashion sense and…
A disturbing trend I’ve noticed in the 60+ meetings, conferences, and conventions I attend each year is the increasing frequency of how many of these events get thrown off schedule. When attendees are still clustered around the coffee stations 10 minutes after the meeting begins or they refuse to disconnect from their smart phones in…
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…
With roots steeped rich in Celtic, Roman Catholic, and Protestant tradition, the annual Trick‑or‑Treat ritual that takes place this week can be traced back centuries. Originally, children would adorn hand‑made ceremonial costumes and go door‑to‑door singing out “a trick for a treat!” Then they’d entertain their neighbors with carefully rehearsed songs, skits, and dances. If…
My last day of teaching high school and coaching football was June 3, 1986. Due to declining enrollment of the school district where I was employed, my position was being eliminated. I didn’t know it at the time, but looking back, I think I escaped just before the Apocalypse. Back then, I never feared parental…
Ever have a job where you felt picked-on, intimidated, harassed, and micro-managed by a tyrant boss? Most of us can recall working for a real jerk at some point in our job history, most likely when we were just entering the workplace and at the bottom of the totem pole. And maybe the way you…