This is not an angry airline rant. I’m going somewhere important with this, so please hang with me. As a professional speaker based in Denver, business travel is a necessary evil that comes with the job. United Airlines has a large hub in Denver, and thus, I’ve been flying them almost exclusively for 30+ years…
I went camping with my wife in the Colorado Rockies over the weekend. The campground was clean and pristine, particularly the public outhouses. Anyone who’s frequented campgrounds that have no running water knows how disgusting the restrooms generally are. The sign that hangs above the toilets in the two gender-neutral stalls reveals the answer to…
Ritz Carlton. Zappos. Starbucks. Nordstroms. Southwest Airlines. These iconic brands are legendary largely for the outstanding customer service they provide. That level of customer service is based upon a simple — but profound — leadership principle. And while the phrasing varies from one great organization to the next, the tenets of the principle don’t: Hire…
As the keynote speaker for more than a hundred franchise conventions and meetings over the past decade, I believe I’ve uncovered the #1 reason for the huge chasm between those franchisees who are getting wealthy and those who are barely hanging on. While the economy, geography, and increased competition are big factors in a franchisee’s success, they are out of their control. But even…
My appointment was scheduled for 9:50am and I had arrived 5 minutes early. At 10:20 I was still seated in the waiting area growing more frustrated by the minute. (Full disclosure: I’m what you might call a “Type A++”). At 10:16, I was ushered back to the dental chair and was welcomed by the dental assistant…
On-fire employees—the kind you’re perpetually attempting to hire, develop, and retain—need some latitude to make decisions in the workplace. The companies that are known for being the best places to work in their respective industries train, trust and empower their people to think and act on their own. In its 2014 Employee Satisfaction and Job Engagement…
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…
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…