I got a hilarious letter from a bank in the mail yesterday. It was an update on how proud they were about recently emerging from bad financial trouble and how thrilled they were to no longer need government assistance. The very LAST sentence in the letter was, “Finally, we want to thank our clients. We […]
There are people in the business world who believe you shouldn’t apologize when you make a mistake. They are generally operating on two silly beliefs: Silly Belief #1: Leaders shouldn’t make mistakes.Silly Belief #2: Apologizing is a sign of weakness.The reality is that EVERYONE makes mistakes. Great leaders admit them, Apologies cement relationships. A critical […]
I’m all about listening. And I’ve found that the more I focus on it, the better I do it. I’ve also noticed, as I’m sure you have, too, that the more gadgets we have and are paying attention to, the less attentively and effectively we listen. It’s not uncommon for me to talk with people […]
I am not a frequent flyer. I don’t get to hang out in the USAirways club, board first, or drink champagne in the front of the plane. I do, however, travel enough by plane to have invested recently in a pair of Bose noise-canceling headphones (QuietComfort 15), and I’m shocked to be writing that they […]
If you’re in a leadership position, you’ve probably had the following happen to you: You’re teaching someone how to do something, and they keep nodding and saying they understand what you want them to do. Then you let them do it on their own, and what they produce isn’t remotely close to what you were […]
Joe worked for years at the same company, but ownership changed and he saw the handwriting on the wall: They wanted to bring in some new faces. Joe updates his resume and applies to your company when you list an opening for a sales director. You hired Joe because of his longtime experience and you […]
If you want to learn about outstanding customer service from some guys who could write a book about it, visit The American Family Super Market in Narberth, PA. I’ve been going there for years. I thought what I was getting was excellent meats, cheeses, fish, chicken, and homemade chicken sausage that’s so good I swear […]
Regardless of why someone is separating from your company or team, departing employees are a gold mine of information: * They can provide perspectives you might not learn from current employees. * They can clue you in to problem supervisors. * Their comments can reveal a gap between what is promised in your recruitment material […]
One of the more challenging tasks of leadership in a rocky economy is making sure that your best people stick around. There are all kinds of reasons why valued staff members decide to move on. And those reasons may have nothing to do with their level of satisfaction with their job, or your company or […]
One of the keys to keeping turnover low is creating and maintaining an environment where your employees love (or at least like) to come to work every day. And the best way to find out how much they like working for you is to ask them. But many leaders are afraid to solicit feedback more […]
