At my last full-time position several departments, in a production area, shared restrooms. However, there wasn't a cleaning schedule, and the cleaning was often inconsistent and incomplete. The answer? A checklist. So, in a leadership development session, the production department team leaders outlined a bathroom cleaning checklist. It now hangs on a clipboard in the [...]
I sometimes wonder if our loud and fast paced, multi-channel, social media-filled world isn't creating ADHD in all of us. How often do you give only part of your attention to a conversation? When others share their thoughts, are you multi-tasking on your smartphone and checking the score on the big screen while looking at [...]
Building a great team is a process. Great teams seldom are built overnight, and are often built through trial and error. So… how is a great team built? It begins with the interview process by hiring people of character who fit the culture, and who fill a role on the team. Hiring for knowledge or [...]
If you’re in a management role, you’ve experienced common mistakes new hires make. Many new hires make some of the same or similar mistakes. Maybe you’ve been wise enough to share these common pitfalls during new hire orientation. I wasn’t. And when I introduce the common mistakes checklist to leadership training classes, most people have [...]
My first Holiday Wishes post was published in 2010, Your Ultimate Holiday Wish. I continued with Holiday Wishes 2011, Holiday Wishes 2012, Holiday Wishes IV, Holiday Wishes V, Holiday Wishes VI, Holiday Wishes VII, Holiday Wishes VIII, Holiday Wishes IX. I hope you enjoy Holiday Wishes X. Today, I publish the tenth edition of holiday wishes. Over the years, I’ve collected and posted [...]
So, who have you helped today? I'm not talking about paying for the Starbucks of the person behind you in the drive through. It’s not about volunteering at a food bank or donating to the Salvation Army. And although these efforts are thoughtful and commendable this post is about business networking. Wait-what? What the heck [...]
Projects and paperwork are managed, but people are led. If we lead well — people will follow. A title does not make a leader. A leader is someone others want to follow. So, what makes a leader attractive? What Makes a Leader Attractive? Someone who has both the employees’ and the company’s best interests at [...]
The year was 1961. I was ten years old, and I knew Santa wasn't coming. It was a Saturday in mid-December, and I was working with my dad at the Lark Foods convenient store he managed. I made 25 cents an hour, taking out trash, sweeping floors, and stocking shelves. The store was unusual in [...]
Have you tried a to-do list and it hasn't worked? Do you occasionally forget a task? Do you spend too much time on low-priority tasks, versus important tasks? Have you been surprised by an approaching deadline? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may need to create, use, or improve a daily [...]
I recently had a colonoscopy. It wasn’t my first. However, there were a couple of firsts during this procedure. One of my revelations caused me to stop and say, wait! what? Before I understood what was happening, I had to ask for clarification. It was made perfectly clear, and it was hilarious. I’ll get to [...]
