I can't let go of that; if I don't empty the trash, who will?These young people have no work ethic; if I don't mow the lawn, who will do it? People have to get paid around here; if I don't double-check all the time sheets, how will it get done? In my Delegating...
Leadership
Honest Listening: What Peter says and one practice
The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said.Peter Drucker When she walked into my office, she was clearly nervous. We had worked together for six months. In the next five minutes, she shared a very personal medical condition, how the treatment...
Honest Listening: The data behind psychological noise, and 1 experiment
I was listening to a speaker recently who shared some startling statistics on our brain activity: We all have 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts per day95 - 98% are the same we had the day before So I tried an experiment: at the end of every day, I wrote down the thoughts that...
Honesty Quote
I believe leaders need to learn/relearn how to express love to their people so they feel it. Here is a quote that should make you think about love and honesty.
Lessons in Honesty: My Menlo Tour
Recently I took advantage of a culture tour of Menlo Innovations in Ann Arbor. While I have been on the tour seven times over the past seven years, I always leave with a key lesson or two that I can practice in my own work. This time the word radical hit me as I...
The Most Valuable Hour in Your Week
The ‘To-Do’ list on Monday often starts with what was left on Friday. Then the messages start coming in from the people that depend on us for things — boss, peers, customers, kids, spouse, aging parents, our team, and friends. Then we respond like we have on every other Monday — we get to work. Here is a solution that will cost you an hour and give you a return many times your investment.
Matt Jung: Finding a Better Way | Part 3: Culture Guest Blog Series
With their placement on Forbes’ list of the nation’s best small companies for 2018, it’s clear that there is something special going on at Comfort Research. In this interview with co-founder Matt Jung, he describes how they’ve developed a culture that’s felt in everything they do, how they recognize people who live their values, and how this tireless focus on culture has transformed their business.
Mandi Brower: Be Kind | Part 2: Culture Guest Blog Series
Quality Car Wash is a third-generation family business that was started back in 1969. In this interview with COO Mandi Brower, she shares her wisdom and experience around culture and how to intentionally sustain and grow it as a business opens multiple locations. From the very beginning, her grandpa used a simple phrase to guide everyone: “Be kind.” It still provides the foundation to this day.
Jeff Disher: Make a Positive Difference | Part 1: Culture Guest Blog Series
DISHER has been recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the top 5 small company workplaces. In this interview with founder Jeff Disher, he shares insight into how he has cultivated the company culture, and how this powerful culture helped shape DISHER’s success. Part 1 of my guest blog Culture Series.
3 Reasons Culture Matters
Does culture matter at your company? If it does, where do you start in order to make it stronger? Here is some help answering both of those questions – prepare to be challenged to add the title of Chief Culture Officer to your job description.
Exit Interviews – 1 Question Leaders Should Ask
It is expensive to replace great people, so understanding why you lose people is critical for leaders. It is especially important for executive leaders who are far removed from the day to day work, because where there is smoke (turnover) there often is a fire starting (leader not being effective). Here is one powerful question you should make sure you get an answer to whenever someone walks out of your organization voluntarily.
Does Your People Process Include a Stay Interview?
Key people tip – spend your energy talking to your best people before they decide to leave. Sounds like common sense, but it is not common practice. Here are some real tips from an expert, and some additional info to help EOS companies leverage it to work toward 80% in the people component.