Go team....

It’s that time of year: March Madness and the NCAA college basketball championships. There are probably conversations and informal (mostly) betting pools in offices everywhere… and debates whether those are good or bad. But, why the debate: people talk about so many things throughout the work day and this is no different. While some managers watch the clocks, the best ones focus mostly on the outputs. Set short and long-term goals, explain as needed, pay attention as usual, coach as appropriate, and praise when finished: that’s the best way to motivate, engage and satisfy employees.  Not doing these will bend the relationships with your employees all out of shape; worrying about ‘bracket-talk’ is unnecessary micro-management that’s a waste of time. Just be happy your employees like working and talking together, so let them enjoy themselves.  Now go root for your favorite team today.

Bernadette Locke-Mattox (b. 1958): First woman to serve as assistant coach for a men's NCAA Division I basketball team

Don't let a moment pass...

Facebook can be a lot of things, both good and bad: it’s most priceless use, however, is staying in touch with and learning about what’s happening with friends. Yesterday I sadly learned of the passing of a guy I knew from my earliest days: he lived in my neighborhood and we spent our early years going to school, playing, and generally growing up together. I followed his exploits and passions online, and now I read the condolences from a lifetime of friends: it’s comforting to know through them that he lived his life to the fullest, discovering and living his passions. At my age, reminders of mortality are my frequent companions, and the loss of a friend and contemporary reminds me it’s never too late to get out and do all the things I’ve wanted to do. We’re all just passing through so it’s important to remember this lesson: whatever your age, circumstances or interests, don’t hesitate to take responsibility for your life and to just get out and go for it today.

Arlene Pieper: first woman to finish a US marathon (Pikes Peak Marathon, 1959)

Never say never....

When the new law school opened at UNLV – to much fanfare - there were a surprising number of people in the community who decided to go back to college and get a new JD. I guess that wasn’t surprising: I had never really thought about how much some new school might motivate someone to finally follow a dream and make a change like that. Presumably, for many, it’s never too late or too early to be whatever you want to be to be.  Maybe there’s a lesson in this: if you announce something new – like posting open positions in your company, and you accompany it with some sort of creative flare, people will consider it and apply. Nothing new in this: job postings are a regular thing. But, employment branding is relatively new, and far too many companies fail to apply enough creative effort to get an appropriate number of applicants. Especially in these times of low unemployment. So, the moral of this story: if you want more good people to finally consider what they really want to be, do what’s needed to catch their attention today.

Eric Roth (b. 1945): Screenwriter

Know what you want....

Ever hear people talking about what their parents wanted them to be: my mother wanted me to be a lawyer. Interestingly, I grew up to be just what I wanted, and I suspect most others did too. But now that I’m a grandparent, I can see how parents have hopes and dreams about what their kids could or should become: that’s okay as long as we let them know it’s their choice and we’ll be happy no matter what they choose. Same with employees: they often look for direction about which jobs they should apply for: it’s usually best to guide them to whatever they enjoy and will be happy doing. We’re all ultimately responsible for our own direction: once we’re old enough the choice is ours. When someone asks you what they should become, ask them what they want to be… once you know, support them and help them reach their dreams today.

J. K. Rowling (b. 1965): British novelist, philanthropist, film producer, television producer and screenwriter, best known for writing the Harry Potter fantasy series

Look for the glass that's half full....

Everyone, it seems, wants to check the work history of applicants: they think that’s the key to their potential future success. While that may be an important factor when considering someone for a job, I suggest it’s equally important to try and ascertain is whether they’ll be a good fit with your culture and team.  An optimistic outlook is one of the most important things an applicant can bring to the interview and, if hired, the job. Optimists enrich the present – they have a can-do attitude and an openness to handle what comes their way.  They enhance the future – they’re the ones looking over the horizon and anxious to learn what’s next.  They challenge the improbable and attain the impossible – because they’re not afraid to try, whether they succeed or not. You want people like that on your team – even if they’re not the most experienced or don’t have the best pedigree: they’re the ones who will come to work every day excited about whatever’s going to happen. Look to hire optimists today.

William Arthur (1819 – 1901): Wesleyan Methodist minister, missionary, and author

Listen and learn....

Listening, hearing, and being engaged help establish the kinds of trust and respect on which loyalty is based. Listening offers data and understanding about what drives markets and people. Hearing offers empathy and intelligence: all too often people ask questions and listen to answers, but fail to hear what’s being said. And being actively engaged in what’s going on – whether in a project, a work team, or the people and customers who make up your business - steer perspective and encourage a sense of community. These are the elements of your culture and behavior that make people trust and respect you (and your company) and the things you stand for. Bottom line: they’re the reasons why people are loyal to you. Take any one of them away and you alter the dynamics of the workplace: in this, you’re either all in or you’re completely out. Ask your employees or customers what’s important and they’ll tell you; listen why they feel the way they do, and act upon this knowledge. That’s how to earn their loyalty today.

Brian Solis (b. 1970): American speaker, author and digital analyst studying disruptive technology and its impact on business

Turn moments into Memories....

At first you think this guy is just running an online store; but then you realize it’s about the experience, no different than any bricks and mortar place.  Then you remember he started a whole new genre, something that wasn’t there before: getting customers to try something new, to adopt new habits, to develop a new sense of trust, to start to see things differently. Everything new is like that – sometimes it’s a disruptive thing, other times it’s just the same old thing done better, and every now and then it’s a game changer. Whichever one of those you might be involved with, treat your customers like invited guests to your party, treat your employees like guests, and let them make every bit of the customer experience a little bit better every time. That’s how to win and keep customers today.

Jeff Bezos (b. 1964): American technology entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He is the founder, chairman, CEO, and president of Amazon.

Inspire loyalty....

There are a few family restaurants we take our granddaughters to: the food is consistent and moderately priced, and their employees are fairly well trained.  They each have loyalty programs, but that’s not why we frequent them; we go there because they are conveniently located and kid friendly.  I guess you’d say we’re satisfied customers, different from being loyal. I can’t remember telling anyone we eat there, or extol their virtues; there’s nothing that stands out.  They’re good, not great; consistent, not exciting. The brands that run them make up stories about supposed family histories, but in reality, those are just someone’s made-up concept of what a family and its history might be, as in a novel. But a more novel idea, one that would truly engender loyalty, would be creative dishes, ones you savor, and outstanding service, provided by people who really care and have the personalities to back that up. There’s a big difference between a satisfied customer and a loyal customer: satisfied might bring you back, loyal makes you really want to return. Do what it takes to make your customers loyal today. 

Shep Hyken (b. 1960): American customer service expert, author, and speaker

There's lots to learn from a best friend like this....

“Before you get a dog, you can’t quite imagine what living with one might be like; afterward, you can’t imagine living any other way.”Caroline Knapp

Every time I think about loyalty, a dog story comes to mind. We have a neighbor who had a dog for the longest time: he walked that dog 5 or 6 times a day, talked to him like a friend, and they grew old together. They were always walking: the dog using the opportunity to sniff everything while loyally staying by my friend’s side; my friend enjoying the sociability of being out among friends and neighbors with his trusty dog. But as is often the case in life, the dog passed, and my friend was left with wonderful memories. At our age, getting a new dog is a commitment that makes you pause. Then, my friend’s son got a new dog, and rather than leave the puppy home alone, asked if the dog could stay with his dad during the day. My friend is back: walking, chatting, and making a new and mutually loyal friend. Imagine that… today.

Caroline Knapp (1959 – 2002) was an American writer and columnist whose candid best-selling memoir Drinking: A Love Storyrecounted her 20-year battle with alcoholism

Wows matter

Most businesses have employees who inspire you to talk about your experience there: both good and bad. The bad experiences are more often shared – just look at what’s posted on social media. We’ve all had one or more of those kinds of experiences and, while leaving a bad taste, usually don’t get in the way of our returning to the stores we have to frequent: like grocery stores and other mass marketers. But what about restaurants, bars, movie theaters and others that vie for our discretionary dollars: they all fight for the same customers so you’d think management at those places would be more alert to what’s going on. Forget about them… focus on your ‘store’: are you aware, connected, engaged and in-the-moment? The way to get and keep loyal customers is to give them something that wows them and gives them a positive story they are moved to share with others. Pay attention and make your employees give the kind of service that makes good stories happen.  That’s the best way to a customer’s heart and loyalty today.

Valeria Maltoni: American writer, speaker and business advisor

Be of good character....

I worked with a guy who found a diamond necklace on the floor… and turned it in. I’ve seen employees walking across a casino floor take time to push in the chairs by slot machines… even though it wasn’t their job. And an executive I know used to regularly leave a crumpled-up piece of paper on the floor where employees walked on the way to their break… to see if anyone would pick it up. These are examples of how people should act when nobody’s looking, behaviors that can make a difference even though they’re easy to overlook or ignore. We often think of integrity as relating mostly to big and important things, but these are examples of small things that make the world a little better. Companies have values about these kinds of things and employees need to know how important they are: managers need to talk about them, model them, and create an environment where everyone knows how important it is to be good, all the time. Shine some light on what good character means today.

Dwight Moody (1837 – 1899): American preacher, evangelist and publisher

Treat friendship like a sacred trust....

Being told ‘not to tell anyone’can be an awkward dilemma: it’s often a no-win situation. I’m not talking about keeping a secret about a party or gift – I’m referring to being told to withhold important business information or activity, or acts of wrongdoing, where the person telling you that has done something wrong. In that situation you know it’s wrong to remain silent and your loyalties are conflicted, and when the truth comes out (as it always does) you’ll probably lose the trust and respect of the people you didn’t tell (not to mention any future opportunities you could or should have been eligible for). The person telling you that is not your friend: they may be your boss or someone you thought was your friend, but everything we know about integrity points to the responsibility to report wrongdoing – even when it’s hard or seems disloyal.  These are the kinds of dilemmas that keep you up at night. Never do that to anyone, and object if someone does it to you. Stand up for yourself and your rights today.

Alice Walker (b. 1944): American novelist (The Color Purple), short story writer, poet, and activist

Accept the yin and yang of trying....

“Our virtues and our failings are inseparable, like force and matter. When they separate, man is no more.”Nikola Tesla

People like Tesla and Edison dreamed up the miracle of electricity and changed the world: they toiled long and hard to make their new ideas work. In the long run their efforts led to TVs, computers and smart phones: now it’s almost impossible to imagine life without these and all the other incredible things that plug in and make life work. If you study people’s successes you inevitably uncover their failings: it really is true that in order to succeed you have to be prepared to fail. The integrity of success includes humility, and the integrity of failure includes acceptance: like force and matter, when they separate, we are no more. I’ve failed at enough things to know there’s no shame in trying and failing; the key to living righteously is knowing how to win gracefully. All the good people I know have integrity and grace: let’s strive to be like them today.

Nikola Tesla (1856 – 1943): Serbian-American inventor, and engineer, best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system

Slow down and smell the coffee....

“Direction is more important than speed. We are so busy looking at our speedometers that we forget the milestone.”Anonymous

Last night I was driving in a blinding rainstorm, going slower than normal and relying on my rental car’s radar-enhanced cruise control: it automatically slowed the car down if it got too close to a car ahead. It’s a cool feature in new cars that lets drivers be more aware of their surroundings. There are lots of other electronic wonders on these new cars: some beep when you inadvertently cross over a lane, others can actually assist with parallel parking (often the knockout punch for kids taking the dreaded driving test to get a permit). Don’t get me wrong: I love technology, but there’s something wrong with needing gadgets to help you do what’s right.  As I was using that automatic braking system I couldn’t help but hear my mother’s voice in my head: ‘slow down when the roads are bad’. We know what’s right, and usually don’t need any reminder about what’s not. So slow down – literally and figuratively – when deciding where you’re going and what you’re doing today.

Anonymous (anon·​y·​mous): An adjective meaning ‘of unknown authorship or origin’ 

Find your place, find yourself....

Children of the 50s and 60s (like me) were all about the music: Elvis, Dylan, the Beatles, and so many more. Whether singing in the shower, listening to the transistor radio late at night in bed, playing the latest record on your turntable, rocking out at dances, or driving with the radio blasting, the music was everywhere. But the stars, the ones who actually made it, all had their own unique style: the words, melodies and instrumentations were special.  And that’s pretty much how and why some people made it big: for some it was their ideas, others their ideals, but all stood for something. So, here’s the deal - in music, or life: don’t be like everyone else without first being YOU, don’t listen to others without hearing YOURSELF, don’t take someone else’s word without knowing YOUR thoughts, don’t go anywhere without deciding where YOU want to go, and don’t sing like someone else without developing YOUR own voice.  It’s a crowded planet: stake out YOUR own space today.

Billie Holiday (1915 –1959): American jazz singer who pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo, and was known for her vocal delivery and improvisational skills

Really seeing is believing....

Phil Ruffin, the owner of the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, often talks to employees in the businesses he’s thinking about buying to learn what they think. They tell him what’s good and what needs improving: they work with and talk to customers directly every day and have unique insight into what’s working or not.  That kind of knowledge and understanding is invaluable when buying or running a business. Teaching managers to talk to their employees and listen to what they have to say is important: it helps form what they know and improves their ability to make appropriate decisions. Tell your leaders it’s okay to admit they don’t know everything, encourage them to be curious, and coach them to interact with employees and customers effectively. You and they should be aware of what you need to know and want to achieve, take time to fully understand it, and use that full understanding to then do what’s best.  Be inquisitive, insightful, and right today.

Malcolm Forbes (1919 – 1990): American entrepreneur known as the publisher of Forbes magazine, and an avid promoter of capitalism and free market trade

Let your good ideas grow....

Several times during my career I had the good fortune to work with Jeff Jonas; he was a really smart computer guy and he went on to become an IBM Fellow. Our projects involved stuff that was pretty challenging, involving things that hadn’t been tried before. He’d start with a single idea, and keep noodling around in his head as his team developed designed concepts. It seemed to take a long time to get those ideas into focus, but once there, they started to multiply, seemingly faster than the rest of us could think. One was Applicant Tracking: that exploded into algorithms to quickly check EEO statistics and projections to make sure we were on track to achieve expected levels of diversity.  Another was trying to guard against collusion: that morphed into finding ways to connect people and place found in more databases than you could naturally collate.  We first had to get comfortable with each new idea, and after that there was no telling how far and wide they could be applied. That’s when innovation gets really interesting: stand back and watch your good ideas multiply today.

John Steinbeck (1902 – 1968): American author (Grapes of Wrath) and winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature

Be an optimist....

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.”Henri Matisse

Is the glass half full or half empty is a rhetorical question about whether something or someone is optimistic or pessimistic. But that supposes that it’s an either/or proposition: not surprisingly, it doesn’t have to be that way.  You can live your life looking only for the positive things and be quite content. You see a police car: that probably means there are officers out there concerned about your safety (as opposed to the knee-jerk reaction to look at your speedometer).  You see some kids playing computer games: that might mean you’re looking at a future Steve Jobs (as opposed to worrying they won’t develop appropriate social skills). Someone asks your name: that most likely means they’re interested in who and what you are (as opposed to what you might owe them). We worry about the worst of any possible scenario rather that see the positive opportunities they might offer: the first is human nature and the latter is an optimistic view of things. Be the kind of person that wants to see the flowers today.

Henri Matisse (1869 – 1954): French artist, draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter

Do overs are good....

We all fear the unknown or the need to change… those are things we have to conquer. But the fear of being wrong is different. I like building wooden furniture and every summer when I’m in the Adirondacks I find a project: I study the idea, look up stuff on the Internet, and carefully plan the pieces and cuts.  But I inevitably make mistakes.  It’s like putting together something you get from Ikea: they are very meticulous with their instructions and drawings but inevitably leave out some key detail that, if you’re not careful, leaves you with an unfinished side facing out.  Like most, I hate it when that happens, but surprisingly, I calmly take it apart, and redo it with my new-found attention to that detail. In the end, I love those kinds of projects because the finished product is usually pretty cool.  And cumulatively, they have trained me to live a creative life and lose the fear of being wrong. That’s a good lesson to learn today.

Joseph Chilton Pearce (1926 – 2016): American author of books on human development and child development

Take the creativity challenge....

Habits affect us in many ways: how we treat others, approach projects, think about our daily routines, and feel about ourselves. Sort of like the way we drive to our most common destinations: we get anxious when having to take a different route even if it might be better. It’s called change, and how we go about deciding if and how to alter who we are and what we do is never easy. The first challenge is deciding that change is necessary, the second is accepting that it’s good, the third is learning how, and the fourth is doing it enough times that it becomes the new normal. And, maybe most importantly, the fifth is continuously being open to breaking old or newly established patterns in order to look at things in a different way. Think of it as a creative exercise: that puts a positive spin on the things we should challenge ourselves to change today.

Edward de Bono (b. 1933): Maltese physician, psychologist, philosopher, author, inventor and consultant

Be a straight shooter....

Frank Butler was a travelling show sharp shooter when he issued a $100 challenge to anyone wishing to beat him: imagine his surprise when 15-year old Annie Mosely won that bet.  They later married and she went on to become known as Annie Oakley, performing for Kings and Queens and audiences world-wide. Back then people hit the bull’s-eye of success through hard work and constant practice. It’s no different today: the most successful people in any walk of life are those who practice to perfect their knowledge, skills and abilities.  There’s no short-cut from good to great: to get from one to the other takes enormous focus, practice, perseverance, and honest self-reflection. In business, it’s been my experience that the best employees are those who are open to and never stop learning: they keep on aiming and keep on shooting until they get things right and achieve their goals. Set your sights on the bull’s-eye of success today.

Annie Oakley (1860 – 1926): American sharpshooter and exhibition shooter, and a member of Buffalo Bill's Wild West travelling show