Don't let uncertainty hold you back...

I’ve known lots of people who’ve passionately developed some very cool stuff. I humbly put myself in that group and can say with certainty that believing your idea has a chance of success is a leap of faith.

 

·      Good ideas

·      Come and go.

·      Deciding on one

·      To design and develop

·      Takes confidence and courage.

 

You never really know if some of the things you think 0f will get off the ground and work. Lots of people have ideas, but it takes a good deal of research, planning, and hard work to get the few that could be successful to the point where they are. In addition to the research and planning, you need to develop an elevator speech, one that explains it in 2 minutes or less. I guess I’m thinking about this because yesterday was the 15^th anniversary of the launch of the iPhone: who could have dreamed up an idea like that besides Steve Jobs, and even then, how many of us imagined it would have been so successful and pervasive. But with any new idea, you must believe in it and faithfully and passionately keep at it. People will doubt you and your idea, but if it’s good, and you’re persistent, then you have a fighting chance of seeing it fly. Have faith in your ability to achieve your goals today. 

 

Urvashi Vaid (1958 – 2022): Indian-born American LGBT rights activist, lawyer, writer, and expert in gender and sexuality law.

Be good...

Employees talk.  About their job, their co-workers, and their boss. The last one often more than the others. 

 

·      Employee satisfaction

·      Is about where they work.

·      And it’s also about what they do.

·      But most importantly, it’s also about

·      The person that each of them works for. 

 

You’ve heard this many times: people don’t quit a job, they quit their boss. To them, their immediate boss represents the company – good or bad. That’s why it’s so important that bosses are good people who are good to their employees. Good as in caring and being empathetic. Good as in recognizing their value and letting them know. Good as in coaching and mentoring to help them discover and achieve their goals. And good as in making it a good place to work. Simple things like saying hello and goodbye to every employee each day, listening to them, thanking them for the work they do, catching them doing things right, and being a even-tempered sounding board. Most companies do turnover analyses – while it’s mostly annualized by unit, department and sometimes position, try doing it by supervisor. All things being equal, the best supervisors usually have the lowest turnover. That’s because the best supervisors are passionate about being good to the people that work for them. That’s the kind of legacy you should want to leave behind today.

 

Taylor Swift (born 1989): American singer-songwriter.

Do more...

We have choices every day. To show up, or not. And what to do if we show up. Either you’re into it, or not.

 

·      Going thru life

·      Can be exciting or not.

·      Being engaged in what you’re doing

·      Is the difference between living or just existing.

·      That’s a choice you get to make many times each day.

 

I think the choice to live fully, and passionately, is a no-brainer. Life presents us with so many opportunities each day: you’re there, so why not make the most of them. I keep thinking about the workplace issue of attendance and absenteeism. Maybe I’m biased, but I believe that if you accept a job, and the pay for that job, then you should show up every day that you’re scheduled. First: people are counting on you to be there to carry your part of the load – employees on your team need your efforts and customers want their expectations met. Second: there’s no end to the possibilities when you’re there – to be involved, to learn new things, to gain experience, and to be a part of something larger than yourself. Later, there’ll be more than enough time to sit home. But for now, make the choice to live to the fullest today.

 

Harry Styles (born 1994): English singer, songwriter, and actor.

Be there when someone needs you...

My mother used to say: “There's no time like the present.” Ben Franklin said: "Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” My old boss used to say: “Be in the moment.”

 

·      Be passionate

·      About doing things

·      Both well and effectively.

·      With a fierce urgency of now.

·      That’s what every customer expects.

 

Service workers must have this mindset. To stop what they’re doing and take care of the customer that’s looking for help. To be cool with that interruption. To respond with energy and enthusiasm. For recruiters, the trick is finding applicants that have this mindset. Many know of my simple “handshake” test, the one I used at the Mirage: unexpectedly stopping someone doing one thing with an unavoidable request that they do something else. And seeing how they react and respond. Like saying “hi” or asking a question. Like beeping your horn. Those that respond positively are optimists – people who are passionate, flexible, open, and willing. They live for each second without hesitation. Like the employees at the register in a Bed Bath and Beyond store who always look up and greet you when you walk in the door. They’re the ones you want to hire when seeking to fill service jobs today. 

 

Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 1947): English singer, pianist and composer (from I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues)

 

Make a difference...

We all know people that make a lot of money. And very little difference. The price of being here on earth is making a difference in someone’s life.

 

·      Start with you.

·      Live a righteous life.

·      Be a role model for others.

·      Making a difference in the lives of others.

·      Being a source of strength and support for others.

 

However much you make, remember where you came from, what it was like being there, and the things you told yourself to remember if you ever got to somewhere important. Every one of us had someone in our lives who took an interest in helping us get ahead: remember who that someone was in your live and try to be like them. This kind of reflection is good: it helps clarify who you should be and how you should act. Be real – not too big for your britches. Be aware – there’s a lot going on around you. Be empathetic – show that you care. Be kind – a smile might be a difference in someone’s life. Be sincere – keep your promises. And be humble – you’re all in it together. Simple stuff like that makes a difference. It’s good to be focused on being successful.  But there are others sharing this planet with you so remember to follow the Golden Rule and help make them successful too. Make a difference today.

 

Tom Brokaw (born 1940): American retired network television journalist and author.

Work smarter...

Yesterday was the summer equinox: longest day of the year. Makes you want to do more. But it’s not how many hours in the day; it’s what you do with those hours.

 

·      Make a plan.

·      Keep a calendar.

·      Implement your plans

·      Effectively and efficiently.

·      Use your time and resources wisely.

 

Most leaders attend classes to improve their technical skills – helping them to better complete the tasks listed in their job descriptions. Because motor skills are important. Training your mind, however, helps you to be confident and optimistic, complements those technical skills, and bolsters self-motivation and self-direction. And those are what get you up in the morning and drive you to be your best. You must train your mind as well as your body if you want to participate fully and achieve any level of success. Because, like athletes, all of us need to set our minds to what we ask our bodies to do, and that’s not just about overall endurance. I certainly realize that at my age many of the things I used to be able to do easily now require me to think smarter if I want to still accomplish them. But that’s true for people of all ages: being smart goes hand in hand with being effective. Use your mind and body together to accomplish the most today.

 

Venus Williams (born 1980): American professional tennis player who was a former world No. 1 in both singles and doubles.

Amplify the sunshine...

We all have bad days, some of which are full of clouds. That’s when we need someone to help us see if there’s a silver lining.

 

·      We’re expected to smile

·      As if nothing’s ever the matter.

·      But sometimes the obstacles we face

·      Look like they’re impossible to overcome.

·      That’s when we need to look for positive possibilities.

 

Leaders should get involved to understand what their employees are feeling or experiencing. Being aware will help them discover what’s on their employee’s minds. Being empathetic will help them understand the cause of their employee’s issues. Using their social and soft skills to communicate openly and sincerely will help open appropriate dialogue their employees. And motivating them to make things better will help to get things back on the right track. These are the essentials of emotional intelligence and can help uncover the rainbow in someone’s cloud and unlock the full potential of any situation. So, when one of your employees looks like they’re having a bad day, don’t avoid getting involved; rather, get actively engaged to help them discover how best to re-focus their energy. If you don’t, that problem could disrupt everything else you and the rest of your team are trying to do. Help blow away the clouds of your employees’ worry, doubt, uncertainty, and anxiety. Be a rainbow in someone’s cloud today.   

 

Maya Angelou (1928-2014): American Poet, Dancer, Producer, Playwright, Director, and Author

Plan for unexpected events...

I saw Bonnie Raitt in concert the other night at a wonderful musical venue in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts. You can sit in an open-air pavilion or out on the expansive lawn: with regular seating for 5000 indoors and another 1500 on the lawn, it’s usually very comfortable. But in this first season after Covid, ticket sales doubled. 

 

·      The long lines to park and again to get in stressed their ability to create memorable service and experiences.

·      It looked like they have been struggling to find enough workers; those they had were inexperienced and untrained. 

·      Their ticketing system was unable to handle the crowd, and this added confusion and stress to the overcrowded situation.

·      Like many, they apparently failed to foresee and plan for the pent-up demand unleashed by the pandemic’s end.

 

I’m not pointing fingers – nobody could have foreseen a pandemic, its effects on businesses big and small, and the staffing challenges that are now prevalent everywhere. We should stop and digest the lessons learned from these past two years. Like: (1) be prepared for anything – and when you’re not, take ‘time-outs’ to allow management to take a step back to think and consider alternatives; (2): don’t be too proud to ask for help – look for leading thinkers and ask their advice; (3) remain flexible – that will allow you to react and respond appropriately and effectively; and (4): don’t be so overanxious to recover fully that you hurt your chances to recover at all.  Nobody foresaw this pandemic, but the proof of anyone’s capabilities is in how they plan and act. Begin to plan for future challenges today.

 

Bayard Rustin (1912 – 1987): African American leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and gay rights.

Approach old challenges with a new mindset...

I’m generally disappointed with call centers and their continued use of Covid as an excuse for long wait times; worse is that when you finally do get thru to someone, they are often ill-prepared to respond to customer needs. To me, this seems like and easy problem to fix: start with these 5 steps:

 

1.    Target recruitment for this job to the roughly 40% of working people who prefer working from home. 

2.   Use existing technology to effectively route and manage calls to those employees working from home. 

3.   Treat call center staff as knowledge workers and pay them accordingly: they and their specialized knowledge is important to your company’s success.  

4.   Provide them with appropriate knowledge management tools to access and use information quickly and easily.

5.    Train them to know what they’re doing and then catch them doing things right.

 

Call center jobs are critical components of effective customer service and, because of technology, are practically tailor-made for those who want the flexibility and ease of working from home. Change your recruiting mindset and practices (see 1-5 above) and be selective in hiring the best candidates: that will send a message that excellence matters and you’re willing to put your money where your mouth is. There’s nothing new in the world of recruiting, but there are ways to use the tools you have more effectively. Get involved in re-focusing your recruiting efforts today.

 

Octavia Estelle Butler (1947 – 2006): American science fiction author who became the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.