Just be you...

You are you – different than anyone else. Don’t try to be someone or something you’re not.

 

You have a name, experience, and a reputation. That’s who and what you are.

People will like and accept you for who you are, so just be yourself.

 

Many of us hire people – we review their resume, interview them, answer the questions they ask, do background checks, and spend time training and coaching them. In those, we want them to be themselves – not anyone else, or different from what we find them to be. So, tell them that. After you hire someone, tell them you liked the person you met during the hiring and training processes. Tell them you appreciated their personality, their smile, and their outlook on things. And tell them that’s what you expect to find every day. It sounds s0 simple, you want them to just be themselves, different from anyone else, and part of the team. Sometimes people are not sure how they should act, or what they should do – but if they act like the person that was hired, the one the hiring manager liked and chose, then it should all work out. As their leader, compliment them when you catch them being themselves – that kind of reinforcement goes a long way in the workplace. So, be yourself today.

 

Tony Bennett (1926 – 2023): American jazz and traditional pop singer who won 20 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards.

Roll with the punches...

Loyal customers and employees expect you to change with the times. If you don’t, time will pass you by.

 

Times change and people and businesses need to change with them.

Customer and employee satisfaction and loyalty depend on that.

 

It takes good planning to figure out your most pressing issues and how to address them effectively. Like how companies dealt with the post-Covid bounce in business and what to do if (and when) that doesn’t continue? Or if they’ve figured out how to effectively address the post-Covid staffing (can’t find qualified applicants and retain current staff) and compensation issues ($15-18 wage rates, and more, at McDonalds, Target, Wal Mart, and Amazon)? Everyone I talk to continues to deal with these two issues: again, pointing to the need for good planning.  Planning that includes training managers to effectively practice servant leadership and emotional intelligence. Putting employees first and being in touch with what they think. Providing supervisor soft skill training (effective communications and coaching). Conducting stay interviews or focus groups to get in tune with what they think about the changing times. Times and things that need to be addressed. Focus on problem solving and planning for change today.

 

Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987): American visual artist, film director, producer, and leading figure in the pop art movement.

Give more to get more...

I spoke with a young professional recently who expressed the desire to find a job where she could help others. That’s a common interest among job seekers.

 

·      Our jobs give us lots of benefits.

·      The greatest of those is helping others.

 

Most people’s self-esteem is supported by their jobs – by the things they do, the people they meet, the personal growth they enjoy, the things they accomplish, the goals they achieve. When you ask people who they are, they often respond with what they do. Because their jobs provide opportunities to give back – by giving opportunities to great applicants, coaching people to achieve their own objectives, mentoring proteges, volunteering with colleagues for worthwhile causes, and even hiring people who’ve earned and want a second chance. I’ve written often here about the great work Jon Ponder and Hope for Prisoners (H4P) do to help people reentering society after being incarcerated. Those people thrive when given a second-chance job – it’s the single most important thing to building their self-esteem.  H4P relies on the efforts of mentors who share their time and energy helping their mentees to making the rest of their lives the best of their lives. The more those mentors share the more satisfaction they have. Look for volunteer opportunities – either through your work or in your community, to share more and have more today.

 

Leonard Nimoy (1931 – 2015): American actor, famed for playing Spock in the Star Trek franchise for almost 50 years.

Find a friend...

Someone I know recently went to her 70^th high school reunion. She reports there were several people there, some who she’s known ever since. That’s amazing. 

 

·      How many friends you have is a function of how good a friend you are.

·      That’s why our loyalties, and how we treat them, are important.

 

I still have friends I met in 4^th grade – more than 60 years ago. And friends I met in college – more than 50 years ago. Good friends are like treasures – something to cherish. Having good friends for that many years builds a sense of loyalty to the concept and reality of friendship. These are people who’ve accompanied me on this journey, through thick and thin, good and bad, high times and low. We tend to know what the other is thinking and can finish each other’s sentences. We’re not as spry as we used to be, but there’s still that sparkle in our eyes. Just the mention of their name(s) sets off fond memories. Friendships don’t start that way – they’re developed through being open, willing, and caring. This is the season of reunions – if you have one coming up, plan to attend, continue the long-standing relationships, and rekindle old ones that may have been lost in time. Loyalty to a friend is a virtue. Show your loyalty to someone special today.

 

Milan Kundera (1929 – 2023): Czech-French novelist (The Incredible Lightness of Being). Kundera went into exile in France in 1975, acquiring citizenship in 1981. 

Give people a reason to believe...

Everybody has quirks – odd things they like doing, or not. I like washing dishes.

 

·      Washing dishes is a good way to see things through.

·      Each time is a great little sense of accomplishment.

 

Maybe it’s because I don’t hear so well and after dinner conversations often are hard for me to follow. Or maybe I really do like a few start-to-finish accomplishments every now and then. Whatever, I really like doing dishes – the bigger the meal the better. And because it’s important to have the right tool for the job[1], in this, the right soap is important. Which leads me to the point of today’s message: I think Proctor & Gamble’s Dawn soap division must be a cool place to work – they apparently have a culture that promotes initiative and rewards creativity. A few years ago, they came out with a new formula cleaner that made it easier to remove baked on stuff. And now, they’ve changed the old Dawn dish soap bottle – the one with the little flip top that tends to get clogged; seems someone there re-imagined that long-running design and created a new-fangled squeeze top, one I hadn’t yet seen on any other squeeze bottles. It immediately caught my attention. I couldn’t resist their ingenuity. It again, re-upped my loyalty. It’s a simple thing, but loyal users of any product love it when improvements – big and small, magically appear.  It reinvigorates their loyalty. There are lots of products on the market – they each need creative and continuous improvement to maintain customer loyalty today.

 

Benjamin Disraeli (1804 – 1881): British politician and one of the founders of the Conservative Party, who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

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[1] An original saying by R. Crumb’s Mr. Natural cartoon character

Promote loyalty...

Companies work hard to create loyalty with the people that work for them. That loyalty is most often based on the relationship between their employees and their supervisors.

 

·      People stay or quit supervisors, not companies.

 

Our life’s journey is really about the people who touch us, and a large part of that journey is a person’s job. Ask anyone if they like their job, and they’ll usually say ‘yes’ if they like their supervisor. The best supervisors practice trust, respect, good communications, a steady approach, and an interest in helping people to be their best. Make sure your supervisors understand that and are skilled in the soft skills that support loyalty. Skills like effective communications, coaching, handling difficult conversations, emotional intelligence, servant leadership, and catching people doing things right. Begin to build loyalty with your people the day they start work and continue supporting it every day thereafter. Think back the best bosses you’ve had and be more like them than the ones you didn’t like, trust, or respect. Be the kind of boss that promotes loyalty today.

 

Stuart Scott (1965 – 2015): American sportscaster and anchor on ESPN, including on SportsCenter.

Smile and the world will smile with you...

I noticed a tongue-in-cheek sign in the elevator of our hotel in Phoenix: “Warning: Focus here to avoid an awkward conversation”. Made me think of all my years working in the hospitality business.

 

·      Making 

·      Eye contact

·      And smiling is

·      Always required.

 

I spent 25 years working for a casino company that stressed excellent customer service. Being in the moment there meant making eye contact, smiling, and engaging with every guest, every time, every day. We went out of our way to make sure they had a great time – we visited every table in every restaurant and talked to every dining guest. We stood in buffet and valet lines just to engage with every guest standing and waiting every day. And we even rode the guest elevators and made eye contact with every guest we saw. In each of those situations we introduced ourselves as working there and inquired about their stay with us. So, reading that elevator sign in Phoenix – which was meant to make riders smile, made me uncomfortable. I looked at the other guests in there with me and we all smiled at each other as if we got the joke. But customer service is no joke. Great service – anywhere, is not a means; it is a non-negotiable end. It’s the right thing to do. Make eye contact and smile at everyone your meet today.

 

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772 – 1834): English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian and a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets.

Keep on trying...

I’m in Phoenix this week at a client site. This is a great engagement despite the record-breaking heat here. I’ve been advised to stay out of the sun and drink lots of water… even when nobody’s looking.

 

Taking care of yourself is a lot like having integrity: they both are the right things to do even when nobody’s looking. So, now that we know what taking care of yourself entails, let’s examine what having integrity means. To me, it means you:

·      Are reliable and trustworthy 

·      Value honesty and openness

·      Express gratitude when others help you

·      Help those in need without sacrificing your own well-being

·      Respect yourself and others around you no matter where you are

·      Show patience and flexibility, even when unexpected obstacles arise

·      Are responsible and accountable for your actions, good and bad

 

Those are the kind of traits people with integrity have. They’re the ones you should aspire to and should want the people around you to have. Practice them yourself, teach them to others (like your children and employees), and celebrate others who have them.  Make sure you factor them in when you’re hiring, promoting, or recognizing your employees. And even if you or they fall short, never stop trying to achieve them. Life is short: never let the challenges you face keep you from acting with integrity today.

 

George Herman "Babe" Ruth (1895 – 1948): American professional baseball player regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture.  

You know it don't come easy...

It takes hard work to succeed at anything. Experience, perseverance, and luck may also play a factor. But without hard work, success is rare.

 

·      Being in 

·      the right place

·      At the right time

·      Is very important.

·      But diligence is the

·      Main reason for success. 

 

I had a colleague who often said that “nothing comes easy”. We worked together opening Bellagio and our culture of working hard and smart were the main reasons for our success. While many never work on projects that large, the same holds true for most things we do, big or small. Working hard is defined as constantly, regularly, or habitually engaged in earnest and energetic work. Working smart is defined as using your resources and tools to achieve the best potential outcomes within the allotted time. Together, these are what diligence means. That’s why diligence, which is defined as steady, earnest, and energetic effort, is the mother of good fortune. When you interview people, supervise employees, or consider someone for promotion, stress the importance of diligence. Being diligent goes hand in hand with having integrity – practice them both even when nobody’s looking.   Both will help you to be all you can be. Be diligent in everything you do today.

 

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547 – 1616): Early Modern Spanish writer (Don Quixote) widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. 

 

Smiles matter...

Sometimes you just have to say something. Respectfully. When sitting silently on the sidelines isn’t an option.

 

It’s easy

   To take things

      As they come and

         Not say anything. But…

 

I’m traveling today and like most people, I’ve gotten used to the world according to the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA). It’s an accepted and necessary part of life. But like any government program, it’s unaccountable to the people it serves. They figure safety is everything and customer satisfaction is nothing. I guess they’re customer and mission are the same. So long lines, while maddening to travelers, is seemingly unimportant to them. Like the greater hospitality world, they have a way of knowing exactly how much volume they will have every hour (they know how many ticketholders are coming their way every hour; unlike the greater hospitality world, they don’t staff accordingly for these known volumes. Thus, long lines in the lines that are open, and lots of lines not open. Unhappy travelers (who really can’t say anything). Unsmiling TSA staff working at the speed of safety. I should be satisfied just knowing it’s safe. While I am, I still wish they’d smile. No reason not to, in this or any other people to people transaction. Smiles make everything right. Whatever your job, remember to smile today.

 

Dean Smith (1931 – 2015): American men's college basketball head coach for 36 years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Let your conscience be your guide...

You are who you are. Nobody else is you, and you’re nobody else. Just be you.

 

We are

   Who we are.

      Don’t try to be

         Somebody you’re not.

 

I have a recurring dream that when starting something new I first introduce myself as someone new, with a completely made-up background and personality; in some I even use a new name. But in the end, I become exactly who I’ve always been. In real life we are who we are, a composite of all the things we’ve been through and done. There’s no getting away from that. Call it karma or conscience, we can’t erase any of the past – we must learn from it, self-correcting the mistakes and missteps, and continually committing to live every moment of every day with integrity. Doing what’s right even when something else seems or feels better. Looking back, most people have moments they’d like to erase, but in life there are no complete do-overs. Some of those past moments might make us cringe, but all we can do is re-commit to treat others with dignity and respect. Every time. A conscience, like our memory, can be unforgiving. We’re born as an original individual – the challenge in life is to be the best original you can be. Be your best self today.

 

John Mason (born 1951): National best-selling author, noted speaker, and executive coach. He is the founder and president of Insight International and Insight Publishing Group.