Take responsibility for being your best...

Today’s quote pretty much sums up what each of us is responsible for. Simple. Straight forward. What we should aspire to and inspire those we’re responsible for to strive for. It’s a formula for a complete and responsible person. Things every leader should incorporate into their new hire training programs – designed to produce the opposite of scripted, robotic, standardized behavior. Because employees want to be themselves and customers want authentic service.  Manufacturing assembly lines and fast-food production kitchens work because they’re efficient – don’t try to emulate those for service standards. Standardized greetings, processes, and salutations fail because after a short time they sound canned and inauthentic – allow employees to put themselves and their personalities into those functions and they become genuine. So, explain what’s expected, show them how, let them practice their own patterns, provide coaching and support, and encourage them to have fun – that’s how individuals shine. Trust them to think, act, speak, and be themselves, without any contrived imitations, and your customers will reward you with the kinds of great loyalty and reviews that show up on the bottom line. In any business. Give your employees the responsibility to be their best selves today.

 

Marva Collins (1936 – 2015): American educator best known for creating Westside Preparatory School, a widely acclaimed private elementary school in the impoverished Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.

Don't play the blame game...

ex·cuses

verb

3rd person present: excuses

/ikˈskyo͞oz,ekˈskyo͞oz/

1.

attempt to lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offense); seek to defend or justify.

plural noun: excuses

/ikˈskyo͞os,ekˈskyo͞os/

2. 

a reason or explanation put forward to defend or justify a fault or offense.

 

You want the people around you – family, friends, colleagues, employees, to be straight with you. Meaning they say what they mean, mean what they say, keep their promises, and accept responsibility for their actions. Trying their best. In good times and bad. Life (and work) is hard enough without having to figure out or interpret what someone says or does. It takes excellent two-way communications – honest and open, to keep you and others on the same page. It takes trust - without judgment or drama, to support and value taking responsibility. There’s no place for blame in dealing with others – once that starts, people feel the need to defend themselves, often with excuses. And that’s just a waste of time and energy. Create an environment of equality, own up to whatever happens, and be open to learning and growing from the facts and results of any situation. Teammates, partners, colleagues, and friends should stay focused on achieving the expected results, remain flexible as circumstances changes, and continue to treat others the way they want to be treated. Accept responsibility. Don’t play the blame game. Don’t make excuses – make good, today.

 

Elbert Green Hubbard (1856 – 1915): American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher. 

Learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbert_Hubbard

Keep at it until you reach your full potential...

Stick to Your Job

 

Diamonds are only chunks of coal

     That stuck to their jobs, you see;

If they’d petered out, as most of us do,

     Where would the diamonds be?

 

It isn’t the fact of making a start,

     It’s the sticking that counts. I’ll say,

It’s the fellow that knows not the meaning of fall,

     But hammers and hammers away.

 

Whenever you think you’ve come to the end,

     And you’re beaten as bad as can be,

Remember that diamonds are chunks of coal,

     That stuck to their jobs, you see.

 

Consider new employees like you would a diamond in the rough – your job is to train, coach, mentor, supervise, inspire, manage, and recognize them. To make them effective (able to achieve the results expected in any situation). That’s your responsibility. Stick to that job today.

 

by Minnie Richard Smith: as published in Christian F. Kleinknecht: “Poor Richard’s Anthology of Thoughts on Success” (1947), page 44

Know when to go and when to go slow...

I can relate to this quote; I often have one speed, and my foot rarely hits the brake. But as time has passed, I’ve learned the benefits, some would say necessity, of pausing to look, listen, and learn. 

·      Just stopping and looking around has the potential to reset perspectives and momentum – from seeing the looks on people’s faces to noting which way the wind is blowing. 

·      I had to learn to ask questions and listen to the answers – it can be fun and fulfilling to be an individual contributor, but two heads (or more) are always better than one. There’s strength and power in numbers.

·      And learning – from mistakes to new developments: if you’re not continuously learning you’re probably falling behind. This applies to everyone (individuals, families, leaders, and companies).

That said: if you let looking, listening, and learning slow you down where and when needed, you’ll be better able to live up to your full responsibilities. As a better person, friend, family member, employee, manager, leader, neighbor, and citizen. The test of your character is what it takes to stop or slow you down. Don't be so full of yourself that you ignore what's being said or going down. Learn this sooner rather than later so you’ll be more effective more of the time. Know when to go and when to go slow today.

 

Robert Reynolds Jones Sr. (1883 – 1968): American evangelist, pioneer religious broadcaster, and the founder and first president of Bob Jones University.

Do what's expected...

re·spon·si·bil·i·ty

/rəˌspänsəˈbilədē/

noun

1.     the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone.

a.     "a true leader takes responsibility for their team and helps them achieve goals"

2.     the state or fact of being accountable or to blame for something.

a.     "the group has claimed responsibility for a string of mis-adventures"

3.     the opportunity or ability to act independently and make decisions without authorization.

a.     "we would expect individuals lower down the organization to take on more responsibility"

4.     a thing that one is required to do as part of a job, role, or obligation.

a.     "he will take over the responsibilities of overseas director"

5.     a moral obligation to behave correctly toward or in respect of.

a.     "individuals have a responsibility to control personal behavior"

 

Responsibility is a big deal – parents teach it to their children and employers seek it from their employees. And each of us as individuals are expected to practice it. In everything we do. But even with this much emphasis, it’s not as universal as you might expect. Eventually we all must accept full and total responsibility for our actions, everything we have done, and have not done. The part about the things we have done is understandable – to be responsible for the things we say and do. But the part about the things we haven’t done is equally as important – because it’s about not doing what we should or know is right. At work, make sure you let your employees know what’s expected, and then catch them doing it right or coach them when they don’t; in either case, that’s reinforcing behaviors and performance that’s expected. At all the things you do outside of work, family and friends rely on you doing what you say you’re going to do – you may not get in trouble for not doing it, but the people you care about are impacted just the same. At Wynn, our motto was Keep the Promise – sounds simple, but it was a high bar we constantly talked, trained, coached, and wrote about, and recognized in many demonstrable ways. Because it’s what co-workers and customers expected. Make a big deal about the importance of taking responsibility for what you do and don’t do today.

 

Hubert Selby Jr. (1928 – 2004) was an American novelist, poet, and screenwriter.  

Learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubert_Selby_Jr.

Go the extra mile...

Continuing with yesterday’s message, after you invest in your employees and they stay with you, leverage that experience and tenure by partnering with them to provide the absolute best service to your customers. Because if they’re well trained, competent, and confident, they’ll feel comfortable putting their personalities into their work and you should be comfortable and confident in allowing them to do just that. To go off script and use their knowledge of your products and customers to provide personalized service. The kind that exceeds expectations in unexpected and helpful ways. Delightful ways. Like when someone asks directions, they’ll take them there rather than to just point them in the right direction. That’s a rather common service practice that more and more companies have adopted; use that example as a baseline and challenge your employees to suggest many more like it. Ones based on their knowledge and instincts. Make them responsible and they’ll take ownership of your service standards – since you can’t get between your employees and guests at that moment of service, it really is all on them. And then stand back, observe, and catch them doing great work. Demonstrably. Putting your money where your mouth is. Adding that kind of trust and respect to your investment will add to their satisfaction and loyalty. And that of your customers as well. Strengthen the partnership with your employees today.

 

Sir Richard Branson (born 1950): English business magnate best known for co-founding the Virgin Group in 1970, which today controls more than 400 companies in various fields.

Invest in loyalty...

It’s often said that employees are the company’s most important assets; too often they’re not treated as such. Machines constantly get regular maintenance. Technology is regularly refreshed and updated. We give employees time off, mostly, I think, on the presumption that those interludes are what’s needed to recharge their batteries. Since companies regularly have to trade-in a whole range of assets as they wear out, I suspect that some of that thinking leads to ambivalence about employee attrition/turnover. But hold on, you shouldn’t be that cavalier about your human assets. You invest a lot of money in each employee – recruitment, competitive wages and salaries, training, and the time and payroll to get each to expected productivity levels. That total investment (which is both necessary and probably more than you think) should motivate you to do things to get them to stay so you can get the maximum rate of return on it. These are called Employee relations strategies to promote retention: including (but certainly not limited to) effective internal communications, an environment that supports the development of their skills (continuous training, coaching, mentoring, cross training), career opportunities, management training (technical and soft skills), a robust recognition and reward program, programs to promote engagement, policies and practices that show you care, and more. Use your imagination. Positive Employee Relations makes a company a place where employees can and want to have a long, productive, and rewarding career. A place where they can be happy, valuable, and loyal (firmly and constantly). It takes time, patience, discipline, and focus to get there. But worth it. Because the longer an employee’s tenure, the higher the return on the total investment in them. Invest in your employees today.

 

Socrates (470 – 399 BC): Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and as among the first moral philosophers of the ethical tradition of thought. Learn more about Socrates: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socrates

Remember, Reflect, Never Forget...

·      Remember. 

·      Reflect. 

·      Never Forget.

 

Stand and say a prayer for the 2,977 people from 90 nations killed in the worst terrorist attack in history on this date in 2001: 2,753 people were killed in New York; 184 people were killed at the Pentagon; and 40 people were killed on Flight 93.

 

Jeff Parness founder and Chairman of the New York Says Thank You Foundation, a nationwide disaster relief non-profit organization that sends volunteers from New York City each year on the 9/11 Anniversary to help rebuild communities around the United States affected by disaster.

Start your own daily motivational message...

mo·ti·va·tion

/ˌmōdəˈvāSH(ə)n/

noun

1. the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.

·       "escape can be a strong motivation for travel"

2. the general desire or willingness of someone to do something.

·       "keep staff up to date and maintain interest and motivation"

 

One of the primary duties of a manager is to make sure his/her employees are effective, meaning they achieve the expected results in any situation. You can train them, but I think you then must motivate them to perform as trained. Motivation, like training, should not be treated as an event – they are things, like bathing and grooming, that should be done daily. And therein lies another of my issues with standard job descriptions for leaders and managers – the duties and responsibilities they list are mostly technical and operational, and rarely do they delve into the inspirational and motivational responsibilities of their jobs. I guess that’s because it’s not a one-size-fits-all practice – you must get to know each of your employees as individuals, with needs, hopes, quirks, and expectations. With that knowledge, you can craft messages and methods for each, and spend the requisite time needed to make sure they work, in good times and bad. And unlike politicians, what you say and do can and must be measured daily, adjusting as needed, and constantly reinforced. Your comments and promises must be accurate and you must follow up on them. Keep a diary if you must but keep things straight in you mind. Make a calendar of who you should see and follow up with, not leaving this important task to chance. Every day (like these motivational messages). This is way too important to take casually. Motivate and inspire your team today.

 

Hilary Hinton "Zig" Ziglar (1926 – 2012): American author, salesman, and motivational speaker.

Pay it forward...

·      The best job is often the one you have.

·      The challenge is to make it the one you love.

 

In high school I volunteered to work in a Headstart program, teaching after school classes to inner city youth: that got me interested in helping others. The next year, a family friend invited me to spend a workday with him in his office at a local factory: he was the Personnel Director and gave me my first introduction to careers in what would become known as Human Resources. Based on those experiences, I enrolled in Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, building on the realization that I had been made for that particular kind of work. And my career in the hospitality and gaming industry gave me ample opportunities to fulfill that heartfelt desire to help others. Everyone who loves what they do should take time to show and explain it to kids in their communities – that kind of exposure is invaluable in helping them learn about career options and possibilities available to them. Talk to your company about creating programs to give young people information about the kinds of careers available there. Some may opt for vocational training; others may seek to obtain related degrees. Either way, you’ll help people discover what they’re cut out for – and the seeds you plant just might inspire them to join your company. That’s a great way to pay it forward today.

 

Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (1207 – 1273): 13th-century poet, Hanafi faqih (jurist), Islamic scholar, Maturidi theologian, and Sufi mystic originally from Greater Khorasan in Greater Iran.

Don't waste your time on hate...

·      There’s no place in leadership for hate.

·      Hate is unproductive and unprofessional.

·      Don’t waste a minute of your time on hate.

 

You’re leading a business, or a unit of a business – your job is to seriously and objectively deal with products, process, performance, and people (employees and customers). Others depend on your work and judgment – based on the situation and the facts. Not personal animosities. You may disagree with some, but only as a matter of discussion, after which your role is to do what’s best for the business. You may not appreciate some, but only as a means of figuring out what you might appreciate about them; again, find ways to make everyone important on some level. This again is about integrity – doing what’s right; it’s about ethical behavior. Don’t be so big or full of yourself that you think your hate is important in the bigger scheme of things – it only makes you look small. Even while the world seems to be filled with so much discord and hate, your role in the workplace is to be civil, and encourage and inspire others to be the same. Let work be the place where people practice working together and letting diversity be a strength. That may seem to be a tall order, but the benefits are worth it for you, the people you work with and for, and your customers.  Find ways around hate today.

 

Medgar Evers (1925 – 1963): American United States Army veteran and civil rights activist. 

Don't be judgmental...

Ethical leaders practice emotional intelligence (EI), which is the ability to understand, use, and manage their own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict.

 

Being aware of unexpected changes in an employee’s performance and behavior is an important result of practicing EI. Things like mood changes, recent absenteeism, a lack of normal interest or level of engagement, and failure to follow through on routine assignments should be noted and addressed. If you care about your employees, you don’t let them slip without trying to understand why. In some cases, they may be burned out and might just need a break – extra time off, temporary re-assignment, or shifting of duties might be all that’s needed. In others, time might be catching up with them – this should be handled thoughtfully to avoid issues related to self-esteem and confidence. In any case, talk with them and listen to their concerns; if they’re hesitant to discuss this, you may also consider utilizing employee assistance resources. Either way, assure them your concern is genuine and not disciplinary. Time catches up with all of us – there’s no shame in that; be caring, not judgmental, when dealing with employees who are experiencing this. That’s the ethical and right way to deal with things like this today.  

 

Nat King Coles (1919 –1965): American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole started his career as a jazz pianist in the late 1930s and became the top-selling (and the only black act) on Capitol Records in the 1940s. Cole's trio was the model for small jazz ensembles that followed.