Plan ahead...

People get involved in things, sometimes before it’s clear what to do. Whether it’s strategic planning, problem solving, or answering questions, that tendency needs to be tempered by clear objectives and careful thought. How many times have you seen someone go off only partly ready or poorly prepared: sure, it’s fun to run and gun, but that’s mostly for sport.  When it comes to getting things done at work, steady is usually better than fast, and effective is better than efficient. Don’t be afraid to ask and wait for clear instructions, communicate and coordinate with others, and act according to a well-defined plan. Doing something often feels good, but doing nothing can sometimes be the most effective form of action.  Give yourself a moment to think, talk and listen to others, and then decide if and how you should act (either alone or collaboratively).  Take a deep breath and decide what you’re going to get involved in today.

Kevin Kwan (b. 1973): American novelist (“Crazy Rich Asians”), named as one of the "Five Writers to Watch" and made Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people

Hard work matters...

You see it all the time: those that work harder than others tend to be the most successful. Some might get confused that success is controlled by size and sizzle: with or without those, it’s usually about the people working there. Like when you go out to dinner: a great food server can overcome bad timing or less than appetizing food, but a bad one will ruin a great meal. We preach this to employees all the time and the proof is in the customer satisfaction scores: managers need to talk about  customer feedback, discuss the good and not-so-good comments, give praise when it’s called for and coaching when needed, and be there for their employees. Whether in sports or business, if you work harder than somebody else, chances are you’ll beat them though they have more talent than you.  Get engaged in the hard work of success today.

Bryan Bartlett Starr (1934 – 2019): American football quarterback and coach; he played for the University of Alabama and the Green Bay Packers

Get moving...

Yesterday was the 75^thanniversary of D Day, the invasion of Normandie Beach in France that led to the beginning of the end of World II. Presidents and service men attended ceremonies that commemorated this historic event; those of us who couldn’t be there were treated to hours of  newscasts and old movies about those current and long-ago events, about how the soldiers on the beaches overcame great odds and overran the enemy to keep the invasion alive. While not nearly as life-threatening as being in battle, there are lots of situations in life that make people nervous because they’re unable to move forward or back: those fears are overcome by action. Leaders in all walks of life know the importance of keeping others focused, providing them with clear and unambiguous goals, inspiring them to take personal responsibility, and standing with them throughout their ordeals. It takes listening, communicating, resolving, coaching, coaxing, inspiring and empathizing to help people move and overcome their challenges and fears. Be responsible for helping  people act today. 

Henry C. Link (1889 – 1952): American psychologist, author and religionist 

Speak up...

Most would agree that our political system isn’t working: partisanship and extreme views seem to get in the way of rational discourse and action. With all the really pressing needs that are being ignored in this stalemated environment, I was amazed to see the news out of New York State that their legislators came together and decided to ban cat declawing! You can’t make this stuff up.  Infrastructure, immigration, healthcare, and so many other issues need addressing, and legislators everywhere seem to be more interested in politics than progress. None of these are easy issues, but that’s why we elect supposedly smart people to address them. If they can’t, they should be put on notice: we shouldn’t be content to wait and see what will happen, but should be determined to make the right things happen. That’s our responsibility in a democracy.  Take ownership of stalemates in your world (political or otherwise) today.

Horace Mann (1796 – 1859): American educational reformer inspired by the work of the Whig dedication to promoting public education

Check it out...

Everyone has opinions: it’s probably best to determine whether they’re accurate. Doesn’t matter only what our hearts say: in this we should use our heads too. Beliefs, friendships, loyalties, product advertising news and more are all bound up in that space between what’s real and what we want to be real. Today, it’s easier than ever to check on most things: the internet gives us such quick access to information. But, like the text behind the ‘agree’ button when accepting an app, we often don’t take the time to read the fine print, to know what’s really there, to understand how or why it might affect us. The old ‘buyer beware’warning still applies today: like then, it’s still up to all of us to know before we buy (or believe). It’s not enough to assume: being informed is always better. Even though it takes extra time to be really informed, use it to know what’s true today.

Harlan Ellison (1934 – 2018): American writer

Be prepared to be your best...

I’ve got a client whose competitors are much bigger and have  a lot more money: but that doesn’t stop my place from being the friendliest in that market. They focus on the simplest of strategies: smiling and acknowledging the customer. They could easily accept the fact they’re outgunned, but they don’t. They knew they couldn’t raise or control the size of that market, so they put together a plan to attract an outsized-share of the customers  with great people-to-people service. Casinos and other customer-facing retail businesses are generally confused about the dynamics of success: it’s not the size or sizzle of the business – it’s the people that work in those places that attract and hold the customers. Make sure your employees know that, own that, and live that every day. Make sure you have programs in place to track service performance and then respond and reward the best among your employees appropriately.  That will be time and money well-spent. Do it today.

Ernst Friedrich Schumacher (1911 – 1977): German statistician, economist and industrial, author, and industrial thought leader

Do your best to make good things happen...

Managers generally look for people who work hard and care a lot: sounds simple, but sometimes they’re really hard to find.  Working hard is about how much effort employees put into the things they do; caring a lot is more about how engaged they are in the things they do. Managers are responsible for getting the most of both by (1) making sure they explain what and train how to be effective, and (2) always recognizing employees to motivate them to be the best. We often think employees are solely responsible for working hard and caring, which on many levels they are, but don’t be confused: if you’re a manager, you own the work environment that allows those behaviors to thrive. Some days it seems the odds of getting people to work and care are against you, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying to make that happen. Remember: that’s one of your primary responsibilities today.

Arnold Palmer (1929 – 2016): American professional golfer who is generally regarded as one of the greatest and most charismatic players in the sport's history