Invest in happiness...

Are you happy with yourself? Doesn’t have to be 100%; but you should like what you see.

 

·      Look in the mirror…

·      What you see is what you get.

·      It’s what you’ve been working all

·      Your life to achieve, to become you.

·      Keep that thought and spread it around.

 

When I talk about the importance of practicing servant leadership and catching employees doing things right, that’s not about coddling employees. 

 

·      It’s about caring: knowing first names and what motivates them. 

·      It’s about empathy: listening and responding to their needs.  

·      It’s about trust: knowing that you’ve got each other’s backs. 

·      It’s about respect: being aligned and connected.  

·      It’s about happy: because happy employees make happy customers. 

 

Start by hiring people who are most likely to become happy and satisfied employees. Those kinds of people are:

 

·      Optimistic: seeing the glass as half full

·      Willing: curious and interested to learn more

·      Flexible: open to changes and challenges

·      Resilient: able to bounce back from any situation

 

These will be your high performers – give them lots of developmental opportunities and reinforce those with coaching and mentoring; keep your eye on them and give them lots of positive reinforcement for positive behavior. Be happy and make others so today.

 

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797 – 1851): English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel Frankenstein, which is considered an early example of science fiction

Be responsible and respectful...

We each have roles and responsibilities. To satisfy our own needs. And meet the needs and expectations of others.

 

·      We rely on others

·      And many rely on us.

·      Dependability is crucial

·      To family, friends, and colleagues.

·      Being there for them and they for you.

 

Some industry leaders asked me to help write a 21^st Century attendance policy. One that focuses on reinforcing positive behaviors rather than penalizing poor performance. Stressing what employees should do rather than explaining what happens when they don’t. Treating employees like adults. Because today’s workers, both young and old, are looking at work differently than before the pandemic. They want more flexibility and the tools to achieve that at work. There are interesting and positive ways and reasons to craft a 21^st Century Work Policy rather than continuing to recycle yesterday’s Attendance Policy, but none are easy. In the 21^st century we should stress the importance of coming to work, allow the flexibility to change schedules or not work at all, and create opportunities for employees to actively participate in these new solutions. This requires a servant mindset by leaders and line employees – being responsible to schedule sensibly (for managers) and being respectful enough (all employees) to either work their shifts or give enough notice so someone else can temporarily take your place. Start thinking about new ways to more effectively manage work and attendance today.

 

Joan Didion (1934 – 2021): American writer.

There's always more...

So much to do.  And so little time. So, keep on keeping on.

 

·      Life is a journey

·      That never really ends.

·      The key is to keep learning

·      About all that you want to know.

·      And use your new knowledge to continually grow.

 

People want to find a job they like and stay with it. Give them what they want by keeping them challenged, interested, engaged, and growing: that’s what it takes to make them stay. That’s a lot of work, on top of all the other work you have: but if you don’t do those things, they’ll join the Great Resignation in search of a job and boss that does. It starts with interviewing – ask applicants about their hopes, fears, and goals – then keep those in mind if you hire them.  During on-boarding, check in often to discover if the job’s a good fit, or if adjustments can or should be made. At six months, talk to your new employees about possible career paths – continue those conversations regularly (as in, put it on your calendar and do it). And keep catching them doing things right – that sets a tone for a culture that attracts and helps retain employees. It displays your interest in and commitment to them and promotes their loyalty in return. Help your employees discover a whole lot more of what’s right about their job today.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

Raymond Allen Liotta (1954 – 2022): American actor (Field of Dreams and Goodfellas) and film producer.

It's summertime, summertime, sum sum summertime...

Summer is just around the corner, again.  And so, we’re back in the Adirondacks, again. 

• ·      We summer here
• ·      To beat the Vegas heat.
• ·      And spend winters in Vegas
• ·      To escape the cold and snow here.
• ·      It truly is the very best of both of worlds. 

Every summer I enjoy these quiet mountain lakes and even quieter mountain air. Our cabin’s only access is a one-lane road along one side of the lake – the other side is forever wild; the nearest traffic light is 16 miles away. Quiet.  Which is just what I wanted when vacationing from the casinos during all the years I worked there. Now I just appreciate the solitude and the chance to relax and think. We come every year to get recharged by nature: kayaking and hiking by day and sitting under more stars than you can imagine at night. When I close my eyes here, I recall all the wonderful times I’ve had during the 71 summers I’ve spent here – swimming, boating, playing in the woods, listening to nature’s sounds, lazing around, and being surrounded by nature… always the best of what might be. Take some time off this summer and find the best of what you might be. Make your plans today.  

Charles Bowden (1945 – 2014): American non-fiction author, journalist and essayist based in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Begin with the end in mind...

Everything we do has the potential to impact others. So, we should plan that what we do benefits everyone. Start with that end in mind.

 

·      Whatever we do

·      Should benefit others.

·      It’s not enough to think

·      About how something ends.

·      It should always end well for all.

 

A true service mindset gets you thinking about others. There are too many examples of people doing things strictly for themselves, trying to improve only their lot in life. The words we use, the decisions we make, the things we do, In HR, examples are the policies we write – do they only benefit the company or are they intended to improve the well-being of employees. As managers – are the decisions we make intended to make a point or make a positive difference in all. In life – do we build our bank accounts to only purchase toys or to give some or all of it away to improve the lives of others. These answers aren’t all one way or the other, but if we begin with the intent of improving the hopes and health and well-being of others then we will ultimately make a better world for all. Ourselves for sure, but others as well. And the benefit we receive is the knowledge and satisfaction that we’ve made a positive impact. Imagine if everyone acted like that today.

 

Ray Charles Leonard (born 1956), best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American professional boxer (retired), motivational speaker, and occasional actor.

Develop a service mindset...

Service recovery is one of the most important tasks in any business. When a mistake happens, the next employee has the responsibility and the opportunity to make it right.

 

·      Customers want excellence.

·      They pay for things to be right.

·      When they’re not, everyone’s on the hook

·      To make the total customer experience right.

·      That last experience is the one they’ll remember.

 

A service mindset must be instilled in every employee – make it part of your company’s values and training. It’s not enough to show employees what to do – explain why so they understand the context and objectives of their actions. To understand the expected results. Let them know that if they see something wrong, they are empowered to act to make it right. No questions asked. No additional approvals needed. That’s building integrity into your culture. And consider taking it a step further – train them how and when their work intersects with others – in their own or related departments. That way they can help if something between the two isn’t right. So nothing falls between the cracks. And when they follow up and make a bad experience right, make a big deal of it. Catch them doing that. And broadcast your praise. Because reinforcing the behaviors you want is better than only reacting when they’ve done something wrong. That’s Psychology 101. Come to think of it, that’s Management 101. Catch people doing things right today.

 

Miles Davis III (1926 – 1991): American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.

Quietly go about your business...

Baby boomers: do you remember Nakita Khrushchev banging his shoe on the table while giving a speech at the United Nations? He was the loudest voice in that room. 

 

·      Kids in the 50s

·      Remember the cold war.

·      One boisterous Bolshevik

·      Loudly lecturing the world.

·      And nobody, it seemed, listened.

 

That’s one example – a bad role model for any profession. I’ve had managers who were screamers (no names mentioned) – they made it uncomfortable while not really making the point. But then I’ve also had quiet bosses (like Bobby Baldwin) who listened before they spoke, thought about what was being discussed before making any decisions, and often spent time researching the topic to make sure he knew enough about any subject to be effective. He was never the loudest voice in any room, but most always the wisest. He’d been a professional poker player and brought those skills to his leadership positions – poker, he always said, was about people, not cards. He quietly studied everyone and everything he dealt with in business with that same approach and attitude. Great role model, great leader. You don’t have to be the loudest or smartest person in any room – just be the quiet, studious, and focused one. That’s effective leadership. That’s what people want, appreciate, and look for in their leaders today.

 

Jacinda Ardern (born 1980): New Zealand politician who has been the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party since 2017.