Frustrating, yet Fortunate Failure
Waaaaa! She was really looking forward to the taste. She was so careful, but she dropped her ice cream cone. The specifics don’t matter. As a manager, you’ve been there. Maybe it was a project you tried, a job you wanted, or an event you planned. You worked. You prepared. Yet, you failed. Try to […]
Think about Stress as a Verb
When I’m delivering conflict resolution training, I ask participants about the meaning of stress, They give me answers like tension, trouble, misery, or lack of control. These factors are outside of their control – things that they just have. They are describing stress as a noun. Try to think about stress as a verb instead. […]
5 Ways to Avoid the Great Resignation
Managers have always worked hard to keep their business fully staffed with trained people. Trying to keep just the right number of employees in the right positions to run your business is a challenge. But lately, you’ve found it harder to get good people and even harder to keep the ones you have. Let’s drill […]
Stay Focused – You’re the Pilot
I was soaring my hang glider above Cape Kiwanda on the Oregon Coast. But I didn’t stay focused. The sun cast a sleek shadow of my thirty-foot wingspan on the sand dune below me as I passed. Because I was so engrossed looking at my shadow, I didn’t initiate my turn at the end of […]
Customers or Employees – Who’s More Important?
Customer service is very important to business success. So as a leadership consultant and employee trainer, I’m asked to provide customer service training frequently. Employers want their employees to serve their clients or customers better to increase revenue. But here’s an important question for every manager to consider: Of your company’s customers or employees – […]
The Simplest Way to Build Rapport
As a business leader, you know that building rapport paves the way to smoother relationships. It helps you benefit more from the people you contact. Want to know the simplest way to build rapport? I watched a young couple in a restaurant the other day and got a refresher course on how to build rapport. […]
It’s Easy to Improve Your Workplace Culture
Workplace culture is the buzzword these days, but what’s that mean? It means your people look forward to coming to work on Monday. It means that they enjoy their job and their co-workers and that they feel worthwhile and valued for their efforts. Let’s talk about how to make that happen because it’s easy to […]
Customer Service Skills – Avoid the #1 Problem
Customer service skills are on many business leaders’ minds, so I am asked to deliver customer service training frequently. I recently asked employees in a department store what they thought the biggest customer service complaint is – not just in their business but in any business. They guessed some obvious answers such as rudeness, defective […]
Level Up People Skills in Your Team
You want your people to be friendly and service-minded to each other and to your customers. A smooth running operation is desirable, so people skills are important. Do you find it hard to schedule employee training time to hone and develop interpersonal skills in the workplace? People skills are essential to keep your teams collaborating […]