Don’t Treat Employees Like Employees
What makes good employees want to work for you? Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s the money. Employees grow accustomed to their wages very quickly, even after getting a raise. They see those wages as a fair trade for doing the basic job. So if you want to improve performance, don’t treat employees like employees. […]
Leadership Behaviors Affect Staff Development
Your leadership behaviors impact staff development and employee performance. Let me illustrate with this example from the world of grade school education. A pool of students, who all tested the same academically, were divided between two teachers. Each teacher heard a different backstory. One teacher learned that his students were the cream of the crop, […]
Invert Your Organizational Chart and Grow
Your business is a living organism, much like a tree. Consider your organizational chart. Does it look like a pyramid, with the boss on top and the workers on the bottom supporting the boss? Your organizational hierarchy speaks volumes, especially to those who work for you! Invert your organizational chart and you’ll grow your business. […]
This is Better than Employee Engagement
Employee engagement is the latest go-to topic in the leadership training world. Engagement is important, but when I think of it, I think of a transmission in a car. When you engage the transmission, you get the vehicle moving. Is the reason we want engaged employees so we get our business moving? Will that motivate […]
To be a Good Leader Picture Yourself Walking
No matter how busy you are as a leader, don’t picture yourself running. Show confidence as a leader by thinking like a drummer, and picture yourself walking. Have you ever watched a drummer in a band? Talk about patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time. Drummers have one foot on the […]
First Impressions are Overvalued
You know the old saying, “You only get one chance to make a great first impression?” Good first impressions are critical in your business and personal relationships, right? I disagree! First impressions are overvalued. Sure, first impressions are important. But so are second and third impressions. And seventeenth impressions. If first impressions were so critical, […]
Don’t be Fooled by Your Perception
In business leadership (and in life) you witness, you experience, so think you know. But do you really? Don’t be fooled by your perception! I’ll illustrate this with an old joke, which is funny – and it’s true. A tourist pulled over to the side of the highway and asked a farmer who was tending […]
Don’t Get Back to It – Rise Above Normal!
For business managers, COVID was a tough challenge. As a leader, it’s easy for you to glamorize and idolize pre-COVID normal, to long for it, and wait for it to return before you get on with business. Don’t even try to get back to it – rise above normal. Several years ago, I played the […]
How Not to Negotiate – Make This Mistake
Whether you’re a leader or not, you need negotiation skills. Sometimes you might blow it, so it’s good to understand why. Here’s how not to negotiate. Of course, you want to create a win-win situation. So, understand the difference between interest and position. The best negotiation tactic is to focus on the interest. Here’s a […]