Everyone thinks they are right. That's why we have an opinion in the first place. We wouldn't hold it if we didn't believe it to be true. Sometimes our opinions are substantiated by clear and solid evidence. Sometimes they are not. Sometimes we're right. Sometimes we're wrong. No matter what, we think we're right. And we don't like to be wrong. The bottom line is that it doesn't matter. For someone to be right, someone needs to be wrong. Who wins an argument? Nobody. If we're out … [Read more...]

Do I have relationships or transactionships? Answer the following: What do the people on your team do outside of work? What are their hobbies? Do they have second jobs? How important is their family life? Do they get enough time with their family? Are they going to school at night?  Would they if they could figure out how? What type of work is most rewarding to them? What challenges are they facing?  What challenges have they overcome? If money weren't an issue what work would they do? … [Read more...]

Southwest Airlines stock symbol is LUV. Where are they headquartered? Next to Love Field. The halls at Southwest Airlines are lined with photos. Pictures of teams, employees, their families, their pets. It's like an enormous LUV-ing family room. Southwest Airlines is built upon a powerful relationship-based culture. Is your company built on the power of relationships or the exchange of transactionships? Relationships are about being understood. Transactionships are about getting … [Read more...]

I spent 12 years working for one of the greatest companies this planet has seen. Southwest Airlines is studied by business schools around the globe. Their mission statement focuses as much on taking care of employees as it does on their customers. They are working on a near 40 year streak of profitability. Talk about betting on being in the black! Some businesses create their own culture-driven market. Others participate in a market-driven culture. Culture-driven markets attract people … [Read more...]

The clock is ticking, 4-3-2-1 ….. the shot goes up. It comes down. BONK! Off the front of the rim. Game over. Loss. Fear leads us to pull up short on the big shot.  Fear causes the choke.  People resist change.  Deep in our reptile brains, change evokes fear.  Fears hold us back.  If we know what our fears are, we can speak to them.  Speak to them rationally, logically and calmly and we gain perspective - Fears shrink. Their hold on the throat is loosened. We can overcome them.  First, … [Read more...]

The expression, K.I.S.S. – "Keep it simple stupid" does not have a comma. It is not a presumptive insult calling someone stupid. K.I.S.S asks that we be brilliant. It is a challenge! The acronym was first coined by Kelly Johnson, lead engineer at the Lockheed Skunk Works (creators of the Lockheed U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird spy planes, among many others). The principle is best exemplified by the story of Johnson handing a team of design engineers a handful of tools, with the challenge that … [Read more...]

My dogs don't eat bananas. They eat a lot of other things. But I know that they don't eat bananas. When a piece of banana falls on the floor, they come over. They sniff. They may even pick it up with their mouths. But they will not eat it. They spit it out every time. I know that if I give the dogs bananas, I'm not giving them anything that they'll eat. How many times have you said about your coworkers, your team, your managers, your family, "Why don't they get it?" We had the … [Read more...]

Tens of thousands of Americans gathered today in Washington D.C. They gathered for Glenn Beck's, "Restoring Honor" march. Glenn Beck is a phenomenally talented media personality. He is one of the best sellers of soap the world has seen. Glenn Beck has employees that capture nearly everything that leaves his mouth. Any given comment is a potential product. He is a machine. He is a pro. The question is: What is his profession? He is a professional entertainer. He has an agenda. The … [Read more...]

Yeahbuts live in the woods. You want to get lost in a conversation … chase a "yeah, but". Every time we open our mouths there's reason. "Yeah, buts" lead us away from that reason. "Yeah,buts" distract us. They focus us on what we can't do. Wanna get lost, chase a "yeah, but" to talk about walk you can't do. Wanna get found … Follow your reason and talk about what you can do.   … [Read more...]