Yesterday, I was speaking to a client. He referred to the reality that we are asked to do more, faster, with less. An engine is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Engines breakdown when pushed beyond their capabilities. They come under stress when pushed to run faster. They run poorly when […]
[Continue reading…]Do you have a big BUT?
September 8, 2010 by
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 […]
[Continue reading…]Labor of Love – What are you building your future on? Pt 2
September 6, 2010 by
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 […]
[Continue reading…]Labor of Love – What are you building your future on? Pt 1
September 6, 2010 by
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 […]
[Continue reading…]America’s got Talent… But for how long?
September 5, 2010 by
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 […]
[Continue reading…]Choking Chickens or Delivering Results? It’s Your call…
September 3, 2010 by
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 […]
[Continue reading…]KISS – A comma can put a powerful message in a coma
September 3, 2010 by
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 […]
[Continue reading…]Today’s message is brought to you by the letter K
September 2, 2010 by
Lead people with your message. The higher we are within an organization, the less our people see us. The ‘impressions’ we make influence when we’re are not present. We have to make our ‘impressions’ last. A powerful message is our influencer in our absence. A well-crafted message illustrates our priorities. It shapes our ethos. It […]
[Continue reading…]Don’t Feed the Dog Bananas
September 1, 2010 by
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. […]
[Continue reading…]Reinvigorate. A new message
August 30, 2010 by
Have you seen any of these TV shows about redesigning a room on a shoe string budget? Time and again, rooms find new life and a renewed purpose by changing the paint on the wall, removing clutter, moving furniture and adding a plant. The results amaze me every time. With small, low cost, surface changes, […]
[Continue reading…]