Are Your Dependable Employees Killing Your Business?

Mar 25, 2013 | Leadership Development

Here’s good ‘ole Ted. He’s worked for you for almost 10 years. He arrives at work each morning between 7:55 and 7:59 AM. He follows the same procedures he helped create years ago. He does his work the same systematic way each day. He quietly attends all required meetings and training sessions. He provides reports when asked. He’s polite, doesn't challenge his co-workers, and doesn't get stressed, excited or ruffled by much at all. He usually eats lunch at his desk. He never wastes a...

How Managers Develop Their Employees

Mar 13, 2012 | Succession Planning

We're working with several organizations helping them prepare their next tier of managers to eventually take over the senior leadership positions. However, before we focus on developing this next tier of managers, we spend a good bit of time working with the current senior leadership team to help them comprehend their level of responsibility in developing their own employees. It's not Human Resources' job; it's theirs. Whether they hold the position of VP of Operations, Director of Eastern...

Be Fair and Share

Feb 7, 2012 | Leadership Development

Are you being fair with your managers? Are you sharing critical information with them in a timely manner? Are you developing performance standards for them and the company and then not sharing those standards with them? If you answered, "Yes, Yes, and No" that's great. But stop and really think about your answers. You'd be surprised at how many business owners and managers aren't being fair and are not sharing critical information with their own managers -- and don't realize it. I started...

Just One Thing

Dec 20, 2011 | Leadership Development

Being a manager or leader is a 24/7 proposition. There's very little if any down time. Yet to be an effective manager and leader, you need to be on the look-out constantly for opportunities to improve and enhance your own performance and that of your team. How is any mere mortal supposed to do all of this? Be smart. Be strategic. Be realistic. Identify just one thing at a time to enhance. Just as Curly, in the movie City Slickers indicated, the secret to life is THE one thing each of us...

Stop Running from Complaints

Aug 29, 2011 | Leadership Development

I've had several conversations with clients lately on customer satisfaction, retention, and profitability. All of my clients agree—satisfying customers is crucial to their success. Yet, when I ask them how they handle customer complaints and feedback, their responses are less than unified. Some say they read every customer feedback email, form or letter, note the comment(s), and take appropriate corrective action. Others say they disregard the worst and the best for the week (they consider...