Leaders know that it’s important to show appreciation, maintain optimism, and attend to rituals and traditions. These can inspire and motivate. But consider the element of surprise and novelty. That works even better. While everyone appreciates “jeans on Friday”, there are more surprising ways to show some thanks. Consider playing against type: In a manufacturing, … Read more
Early in my career, I had a conversation with a colleague in which I proudly stated: “I will get so much repeat business, and positive word of mouth, because of my total commitment to customer satisfaction.” This sounded like a normal, yet worthy goal, right? My colleague snorted, and said “That’s not so special, Alan. … Read more
There are two activities I go to for team GTKEO (get to know each other). The Meeting Introductions Tool is one I learned from Manager Tools, and works quite well for lighter events. My newest, and favorite, go-to is Patrick Lencioni’s Family Histories Exercise. There are just three questions: Where did you grow up? How … Read more
Recently, I made a Facebook post that praised someone I think highly of, a journalist named John. I said: Something I appreciated watching you work today was the way you were relentless in the pursuit of great shots, but always aware and considerate of the audience and musicians. His response was delightfully humble. It read: … Read more
When I was a teacher, I didn’t get a lot of handwritten notes from my principals and superintendents. So when I did, it was pretty exciting! To think that my boss would make the time to write words of appreciation or encouragement when a pop-by or email might have sufficed, really made a major impression … Read more
Last week, we talked about rubrics in general as a tool to develop vision. This week, let’s take that further to talk about a way to make your passion more obvious to your team. Examine all your own projects, initiatives, to-do items, daily tasks, and responsibilities. Compare each of them to your organizational values. Consider … Read more