This week I as talking with Jeremiah, a mid-level manager of a Fortune 100 company, he told me his company has embraced the West Coast thinking of 90-20-10, wherein 90 percent of training should be on-the-job training, 20 percent of training should be direct coaching, and 10% of training should be in a classroom. Of…
Category: Soft Skills
Time Out!
The question was, “To what degree do money or wages have to do with employee engagement?” In other words, if you pay me minimum wage you get minimum effort. I was speaking at a networking event just east of Cleveland last Monday. The topic was really about leading an engaged sales force. Seated at the…
Time Out!
“In what ways can we…?” It’s a powerful question. Simply fill in the subject depending on where you are and the issue at hand. Getting the right people to think together about a business problem can make the difference for a successful resolution, yet we have all seen occasions when the right people came up…
Four Steps to a Fabulous First Impression
How true is the mantra, “You only get one chance to make a first impression?” According to a Science Daily study, first judgments of people are so strong they often trump even what is learned later on about those people and that “even fact will not change first impressions.” If you feel awkward or nervous when…
Time Out!
I am being challenged in how I think about giving. By giving, I mean giving my hard earned money to those in need who ask. In the past, my response has always been, “Well, I certainly can’t help everyone who is in need, therefore, I won’t help anyone.” Now as a student of servant leadership,…
Time Out!
What a crazy week. It started with an appointment to speak with a global board in New York City. I flew in, jumped into a limo and was driven downtown, met with the board for 90 minutes, rode the limo back to the airport, and flew back to Pittsburgh. The meeting was a miss; they…
Time Out!
What fun we’ve been having in the great Northeast this winter… cold, cold, and more cold mixed with record-falling snow. Good news this week in an email from Clint Hurtle, the Pittsburg Pirates’ manager; pitchers and catchers reported this past week. Forget the groundhog, the skipper has spoken — spring is coming! Quick family update…
Set Your Worries Sailing—Live in Day Tight Compartments
I write this post aboard a cruise ship merely minutes after disembarking and already the cruise director is imploring all guests to, “Leave their worries behind and have a FUN time!” This is easy to do while on vacation sailing the Caribbean seas, but challenging to do during our habitual professional and personal lives. Dale…
Time Out!
I recently joined the board of a new startup nonprofit called Leadership Academy located in Chambersburg, PA. So far, a group of about nine men who have had a lifetime passion for leadership and I have all arrived at the same conclusion that Servant Leadership — or what some refer to as Level 5 Leadership…
Time Out!
Embracing Level 5 / Servant Leadership: That’s my passion for 2015! My intent is to help everyone I encounter to see and then begin to move towards becoming a true servant leader. What I am discovering is that most people have an understanding of what they think a servant leader is but most struggle in…