The pronoun “you” triggers an emotional response. It is powerful when you are sharing or giving a compliment such as, “Jack, you are thoughtful in your decision making.” The pronoun “you” becomes destructive when taking corrective action. For example, “Jack, you are wrong in how you process payroll.” The top-down or autocratic leader who is…
Five Secrets to Selling Yourself in Sales
Follow these five sales secrets to be successful. Banish preconceived notions. A common mistake many sales rep’s make when selling themselves is focusing too much on themselves. They memorize their resumes, important corporate facts, etc. they believe will appeal to prospects. Truth be told, selling yourself isn’t about you at all; rather, it’s about them—how…
Time Out!
How can we unlock the abilities of others to get things done? I heard it all from my coaching encounters this past week — safety, quality, productivity, cleanliness of the shop floor, compliance of basic company policies like showing up on time, and a firing due to sexual harassment. Then I had a call with…
Five Habits of Extremely Popular People
If you’ve ever wondered what it is about popular people that makes them so magnetic, here are five of their key habits. They are present. These days, it’s common to walk into a meeting just before it officially starts to find most participants nose-down staring at their laptop or smart phone screens. Or perhaps a…
Four Secrets to Communicating with Millennials in the Workplace
By 2025, millennials—individuals born between 1980 and 1995, will make up 75% of the U.S. and Canadian workforces1. As thousands of millennials graduate this spring, the fortunate ones will be coming to a workplace near you. Here are four secrets that will help you communicate with them successfully. They communicate needs when you ask. Whereas older…
Mid-Week Mentor
I grew up on a dairy farm in Central Pennsylvania. My father invested in the Ayrshire breed, and today my sister, Gay, has an Ayrshire farm where she milks 25 head to sell milk and make cheese and other specialty products. She also runs Hameau Farms Camp, a summer camp for girls ages 9-13 who…
Five Ways for Businesses to Take Action on Earth Day
Earth Day began in 1970 in order to raise public awareness about pollution and is observed worldwide today. Perhaps you take actions daily to reduce your ecological footprint at home, however how about at work? Many businesses have implemented eco-friendly initiatives. In Texas, three companies once broke the world record for collecting and shredding 11,920 pounds of…
Three Strikes, You’re Out—Top Interview Deal-Breakers
This spring, nearly three million college students will graduate with an associate or bachelor’s degree. As many of these graduates embark on their professional careers, it’s critical that they perform at their very best during job interviews. Here are three deal-breakers to avoid at all costs according to expert Human Resource leaders. Trash-talking. Many Human…
Time Out!
I just received a text from a senior vice president who wrote, “Seems like my world is caving in.” Hmm…if you knew the back story you might agree. Now can you put on your servant lenses? As impossible as it might seem, the only way to stop the personal “cave in” is to focus on…
Mid Week Mentor
Another fascinating week in Change Management — perhaps better framed as Change Leadership. It’s about selling the future state or the vision. Two major ideas arise when we put on our “servant” lenses and truly focus on others’ concerns and needs, thereby denying what we want to accomplish: It is not “what” but WHY! Communicate…