by

Who Has Contributed To Your Success?

Charles Schulz Philosophy—You don’t have to actually answer the questions.  Just read the following straight through, and you’ll get the point.
1) Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2) Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
3) Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

How did you do?  The point is, none of us remembers the headliners of yesterday.  These are no second-rate achievers.  They are the best in their fields.  But the applause dies.  Awards tarnish.  Achievements are forgotten.

Here’s another quiz.  See how you do on this one:
1) List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2) Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
3) Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

Easier?  The lesson:  The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.  They are the ones who care.

 

Comments Off on Who Has Contributed To Your Success?

by

Leadership Sometimes Requires Tough Choices

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”  – Bill Cosby

Good leadership requires making tough choices that are sometimes going to be unpopular.  First, you must have followers who want to follow you and that means earning the trust and respect of these individuals.  And, the best way to do that is to be honest and fair, even when it requires doing something unpleasant.

For instance, it is your responsibility to recruit and retain good team members.  It is also your responsibility to release (okay, fire) team members who refuse to operate as team players.  Remember the old saying about one bad apple?

In the long run you will gain the respect of the team members who are working hard to display a good attitude and perform as team players.  Besides, I’ve known employees to burst into a chorus of “Ding dong the wicked witch (or warlock) is dead” after losing a “grouchy” team member!

 

Comments Off on Leadership Sometimes Requires Tough Choices

by

How Do You Boost Confidence in Others?

People will remember not what you say or do, but how you make them feel.

I can’t remember when or where I first heard this, but I do remember how true this comment rang deep within me.  And … I know how true it is for me today.

The leaders who influenced me most, were those who made me feel important daily, even when doing the small projects. They prepared me for future growth and helped me to believe I could make strides forward with or without their assistance.  Simply stated they made me feel good about my potential.

How do your employees feel about working with you?  Do they feel they are worthwhile contributors to your team?  Do they feel good about coming to work each day because they know they are making a difference even when working on simple tasks?  Do they have the confidence to move ahead with or without you?

Comments Off on How Do You Boost Confidence in Others?

by

Review and Reinforcement = Retention

Many of you reading this newsletter have  Training and/or HR departments to rely on for the formal training of your team members. These professionals use a well-known training technique that is reduced to four words:  tell, show, do, review.  You first tell participants what you want them to know; you demonstrate or show the behavior or skill; you then have the participants demonstrate the behavior or skill; and finally you review what has been taught.

It’s like giving a speech. You tell them what you’re going to tell them. Then you tell them. Then you tell them what you just told them!  So what’s the key in both models?  Repetition, repetition, repetition!

The critical link to success is making sure the repetition or reinforcement doesn’t end with the formal training session.  A good leader develops processes to ensure that the lessons learned are reviewed and reinforced on a consistent basis once the team members return to the workplace.  What are you doing to ensure that lessons learned are reinforced?  How can you involve your team members to help with this process?

Comments Off on Review and Reinforcement = Retention