While most people believe they're asking questions effectively, Joe Lalley, in his book Question to Learn, tells us that the true power of questions lies not only in the questions themselves but perhaps more so in the motives behind them. Lalley begins the book by investigating various motives people have for asking questions. He carefully … Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: Question to Learn by Joe Lalley

If space aliens visited us thousands of years ago and returned today, I think one of their first thoughts would be, “What happened to the humans? They held such promise. They were so good at connecting, communicating, solving problems, and creating things together. What happened? Now, they fight for status and use and manipulate each … Continue reading What happened to the humans?

Negativity bias. It is a part of human wiring that causes us to focus on the bad things in life more than the good things. And while it may seem like a negative trait, it's actually a beneficial one. It is there to help us survive. Consider our prehistoric ancestors, who faced the threat of … Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: Surviving to Thriving by Steve Foran

We have many big problems in this crazy world, and to solve them, we need two critical things: 1) a service-focused mindset, and 2) creativity.  Let’s look at these. A service-focused mindset is one where you are willing to be inconvenienced by the work and committed to being helpful while doing it. Creativity is using … Continue reading We Need Problem-Solvers. Do You Have What It Takes? 

AI is taking away mindless jobs and giving people more time for living. Yeah, but … how will people live without work?  With every new “miracle” comes another problem. And, as usual, the people touting the “miracle” as a panacea don’t think through to logical conclusions. People without jobs can’t afford to buy things, which … Continue reading The AI panacea …not.

It’s not just something nice or something right to do; it’s a necessary part of strategy.  Relationships are everything in business. Every customer, employee, investor, and supplier is a person, and people connect in relationships.  No good relationship, however, begins with business; it begins with “good morning.” They begin with a human touch, a human … Continue reading The power of “good morning.”

“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which [one] has overcome.” -Booker T. Washington  Success. For many, it seems to be an obsession. They have a goal, whether it be wealth, family, possessions, or myriad other objectives, and they view it … Continue reading The Joy of the Marathon

Management. It’s really just another word meaning control, and we need control, just not over people for at least two reasons. One, it’s not effective on humans, and two, it hinders progress. Typical control methods are sticks (punishment) and carrots (rewards). The problem is that because people have the power to make up their own … Continue reading Management. It’s probably hurting you more than you think.

Do you know the Peter Principle? It’s the idea that people rise up in organizations to the level of their incompetence. Well, here are three questions I have heard business leaders ask that largely confirm it.  Q1: What is customer experience all about?  A: It’s how customers feel about everything they see, hear, smell, taste, … Continue reading Confirming the Peter Principle.

When you take a job, you make a promise. It’s a promise to follow certain rules, do a job, and work in a way that fits a culture. That may mean agreeing to work certain hours and wearing a uniform. It may mean following a script or getting in line and marching to a beat.  … Continue reading Work: The promise we make and the opportunity for love and leadership.