I was listening to a podcast the other day and a question was raised about how many CEOs truly want their businesses to have great cultures where everyone wants to work, gets paid well, and contributes their best. The guest on the podcast said that he knew no CEO who would say that that is … Continue reading Three tools for creating a great place to work.

I sat down in a bit of a shock outside the pizza place. A close friend and I had just had lunch where he came out to me that he was gay. I was about 19 and I had never, as far as I knew, known anyone who was gay. I grew up in a … Continue reading “It’s hard to drop bombs on friends.” …or… How to rehumanize the world of work.

If you are a business leader, look at your calendar. Are there any entries for speaking with customers? “But we send out surveys and get tons of feedback.” Yes, the cry of so many managers who think they can know their customers from looking at a spreadsheet. Imagine you have a friend who asks you … Continue reading Customers aren’t data. It’s time to get radical.

The Olympics has seen a lot of drama with the pandemic and all of its challenges as well as the heightened stress levied on the athletes. As I listened to the plight of Simone Biles, I shuddered at the thought of the pressure, but it was some comments of Katie Ledecky, the USA swim team … Continue reading What we can learn from an Olympic athlete to make workplaces better.

Who should you put first, customers or employees? Go ahead, think about it, I’ll wait. Many say you have to put customers first because they are why you are in business and they deserve your focus and attention. You should base your decisions on their needs. Then there’s the school of thought that says you … Continue reading I’m settling the “customers first vs. employees first” debate right here.

If helping others is an intuitive part of being human, why is it so hard to get good service? I am going to offer two reasons. People, in general, don’t value and recognize the importance of service. They view it as a second-class calling or someone else’s job. They don’t realize the incredible and critical … Continue reading Why is it so hard to get good service? Here are two reasons and some things you may have never considered doing to improve it.

I saw a great quote from the author Ann Voskamp, “Sometimes it helps in the moment to think… People aren’t being difficult, they are having difficulty.” Why is this such good thinking? So many times when we are dealing with others, whether those “others” are customers, coworkers, friends, or family members, it is easy to … Continue reading One change in thought to make conflict more manageable.

I want you to imagine you are a leader in a business who makes and sells a wonderful technology that everyone wants but is not designed for real people. It is hard to use and requires training. Truth be told, the learning curve actually proves to be a barrier to entry, it simply does not … Continue reading The case for people-centered business.

Hospitality. What does it bring to mind? Hotels? Restaurants? Well, while it may relate to those things, it can relate to every business. Hospitality is more than an industry, it is an approach to how you serve your customers. Think of a quintessential hospitality experience, the dinner party. A dinner party is all about service, … Continue reading Hospitality. It can help your business no matter what business you’re in.