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.

Business leaders—you know, the ones in the corner offices with the good views of the park—believe that in order for service and customer experience to be taken seriously as business concepts, they must be measured and quantified. But, while these things may have a few measurable components, they are much more about intangibles whose purpose … Continue reading All hail the messy. We need you. 

Common. It’s what’s usual. It’s what’s ordinary.  And what do we know about ordinary? Ordinary is acceptable but not interesting. It’s a commodity.  And what do we know about commodities? They are not highly valued. Their price point is low. So, how do we make the ordinary, the commodity, less ordinary and more valuable? How … Continue reading How to command the attention of the world.

Industrial Age management wants us to keep our sights set low so we will stay in line and do as we’re told. But people who want to make an impact tend to challenge the status quo, and since that has the possibility of unpredictable results, Industrial Age managers would rather not have to contend with … Continue reading If you want better work, think about who you want to be.

Taylor Scott, speaker, leadership development consultant, and author of Lead with Hospitality, has written a new book called Give Hospitality. It is a quick 185-page read focused on increasing business success by making organizations more human and generous. Scott shares the content in a fictional account of a training class for new employees in a … Continue reading Book Review: GIVE Hospitality by Taylor Scott

“I think offensive line play in general is really a position of service; you don't really have stats, you don't have the glory of scoring touchdowns.” -Jason Kelce, center, Philadelphia Eagles “At a car dealership, the person who sells the car is the hero and also gets the commission. But if the mechanics don't service … Continue reading Inglorious service? No. It’s all glorious.

You need a new laptop, and here you are sitting in front of a screen looking at tons of data on laptop computers. It is mind-boggling. You are overwhelmed. Regardless, you whittle down the myriad options to a handful. Now what? You are off to a friend. Every computer company now must hope that your … Continue reading Dismissing that “human” stuff? Dumb.

Trust is the foundation of relationships. Without it, even the most superficial, transactional relationships cannot stand. We humans are wired, for survival reasons, to seek out trust. If we are not confident in others, our safety could be in jeopardy. Imagine two witnesses in a trial. One is an expert in their field but has … Continue reading Trust. It Works If the Building Blocks Are Solid …and Repeated.