Collaboration is, by definition, working together. It is, by nature, service-oriented. And when your employees aren’t competing, but rather, are combining their skills and knowledge to serve each other’s needs so that the company can better serve customers’ needs, the value of your organization increases. For generations we’ve been taught that competition is good, however, … Continue reading How a collaborative spirit can reinvigorate your company.

Would you let your child go down into a mine that had taken no safety precautions? Would you want your child to join a military where leaders had a proven record of caring nothing for the lives of those in their charge? Most likely, unless you’re ill or don’t like children, you are saying no. … Continue reading Hopeless Workplaces. We can do better.

I have a question for business leaders. If things were to go wrong and your business hit hard times, would your employees take care of you? Would they sacrifice to save your business? If not, why not? So many business leaders are willing to sacrifice their people when things get tough but would feel disrespected … Continue reading People or Profit – The Eternal Question?

“The purpose of business is to create a customer.” – Peter Drucker “Organizations are established to serve human needs. There is no other reason for their existence.” – Stephen R. Covey It would seem clear that so many organizations have things a little mixed up. When you are a customer, how much do you feel … Continue reading “I serve at the pleasure of…” Business should adopt the phrase.

I was in the grocery store recently taking advantage of the speed and efficiency of the self-checkout area when the person next to me had a problem. The little light on that pole beside the computerized scanner-cum-cash register began flashing so along came an employee to help. Now the pain started. I watched as the … Continue reading Unnecessary customer pain: A lesson at the grocery store.

Poor service. It seems to be rampant these days. But why? What’s the main reason? Is it bad attitudes? Is it management? Is it a lack of training? Is it Millennials? They seem to be popular scapegoats for all manner of ills these days. I’m sure you could make a long list and you could … Continue reading Customers or numbers. What do you say?

Telling people what to do is necessary sometimes, but a far more effective long-term strategy is asking questions and empowering self-direction. Isn’t that what we want in our workplaces? Don’t we want people who can think and make decisions? What I’ve found in most workplaces though is fear. So many managers fear their employees thinking … Continue reading Do Ask, Don’t Tell

“It’s time to admit that the playbook that’s guided businesses and CEOs in the last 40 years is broken,” says Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO and founder of Chobani, the popular and successful Greek yogurt brand, in his TED Talk in Vancouver. To that, he adds that the idea of maximizing profits solely to benefit shareholders is … Continue reading A Yogurt-Maker’s Bold Proposal to Change the Face of Business

What turns average customers into loyal promoters of your business? Why do people stick with a brand, organization, or specific enterprise for the long term? In one of their newer books, Leading Loyalty, the Franklin Covey loyalty team answers these questions. If I were to sum up their conclusions, loyalty begins and ends with employees … Continue reading Book Review: Leading Loyalty