We frequently hear how leaders need to be good listeners. But it takes more than that to be an effective leader. Try these 3 listening skills to improve your leadership listening. Listen without response Sometimes people just want to be heard. A solution is secondary. I’m standing in line at the ticket counter of an airline and I can tell…
When was the last time you unplugged – completely – for at least 72 hours? No electronics, no Kindles, no watches for three straight days. Sounds like an alien concept, doesn’t it? If the thought of this makes you nervous or causes you to think that is an impossible request with everything you have going on, then you aren’t listening…
Drama Trauma is an increasing epidemic in the workplace that is disrupting productivity, relationships, and your bottom line. Tell me if you’ve seen this in your workplace: An employee becomes emotional to the point of being non-productive and disruptive to those around them, a state usually triggered by a personal event, a “national crisis” the 24/7 news cycle breathes life…
What is it? A Whiplash Crash happens when leadership jumps around trying the latest fads in marketing, leadership or customer interaction. It is exhausting and numbing to everyone impacted by this. Anyone remember Foursquare, where a customer checked into the businesses she visited and the person who checked in the most was the mayor? This was going to be a…
What or who are Vanillains? You probably work with one close by. A Vanillain is a boss or fellow employee who just sits there taking up space and barely demonstrates they have a pulse. They do the bare minimum, are loaded with excuses, and shy away from taking any responsibility for anything. They aren’t bad people, they are just vanilla…
When the anticipated grocery store finally opened in town, it was a breath of fresh air. Staff was very well trained on product knowledge and customer service. Employees went out of the way to help customers, and every bagging person offered to take your cart to your car for you. Fast forward two years. Cashier conversations are more about…
Isn’t technology great? You can watch security cameras from your phone to see how your employees are doing, you can get a computer report on almost every measurement you want to analyze, and you can almost lead from your office. Too many managers are falling into this technology trap. Get out, get involved, and get curious. Innovation comes from curiosity.…
I’ve been talking about the new economy for 8 years now, yet I still see some leaders waiting (hoping) for the business world to get back to how it used to be. I also am starting to witness some small business leaders jumping onto every bandwagon that comes along, trying to catch the next big wave. The one thing that…
In the last couple of weeks, I have witnessed bad boss behavior with incredible frequency. When businesses fail to properly train and develop management, they create a cascade of bad habits passed along to the next level down, and then the next level, and so on. Good management skills are not an innate skill; they must be developed. Consider reminding…
Consumers today are the savviest generation of purchasers in the history of American commerce. They have been taught to seek value, price-shop and force companies to go after their loyalty, sometimes to the detriment of the business. The “Buy 9, get the 10th free” type of programs create customer traffic, but they do not create loyalty. These programs turn your…