Posted: August 13, 2025 | Categories: Leadership, Management, Team Building

The date was June 20th of 1993.  It was game six of the NBA championship finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Phoenix Suns.  The Bulls were down one, and there was 10 seconds left in the game.  Bulls coach Phil Jackson noticed his star player, Michael Jordan, reverting back to a bad habit of his tendency to hog the ball.  Phil called a time out and motioned Jordan over.  All he said to Jordan was a question consisting of two words:  “Who’s open?”  Jordan got the drift, nodded, and went back on the court.  Soon afterwards, he passed the ball to teammate John Paxson.  Paxson went for a 3-pointer and made it.  As a result, the Bulls won the championship.  The interesting point is that according to Phil Jackson in his book “Sacred Hoops”, John Paxson was the weakest player of the 5 on the court.  As demonstrated in this example, so often the most effective coaching can come from good questioning rather yelling and chewing people out.

As leaders, parents, and managers, we know that there are patterns of behavior that are productive, and other patterns that hold us back.  I’ll never forget the time early in my career when there was something I needed to do that I kept procrastinating.  After several reminders, one day my boss asked me the killer question:  “What can I do to get you started on this Steve?”  Yikes!  I was right on it.  What a “move the needle” question that was!

Here’s my advice:  When we see a pattern of behavior in someone that needs to change, think of what questions we are going to ask before we write out some speech.  Doing so increases our chances of redirecting the non-productive pattern.

Posted: August 12, 2025 | Categories: Leadership, Management, Self-Improvement, Team Building

“Whatever you can do or dream…begin it!  Boldness has genuius, power, and magic in it” 

-Goethe

Last week I was talking to one of my clients in healthcare.  He was so excited about his work that you could almost envision a glow around him.  Noting his ebullience, I asked him what gets him so fired up.  He answered, “I love my boss’s vision and I want to help him make it happen”  I know his boss very well, and what he said was true.

His boss, (we’ll call him Todd), has lived with a vision he’s loved for as long as he can remember.  It is related to healthcare for the elderly, and everything he does himself and with his team are driving that vision.  When we think of phenomena like Apple, Microsoft, or the Pyramids of Egypt, they all have one thing in common:  A big, powerful vision.  When a vision is in full force, we clearly see and fulfill our purpose, and our emotional drive is full throttle.

Surveys have shown that the majority of workers today don’t like their jobs.  If you ask anyone in this category what the vision of their company is, you would probably not get an exuberant response.  Conversely, when you ask someone who is embraced in and is totally engaged in their company’s vision, you will likely receive a lively response.  Be prepared to sit back and listen.  They would love to tell you all about it!

So what is the vision that is driving you?  Are you excited and clear about where you are going and determined to get there?  If you are, you are headed for a life you can look back on with a big “thumbs up”.

Posted: July 17, 2025 | Categories: Customer service, Leadership, Management, Sales, Self-Improvement

Nearly 40 years ago I was viewing a session on time management and I saw a demonstration I’ll never forget:  The speaker asked the audience of 80 people, “How many of you have been on time for every appointment you have had in the last year?”  Only three raised their hand.  Since that day all those years ago, I can count the number of times I have been late on one hand. Being on time is my non-negotiable standard.

Unfortunately, one of those “non-punctual” times happened this past weekend.  My wife and I were scheduled to visit our son and grandchildren.  We said we would be there between 9:30 – 10:00am.  We didn’t arrive until 10:15.  As a result our son had to reschedule some activities to compensate.

My son is 38, and this was my first time being late.  I knew he must be thinking it was my wife’s fault.  It wasn’t.  It was mine!  The reason was poor planning.  I made it very clear that it was my fault and I apologized for not respecting his time.  No excuses.  No blame. I suppose I could have brushed it off and said in a dispassionate tone, “Sorry I’m late”.  I couldn’t do that.  This was a big deal.  When we say we will be somewhere at a certain time, that is a commitment.  It is a promise.  It is our reputation.  It shows we respect the most valuable thing we have…our time.

I conclude with the speaker’s follow up question:  He asked the 3 “on-timers” who raised their hands how they did it.  They all had the same answer, and I’ll bet you know what it is:  LEAVE EARLY!  Be punctual.  Be a person who can be counted on.

Posted: July 11, 2025 | Categories: Customer service, Sales

As a handicapped senior citizen, I can be pretty slow moving.  When I go to a store or event lately I have sensed some impatience and “twitching” as I place my order and slow down the line.  Let’s admit, we can likely remember a time when we have been impatient with someone, and felt bad about it later.

Last Saturday, I had an experience that definitely demonstrated the value of maintaining patience and being kind.  Here’s what happened:  My two sons and I went to Wrigley Field as a 30-year Father’s Day tradition.  The crowd was a sellout and everyone was jamming up at the gates to show their tickets and enter the park.  Then came me poking along.  As I went through the gate, an usher saw me with my cane and graciously offered to bring me a chair.  Even though I declined, I was warmed by his enthusiasm and caring.

Later in the game I moved from my seat to go buy a snack.  As I was descending the steps, one of the ushers reached out and said, “Here, take my arm”.  What impressed me most was what management had built into their culture.  I walked away thinking how much these folks welcome helping people and how much they care.

This is my message to you:  Every human interaction is a moment of truth.  How you manage that moment is a big part of what life is made of.  We can truly make the other person feel important and apreciated, or we can be indifferent.  Are you a people builder or people shrinker?  Which one would you rather be?

Posted: June 19, 2025 | Categories: Self-Improvement

All my coaching career, I have loved my work and believed I was using my special talents.  I still do.  I also have to face reality that nearly 1/2 of the adult working population do not LOVE their work.  If you are in this category, I have some good news:  To enjoy your life and job, you do not need to love your work.

In his book, “The Truth about Employee Engagement”, Patrick Lencioni has determined that to be happy in our job, we need to incorporate these three elements into our daily experience:

#1: Know your work and input is important:  In 1959, NASA announced the selection of the first seven astronauts.  The team struggled in the beginning, but came together when they were allowed to give comments and suggestions in areas like capsule design.

#2: Understand your unique set of talents and abilities and how they fit into the overall performance of the team.

#3: Measure progress:  Maintain a system that details your professional development goals and measures your progress daily.  We need to have a perpetual sense of what we are accomplishing.

Summing it up, to enjoy our time at work, we need to know its importance, understand and appreciate what we bring to the table, and measure our progress.  Next, enjoy our lives!