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: June 16, 2025 | Categories: Leadership, Management, Team Building

Each year tens of millions of people watch the Super Bowl.  The winner receives the “Lombardi Trophy”, named after Vince Lombardi, legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers.  Vince knew how to build a championship team.  There was a special element he instilled in his squad that many others did not.  Simply stated, it is putting your team member first.  If we can do this as a leader and coach, there is a good chance our team will over-perform.

Let’s say you have a team that you believe is operating below potential.  How do we get them to improve?  Coach Lombardi built his success around a focal point.  In his situation, it was his quarterback.  In his QB, he needs to transfer all his important values such as discipline, clarity, and unselfishness.  With the quarterback at the hub, he counted on Bart Starr to lead the rest of the team to the hearty attitude and unshakeable work ethic he had been taught.

So what about your team?  First, identify those individuals that have already shown you that they “get it”.  That number may be 2, 3, 6 or more.  This group is your focal point.  These are the folks you can count on to be an extension of your values.  When those on the outside of this group get a taste of the fresh direction, many may like it and begin to join in.  With patience and persistence, the focal group grows to critical mass.  This will provide the momentum to move your team to a higher level.  Those who don’t change their attitude or poor engagement become marginalized.  They usually either join in or leave the organization.  To begin building your championship team, find your “core” and make it grow.  Be a winner!

Posted: February 17, 2025 | Categories: Leadership, Management, Team Building

It was June of 1974, and I began my new job as manager of a hotel in Suburban Chicago.  It was exciting and new, and I wanted to get started building a winning team.  I soon became aware of a situation that needed to be changed and I knew making the change would not be popular.  It dealt with payroll:  Paychecks were issued weekly, and we didn’t have a payroll service.  I knew we needed to change to bi-weekly, and I realized that if employees had their choice of weekly or bi-weekly, they would choose weekly.

I thought about my options and decided to make an announcement on July 1st that on January 1st we would be going to bi-weekly.  This would give the team ample time to make any adjustments as a result of this change.

After I made the announcement, one person came up to me and expressed their disapproval.  I empathized with them and mentioned that I was giving a 6-month lead time for each person to adapt.  Also, if they found the new policy unacceptable they would have ample time to find a new job.  From that point on, there was no further discussion.  Soon the concerns had passed, and when we came to January 1st, everything went smoothly.

I can’t help but think of what would have happened if I had announced the change effective immediately.  There would have probably been some resentment, and resentment can grow and fester.

Here is my suggestion:  If you need to make a change that is disruptive of normal routine, allow sufficient time for processing.  You will have more buy-in and less resentment.