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 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!

Posted: May 8, 2025 | Categories: Sales, Self-Improvement

I have a friend (We’ll call him Rick) who recently sold his company.  From beginning to end, the sale process took about two years.  Rick’s goal was to have the business sold by April 30, 2025.  It almost didn’t happen.

Last Tuesday, Rick received a call from the prospective buyer.  He said he wanted to postpone the sale until later in the year.  Rick didn’t panic.  He knew he needed to work through some last-minute sticking points.  They did, and on Thursday of the same week they had the closing, and the sale was complete.

How did Rick turn the situation around so quickly?  He was prepared.  Rick and I had several conversations about 11th hour surprises.  Rick considered everything he could think of that could make the deal go south.  With the list, for each concern he carefully considered how to respond to each objection in a way that kept things going.  It worked.  There were two objections:  One dealt with a large sale that had not been closed yet.  The other was an employment contract dispute.  They calmly got to work and came up with a plan they were both comfortable with.  The objectives were resolved, and the closing naturally followed.

Many sales reps have experienced a “sure thing” deal go bad at the last minute.  I recommend that we all learn from Rick, and prepare for those last-minute objections.  Doing this will allow us to be calm and not panic, and systematically work through all remaining objections.  Then…CLOSE!

Posted: May 8, 2025 | Categories: Self-Improvement

It was October of 1984.  I was attending a convention in Las Vegas and received a phone call from my boss.  He informed me that the business I had managed for 17 years was being sold.  That meant there was a high likelihood that the new owners would want to manage the business themselves, and I would be out of job.  I remember my first reaction:  It was excitement.  When one door closes, another opens, and that can be a whole new adventure!  I began reviewing my “Plan B’s”, and I called my wife within an hour or so after receiving the announcement.  I told her I had some news:  The company was being sold and I would probably be out of a job.  Then I quickly went on to talk about my “plan B’s”, and the ones I was most excited about.  It was exhilarating.  (Some might say this sounds crazy)

Let’s face it, things have changed in the workplace during the past few decades.  I grew up in the 50’s and 60’s.  Like everyone my age, our dad’s served in WW II and came back to settle down, raise a family, and work at the same company until retirement.  Now, it is different.  The average worker in the US. will work at 5-8 different companies during their lifetime.  Terms like mergers, buyouts, layoffs, and conglomerates are now commonplace.  Amidst this changing world we need to maintain financial stability by having a job that pays the bills and saves for retirement.

Here is my message to you:  Wherever you are working and however happy you are, have a plan B.  I always have throughout my career, and I have ended up needing every one of them.  What is your plan B?  Are you nurturing it?  I hope so.  I close with a favorite saying I heard from an old mentor who has long since passed away:  “When we go through life unprepared, we won’t go alone….fear will be our constant companion.”