Does your blood run cold when you have to call a big company for service? Pressing 1 for this and 2 for that adds to the chill.The music plays. The automated voice says, “All agents are busy with other customers. Please stay…” You know the drill. We’re desperate to hear a live voice before nightfall, hoping s/he’ll be able to help. Bad things happen, sometimes. We remember when they do. We get an agent and the call is dropp...

It can be stressful at the top where pressure might not bring out our best. Executives are vulnerable all the time to the unexpected. The winds of marketplace change are always in their faces. The potential for bad decisions by managers and misconduct by employees is also ever-present. Although executives can’t escape the unforeseen risks that come with the job, they will often show us how they cope. Making the complex si...

It's a draw. All the arguments about performance reviews are correct. The process can be fair or unfair, useful or a sham, legitimate or bogus.It all comes down to us-the reviewers. Do you care? For many supervisors, it's about the paper, not the process. We whine about writing comments, deciding on ratings, and holding those dreaded employee review meetings.We forget that performance reviews are about feedback. The proces...

Today, Guy Kawasaki's new book, Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions, is released. Guy offered me an advance copy about a month ago with a request to blog about it. I'm so happy I said, "Yes."We really want our jobs to mean something. It's usually the rush more than the money that keeps us showing up every day. When there's nothing to feel no excitement, satisfaction, optimism, or joy we're less likel...

It's no fun falling short. Most bosses know when employees don't like or respect them. They often act like they don't notice or are above caring.Who can blame them for needing a coping mechanism? As employees, we often assume our bosses know better-that they are ineffective on purpose. Everyone weighs in on what they believe the boss's defects are: -Poor communicator o...

Ever been to a high school reunion? Some former classmates look the same. Some you only recognize if they have a name tag. It's not how people look that flips our memory switch. It's their names that get us to remember how each person has been preserved in our minds: -How they treated us (and we them)-How smart and/or accomplished they seemed to be-How they behaved alone, in groups, and with those they dated-If we trusted t...

Sleep is for wimps. Do some people make you feel that way? Time to refute! We’ve become a tired workforce, exhausted even. We work long hours, stay up late for household chores/family time and/or to socialize with friends. When we lay down to sleep, we often can’t or the quality is poor. Sleep matters. Sometimes we treat sleep like it’s an accessory, not a necessity, to our success. Ben Stein, comm...

A filled vacancy starts with optimism. The boss is high on what the new employee can add to the team. Existing employees are relieved they didn’t have to absorb more work. Bosses usually start with an announcement before the person shows up. Employees hear about the new hire’s capabilities and experiences. They often hear high praise for how s/he will strengthen the team. Enough already! New employees mean change. Adding...

It’s a case of follow the leader. That’s how organizations are designed to function. We expect leaders to lead. Some do and some don’t. We know our success is connected to them, either directly or indirectly. The clearer their direction, the more optimistic we feel. Now I’ve worked for or with managers who couldn’t lead themselves out of a paper bag. They would either: - Do what their employees wanted—the avenue of least...

Success is the prize. Seeking it gets us to make the effort. Sadly, our efforts don’t always deliver the success we’re after. We look around and wonder what we’re doing wrong. Now it’s time talk to someone who’s been through it all. Enter Jack Nadel. At this writing, Nadel is in his late 80s. He spent 65 years in business, primarily in product sales, as founder of Jack Nadel International. After serving as a decorated comb...