This Is How Your Esthetic Can Hurt Customer Satisfaction in Unexpected Ways
“Tell me why you chose this place,” I said to the colleague I met at a hotel during an otherwise successful trip to Baltimore. “I always like the Kimpton properties,” she answered. “Why, did you... Continue reading
How to Manage Your Anxious “Tells” at Work
The senior director sighed. He had just conducted the third interview of the afternoon, and we only had a couple of minutes to debrief before the next one. “How well do these candidates stack up?”... Continue reading
How to Survive Working with a Prima Donna
Have you paid the price when a melodramatic, self-aggrandizing team member has hurt your organization by spreading unnecessary chaos and discontent? “Artistes” like this have never learned how to share top billing, glory, or status... Continue reading
The Leadership Styles of The Princess Bride
The slyly comic cult classic The Princess Bride has been in the news lately thanks to Republican presidential politics. It’s struck me that many of the leading roles show up from time to time in... Continue reading
Nice Service If You Can Get It
On Thanksgiving morning a few years ago, at the Hampton Inn in South Kingstown, RI, my teenage daughter dropped an earring into the sink drain. I consulted with the extremely pleasant young woman at the... Continue reading
Have You Ever Worked with Anyone Like Donald Trump?
Trump. The very name encapsulates his behaviors: to outdo, undermine, outmaneuver, and win. The word isn’t exactly synonymous with teamwork, collaboration, or shared success. Not surprisingly, it’s tough working with someone who has Trump’s aggressiveness... Continue reading
The Value of Complaining
If the correct thing to do isn’t obvious or easy enough, we usually do whatever seems best at that moment, even if it violates norms. When norms are violated multiple times, though, they generate a... Continue reading
It’s Not Easy for Leaders to Be Successful Bringing in New Team Members
Bringing a new person on to the team almost always takes more work than expected. No matter how senior your team is, it can take significant effort to get the new person integrated with the... Continue reading