Give Your Boss the Benefit of the Doubt
We’ve all been there: We’ve worked for managers who don’t listen or don’t understand, who are unfailingly critical, ignorant, or worse. So where can you begin if you’re trying to make a case for yourself,... Continue reading
Can You Help Your Leader Handle the Truth?
No matter how much I read (and write) about employee engagement and good management practices, it still amazes me how seldom employees share effective critical feedback with their management. This is not the usual whining,... Continue reading
Making Extraordinary Service Look Easy
I’m not a fan of inter-organizational benchmarking: It’s almost impossible to replicate someone else’s successes when you don’t have their operating model, or to replicate their practices or techniques when you don’t have their culture... Continue readingShould There Be a Way to Standarde Exceptions?
I’ve been ordering a new drink at Starbucks lately. I’ve had this drink at one airport, one hotel, one highway rest stop, on two coasts, in three states, and at a number of local stores.... Continue readingFeedback Resistance
Nobody enjoys being critiqued, corrected, or criticized. It’s hard to hear that we’re not good enough, or that we’re not okay just the way we are. It’s hard even when we’ve asked for the feedback... Continue readingWhat Your Customer Can’t (and Shouldn’t Have to) Do For You
It is not your customer’s job to… …make you feel good or comfortable or safe, …know the constraints you labor under, …understand what you wish they would say or do, …figure out your business model,... Continue readingPiercing Questions about a Successful Manager
Daughter had been asking to have her ears pierced for as long as, well, for as long as she knew what it meant. So we went to the mall. To the accessories and jewelry store,... Continue readingWhen “No” is Preferable to “Maybe”
Sometimes, instead of pushing for a yes, it’s better to get the message that there’s no way, no how, no hope, no need, no budget, no possibility, not now, probably not ever, we just don’t... Continue reading