I know this may sound like common sense, but even the best of us forget it. Or we forget to teach our mentees this lesson. I was serving on a Board of Directors and was one of three Board members running for President, elected by fellow Board members, not the membership at large. In the … Read more
Once I used an assessment as part of a training program I conducted for a client’s managers. Everyone really liked the assessment and the insights gleaned from it. The owner of the company told me he’d like to use the assessment on everyone in his company. “Great” I replied, “I can work up a quantity … Read more
You’ve decided your staff needs training. You know it will cost you some money, even with an internal trainer. So how do you make sure the training has the biggest ROI possible? There are three key people responsible for making the training a success. Unfortunately, most people only think of one — the trainer. If … Read more
Developing your key staff takes more than sending someone to a one- or two-day seminar. It is a long-term process — however it doesn’t have to be time-intensive. But many executives find it hard to find time to create a systematic plan for developing their people. If you find yourself in this situation, you might … Read more
When I encounter excellent employees I wonder if they were that way when hired or if the company trained them to be that way. I’ve decided that it is a lot of the former, with refinements coming through the latter. These last few weeks I’ve encountered excellent employees where I didn’t expect them. I’ll admit … Read more
Clients tell me it is hard to get their people to think about improving because they are so inundated with getting work out. They wish there were more efficient ways to accomplish their tasks, but they don’t have time to research what they are. I’ve developed a simple chart of 10 cost-effective ways to help … Read more
Yesterday I was having our monthly group consultation/coaching call with a client’s managers. One brought up an issue you may relate to. He had a 5-month new staff member who has been absent and tardy too often, and has been verbally warned. The staff member had viable excuses — family deaths, personal illness, even an … Read more
Today I delivered the keynote address “The Power of Our Words” at the Stockton Women’s Network, a warm, wonderful group of entrepreneurial women in this city south of Sacramento, CA. (I usually tithe a speech a quarter to non-profit organizations like this.) They were a great audience — attentive and participatory — my favorite! We … Read more
At lunch today, a fellow organizational development consultant and I were sharing some projects we loved working on. We both agreed we loved working with clients who partner with us for success, and who know that lasting change in people and organizations takes more than a one-, two- or three-day leadership, management, or communications class. … Read more
I love it when the outcome exceeds what we anticipated. Recently, an airport client wanted to increase the customer service skills of all the concessionaire (retail, food and beverage) employees. He said he wanted a customer service training program designed that their internal trainers could deliver. After interviewing the key stakeholders, I learned that the … Read more