In our last posting, we talked about the need for, and the benefits that flow from, an “engaged” workforce . . . that is, employees who are energized by their work and committed to supporting the company’s goals. In that posting, intended to be an introduction to a series on workforce engagement, we described what
Want an “entangled” workforce?
A lot has been written lately about companies developing an “engaged” workforce, meaning employees who are energized by their work and committed to helping the company achieve its goals. In fact, I blogged about becoming a “winning workplace” a few months ago that touched on this subject. In their book, “It’s My Company Too! How
Don’t sell goods or services. Sell solutions.
It’s always been tough to differentiate ourselves in the marketplace, to give customers reasons they should do business with us instead of our competitors. And now thanks to the internet, it’s gotten even tougher. At one time, there was some mystery, some mystique about what we did and how we did it. No more. People
Judge by results, not by effort or activities
It’s an easy trap to fall into. We get seduced by a great work ethic. “Look at Johnson over there . . . salt of the earth, I tell ya. He’s in early, stays late, doesn’t complain, and you never find him goofing off. I wish I had a hundred just like him.” Actually, no
“I don’t care if people don’t like me as long as they respect me!”
Respect is a key element of leadership. That is, it will be extremely difficult for a leader to lead without earning the respect of his or her followers. Followers may do what the leader demands because they must in order to earn a paycheck, but their work will lack energy, and it will lack commitment.
“It’s best to be Attila the Hun every day rather than every other day.”
Consistency is a concept that gets a bad rap from time to time. Playwrite and poet Oscar Wilde once wrote, “Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.” Author Aldous Huxley was even more blunt when he said, “Consistency is contrary to nature, contrary to life. The only completely consistent people are dead.” So some
Are You Doing Things Right or Doing the Right Things?
Let’s be clear. Doing things right is all about being efficient. Doing the right things is about being effective. So it isn’t an either/or situation, is it? We want both, don’t we? We want to do the right things and do them right. After all, why would we want to be very efficient at doing
To-do’s Before Year End
January is a time of renewal. It marks a new beginning, a fresh start. But there are things you should be doing now, before December 31, to get you out of the blocks fast when the year turns over. If you’re on a roll, you need to think about how to keep that roll going.
WIIFM? Huh?
As human beings, we are all creatures of motivated self-interest. That’s right, we are all egocentric. Sounds pretty cynical, doesn’t it? But it’s not. It’s just the way we’re wired and the way we make decisions. Should I do this or that? Should I pick A or B? Should I turn left or right, or
Price is an Evil Mistress
Price is an Evil Mistress Setting our price is a conundrum, isn’t it? If we set our price too high, customers go elsewhere. If we set it too low, we leave money on the table. So it’s a tough line to walk, but we all have to walk it. Wait a minute though, is price
