I was doing something decidedly none business yesterday (replacing my dead dryer) and the sales representative that was helping me was glued to his IPAD. Now I applaud the store for the use of technology to create a more accurate account of inventory, but to run a business you actually have to talk to your customers! The sales representative was great; he was friendly and … [Read more...]
The Awarness to Lead
Many things have been said about leadership some good and some bad, but the one thing that has stuck with me has been the awareness of leadership. Now when I say awareness, I don’t be mean micro-managing your staff or applying dual layers of approval. I mean awareness of the atmosphere you create in your company. Different companies will have different cultures, but at the very … [Read more...]
Managing the “Great Expectations” of the Next Sales Generation
Guest post by Lynn Schleeter (learn more about Lynn at the end of this post) “The death of the traditional salesman has been greatly exaggerated,” heralded a recent column in The Economist (October 22, 2011). Why does the media always have to dredge up the Willy Lomans of the world every time the sales function is covered? Sales has made leaps and bounds since Arthur Miller … [Read more...]
GUTSY GALS are Electricians
Sue was not feeling GUTSY; she was still in pain as she talked about an ugly spill that ended with a badly injured ankle. Several doctors told her she would have to be CAREFUL, very, very careful for, well…forever. Diana, sitting across the circle from Sue is a nurse. How could it be that she had the same ankle injury with that big, long medical name, a year ago? And she was … [Read more...]
Leadership Skills: You and $$$$$$$
One of the best leadership teachers in any era comes in the form of paper or metal. We love it, hate it, covet it, or disdain it. Our romance with money belongs in every leadership development program on the planet. Ever hear the expression “You can never be too thin or too rich”? First, too thin is called anorexia and you can die from that. Too rich, question is what … [Read more...]
Women, Leadership, Self-Care, and BLUE MONDAY
You wake up Monday morning, pour yourself a glass of orange juice, and get breakfast ready for your clan. Off to the office, you battle the traffic, thinking about how to tell your rebel employee that there have been complaints about his behavior. You dread the meeting and yet know it can’t wait. Pulling into the parking lot you feel a wave of frustration, seeing that … [Read more...]
Women, Food, and Being GUTSY
This is the perfect time of year, when food is front and center in our minds, to honor a woman who has been in the food services industry for several decades. Yet, it’s not about her relationship with food that we’ll discuss; it’s about her relationship with women. Victoria Vega is the National Director of Business Development, Corporate Dining for CulinArt Managed Dining … [Read more...]
Are you a good boss?
Are you a good boss? Really? I know when I ask myself that question, I come to the conclusion that I could be better. So what makes a good boss, and how can we get better? In the January/February issue of Harvard Business Review an article on becoming a great boss offers research and some key tips for improving as a boss. A good boss is typically influential. But where … [Read more...]
The New Generation Leader
A recent report, Tearing Up the Rule Book: A New Generation of Leaders for 2010, from Aspire and Customer Interpreter measures Leadership Intelligence. This measurement assesses what is important today for leadership success. The results of the research are impressive. What has been traditionally classified as more "feminine" traits emerged as the preferable leadership … [Read more...]
Check-in To Harness the Power of the Start
It seems that someone is always keeping score. Conversations about projects focus on outcomes, deliverables, and take-aways. We're asked "can you beat yesterday’s numbers? Or last week’s time? Or last year’s results?" Incentive programs encourage us to do more, go faster, be better. We say we’re tracking progress but we are really constantly measuring … [Read more...]