For 12 years, from my teens through late 20's, I was a drug addict. Not the "keeping up appearances but I have a terrible secret" kind, but a full-blown, walking trainwreck. In time, I traversed the entire spectrum of that world - from expensive hotels and briefcases full of cash to sleeping behind dumpsters in
I'd like to talk a minute about customer service. Ok, maybe somewhere between talk and rant if I'm being totally honest. In so doing, I invite the shedding of conventional dialog around all aspects of service - teaching it, providing it, expecting it, selling it as a tenet of the organization. This won't be a
A few months ago I was studying some material related to guiding an organization through the process of defining their identity. As I was digging through my research, it dawned on me that while I am clear on what and why I do the work that I do, I had never stepped back and formally
What is leadership? I mean, really, what does it mean to you? I was recently speaking with an executive at a creative agency who was frustrated with his team. No one was bringing any ideas to the table, at least none that he felt were worth seriously entertaining, no matter how many times he invited,
Culture, culture, culture. It's everywhere, and it's all everyone wants to talk about. But what is it, and why is it so important? Once upon a time, management theory was all about one-way communication and that was that. Leaders would "insert their meaning into words," pass those words along, and the recipients would simply extract
"Never mistake motion for action." - Ernest Hemingway - How many times in my life have I found myself hurrying and scurrying to "DO ALL THE THINGS!" when in fact all I've really managed to do is whip myself into a frenzy of stress and confusion? Or how about the times where all my primary
Look, it's not rocket science. If you need me to convince you that having clearly defined values is an important part of being a successful business then we're already off to a rough start. The debate isn't about whether values matter, or whether you need a culture to survive. Sure, you could likely get by
The problem with problems is that we often don't start working on them until it's too late. This is especially true of organizational culture. By the time an issue becomes big enough to demand attention and real effort, the symptoms have usually been coursing unchecked through the system and wreaking havoc for quite a while.
I was a bit nervous when I came into my first week of coach training a few years ago, feeling excited but self-conscious and wanting to make the right impression with this new community. I had come to this place through a long, meandering path of circumstances that seemed to be steering me along a
I am not a perfect motorcyclist. I got a late start compared to many, first swinging my leg over a bike at the ripe old age of 31. Growing up, motorcycling was always something that other people did. It seemed cool but I had never been exposed to it or had an opportunity to learn, and it wasn't
