One of your team members promised they would do something for a client.  They got distracted with other work, and it was not done on time.  The very upset client contacts you.

You meet with the employee.You remind them of the commitment they made to do the work excellently on time.You explain the client just called and unloaded on you…

Instinctively, leaders can be too quick to blame employees for poor behavior, lack of skills, and not meeting their expectations.

The leader’s expectations are high, yet the employee made a mistake by not meeting them. The mistake is like an onion. It has a strong smell and you want to get away from it as quickly as possible.

You expected “X,” but the other person or team did “Y.”  This “pulls your trigger” or “pushes your button” and you emotionally flood. 

Your emotions instinctively, instantaneously initiate survival thoughts and actions…

One of the famous sayings of American author Edwin Louis Cole is, “You don't drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there.”

Where are you underwater?

Some of the definitions for “treadmill” on Dictionary.com is:  “an exercise machine…. (or) any monotonous, wearisome routine...”

Do you have time each day, or an entire daily routine, that feels like you’re on a treadmill?

Just when you thought employee engagement could not get worse…  it has.

Previously it was believed the average number of employees who are fully engaged was 18-20%.  That left 80-82% less engaged or totally disengaged.

It is simple.  The best people are not looking for work.  They are fully employed and succeeding elsewhere.

However, these passive candidates are often the best people to hire.  How do you reach them?

Most organizations do not regularly recognize employees for their contributions.  Others do minimum recognition.  However, one rapidly growing IT managed services provider does minion recognition.

More on that in a moment…

Lincoln’s presidential nomination at the Republican party convention in 1860 took many by surprise, including his three primary rivals at that convention: William H. Seward, Edward Bates, and Salmon P. Chase.

The country lawyer and failed senate candidate did not have the pedigree of other candidates. However, he also didn’t have their political baggage.

In my last blog post I promised to follow-up with an explanation of some habits you can develop to notice when people are not telling you the entire truth, or outright lying.

First, let’s consider some of the people who lie to you…

Psychology Today reports that more than 80% of lies go undetected. 

Lie to Me was a TV show that ran from 2009-2011.It was based on the work of Paul Ekman, an expert in lie detection.According to the producers of the television show…

I was driving the other day and was struck by a number of toxic behaviors our Clients are experiencing in leaders and staff.  This inspired me to write again about narcissism and similar behaviors. When you catch someone behaving disrespectfully or unethically, realize it is much worse than that one instance. You have to take action…

The last time you made a mistake, did you blame someone else?

There have been a few times when one of my Clients’ employees have not liked something that their boss did, and then just did not show-up at work the next day.  They called-in “sick” and blamed their boss rather than own the fact their behavior is wrong…

One of my goals for this year is to automate as many things as possible at Manage 2 Win. In the past we have been bogged down with so many manual tasks it has been difficult to actually focus on work that matters most.

Emailing emailing each newsletter and podcast episode. Changing customer credit card information over the phone. Manually requesting information for talent assessments. What a waste of time!

“If I knew what to do, then I would do it.”

Have you ever said this?

How long have these words delayed action, or tough decisions?  How many times have you hurt someone by postponing?  How much time have you lost?  How many opportunities missed?

About two years ago my beloved Mazda Tribute was fading fast. The transmission was clunky at best, and the engine ran super rough. It sounded like the automobile version of strep throat.

It was time for a new car.

After a lot of thought and effort, we have changed our name to Manage 2 Win. It is a slight change, perhaps insignificant to you, but it means a lot to us.

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your business, your support, and your friendship.