We’ve all heard the expression that something or someone might “Run like a Swiss Watch.” When we hear that expression we imagine a flawless device, doing what it’s supposed to do and looking good doing it. According to Hermle North America, a watch company in Virginia, the heart of Swiss Watchmaking is found in the intricate attention to detail, innovation and a strong tradition of training their employees to execute their craft to a high standard...
"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link." ~Unknown As Forrest Gump’s Mama once said, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.” That is certainly true in a workplace filled with people possessing a wide variety of knowledge, skills, and drive; you get the high and under achievers all mixed together and this makes it more difficult to achieve a level of consistency and excellence in all...
"The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes." ~Tony Blair, former Prime Minister England Leadership is about making hard decisions, setting boundaries, and prioritizing opportunities based on defined goals and vision. A significant aspect of effective leadership is the ability to judge well, or to develop the art of discernment in decision-making. Discernment is crucial when learning to say “no” to people and projects. This takes skill, discipline,...
The heat and friction in a leadership position can be staggering, especially when in the process of turning around an organizational culture. There are hard decisions to make that require sound judgement and the ability to be resilient. "Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work." ~Vince Lombardi According to The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner leadership is not an inherent trait, but a skill that...
"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." ~William Arthur Ward Expressing gratitude for employees is essential for fostering a positive work environment and building a strong team. Finding the time to give the gift of gratitude is a challenge, but well worth the effort. Here are a few ways we can express gratitude to our people. Recognition Programs: Establish employee recognition programs that highlight and reward outstanding performance. I have done...
Delegating takes time, a precious commodity for us all. I know delegation is what I’m supposed to do, but if I do it myself, I know it’s done correctly, and I don’t have to do it again. The hardest part for me and I bet for you is to be willing to accept that mistakes may occur when delegating. But a truly effective leader knows that delegation is not just about assigning our people tasks; it’s really...
Many managers, directors, and supervisors (including myself) have been brought up in a culture that values productivity as a daily goal. True to my upbringing, I continue to strive for efficiency, production, and daily results; always trying to work smarter, not harder in everything we do. Whether you were brought up in this culture or not, I know you value productivity because you are where you are - you get results, you want your people to...
“Change is the province of leaders. It is the work of leaders to inspire people to do things differently, to struggle against uncertain odds, and to persevere toward a misty image of a better future.” ~James M. Kouzes, The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations I remember the first time I stepped into the room of my N. Miami department as the Director. I didn’t know a soul outside of those that had...
en·list: engage (a person or their help or support) Next week there is a good chance there will be a new project, initiative, or undertaking my team will need to tackle. I bet you are faced with the same situation. To tackle these challenges, we need to mobilize people to create extraordinary results and unite people to turn these challenges into successful opportunities. We all need more problem-solvers not problem-makers. And we all have bosses who need...
“Leaders are Repeaters.” ~Jessie Cole, Owner, The Savannah Bananas Last month I had the opportunity to attend a 6-hour backstage breakout session with the Savannah Bananas leadership team. If you are not familiar with the SB then do a web search and you will see they are an unusual, unique and very popular minor league exhibition baseball team. This baseball team has become a world-class case study in marketing, customer, and employee experience. Every game the Bananas play...