Focus: It means the difference between success and mediocrity

There are many demands placed on today’s worker. No one is exempt from this pressure, from CEO to clerk. We’re all asked to accomplish a high volume of error-free outcomes. Just keeping up with a day’s worth of incoming email can seem daunting, much less making headway on the long-range goals you’ve set (or others have…

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Do You Stand Out from the Crowd or Are You Lost in Your Environment?

Work days are often so hectic that we can get lost in the “sameness” of everything and everyone. Even things and people that we like and enjoy become routine. Behaviors are expected and even good ones get lost in the predictability of patterns we have come to rely on. Then when someone does something to…

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Problem resolution can sometimes leave you in a messy hole

In organizations, there are a multitude of projects that are constantly underway. These initiatives are designed to fix an existing problem or improve something, such as reduce the number of client complaints, increase billable hours, or achieve higher quality in a product. These are good goals to have, as long as leaders recognize the true…

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What to do when it’s all bark and no bite

Ever had an employee who raised her hackles all the time? It’s tempting to coddle that person, in an attempt to avoid the unsavory hostility, but that just leads to more headaches and no resolution. Yesterday I took our two cats to the vet for their annual visit. Grace came along to get her nails clipped,…

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Cat and Mouse: A game to help you be patient in reaching your goals

In today’s business environment, all of us want things to happen fast. Any business leader, manager, employee, and even (and perhaps especially!) consumers, have expectations for immediate results. We get impatient when we have to wait for something we desperately want. We focus on the outcome instead of the process. I know I get insane when…

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Finding beauty in the beast

Yesterday when I returned home and stepped out of my car, I nearly flattened this baby snake with my feet before I realized he was there. Given his small size, measuring no more than six inches, he didn’t scare me, but he did startle me. Snakes generally terrorize me; I realize it’s not a very rationale reaction. This…

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An easy, simple, and effective way to motivate employees

There is an easy, simple, and effective way to motivate employees. It works like a charm, and better yet, the real benefits are lasting and deep. Here’s the tip: Have employees do what they love and then encourage them to do it more. Maybe that sounds just too crazy. I imagine you reading this and thinking…

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The secret to how to trash your bad habits

Bad habits. We all have them. Nobody wants a bad habit. Even fun ones, like eating a big dish of ice cream, are enjoyable in the moment, but not beneficial in the long-run. That’s why we call it a bad habit: it’s an event that happens repeatedly, over a long period of time, and impacts…

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Which leadership trait do you use most: Control or Wisdom?

Being an effective leader means having control and being in control. That’s what a lot of people think, anyhow. It’s certainly true that there are times when a leader has to take the helm and move things forward. It is especially critical for a leader to take control during difficult or contentious situations. Chaos and…

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