Passion and Service

“When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.”

Recently, while back in Toronto I was out with a friend and had two very interesting experiences. In preparation for a trip south I decided to pop into a store to pick up a new bathing suit. As we entered the Bikini Village store at Yorkdale, there were two female employees there and no customers. We went to the men’s section and even at 6’ tall I had to tip toe a bit to reach the Nike pairs I was interested in. Not once did one of the retail clerks ask if I needed help. I made my way to the dressing room, tried on 3 pairs, one of which I decided to purchase. The Clerk went to the cash to ring it in. I asked “May I ask how long you’ve worked here?”  "This February marks four years” she replied. She gave me the item in a bag and we walked out. My pal Glo and I both remarked on the ineffective shopping/service experience - this would not be our first place of choice to shop at in the future.

On the way home I stopped at a full service gas station (Yonge &York Mills) given the cold temperatures. The gentleman who politely served us with a smile asked if I needed my oil checked, to which I replied “No thanks”. He then proceeded to clean the front and  rear windshields (without being asked) which were quite dirty. When he returned for my credit card he had quite the smile, despite the frigid temperature. He returned again for my signature, and I was happy to give him some cash for a cappuccino in gratitude for his service.

By way of context, in the former case the young ladies were no older than mid 20’s while in the latter the gentleman appeared no younger than 50.

Two points of reflection:

Health, Happiness, and Jack Lalanne

I was on a flight last week from warm, sunny Phoenix to the wind and cold of Chicago. It was late at night, and there were delays as we waited for a gate in Chicago due to the de-icing of planes waiting to take off. Faced with the wait beyond our control, it was fascinating to see how some people were jovial and laughing while others, tired and miserable, were barely able to smile as they sank into (and for some, overflowed out of) their seats on the plane or in the lounge. 
Let's face it, we are all busy and it takes energy every day just to keep going, smile or have patience. And, it seems, some people have more of the energy resource than others. I think Jack Lalanne was on to something...

Are You Progressing or Regressing through Change?

I’m always amazed at how quickly things change, and how some folks can end up worse off for a failure to adapt to change fast enough

This morning on the way to the gym near our head office, I couldn’t help but notice the big red signs: “Store Closing Sale.” It was a Blockbuster Video retail store. It got me thinking about how change brought rise and now demise to this chain. How did we see movies then and now? Think about it - from movie theatres, to VHS (and Beta), to DVD, and now streaming digital. Along the way, the competition for distribution became fierce. It appears that Blockbuster has not responded to recent market changes effectively, hence their filing for bankruptcy.

5 Habits Video - Getting Ready for the New Year!

Response to our "5 Habits Managers Must Break" post was remarkable. The entry was so popular, that we decided to publish a version in video format.

You can also find the video on YouTube, here - or just visit our main coaching page to see both the video, and a host of other coaching-related information.

Change - An Opportunity to Reflect and Rebuild

A few weeks ago I was on a plane, departing from Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. As we became airborne, I could see the Pentagon below, as I had many times before. It's the world's largest office building, with over 6.5 million square feet, dedicated in 1943. After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the Phoenix Project was charged with rebuilding the structure. Today, the structure has been fully repaired, including a small indoor memorial and chapel located at the point of impact.

Leadership and Mining...

The world watched this week as 33 Chilean miners, trapped for over 2 months, were rescued. can you imagine what it would be like, trapped over 700 metres below ground in absolute darkness? Over the next month or so, we'll see many interviews and perspectives on the tragedy and triumph that took place. How did they cope? How was their mental and physical health? How did they organize themselves? Who offered leadership?

This was an example of just how the human spirit can prevail under extreme circumstances. But as we know, it does not always turn out this well. Likewise in this economy, while many organizations are struggling, others are rallying staff and surviving - if not thriving - just fine. What makes the difference between the sad stories of failure, and the triumphs of celebrated success?

5 Habits Managers must break to be Effective Coaches...

Without question, these are interesting times for organizations. Managers are challenged with the mantra of "doing more with less", and one significant tool for achieving that goal has to be coaching staff for greater productivity. While most of us prioritize to-do items, we rarely "posteriorize" - that is, take the time to reflect on those things we should not be doing. Below is a listing of 5 habits that actually undermine the goal of coaching for superior productivity. Here are 5 habits you need to break if you want to coach your team to success.

Talent is not Enough...

The last couple of years have been like a tsunami for the global economy. Who would have thought ten years ago that GM would be facing bankruptcy, or that IBM would stop making PCs? Without question, today's global economy and rapid pace of change are creating many challenges that organizations must rise to.

There is one thing that hasn't changed much, however:
organizations don't achieve results, people do!

Naturally, it follows from this that the primary challenge of any organization is to identify, hire, engage, develop, and retain talent in a manner that is superior to the competition. If you are not rising to this challenge effectively, then the projected outcome is simple; your organization will not be able to compete effectively for employees - or clients - in the long run.

In the pursuit of talent excellence, one practice that many organizations engage in, which is a real cause for concern, is the tendency to use training or coaching as a cure-all. For some this may be effective, but for others it isn't. The reality is that when a person is the wrong fit for the job, all the training and coaching in the world won't bring them to the same level of performance as a "Right Fit" person.

To put it another way, if a sales position requires Donald Trump for high performance, but you have hired Mother Theresa, there is no amount of training and coaching that can bring about the results you need. Mother Theresa has talent, integrity, and enough valuable attributes to qualify her for sainthood, but she is not the right person for your job. Read on...