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Customer Obsession

  • Published 05/8/2008
Customer obsession goes beyond 'lip service' to customer service to a deeply rooted and shared value of creating exceptionally satisfied and extremely loyal customers. » Read More
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Living in a Tabloid Headspace

Our Preoccupation With Trivia
 
The other day I came across a podcast entitled “Attention: The ‘Real’ Aphrodisiac.” I learned of a phrase apparently coined by former Microsoft VP Linda Stone: “Continuous Partial Attention.” It describes that “always on” way many people operate, not only in their work lives but their private lives as well.

New-Era Business

What's Out? What's Emerging?

Most of us can sense, see, and hear a whole new 'way of seeing, way of being' being born, affecting how we view and 'do' every facet of our lives, including how we do business and how we approach 'work'.

Show Up

I learned this week that a client started a program in which every manager is part of a team to help less-experienced staff learn basic project management techniques. The overall intent is to not only enhance the project management skills of the less-experienced participants, but to also identify and implement efficiency enhancement opportunities throughout the organization. This will enable more employees to take lead positions on future projects, to develop their individual skills, and to obviously support the company. Terrific right? Well in theory it sounds great. However, in application it's not so great. Why? Management's not showing up.

Clarifying Our Core Values

A key element of "knowing thyself" is sorting out what's really important to you. Without a clear sense of our personal principles and priorities, it's almost impossible to bring the picture of our preferred future or vision sharply into focus.

Slow Down

Slow Down and Enjoy the Ride

Do you ever feel like you're rushing around so fast or trying so hard to get to some destination in the future that you're missing out on some really important things in the process? I know I do. In our pursuit of "success," we often forget to stop, notice, and appreciate what's happening right NOW.

Sacred Wisdom

De-stress and Re-connect with the Power of Sacred Wisdom Practices

Several trends that continue to gain momentum center around reconnecting with Spirit, wisdom and the Sacred. For some people, that means recommitting to a church, while others incorporate teachings from shamanism, aboriginal wisdom, Goddess-culture, Nature, or other spiritual pathways into their everyday routines.

Canadian Women Entrepreneurs Launch Leadership in Arabia

ICE Leadership President Angela Mondou, founder of the prestigious 2007 gold award-winning ‘Mission Critical Leadership” workshop [Canadian Society for Training Development (CSTD)], is proud to announce the recent partnership with ‘The Art of Business’ based in Doha, Qatar.

A Different Point of View

Have you ever been in a wood that just looked like a random assortment of trees and then when you take a few steps to the side you see that all the trees are laid out in neat rows? Sometimes we are standing in the wrong place to see an obvious answer. We have to deliberately take a different point of view and come at the problem from a new direction before we have a chance of creating a radical solution.

The Power of ‘And’

The English language can be complex and confusing, creating communication nightmares and mountains of misunderstanding. But there is one simple word that can foster goodwill, help you delve deep into the psyche of people, and help you build significance, worth and value around any topic.

The word is 'And'. As simple, yet as complex as that; so let's take a look at the clout this word holds to help you be more compelling and convincing.

Have a Change of Mindset?

An interview with Carol Dweck, Ph.D., author of the book "Mindsets: The New Psychology of Success," punctuated with a Gargantuan Glob-Beelzebub and visits with Donkey O'Tee (of Shoot the Donkey fame) and Cal 9000. Steve Kayser's articles are always multi faceted and extremely entertaining! (ed.)

Notes on Writing

Internet searches for quotations about writing almost invariable turn of the thoughts of novelists, poets, playwrights, etc., as if fiction were the only category of writing of any consequence. I made such a search in order to put together this article. At first I was disappointed by the lopsided results, but on further reflection they turned out to be quite fortuitous.

Is Gen Y Afraid of Anything?

I don't know about you but I get frustrated with baby boomers who simply bad-mouth Gen Y employees and don't think more about why they behave the way they do. The next time a Gen Y'er frustrates you at work or at home - take a deep breath and think about the context that they are coming from - their brain physiology, their database of experiences and the matters they are fearful and worried about. It won't make them change their behaviours but it might enable you to engage your pre-frontal cortex, calm down, use your emotional intelligence, be a STAR and maximize all the great things that creative, energetic, demanding and wonderful young people offer.

Deep Inquiry and Listening

Fostering a Culture of Deep Inquiry and Listening

The degree to which leaders and transformation-agents embody, communicate, foster, and require such skillfulness will define the degree of success the organization will have in meeting their greatest challenges, and aligning action with the vision and values of the organization. By leading into a culture of deep inquiry and skillful listening, leaders can strengthen the foundation from which all else stems.

Listen Critically

I had a difficult experience this past week: I had to practice what I preach. I had to listen to someone share her criticisms, suggestions, and proposed new procedures for an organization I have been heavily involved with for the past five years. And here's the tough part, I had to force myself not to interrupt her. Every time Susan said something I disagreed with I had to struggle to control my knee-jerk reaction and say "But you don't understand...", "But we've tried that before", "But..."  I had to listen critically.

Towers Perrin Study Discounts Workplace Myths;

Work/life leadership expert, author and speaker, Eileen McDargh, analyzes the data and expresses caution when reading the recently released 2007 Global Workforce Study by Towers Perrin.

Multi-Dimensional

When you start out in life or in business, it may seem as though you are doing everything yourself, and, in reality, you may be; however, there will come a day when you will discover new dimensions of your own talent and have people on your team whose talents will complement and not compete with yours. 

The Age of Miracles

If you feel, when looking back on your life so far, that you've wrestled with primal forces and not always won, be assured that you're pretty much like everyone else. It is a rare individual who reaches midlife without a lot to grieve. And whether or not your tears are acknowledged--whether or not you give them the chance to actually fall down your cheeks--there's no question that they're there.

The Technology Trap For Talking Takes a Toll

Clear communication is critical in life and in business. Use the wrong mode of communication and you can lose customers fast. Use the right mode of communication and build relationships that last.

Self Leadership

You Can't Build a Team or Organization Different from You

Too many managers who aspire to lead and develop others haven't learned how to lead and develop themselves. They are trying to build organizations or provide services that are different than they are. These well-intentioned managers are trying to improve their teams or organizations without improving themselves. Many seem to be living along the lines of Mark Twain's observation, "Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits."

What is Your Value Path?

The Paths of 'Conscious Enterprise'

As with anything else, there is more than one pathway for the expression of purpose, values, and Wisdom in the world, or of expression in general. The concept of "conscious enterprise" holds within it the intention to work more wisely, with a greater consciousness of the source, the intentions, the values, the ways, and the effects of what we do, why we do it, and how we go about it. It flips on its head the old Machiavellian standard of "the ends justifying the means.". As we know, "the means" often have a significant impact on quality of life and how we end up feeling about our life's work. What are the Value Paths of Conscious Enterprise, and which path are you walking?



Recent Articles

Are Your Processes Lean?

You may have heard the terms "Lean Manufacturing" or "Six Sigma", and most likely they were used in the context of improving quality or reducing the cost of operations. While in fact these terms do have their roots in the manufacturing industry, the truth is that both can also be effectively applied to information age companies. Lean's major objective is to speed up processes, while Six Sigma's is to improve quality as defined by the customer. Applied together, you can achieve faster processes with a higher level of quality. The average information age worker spends 40% of the day processing information, not actually working on the underlying content. Applying Lean principles to your processes can reduce processing time, thereby improving your performance.

When Your Get Up & Go Just Got Up And Went!

Professional speaker, consulant and author, Eileen McDargh, offers five tips to refresh and renew yourself in the new year.

Creativity Produces Profit

In today’s competitive world, creativity is in short supply and it is more important than ever for businesses to attract and keep highly talented people. Bill Bernbach remarked that “an idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.” In order to do that, a company must provide a work place environment that is challenging, creative, and fun. Since creativity is at the root of innovation and invention, it would benefit all companies - large or small - to help promote a creative atmosphere in which this talent may flourish. What better way to get a huge return on your investment? Champion those innovators.

Here’s to Your Hardiness!

Psychologists studying stress in the workplace have done over 400 studies on “Resilience” and what keeps individuals in a company healthy despite adversity. Here is a summary of their findings you can use as a checklist to get through this next wave of business.

Fearful Aggression

Hillary Clinton + Anticipatory Rejection + Fearful Aggression = Lost Presidential Bid

Before I get into the above formula and something you should never do, I want to begin with something that is its polar opposite and something you should always do.

Winning Environment - Part Two

In part one, we looked at five questions leaders ask to create a winning environment. In this lesson, we'll pick up where we left off by exploring five more questions posed by leaders concerned about the climates they are orchestrating.

The Little Book of Leadership

A free e-book from www.TheLeadershipHub.com . Pass it on.

Prioritizing Your Time

A friend of mine shared with me that a coworker of his arrives at work by 8:00 a.m. each morning and never leaves before 8:00 p.m. each night; additionally, he has a one hour commute each way. Does this person have the proper work/life balance?

Create an Intrapreneurial Culture

Intrapreneurship is a strategy for stimulating innovation by making better use of entrepreneurial talent. When effectively promoted and channeled, intrapreneurship not only fosters innovation, it also helps employees with good ideas to better channel the resources of a corporation to develop more successful products.

Winning Environment - Part One

Consciously or unconsciously, leaders cultivate the environment in their workplaces. Some are lush climates where leaders flourish and thrive, while others are toxic environments where leaders either leave or wither from the pollution. My goal is to help you nurture a winning environment in your organization.

The Miracle Matrix!

Dear Friends,
Welcome to the Miracle Matrix!
Over the last twenty years, I have given thousands of lectures based on spiritual principles, primarily from A Course in Miracles. Now, through the Miracle Matrix, you can download onto your iPod or MP3 player one of those lectures each week. Additionally, you can see videos and attend live teleclasses with me, have access to the Matrix message boards and of course receive any additional materials that I send out. Here is a sample audio file of the fear of success.

(Marianne has a very powerful and inspirational purpose and her message needs to be shared. (ed.))

Corporate Cartooning

Please don't tell me HRD/Training Managers that you're still hanging those "Employee of the Month" plaques in your lobby that make even the most professional employee look like a felon -- let alone valued and important!  Alas, don't admit that your training manuals would even put a die-hard reader of Popular Mechanics to Sleep!  Do your Employee Retirement Parties bring tears to everyone in the room, particularly the retiree, because of a lack of imagination or real thought?  Well, perhaps it's time to get funny (literally) and create WOW! Training Materials and Recognition Programs that engage us and capture our attention. 

Tap Audiences' Desire to Care

In today's time-starved, relationship-diminished world, audiences:
Crave attention and connection with each other,
Want ready-to-use ideas,
AND still expect to be entertained.

These goals are often at odds when preparing a presentation that will make people rave about one's program long afterwards. Consequently, successful presenters need gut instincts-based behavioral insights into how to grab and hold their audiences attention.

Boosting Your Productivity

To be effective in today's work world, you must have high performing systems that serve your needs and aid in helping you live an integrated life. Like any well run business, the systems should be built deliberately with a close connection to your overall mission and tightly integrated to help you achieve optimum performance. Do your systems do that for you?

Growing the Leader in Us

It would be easy if we could all become leaders by following a simple set of steps. But the journey of personal growth means finding our own way. There are, however, critical areas of personal development based on timeless principles. The distance we need to grow along each leadership dimension will differ for each of us, but defining and continually growing along each of these paths is the way of the leader.

Weird Combinations Work

When you combine two ideas to make a third then two plus two can equal five. In the ancient world one of the great discoveries was that by combining two soft metals - iron and tin - you could create a strong alloy - bronze. In a similar way combining two minor inventions - the coin punch and the wine press - gave birth to the mighty printing press. Try combining your main product or service with a range of foreign concepts and see what you get.

Email Triage

This is the time of year that many of us will take vacation, and one of the dreaded aspects of vacation is the return to an overflowing email box. This phenomenon can also happen when we are in day-long meetings or traveling for business. Here is my recommended approach to manage the volume and get focused on what is truly most important to you.

The Joy We Leave Behind

While taking a walk over the weekend I discovered a mermaid down the beach a bit. Some extraordinarily talented person sculpted a ten-foot mermaid lying on her side, head resting back on her arm, staring out to sea (somewhat wistfully as if she had lovely memories there.) I wonder if the mermaid-maker had any idea at all of how much joy s/he had left behind on the beach that day. The mermaid reminded me that we all have a chance, every day, to leave a little joy behind. It’s not always as tangible or spectacular as a ten-foot long sand sculpture but it can be real and it can be lasting. A little joy can make someone’s day real special.

The Open Brand

The Open Brand Framework

Are you ready to open?

If so, we've put together a strategic framework that capitalizes on both the social web's traits and technologies and the icitizenry's power to be both medium and message.

Here is an excerpt from the book The Open Brand by Kelly Mooney and Nita Rollins, Ph.D. published by New Riders Press; March 2008.

Creating Your Own Paradise

Do you sometimes feel that all you do is chores? You do chores at work (meetings, incessant calls, constant interruptions, boring paperwork) and at home (laundry, cooking, paying bills, picking up around the house, fixing things, running the kids to their activities). When do you have time for fun? When was the last time you did something that you really wanted to do?
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