Confidence And The Workplace Attitude

Have you noticed the lack of eye-contact from a clerk while being served in a retail establishment? Have you noticed some of the people you work with who are reluctant to be forthright with customers and clients either on the phone or in-person? Have you noticed a propensity in your own workplace of people who don't seem to speak up when it comes time to address an issue that needs to be talked about?

It's happening more and more in workplaces across North America. Employers are searching out Communication Skills workshops in the hopes that communication with co-workers, clients and customers can be improved in an effort to streamline the workplaces. But it just doesn't seem to be working. Why? It's not so much about people communicating effectively as it is about the level of confidence within the individuals in raising the subjects that need to be addressed. It's a self-confidence issue.

I was recently surfing a business networking web site that asked the question: What are the most damaging aspects of a lack of self-confidence in the workplace?

I really began to think about how a lack of self-confidence impacts the workplace. Here's what I offered as my response.

Ultimately, every delivery and/or process mechanism in the workplace is directly affected on a quality level by a lack of self-confidence. Every intricate piece of the workplace puzzle is reliant on just one common denominator: people. It's people who deliver in every organization. It's people who make sales. It's people who develop marketing strategies. It's people who fix customer problems. It's people who lead organizations. It's people who implement safety programs. It's people who must communicate with other people on the job. One person without self-confidence makes the whole thing fall apart.

People without self-confidence will cause the organization as a whole to suffer.

• Productivity suffers in the absence of self-confidence because if a person lacks the confidence to accomplish a task, they will hold back their effort in the hopes of not doing it wrong.
• Sales suffer when a sales person lacks self-confidence. With a lack of self-confidence, a salesperson will feel intimidated to ask for the order. Sometimes in order to get a sale all one needs to do is ask. But without confidence, asking is the toughest thing they will do all day for fear they may be rejected.
• Customer service suffers when a CSR lacks self-confidence. A Customer Service Rep who lacks confidence will not ask the customer if service could be improved nor will they go over and above to satisfy any concerns before they happen for fear that they may create something they are ill-equipped to address.
• Management suffers when a manager lacks self-confidence. Sometimes managers need to address some tough issues with employees and by not addressing those issues, allow issues to go un-addressed and unresolved creating a new standard for behavior in the workplace.
• First impressions suffer when the receptionist lacks self-confidence. If the person who answers the phone isn't sure of him or herself, the person at the other end feels as confident about doing business with an organization as the person who answers the phone. If the receptionist can't instill confidence, the customer has no alternative but to feel uneasy about dealing with that company.
• Organizational meetings suffer when attendees lack self-confidence. People without self-confidence don't speak up and therefore end up harboring resentment or frustration that issues are not being addressed. The organization as a whole will suffer if frustration and resentment run rampant inside their employees.
• Innovation suffers when those charged with developing new ideas lack self-confidence. Without confidence, innovative ideas are not brought forward, nor discussed. New ideas are kept to oneself in the hopes that person won't be laughed at.
• Time management suffers with a lack of self-confidence. If there's no confidence from the employees to be able to accomplish specific tasks, why bother scheduling it in to their Daytimer?
• Communications suffer in the presence of a lack of self-confidence. People who don't have confidence don't speak up. Things are left unsaid and, by default, internalized. If it's not out in the open, it can never be dealt with.
• Marketing suffers when the marketing team lacks self-confidence. "This idea probably won't work anyway." That's a likely statement from a marketing department employee with no self-confidence and so the idea gets dismissed without a second thought.
• Cohesiveness suffers when employees lack self-confidence. People don't get along without talking out their issues. They simply tolerate each other. Toleration is not cohesiveness. Behind the tolerance could be a seething resentment and outward actions can demonstrate the harboring of resentment.
• And finally, in the absence of self-confidence, can anyone really be called a "leader?"

Shall I go on?

You get the point here. Organizations work fine - it's people who screw them up. Fix the people and you fix the organization. Stop wasting money on a useless things like personality assessments and team building until you have solved the root problem in any and all organizations - soft skills training to address "self" issues. Build your people stronger and the organization must get stronger by default. Better people offer better service, make better sales, better communicate, build better relationships, focus better, achieve better and ultimately lead better.

Attitude Adjustment: Before you start looking for quick fixes to make your team more cohesive, embark on sales training or service training or communications skills training, time-management training or even management/leadership training, make sure you've addressed the root cause of many of these workplace problems: self-confidence and the corresponding confident attitude that goes along with it.

Good People Give Great Service

In my keynote presentation, I offer the suggestion that if you believe the person behind the counter (either in person or on the phone) is dumber than you then you'll likely go out of your way to prove it. And what if they're not?

However if you instead believe that the person behind the counter will provide you with an amusing story to tell others then you'll likely end up with a good service experience.

This is one of those amusing stories.

I was scheduled to speak after supper in Miniota, Manitoba, a small town of just several hundred citizens. My audience would be the employees of the regional cooperative, perhaps the area's largest employer. So I arrived in Miniota at about 3:30 pm to ensure the stage was set correctly, lighting would be satisfactory and so that I might resolve any sound system concerns before the attendees began to arrive. Preparation is key in anything you do if you want to do it well. And I do. My customers and clients deserve that.

Since my appointment at the hall wasn't until 4:00 pm, I drove around town a little and then decided to gas up the rental car. I pulled up to the pumps at the Co-op gas bar. No one immediately came out to serve me so I started the process myself.

When the pump got to thirty-two dollars, the front door to the gas bar swung open and the twenty-something attendant approached. He apologized for taking so long. By the time he got to my vehicle, it was full. So I handed him the hose and he shut off the pump.

"I didn't even see the self-serve sign," I joked as we both walked inside so I could pay for my gas. I knew it to be a full-serve operation. (Yes, they still do exist.)

"Again, I'm sorry I took so long," he genuinely offered. "So, that'll be thirty-two fifty," he smiled as I handed him my credit card.

After signing the credit card slip, I asked, "so the community center is over by the arena is it?"

He glanced down at the credit card. He instantly recognized my name. He had read the memo about the company meeting at the hall.

"You're the speaker tonight aren't you?"

"I am," I replied with a big smile.

"So what are you speaking about?" He asked with a smirk on his face.

"Customer service," I blurted emphatically.

His face went completely red.

"You're going to have a little fun with me being slow to the pumps aren't you?" he sheepishly grinned.

"You know it," I laughed back.

"See you tonight then," he said red-faced and head shaking.

Dallas is his name. Before I took the stage, I learned that customers love Dallas and the service he provides. I also learned that he was handling three other customers at the time I arrived as the Gas Bar. His reputation is the “get things done” guy. I mentioned that fact publicly after I good-naturedly roasted him. He got a round of applause from his co-workers.

After the presentation, Dallas approached me and said, "I enjoyed your Tim Horton's story too. And the coffee there always tastes better when it's free," at which point he handed me a Tim Horton's Gift Card.

Dallas is one nice guy.

So, if ever you're in Miniota, Manitoba, plan on gassing up at the Co-op Gas Bar and let Dallas show you how good people offer great service.

Why Companies Fail To Retain Valued Employees

Employees fall into one of three categories: valuable, satisfactory and expendable. The real question to be asked here is, “Can you honestly identify your category?”

Simply put, valued employees are valued because they are valuable. That that may seem a little, "Duh?" but the truth is that the vast majority of employees never really figure this out. They wonder why the guy in the next office or the co-worker they've been working alongside all of a sudden gets a job offer from another company and those same employees chalk it up to "luck." Those same employees fail to realize that they themselves fall into one of the two latter categories and feel helpless that they can’t seem to catch a break. Nor do they form any course of action that would move them up to the “valuable” category.

Many companies who employ valued employees never really figure it out either. They just assume that the valued employee feels valued and wouldn't really want to go anywhere else. That's short-sighted, head-in-the-sand, delusional thinking. This is the “What’s In It For Me” age. Even the Gen Y’s entering the workforce have a greater propensity for long-range planning, retirement benefits, investment strategies than Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. They are focused on the end of their work life before they even start. They are going to find a company who values their contribution (just like Mom and Dad did when they brought home their “Participant” ribbon), and are willing to accept that they view the work as something that supports their lifestyle – not the other way around. They have a healthy sense of work-life balance and those with that healthy sense often perform better – thus becoming valued employees.

Valued employees are called “valued” because they are valuable: they’re better at the job, make a bigger contribution, are engaged better, are solution-focused instead of problem-focused, are more efficient, achieve higher productivity and realize their worth to the organization. In essence, valued employees are valued because of their self-leadership abilities. What company wouldn’t want valued employees?

But companies, in this era of political-correctness, don’t want to seem to favor the valued employee for fear of resentment from the other employees. They feel they can’t play favorites for fear of causing dissension in the ranks. So they do nothing. One person’s effort ends up being celebrated as a team achievement. The rest of the team knows who did the work. The valuable employee feels cheated that they didn’t get the recognition they deserved. And guess what, dissension starts to form in the ranks. The employees, all of them, think management is out of touch with the organization.

Attitude Adjustment: As a manager, you need to publicly commend your valued employees – often. Celebrate their successes. It sets a standard to which you expect performance. Those not up to the challenge will likely just move on. That’s OK, they weren’t valued employees anyway. Others will figure out that they have the power to improve their own performance and will likely strategize a plan to do so – eventually becoming valued employees themselves.

Attitude Adjustment: As an employee, you have the power to determine your future. Right now, you’re being paid exactly what the organization thinks you’re worth. Want your pay to increase? Then become more valuable. It’s the valued employees who make the most money, get the better perks and get celebrated more often. That person could be you but then that choice is yours. Don’t tell me that you’re stuck in your job because you can’t catch a break. You’re there by your own doing. If you don’t change your attitude and become accountable for your results, well then you’ll end up getting what you’ve always gotten.

How To Move Into Management

Years ago, I sold copiers and faxes for a living. The company I worked for was a Canadian division of a worldwide copier company. Our sales training took place about every eighteen months and was facilitated by our US trainer. One two-day training session every eighteen months was far below the needs of the organization. The turnover rate of salespeople in this industry was high so training every year and a half was hugely inadequate. The Canadian brass recognized this and, over lunch one day, they (President and VP Sales) articulated that they would like to consider developing a trainer specifically for Canada.

I wanted a shot at that job and I said so.

"You have to sell more," was the response from the VP Sales. The President nodded in agreement.

"Let me ask you this," I chimed in. "Were you (meaning both the President and VP) the best salespeople this company has ever had?"

"Of course not," The President laughed.

"But you both got to be President and VP," I remarked. "You're doing a good job without being the best in sales."

Just because people have a great skill set on the job doesn't mean they're capable of leading others. And that's what managers do: they don't do the job they want done anymore, they coach and lead others to do it. Trainers train and salespeople sell. Your best salesperson is not necessarily your best trainer.

Wayne Gretzky could be considered the greatest hockey player that ever lived but as a coach, he is perhaps average - his record would indicate that.

How can you train people to be better managers?

People are bad at managing others when they are bad at managing themselves. They may be great at the job but lousy people - perhaps even a jerk to some. The best they will do is to impart their way of getting business done - and their own personalities are going to run through their training programs. Teaching people to be jerks is not necessarily good for business overall.

Your best salesman is not always your best sales manager. Your best accountant is not always your best VP Finance. Your best customer service rep may not be your best customer service manager. It's a completely different skill set to manage/train. The most important skill being - to be able to inspire others to be their very best. The person who fills a management or training position within an organization had better have "people" skills. You can't possess people skills if you yourself are not good "people."

If there's a staffer who is a high-performer but not a great human being that is being considered for management, you will need that manager to inspire and coach your team. Don't send him or her to a management course and expect that they can grasp basic "people" skills - that's just building skills on a lousy foundation. Fix the person. Make them a better person. Improve their willingness to accept that they themselves have things they need to work on. Make them want to be better people then give them the skills to be a manager. Invest first in a "personal" development course for them and then based on the outcome of that course, consider them for a promotion where handling your people is Job #1.

If they're not good at developing themselves, they'll never be any good at developing your people or inspiring your people to improve themselves. Remember, people don't quit their jobs - they quit their managers.

The self-improvement attitude is crucial for anyone who has aspirations of moving into management one day. People follow people who treat them with respect. Staff loathe jerks for managers. If the organization is ever going to improve, the people at the top (and those on their way there) need to lead by example.

We, the general public, want to do good business with good people.

What Is Leadership?

On a business networking site this morning, the following headline caught my eye and got me to thinking: What Is Leadership?

Having read the other answers, I couldn't help but notice that many believe that a leader must have a certain values traits: not necessarily personality traits. And while it may be nice for the leader to have many of these values traits, I believe that any good leader must have simply this: ownership of the philosophy that the purpose of a fruit tree is not necessarily to grow fruit but to grow another tree.

Let me explain. Leadership is not a top-down philosophy. It is a side-by-side philosophy. It is more about coaching others, bringing out ideas, encouraging others to take risks, to stretch themselves, to reach beyond their best, to help develop action plans for their people and to lead by example. Leaders are prepared to encourage people who are smarter than themselves, more capable than themselves and better at the job than the leader him or herself.

There is an attitude of trust and a resignation that the leader him or herself could be replaced by their own protégé. And that is fine with a true leader. After all, the leader's mandate is to leave the place better than he or she found it. The true leader is OK with one day being replaced by his or her own mentored student. The leader is not selfish and territorial nor is he or she power-hungry. The true leader is gracious and courteous. There are no hurt feelings regardless of what happens.

The true leader possesses grace, wisdom, a thirst for knowledge and gratitude. There is true selflessness in a real leader and a sense of peace that however things turn out, it is always for the best. That leader will always find another place to make better. And if the job came to an end, so be it. But the real purpose of a real leader is to ensure that if they themselves did depart an organization, that organization would move on to the next level and would be just fine without them.

Think about this: the real leader has true confidence - true confidence requires no proof.

This is the kind of person that we should each have the honor of following at least once in our lives. We would be so wise after an experience like that. Perhaps that person could be us. Business would change for the better.

Five Tips To Engaging Employees

Employee disengagement and unhappiness can result in lower productivity, which affects the financial side. However, lack of employee retention also can result, with its many costs for replacement: recruiting fees, overtime pay to those covering job duties, ramp-up time for replacements, as well as outplacement fees and continued benefits if termination occurs.

Here are five tips to ensure you get the best from your people:

1. Upon an employee first starting, make sure there is plenty of hands-on mentoring involved. This not only shortens the learning curve, but actually sets the attitude of the new employee positively. They feel that they belong. They feel valued from Day One. Those left to their own devices will feel as though their work doesn't matter right from the start. Their positive, gung-ho attitude will begin to decline immediately. Much work will have to be done later on to turn that perception around.
2. Make sure the employee understands that there is no job in the organization that is more important than another. The receptionist who answers the phone should be known as, "The Director Of First Impressions." Is that position any less important than management? Every job is necessary. Help your people change their attitudes about the importance of their work. Every job carries with it responsibilities for the success of the entire organization.
3. We all need to know how we're doing. Left unchecked, a problem performance behavior can turn attitudes of the other employees cancerous within the organization. Others see a behavior going un-addressed and assume that the behavior is acceptable. Supervisors are coaches. Coaches build on strengths and help turn problem areas of performance around. Like an airplane computer, supervisors must make small corrections to keep the organization moving straight ahead.
4. Balanced employees are more productive. So while attempts may be made to ensure each employee receives the proper professional training, personal training cannot be excluded. The work ethic and attitude of the employee gets better when the individual gets better. Better people offer better service, make better decisions, contribute better and overall, help better the organizations. Improve the individual within the organization and the organization must improve as a result.
5. The engaged employee can be your best spokesperson for attracting new talent to your organization. Marketing strategies, interviewing/hiring processes and recruiting firms can be beneficial, but the truth is that the attitude of an engaged employee will do more to solidify a potential employee's decision to join the organization than anything else you use. Also, the more engaged your people are, the less attrition and staff-turnover you will have (not to mention how you will reduce the number of sick-days). Engaged employees want to work and those looking for work want to go where the work is engaging.

Being engaged on the job is an attitude. The more engaged they are, the more productive they are. So how engaged are you in your work?

Customer Service Isn't Just A Department

It’s one of the first things a road-weary traveler searches out when he or she arrives in their hotel room: the Guest Services Directory. That little book, packed full of information, gives the traveler the rules of the hotel. And don’t kid yourself, hotels all have rules and it is best if you acquaint yourself with the rules before you go and make an embarrassment of yourself.

I arrived at the hotel, an international business-class chain of hotels. I had stayed at this hotel on several occasions and I expected that my stay would be much like the last experience – at least as satisfactory.

After checking-in, and making my way down the hall of old, lumpy and overstretched carpeting, I arrived at my room to find the phone ringing. It was the front desk calling to say that I had left my credit card there. (Not really how I remember it – the clerk simply forgot to give it back to me.) So I was asked to return to the front desk to pick it up. On my way to the desk, (again over the lumpy worn-out carpeting) I thought this would have been a great opportunity for the hotel to show some courtesy and professionalism by having the card sent up to my room instead of me fetching it since I was on the top floor and as far away from the elevators as possible. But that was not the case.

It was much later that evening when I decided to have a late supper – it happens sometimes – time-zone changes and all. I had scoured the Guest Services Directory to find that room service served until 10:00 pm. I phoned down at 9:10 pm. No answer. I was then connected with the front desk.

“No sir, they close at nine,” said the clerk.

“But your Directory says ten,” I relied.

“Oh, that’s a mistake then,” she brushed off.

After my trip around the city looking for a place to find something to eat at almost 9:30 at night, I found a Subway open which meant sandwich for supper.

The next morning, two guests were complaining in the elevator that the pool and hot tub were supposed to be open until eleven (according to the Directory) but actually closed at ten.

“Aren’t you Kevin Burns the speaker?” asked the clerk at the front desk.

“Yes, I am.”

“I attended one of your sessions a few years ago when I was with another company. So how was your stay?”

I related my stories of the room service hours in the directory as well as the complaint of the folks in the elevator. I also asked about the obviously worn carpets in the halls.

“Oh those are being replaced,” she offered, “As soon as we can find a crew to do the work.” (It’s a tough time finding people to do anything in Western Canada – short labour pool.)

“Perhaps you could put a little sign in each of the rooms telling your guests that carpets are about to be changed. If you don’t tell us you know about the problem, we are just to assume you either don’t know of just don’t care. And the directory needs to be reviewed. Apparently a few things have changed but the directory has not.”

And with that I checked out.

Two days later I received an email from the hotel Manager and an invitation to return for another night with the hotel’s compliments.

Attitude Adjustment:
Tell your clients what you’re doing. Let them know you care. Let them know you’re on top of things before they have to ask. Show them some courtesy. Make sure the information you give them is accurate. Make it as easy as possible for them to do business with you. They will. And when you change how you do business with them, tell them. And when you mess up, make it right – right away. Customer Service isn’t just a department – it’s an attitude!

"Tough Labor Market" As An Excuse

Clive Beddoe, former CEO of WestJet Airlines (a company I not only admire but frequent as often as I can) was asked a question in a television interview, "How is it possible that every single Westjet employee I meet has a smile on their face?"

Beddoe replied, "I learned long ago that you can't teach people how to have a personality. So we just hire people with great personalities and then train them to do the job."

With that being said, understand that Beddoe was asked the question before huge expansion of his airline and long before the western Canada labour pool became depleted. That answer, although it may still apply in other places, doesn't work anymore. Is Westjet's service as good as it once was? No it's not. I'm a customer. I've noticed the difference. Huge expansion and a tight labour market mean you're not always going to get the cream of the crop.

In many parts of North America, and particularly in Western Canada, we are dipping so far down into the gene pool to find warm bodies to fill positions in a tight labour market that people, who wouldn't have even gotten an interview a few years ago, are being hired on the spot. Now this has presented a challenge to employers and employees. Many new employees would not have been "first choice" employees a few years ago because many of them lack the basic social skills and internal motivation to take charge on the job.

Years ago we would have taken the employees with personality and trained them in sales, time management, goal-setting and other developmental courses. However, today, and this is VERY important, many of the new hires lack self-discipline, self-esteem and self-confidence. So attempting to train them in the old ways (time management, sales, goal setting, etc) is an absolute waste of a company's time and money. A person lacking in self-discipline will go right back to their old ways within seven days of a time-managment course: showing up late, missing deadlines, scrambling at the last minute. The same with sales, goals and even safety. These people require soft-skills training first and THEN the standard training after.

Personal development should be the order of the day for most organizations. Improve your people and the organization will improve. Improve the PEOPLE, not the people's ability to do the job. Do you get the difference? Help them learn and understand simple things like values, ethics, accountability and personal responsibility. Make them get that part first and then you can teach them the other stuff.

Get this point: it's a different labour market so stop thinking they can be trained the same way you would have trained baby-boomers. It doesn't work. So stop it. The only reason company executives are complaining about tight labour markets is because those same executives refuse to change their minds about how they train their people and then complain about the poor quality in the labour pool. Maybe it's easier to whine than to be accountable and act.

I had a manager once who had a desktop statue of a pig. Below it was the following inscription: Never try to teach a pig to sing - it's a waste of your time and it annoys the pig."

Get that message. People don't leave your organization because you don't offer enough time-management courses. They leave because they want to feel proud about their work. Pride comes from within. Motivation comes from within. Accountability comes from within. Responsibility comes from within. So stop appealing to your people externally and start changing them internally. You will be more likely to keep them for a longer period of time doing a better job.

The old ways don't work anymore. When any organization embraces this new reality, they're going to begin to kick the butts of their competitors. Mark my words.

And if you're an employee, it's up to you to do this for yourself or you'll find yourself drifting from job to job in the hopes that one day, the Job-Satisfaction Fairy will wave her magic wand and you'll start loving your job. Sorry Bucky, it doesn't work that way. The job gets better when you get better. Improve yourself and you increase your value ... and ultimately your paycheck.

Employee Tip #12 - You Are Not Entitled To Anything

The biggest barrier to happiness in life is a sense of entitlement. So long as you feel that you are entitled to something, the more you will tie your happiness to obtaining what you feel you are entitled to. If you don't have what you think you are owed, you will focus on that one thing and it will consume you.

Having now said that let me help illustrate that point. Pretend you've been with the company the longest of any of the other employees and your boss makes an announcement that the new kid, the twenty-four year old whiz kid in business school is being promoted and will now be your boss. If you feel, because of seniority, that you are entitled to that promotion, you will no longer cheerfully do your best on the job and in all likelihood, you will take every opportunity to make your new boss look foolish or at least develop a less-than-positive attitude about your new circumstances. The truth is, is that your new boss will have every right to fire you because you refuse to let go of your sense of entitlement.

In business, if a sales representative is fired for non-performance, that sales rep can assume that the next paycheck is the last paycheck. As much as that sales rep may have played a part in the current success of the company, once he or she has been fired, that's it. However, if that sales rep has a sense of entitlement to share in future profits of the business, well then the sales rep will never be able to move on. So long as he or she hangs onto their sense of entitlement, he or she will never move forward nor will he or she be attractive to other businesses.

Years ago I heard a great saying that addresses entitlement: the world owes you nothing - it was here first. But unfortunately, because of the way many parents today try to give their kids everything that they themselves never received, are they really preparing their kids to have a good work ethic? Think about it. If our kids come to know that the Bank of Mom and Dad is always open, will they ever really learn the concept of self-sufficiency? I think not.

All too often we are exposed to the concept of entitlement as it pertains to politicians. "I am entitled to my entitlements," were the historic words of one Canadian politician under investigation for lavishly spending at the taxpayers' expense. If our leaders can't understand that we are not entitled to anything, how in the world are the rest of us supposed to get it.

As an employee, you are not entitled to anything outside of your paycheck, basic necessities to do your job, a safe work environment, tools required to accomplish your tasks and maybe a bathroom.

• You are not entitled to be promoted - that's something you earn.
• You are not entitled to a pay raise - that is something you earn.
• You are not entitled to a benefits package - that is something the company does voluntarily.
• You are not entitled to paper clips, staplers, and notepads for home use - that is theft.
• You are not entitled to a company vehicle - unless that is a condition of your employment.
• You are not entitled to come and go as you please or to show up late - unless specifically set out in your terms of employment.
• You are not entitled to show up to work hung-over or possibly still drunk or high - that is simply irresponsible.
• You are not entitled to whine, moan and complain about your lousy job or your circumstances at work - that will not make the job any better.
• You are not entitled to attend personal development courses at the company's expense - that is entirely up to you. (However, many companies are finally clueing in that if they improve the employee, the company will and must improve. But the company is not required to do it.)
• You are not entitled to a full day's pay for a half-day's work - that too is theft.

However, with that being said, there are a few things that you are entitled to:

• You are entitled to give more than is asked.
• You are entitled to treat the company property with respect.
• You are entitled to treat your boss and co-workers with respect - even if they don't treat you with the same respect.
  
• You are entitled to show up early and stay late.
• You are entitled to be a positive influence on the rest of the staff and to make the job a better place to work.
• You are entitled to agree to take the job regardless of the working conditions.
• You are entitled to leave the job if you don't like it.
• You are entitled to improve yourself and, in turn, your personal value.
• You are entitled to give your full attention to the job since you agreed to take the job in the first place.
• You are entitled to ensure that those who are not pulling their weight are either reported or are spoken to.
• You are entitled to enjoy yourself while you do your work.
• You are entitled to receive your agreed-upon paycheck provided you've kept your agreement - to work.
• You are entitled to cheerfully accept that the job that you do was chosen by you.

Sorry, but as I look at it now, I realize that the headline is wrong. You ARE entitled to some things.

Boss Tip #17 - “Courtesy” Attitude Is A Time-Saver

John and I had an hour-long phone call yesterday. The phone call was in response to an email he had sent after receiving my article on The Three Most Important Things In Life.

It seems that as John’s organization grows, changes are made to process, policy and direction. But the need to review and update these changes in written reference manuals has begun to lag behind. He presented me with an opportunity to offer input on how to make the updating of the written reference materials a higher priority for all involved in the organization.

“Courtesy” Management is a concept that I believe, if adopted by organizations everywhere, would be not only a time-saver but would allow employees the freedom to complete their tasks without needing to interrupt others in the workplace. It would also make them more autonomous in their responsibilities giving each employee the feeling of greater control over their jobs. When employees have autonomy in their work, performance goes up and morale goes up with it.

Here’s what “Courtesy” Management is.

Courtesy, although primarily thought of as a personal trait, is an attitudinal skill which can and should be utilized in the workplace. Courtesy is an attitude. When changes are made to corporate or organizational policy, those changes should be reflected right away in any archive written materials. If an employee goes looking for the answer to a question or concern, that employee should be able to find the answer in the written materials and manuals. I mean, where else would you look for information on policy other than the policy manual.

Update from an attitude of courtesy. Otherwise, a decision may be made based on out-of-date information and time will need to be taken later on to correct the mistake. Courtesy says that an employee should not have to wander the halls hoping to find the right person to answer a question which should be written down somewhere – especially as it pertains to policy, process and direction of the organization. Picture how frustrating it would be to one employee wandering the halls for one piece of information because no one that it important enough to inform the employees. What kind of attitude do you think that instills?

If an employee is sent in search of an answer that has not been updated in the written reference materials, he or she must interrupt the work flow of possibly many employees until the answer is found. Each time, other employees must stop to answer questions. They are then pulled away from their own work flow and performance and productivity suffer. What kind of attitude do you think results when that happens?

Courtesy says that people have jobs to do. The courteous thing to do is to respect that everyone wants to perform their job without unnecessary interruption. Therefore, if a change is made to organizational policy, computer software, etc., then the courteous thing to do would be to make sure everyone has easy access to the new information.

Forcing your people to go in search of an answer when they should be accomplishing their responsibilities is not a courteous thing to do to employees. So don't give them attitude for not getting more work done. Had the answer been where it was supposed to be, they would have been back to work much sooner.

Similarly, if an employee shows up at work with a flu bug, they risk infecting several others with the same bug. Courtesy says to stay away from others if you yourself are sick. Showing up at work while deathly ill is simply selfish, regardless of how much work needs to be done.

(Just this morning I received a phone call from my dentist’s office. My appointment today had to be rescheduled because my dentist is sick. I’m glad he chose not to come in today and risk infecting me with his bug. That’s a courtesy attitude in action.)

When you train your people to think “courtesy,” then you ensure that courtesy will begin to permeate the interactions with clients, customers and other staff and departments. Your people, while being respectful of others time, duties and responsibilities, will come to expect the same courtesies that they themselves offer up. What you then generate is a respectful workplace – one where people actually begin work closer together.

Make it a policy for your people, if they are sick, to leave a new voice mail message telling people that they are off sick today. That way, clients don’t expect to have their phone calls returned immediately. Better yet, find someone who can take the calls personally for the sick person offering perhaps a solution to a caller’s inquiry instead of piling up the workload for the person off sick. Be courteous to your clients and customers as well as your people.

An attitude of courtesy is easy but not simple. Here’s the problem: courtesy can not be taught. It can only be modeled. It has to be modeled from the top down. You, as the boss, must ask yourself at every opportunity whether or not you are the model of courtesy in your actions. I’m not saying you have to start “wimping” out and walking on eggshells around your people. But I am saying that you can still be firm, forthright, respectful and courteous all at the same time.

You, as the boss, will instill the same courtesy in your staff that you yourself model. You can’t tell people how to be courteous. You have to show them. Your attitude has to show them. Think of how refreshing it would be to have a staff that wanted to be courteous and still productive. It can be done. You just have to have the attitude that you want it done.

Three Most Important Things in Life

I subscribe to a few business-based Bulletin Boards. This week, a question was asked of the readers.

"The 3 most important things in life....In Life we all encounter success, happiness, pleasure, despair, failure, suffering, frustration, the unlovingness of our own hearts and of those around us, and so on and at the end of it all we know some day we are going to die but we love struggling. The struggle of aspiration and achievements never comes to an end and throughout the journey we follow certain principles, morals and ethos. What, according to you, are the three most important things in life?"

Many responses from the readers included "happiness." If you have attended any of my keynote sessions, you already know I don't subscribe to happiness being the result of anything. Here is the answer I wrote:

"Although happiness seems to be prevalent in the other answers, I believe that happiness is NOT a result: it's a choice. No job, no spouse, no amount of money, no thing or person will ever deliver lasting happiness. (Momentary joy perhaps but not happiness). Therefore, happiness is not on my list.

1. Mission - something to wake up to every day and look forward to accomplishing. Some of us do it in our work. Others dream about one day having a mission. Having a mission for your life gives your life meaning and purpose.
2. Integrity/Values - knowing the difference between right and wrong and having something to stand for. As the saying goes, if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.
3. Appreciation/Thankfulness - from self and others. Being able to count one's blessings daily gives you a positive perspective. Feeling appreciated for your contributions makes one want to contribute even more.

Three things. Three very important things. All leading to success."

This morning, I received an email from the originator of the question thanking me for my answer (see Item #3) and choosing it as the best of all of the answers. Does the answer resonate with you too?

What Excellence Looks Like

About a year ago, I read an interesting article from sales-trainer Jeffery Gitomer, who said, "why wouldn't you be the best you can be in whatever you choose to do?"

A fine question indeed. Why wouldn't you be the best salesperson, the best manager, the best customer service rep, the best ... well you get the idea. Excellence is excellence in whatever you choose to do. I know I do my best to constantly improve what I do, what I say, how I communicate, what I write and ... again, you get the picture.

That's why I was so amazed at what showed up in my email Inbox today. My guitar-playing buddy, Jack, sent me a video of a guitar player who just oozes excellence. One guy, by himself, playing a Martin acoustic guitar. Have a look at the video and tell me that this guy isn't just plain excellent. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/85304

How can you be excellent in what you do?

Baa Baa Baa Baa

As I was reading over a few posts on a businesses networking site tonight, I read, with interest, a post concerning the use of the phrase "thinking outside of the box." Now, as much as I dislike even the notion of this phrase, I was reminded of an elementary school Christmas recital I attended this month.

At one point during the recital, a group of small children sang the song, "I Don't Want To Be A Sheep - Baa, Baa, Baa, Baa." I chuckle every time I hear that song. It is, unfortunately, a lesson to the corporate world. The trick is to never be a sheep. In the same way, the simplest way to think outside of the box is to never get in the box in the first place. Don't be a sheep.

Doing what others do is no different than being a sheep. Trying to fit in, adjusting behaviors, giving up your sense of self is no different than being a sheep. Albert Einstein said, "You cannot solve a problem with the same kind of thinking that created the problem." And therein lies the answer: don't get into the box.

Your willingness to be creative, to see problems as opportunities for growth, to be willing to handle whatever comes your way will free you from the "box." As you prepare yourself for a new launch for 2008, think about your willingness to step outside your self-imposed constraints and try something new. Stop being a sheep.

Employee Tip #11 - Don't Annoy Your Customers

I settled into my hotel room at about eleven o'clock at night. It had been a long day of travel: speaking in the morning in one city, flying to another city and then driving two more hours, the last hour of which was in the snow. Then, once I climbed the stairs with all of my luggage and arrived at my room, I had to cart all of my luggage back to the front desk so that I might make a request to change hotel rooms. They had assigned me a room overlooking the broken-down indoor swimming pool. I prefer a room with an outside view as I kind of enjoy the daylight in the morning and since there weren't a lot of guests in the hotel, there was no shortage of outside-facing rooms.

My presentation wasn't scheduled until the following afternoon so I made sure to place the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door as I knew I would have a little extra time to sleep in a bit the next morning. I brewed myself a cup of tea as a "late supper" since Room Service and the hotel restaurants had already closed for the night. I really didn't feel the least bit tempted to indulge in the three-dollar chocolate bars in the room (the same ones you'd pay a buck for at a store). I went over a little paperwork, watched a little TV and then drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, although I had been awake for a little while, a thunderous knock on the door bolted me me upright in bed at 9:45 am.

"Housekeeping," bellowed the voice.

"There's someone in here," I shot back with surprise.

"Are you checking out today?" questioned the voice.

"What time is check-out?" I asked.

"Eleven o'clock."

"And what time is it now?"

"About a quarter to ten," responded the voice.

"Is there a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door?" I questioned already knowing the answer.

"Yes."

"Then, if I have over an hour before check-out, and my sign's on the door, why are you disturbing me?" I asked dripping with sarcasm.

After a short pause, "I'll come back later," is all I heard through the door.

I simply shook my head, pulled out my Blackberry and began to record the events of what had just transpired. With about twenty minutes left until checkout, the phone in my room rang. As soon as I answered, the other party hung up. Who do you suppose could have been calling a hotel with all of the rooms empty except mine? I'm guessing it was my housekeeping staff who called to ensure I was roused out of my room.

As the last surviving customer of the hotel, I suppose I was in the way of the housekeeping staff going home early. But as a customer, I paid for my room, abided by the rules and l left my indication (the little sign) that I wished not to be disturbed - all of which were ignored.

Without customers, a hotel has no need for housekeeping staff do they? The same could be said of any business couldn't it? Without customers there really is no need for staff is there? So are you giving your customers the best experience possible or are you making it miserable for them to do business with you? Are you genuinely servicing your customers or annoying them? Is your customer in the way of you leaving early? Could you care less about their experience and do you care more about yourself?

The hotel I stayed in that night, had been in business for years. I am sure they have built a steady stream of repeat customers - the rest of the staff I encountered seemed normal in most every other way. Isn't it funny how years of hard work, dedication, attention to detail and genuine service by the rest of the staff could be undermined in one brief moment of selfishness by one staff member?

It's really not that hard to make the experience of doing business with your company positive for your customers. As an employee, remember that without a revenue stream (customers), there is really no need for useless expenses like - uh, oh I don't know ... employees!

The more happy customers you have, the more your company can reward employees. Customers are never an inconvenience. If ever you think they are, find a new line of work.

And if you give your customers some choices in how they choose to deal with you, then respect their choices. By respecting their choices, you have pretty much ensured that they will choose to business with you again.

Courtesy, respect and patience go a long way in turning an an ordinary customer into a happy customer. Happy customers spend a lot more money. Tick your customers off and they tell the world. Think before you act. Or maybe you were the one on the other side of my hotel room door. That would speak volumes.

Boss Tip #16 - Scout The Minors For Talent

I was a minor-hockey referee for fourteen years. I was also a professional hockey mascot for five years. And I played hockey up until I was fouteen years old. Roughly figuring, that puts me in hockey rinks for almost thirty years. I learned a thing or two about business in my years at the rink. It's a dream of every kid who straps on a pair of skates to play in the big league one day. Not so much for the glory of going to the "show" but mostly because of the paycheck that comes with it. When money is involved, it's business.

Without a doubt, on most game nights, there is at least one hockey scout (affiliated with a pro or semi-pro team) floating around the rink - at least if the home team is somewhat competitive. That scout, who works for a higher-calibre team is looking for young undeveloped players who may have enough talent to be able to play in the big leagues one day. It is the job of the scout to drive ridiculously long hours through awful weather and drink some of the world's worst coffee all in the hopes of finding that one player that the team can groom, train and mentally prepare to move up the ranks.

Every team that wants to be competitive has scouts of their own visiting rinks in small towns and big cities. It doesn't matter whether it's hockey, baseball, football, basketball or ping-pong. If there's a pro league somewhere, there are minor league scouts looking for players to fill out the pro rosters. Scouting is necessary in sports just to remain competitive. Those without a good scouting system usually dwindle near the bottom of the league standings.

However, if a team chose not to scout at all, then that team would end up filling out their rosters with the players that no one else wanted. Oh sure, some of those players might end up being good utility players, but the real talent was spotted months and sometimes years earlier by the scouts. Those future stars were likely offered contracts or at least incentives by other teams long before they joined their new team. The team that doesn't scout - in essence - gets the leftovers and the throw-aways.

So, with that being said, let me ask this: is that how you run your business? Are you doing nothing for recruiting and development so that when it comes time to fill a position you end up taking what the rest of the market has left behind? Do you think you can run a strong team of superstars by hiring that way?

The truth is that competition for talent is heating up in the corporate world. Companies are sponsoring programs at universities and colleges, are donating money to build infrastructure at the halls of learning all in an effort to making their presence known on-campus. They too, just like sports teams, are looking for the next superstar or highly-talented employee. They are sending their recruiters to find these people. They have a plan of recruitment and development and will hire these future stars with no particular job in mind - just so the competition won't snap them up first.

As a boss, it's not just with customers that you need to be sharp. You need to be forward thinking and be ahead of the game when it comes to finding players for your team. You can't just expect to put an ad in the paper and attract the best of the best. The best of the best have been courted, contracted and are likely not looking for something else. Therefore, you're not likely to find them.

Once these future stars have been secured by a company, they'll end up jumping from department to department within the company in the hopes that they will either find a department they like or they get a little experience in each department as they are groomed for leadership positions. These forward thinking companies are far ahead of the curve and are snapping up the best people which gives them a tremendous business edge in the marketplace.

Make no mistake, if you're not actively seeking new recruits all of the time and have a strategy in place to keep in touch with these future stars regularly, someone else is going to beat you to the punch. You had better be prepared to accept mediocre performance from your people if you choose to not actively seek out the high-performer. But then maybe you're already reminded of that - everytime your competitor gets another one up on you.

Oh, and just so you know, the real superstars of tomorrow don't read newspapers. They won't see your ad anyway. Stop wasting your money and your time.

Boss Tip #15 - Treat Your People Like ... Well ... People!

"Organizations work fine. It's people who screw 'em up." (Kevin Burns)

It is true though isn't it? Almost without exception, every single problem in every single business is created by a person. If you could just take the people out of your organization, you would eliminate almost every single problem that you, as a boss, are forced to deal with. Think of how much more you could get done if there weren't "people" problems to deal with. You could probably reduce your hours to part-time status and still get the job done if there weren't people to deal with.

Well good luck with that one. There ARE people to deal with. These are the same people you have either hired or at least had a hand in getting hired. These are your people. Without them, you wouldn't be needed. Thank your lucky stars for "people" problems. It's one of the things that keeps you, the boss, working.

So since you've hired people to help you do the job, perhaps you could cut them a little slack and treat them like, well, treat them like they are valued by you. How would you want to be treated if given the same job and responsibilities? C'mon, it's not that hard to figure out. You'd like to hear an occassional, "Good job," or "Thanks," or "What would we do without you?" It's pretty simple. We all want to know how we're doing so it becomes your job, as a boss, to make sure that your people are not only given the coaching they require, but even an occassiaonal bit of praise wouldn't hurt either.

I can guarantee that if you choose to praise your people on a regular basis, they will actually do more for you. How is that possible? When people take ownership of their work, they take pride in the workmanship. How can you get them to take ownership? Make a few heartfelt positive comments about their quality of work and watch the quality improve. People like to know that they are valued. The more you praise them, the more they are likely to perform for (not you) themselves. You get to take credit for a well-run and high-quality department.

All it takes is a little positive reinforcement once in a while. Treat your people like the valued people that they are. Your company's work wouldn't get done without them. And if you don't value their work, then one of two things is taking place: either they don't want to work for you or you hired the wrong people. Either way, they are not to blame - you are. You obviously don't know how to hire properly or can't coach worth a damn. Either way, the coach (boss) needs to be fired then.

Connect with your people on a personal level and they will begin to take their work and work ethic personally. When it gets personal, pride gets involved. When pride is involved, the quality of work has a much better chance of being top-notch.

Your people are both your most important asset as well as your greatest liability. Your job, as a boss, is being able to differentiate the two. If you can't differentiate the two, then your people aren't the problem. That just leaves you.

Podcasts Now Available

Well, here it is. The long-anticipated release of Kevin's podcasts - audio versions of his Blog entries.

You can download Kevin's podcasts as well as getting an update every time a new podcast becomes available. Here is the list of MP3 audio file podcasts available right now.

Boss Tips - Leadership Tips For Bosses (And Those Who Aspire To Be)

Boss Tip #1 - Get Out From Behind Your Desk

Boss Tip #2 - Be The Dumbest Guy in the Room

Boss Tip #3 - Never Be Missed

Boss Tip #4 - Monkey See Monkey Do

Boss Tip #5 - The Leadership Lunch-Menu Test

Boss Tip #6 - Keep Your Mouth Shut

Boss Tip #7 - Uncross Your Fingers

Boss Tip #8 - The Credit Score

Boss Tip #9 - Recognize Your Stars

Boss Tip #10 - Stop Training The Old Way

Boss Tip #11 - There's No Such Thing As Teambuilding

Boss Tip #12 - Pruning The Garden Without Chemicals

Boss Tip #13 - Switching Drivers

Employee Workplace Tips - Tips For Employees On How To Improve Attitude And Performance.

Tip #1 - What To Do If Your Job Sucks

Tip #2 - You Have Simple Responsibilities

Tip #3 - You Need To Own The Corporate Values

Tip #4 - Job Satisfaction Is Not The Company's Responsibility

Tip #5 - Steer Clear Of Cynical Co-workers

Tip #6 - Productivity is More Important Than Attitude

Tip #7 - How To Work For A Jerk-Boss

Employee Tip #10 - Why Companies Don't Want You To Improve

Is the answer not already obvious? If I were to ask you for one good reason why any company wouldn't want you to get better at sales, better at customer service, improve your communication skills, study leadership, become more productive or just be a nicer person, could you answer that question? Do you think you could come up with the right answer?

The truth is, any organization's responsibility for improving its people ends once those same people attain a level of "competence." Think about it. Once an organization has all of its people achieving the level of "competence," it needs to do nothing more to train their people - provided the job doesn't change, the duties don't change and the market doesn't change. If the job is the same, "competent" training will suffice.

But here's what you, as an employee, may have never thought of: that all employees can be summed up into one of three categories: competent, high-performer and under-achiever. Which one are you? Honestly! Tell the real truth to yourself about where you would fit on this scale. How do you think your paycheck would change if you were to move from merely competent to high-performer?

Any company's Human Resources mandate could be summed up in three rules: 1) Don't mess with what's working (competent employees). 2) Do whatever is necessary to keep the superstar (high-performer). 3) Get rid of the deadwood (under-achiever).

Rule #1 - Don't mess with what's working. If everyone on staff were competent, the company would have no need of training and development programs anymore. Everyone would have the tools necessary to complete the assigned tasks and everything would roll along quite smoothly. Think of an assembly line. Each person is required to do a single job that contributes to the final outcome of a product or service. If everyone is competent, the product or service produced is exactly the same every single time. The company would enjoy a higher corporate profit because all of its people are competent.

Rule #2 - Do whatever is necessary to keep the superstar. In order to keep a high-performer in a competent environment, there are going to have to be discrepancies in pay levels, perks, freedom and expectations. If a company has a whole team of nothing but superstars, I think for a boss that the experience would be like herding cats - an exercise in futility. In order to keep high-performers from looking for better remuneration elsewhere, a boss would need to give more (money, position, perks) to keep the people who achieve more. It will cost the company more to keep these high-performers but then the trade-off should come in the amount of work done. Therefore, the net profit to a company would be lessened initially but perhaps they might make that profit back in the results of their high-performers.

Rule #3 - Get rid of the deadwood. I don't think much more needs to be said here other than if there is someone not pulling their weight (competency) then they need to be let go. It's the key to keeping the company moving forward and not being held back by poor performers. Poor performers are a hardship on a company's net profits. Poor performance means poor profit potential.

So, have you figured out why companies don't want you to improve yet? The answer is simple. The company is more likely to make a better net profit because no one needs expensive training programs, staff retention is high and there are no staff members who require high-maintenance perks to keep them there. If, however, you become a high-performer, the company must pay you more, must give you perks like extra time off, a corner office, a little more freedom on hours and stay out of your way all in an effort to not have to search for someone to replace you and then to train them to pick up the work you used to do. Managers have to get better at managing and leading because if there are no mentors for high-performers, they'll go elsewhere looking for coaching at the next level. When you improve, it forces your boss to improve. Management training is expensive and not all mangers can move to the next level of management. Some just aren't any better than competent. You can't have a simply competent manager leading a group of high-performers. It would be embarrassing to the manager, not to mention the company.

You, as an employee, if you really want to wreak havoc in your company, all you have to do is improve: your job performance, your attitude towards the job, your attention to detail, your customer service skills as well as your personal demeanor. Improve those things and your company must respond to your increased value or risk losing you. It's an expensive venture to replace a high-performer. It's actually cheaper to try and keep them with bonuses and perks. That's what you get for raising your personal worth. It forces your boss to get better. it forces the company to get better. it forces the people you work with to get better because you have helped raise the bar to what is possible, not just competent.

So, are you up to the challenge?

Employee Training Ends At Competence

I got into a conversation recently (on a Human Resources Message Board) with a Management Consultant. His questions got me to thinking. He asked for a further clarification of my assertion that an employer's responsibility to improve its employees ends once they become competent at the job. The following is my clarification.

When an employer goes looking for a potential employee, they are looking for someone who can accomplish the job. They are not looking for someone to exceed expectations or they would have advertised that. They just want someone merely competent. And if they find that competent person, if the person doesn't improve over time and if the job doesn't change, they will be happy with their employee for years to come. If the employee can live with doing the same job every day getting the same paycheck every week and not testing his/her abilities, then they have a match. The company only requires someone competent. Nothing more.

However, over time we all know the employee will eventually begin to feel they are being taken advantage of. They haven't been given big raises (but the job hasn't changed either) and they become disgruntled. The company however, doesn't feel they need to pay more. The job hasn't changed, the responsibilities haven't changed and the employee is doing exactly the job that was originally advertised.

The company is only responsible for training the employee to do the job. That's it. If you take the job you agree to the expectations. If you are better than the job then don't take the job. Clearly you will not be happy. If you are under skilled for the job, then I'm not sure the company would hire you but if they did, their responsibility for "training" ends once you are able to do the job competently.

In order to better one's position in life, they have to become more valuable. It's not the company's job to make the individual better. Sure, the company can provide an environment where self-improvement is encouraged but ultimately it's not the company's responsibility to improve the individual beyond the expectations of being able to do the job. That's it.

However, as an employee, one can't use the excuse that they won't improve because the company won't pay for it. (Anyone who would dare say that in my shop would be fired immediately and I would gladly pay the legal bills to get rid of a cancer like that.) Sitting on the sofa watching TV reruns is no replacement for opening a book and becoming better at the job or better as a person.

We have to all accept accountability. We are what we are and where we are in our lives by our own doing. We have said "yes" all the way along. It's how we ended up where we are. Now, if we are being paid what we are perceived to be worth (and we are), wouldn't it make sense to self-improve, get better at the job or the next job up the ladder, raise our worth, raise our profile, raise our stock which, in turn, would raise our paychecks?

If you won't raise your personal worth, why should the company pay more? If the job hasn't changed and the individual hasn't changed then the paycheck shouldn't change.

One can't ever use the excuse "that's all the company pays" for not doing better. Look around. There are others in the company making more than you. The truth really is, "That's all the company pays ... you."

The company will do whatever is necessary to keep a high-performer (including money, status, position, perks, etc.). The company will do little to upset the apple cart of someone who is doing a competent job.

In a nutshell, here's a simplistic overview of how a company can run a clean ship (organization): 1) Don't mess with what's working (competent employees). 2) Do whatever is necessary to keep the superstar (high-performer). 3) Get rid of the deadwood (under-achiever).

It's imperative that the individual honestly figures out where they, as an individual, are on that scale. The company makes their choices based on #1 and #2. That's their choice. The individual now must figure out where they are on the scale and hope that it's not #3.

Employee Tip #9 – Working For An Under-Performing Boss

I received an email this week which asked for my opinion on high-performers. The email read, “It would be great to hear your ideas/tips for Bosses and Employees regarding working with “high performers”. I was specifically thinking about the high performance employee working with a boss that doesn’t fall into this category. However, getting some tips on the opposite would no doubt be helpful for many as well.”

If you’re a high-performing employee and work for an under-performing boss, I feel for you. It can be an exercise in futility to go to work each day and have the motivation to be your best sucked out of you and five and a half minutes into your workday. Just being around people who are clearly not as talented as you (especially your boss) can, over time, diminish your work ethic while at the same time increase your ego. This is where you need to be careful.

Clearly you are a star player. Your performance would indicate it. Perhaps your paycheck indicates it. Maybe even some of the perks that come with the job my indicate it. But if the person who is your boss can’t offer you anything in the way of coaching, mentoring or self-motivating, then you have a problem.

I suggest that you find a company that is willing to offer you what you need. If you are a star-performer, there is nothing I can say or do that will improve your work experience. You will need to get better and improve and coach yourself on your own. If your boss is an under-performer, then he or she is going to stand between you and your true potential.

However, with that being said, there is still the chance that even though your boss may be an under-performer, they may still be able to help pave the way for you to reach your potential. Perhaps they offer to send you to courses that can improve your performance. Perhaps they may give you a few perks like Friday afternoons off or performance bonuses. Just because the boss may not be able to do the job as well as you doesn’t mean they can’t help you develop yourself.

Years ago, I wanted to become a sales trainer within the company I worked for. I was told I had to sell more. In other words, the company wanted to ensure that the trainer was the best salesman. Now, I don’t subscribe to that point of view for this reason: not every coach of every sports team was the best player in their league. Some people are better players. Some are better coaches. (The greatest hockey player in the world, Wayne Gretzky, is having a tough time coaching a winning hockey team).

I was on OK player but I knew my strength was in coaching. I had to leave the company to prove it. I have had several conversations with the same company (social conversations) since then and they admit now that I was right.

As a high-performer, know this: you are going to become attractive to your competitors and other industries alike. Don’t follow just the money. Make sure you have a good sense of what you want to do with your life, what you want to accomplish and what you aspire to become. Once you have identified those key ingredients to your long-term picture, you will start to attract yourself to people and organizations that can help you get it.

Ensure that you don’t become the pack-mule for the company (the one everyone else dumps their stuff to because they know you’ll get it done). There is nothing more debilitating than feeling you are being punished for being a high-performer. You must have a clear set of principles and articulate them to your boss and your co-workers.

Don’t worry about being fired for being a little more demanding than others. If you are a high-performer, you’ll find another job in no time.

How do you get to be a high-performer and have companies falling all over themselves to hire you? You improve your value. The better you get and the more you work on you, the more you raise your personal value to a company and the more those same companies will come looking for you. You have to be disciplined in your pursuit of excellence within yourself. Make a plan each day to work a little bit more on you. Over time, you will rise above the rest and stand out. That’s when the opportunities come to you.

Are the companies knocking on your door? Could your paycheck be more than what it is? Do you currently have the freedom within the job you would like to have? No? Then that’s would be a pretty good indication that the market doesn’t think you are worth it. You can’t argue with your results. You are obviously not a high-performer. The market knows the truth. You need to change your perception. You can’t demand high-performer perks without being a high-performer. Do the work on you first – the rest will follow.

Boss Tip #14 – Leading/Managing High-Performers.

I received an email this week which asked for my opinion on high-performers. The email read, “It would be great to hear your ideas/tips for Bosses and Employees regarding working with “high performers”. I was specifically thinking about the high performance employee working with a boss that doesn’t fall into this category. However, getting some tips on the opposite would no doubt be helpful for many as well.”

High-performers indeed. The conversation on this one has two sides. So in this installment, I will explore high-performers from an “under performing” boss perspective. See Employee Tips #9 for the employee’s perspective.

In a nutshell, here is my opinion: a boss who under performs his or her own high-performer won’t be able to keep them, hire them or find another high-performer to replace the one who just left.

Now, let me expand my thoughts. There are a few myths out there about high-performers. The first is that high-performers don’t need to be managed and secondly, that high-performers don’t want to be managed. Both are true while at the same time, both are also myths.

Both statements are true when it comes to under performing bosses. High-performing employees don’t want to be lead by a boss who couldn’t do the same job on a good day. That would be just a joke.

High-performers want to follow someone they can look up to and aspire to be. If your employee can do the job better than you, step aside and let them run the place. No really, I’m serious about that one. If, as the leader/manager, you are impeding the development of your best people by trying to lead people who are clearly better than you at the job, then you’re just going to irritate them and they’ll go looking for a new and more challenging place to work. If, as a boss, you won’t develop yourself, what kind of message are you sending to those who are under you clearly outperforming your abilities?

Word gets around that if you’re a high-performer or even aspire to be one, then don’t join that company. The boss is clearly under qualified and working for him/her will be a frustrating experience and will impact your income potential. High-performers are attracted to the companies with outstanding leadership, recognition and remuneration. High-performing companies attract high-performers. High-performers need to be managed and mentored but they need it to come from someone who has achieved what they want to achieve.

High-performers, because they are just that, high-performers, want to continue to grow, to expand and to test their own limits. If, as a boss, you have no program in place that can help your best people get better, then they will go looking for a place to make that happen. They don’t want to be left alone. High-performers want to have a little elbow room and some freedoms but also want to learn how to turn up their own performance even more. If you can’t offer that then be honest and tell the high-performing candidate that they would be better off trying to find work for one of your high-performing competitors. Hey, don’t kid yourself. You won’t keep them for long. They’ll soon find out the truth and you’re out one high-performer who knows your company’s secrets and weaknesses. They’re going to make you pay one way or the other.

So, if you’re an under performing boss, don’t embarrass yourself by hiring someone who is clearly better than you unless you are an outstanding example of how to self-motivate, self-start and have some outstanding leadership skills you could pass on. It will soon become apparent to the rest of the staff who carries the weight of accomplishments and who gets the glory for the work getting done.

If you’re an under performing boss and want to develop a team of high-performers, well then you have a little work to do don’t you? That work is on you. When you as a boss get better, you will be able to attract a better caliber of employee who wants to perform, wants to reach the top of their earning potential and wants to test their outer limits. In other words, when you get better, your team gets better. Your results get better and your company gets better. So, better get to work.

Think Before You "Forward!"

How much of it do you get? I'm talking about emails that have been circulating the Internet for years promising that Bill Gates will send you thousands of dollars for forwarding an email message, don't open certain attachments because they will wipe out your hard drive and other stuff like that.

I get several of these every week and I'm tired of it. Tired enough to tell you to stop doing it - or at least check the facts before you send.

I got one today that is quite inspiring and credited to comedian George Carlin. His name is all over it and unfortunately he didn't write it. As a matter of fact he calls it "a sappy load of s**t." It turns out that the man who did write it is a disgraced church pastor accused of sexual assault on at least 14 people. How's that for something inspirational?

How do I know this? There is a great web site that is dedicated specifically to righting the misinformation out there on the web. The site is Snopes.com. What do they do? Snopes is the definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.

Just because it comes to your email Inbox doesn't make it true. You owe it to yourself to confirm and verify any information before you pass it on to others. Otherwise you are contributing to a society of misinformation, rumor, innuendo and opinion. Notice that the word "fact" wasn't in that last description. There is junk on the Internet. It's up to you to be responsible and ensure that you are not not contributing to the misinformation of the world.

All you need to do is check out your questionable email at Snopes, get the page link (with the correct information) and send it back to the originating sender AND also hit "reply all" just to make sure that everyone who received the original copy also gets a correction. Go to Snopes, enter the page title or some description in the Search bar and look through the mountains of misinformation. You'll find the truth.

Then you get to give people a little tap on the side of the head that says, "Think before you hit that Forward button."

So think.

The Four-Hour Work Week

I stepped out of the restaurant in Toronto with my friends Mark and Jerry. It had been almost twenty-five years since the three of us had shared a meal together in the same room. It felt good. Of course, we were all a little older, a little less-haired and a little wiser and we all required glasses to read the menu, but on the whole it was good to get together with the guys.

As we stood in front of the restaurant in the middle of the Bay Street district of Toronto at about 9:30 at night, I noticed a lot of suits coming out of office buildings still at that hour. A little voice inside of me felt sorry for these people who feel compelled to arrive early and work late in the pursuit of something more. I just wished I could have had extra copies of the book I was reading at the time to hand to the suits walking by at that ungodly hour.

Why would I want to do that? Sometimes I just run across a book that is so good I have to share it. "The Four Hour Work Week" by Timothy Ferriss is that book.

It's an incredible read. As a matter of fact, it has given me a whole new insight as to how we can all free ourselves from feeling trapped in the forty, fifty or sixty hour work week.

Here's a brief description:

Whether you are an overworked employee or an entrepreneur trapped in your own business, this book is the compass for a new and revolutionary world. Join Tim Ferriss as he teaches you:

• How to outsource your life to overseas virtual assistants for $5 per hour and do whatever you want
• How blue-chip escape artists travel the world without quitting their jobs
• How to eliminate 50% of your work in 48 hours using the principles of a forgotten Italian economist
• How to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and frequent "mini-retirements"
• What the crucial difference is between absolute and relative income
• How to train your boss to value performance over presence, or kill your job (or company) if it’s beyond repair
• What automated cash-flow “muses” are and how to create one in 2 to 4 weeks
• How to cultivate selective ignorance—and create time—with a low-information diet
• What the management secrets of Remote Control CEOs are
• How to get free housing worldwide and airfare at 50–80% off
• How to fill the void and create a meaningful life after removing work and the office

You can have it all—really.

I encourage anyone in any job at any stage of their life to read this book. It will help free your attitude around feeling as though you are imprisoned by your work. There's a big difference between being busy and being productive. this book helps to to distinguish the two and set you on the road to finding more freedom in your day. Face it, when you feel freedom in your work, there's a whole lot more reward in it.

Read this book. Really!!

A Walk In The Park

It was just over a year ago that I met Rob and his wife Barb. They were both such nice people. You could tell they had been in love for some time - 33 years as it turns out. Rob was sort of a genius. Now I don't say that to make fun of him but it was, in fact, true. He finished high school and entered university into the Chemical Engineering program at the age of seventeen. After his first year, and a 3.8 Grade Point Average, he left the program as it really didn't seem to be as challenging as he thought it might be.

Over the next few years, he met Barb, fell in love, married her and then had two boys with her. Rob agreed to be the one who stayed home and raised the boys and Barb would be the breadwinner. Every day he was in the boys' lives and the boys loved having their Dad around every day. Dad cooked "boy food" for suppers (steaks, pasta, chicken burgers, etc). When Mom was home on the weekend, the boys never seemed to be as willing to try Mom's Hungarian dishes.

Rob only ever worked outside the home part-time because his full-time gig was fatherhood. But he had a love of music and had mastered most every instrument ever placed in front of him: trumpet, flute, guitar, piano. He loved making music, recording music and especially just sitting around with other players and jamming.

A few months ago, since both of the boys had grown enough, both had moved out of the house and into places on their own. Rob's work as a daily influence in his boys' lives had come to an end. He had given them the tools to go out into the world and take it on with courage and determination. He had passed along all of his wisdom, values and love of life. The boys carried the tools like the beacon Rob was.

Rob and Barb stayed with us during the Thanksgiving weekend a few weeks ago. Yes the guitars came out and there was much to be thankful for - especially people like Rob in our lives.

Last Monday, Rob took a walk in the park. He loved nature and there seemed no better place that if he were to have his last day on Earth, that would be the place to have it. And so it was. A heart attack at the age of fifty-four ended his contribution on this Earth. I suppose it could be said that his work here was done and that is why he left so soon.

And so it was that Rob's friends and family would gather today at a funeral home chapel in Calgary, to remember his life, his contribution and to do it to the sounds of Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin and Supertramp - just the way Rob would have wanted it.

Rob made life seem like the walk in the park that it is. We will miss his contribution.

The New Referral Network: Are You In?

My friend Brian told me story a few months back. He had asked his early twenty-something receptionist to dig up a phone number for him. After ten or so minutes, the receptionist had not returned. Brian went to the front desk.

"Have you found me that number yet?" he asked patiently.

"The computer hasn't finished booting up yet," she replied.

"Computer?" Brian questioned. "Well, what about a phone book?"

"Oh. We have one of those?" she asked surprised. "I never use one. I just look it up on-line."

And there we have it. The new generation of office worker who doesn't use a phone book and has no idea where they are stored in the office. It's real. It's happening right now and I am slowly becoming one of the people who is doing it too.

There's a phone book in my office somewhere but I'm just not sure where. I am fast becoming one of the on-line directory searchers. There's more of us than you may think.

Years ago when I sold radio advertising, one of my biggest competitors was Yellow Pages advertising. I learned all about how to sell against Yellow Pages and had some successes. However, what I am witnessing now is a new kind of advertising that Yellow Pages wouldn't dare compete with. It's word-of-mouth referral advertising.

Recently, I needed to get some video editing done. I had been dragging my heels on this one and it wasn't "top of the heap" priority but I was getting some requests for video. I just hadn't found time to get an editor. Besides, once I did find someone suitable, then I would have to interview, do background checks on their work and just feel comfortable with whomever I hired to do the work for me.

Meghan in my office took the bull by the horns and asked, "How come it's taking so long to get video done?"

I tried to explain to her that it was a priority but not high enough up the list to get it done. She said, it sounds like it might be her responsibility anyway and took the project away from me.

This is where I learned the dynamics of the new breed of worker and their 6-degrees of separation referral network. Meghan showed me how it works.

Her MSN sits open on her desk, all of her friends and acquaintances are on-line at the same time. She enters a query on MSN: something like, "Anyone know anyone who edits video?"

It was twelve minutes later when she had secured a video editor, negotiated price, arranged a meeting, gave a basic overview of the project and marked this project as "handled." Twelve minutes from start to finish.

My way would have taken weeks, would have involved making several phone calls after searching out cool names in the Yellow Pages and then spent how many hours viewing DVD's or VHS copies of projects already done.

Oh, by the way. I'm very happy with the quality and how easy it was to work with Jason, the video editor.

If you think for a minute, you are going to be able to train your new workers in the old ways of doing things, then you're just not seeing it. Change your attitude, change your mind and change your results. The new breed of worker doesn't work like we do, doesn't act like we do, doesn't think like we do and doesn't do what we do. They have one thing we never had growing up: technology. And they use it well.

Change you attitude on how the new worker doesn't have the same values as you and maybe you'll learn something about getting things done at lightning speed.

Employee Tip #8 - You Owe Your Employer Your Attention

So I always thought that it was just a joke. But then it happened to me.

I was out on the four-lane highway driving to a speaking presentation at about 7:30 in the morning. I was following a red, late-model pick-up truck which was a safe distance in front of me. I was listening to the news on the radio when the truck in front of me suddenly veered ever closer to the ditch and then a quick left and it was back on the highway in the right hand lane.

Less than a minute later the wheels of the truck began to veer over the center line of the highway and then a quick jerk of the wheel and the truck soon had two wheels in the shoulder and two wheels in the right lane. Within a few seconds the truck was continuing its way in the right lane.

Less than a minute later, there it was again heading for the ditch again when another quick jerk of the wheel put the truck back on the highway.

"This guy must be drunk," I thought to myself. It's not unusual for police to issue DUI tickets early in the morning while people's blood-alcohol levels are still high from the night before. Actually, it's probably the best time to catch drivers who were too drunk the night before but now with a few hours sleep think the alcohol is all out of their system.

As I said that, the truck in front began to slow down. I immediately pulled out into the left lane and sped up a little to get by quickly and without incident. As I pulled up alongside the drunk guy in the red pickup, I noticed he wasn't drunk nor was he a he. He was a she putting on her makeup using one of those big makeup powder brushes across her forehead and upper cheeks. She was concentrating on her handiwork in the rear view mirror and didn't even notice me slipping by her in the left lane. Heck she couldn't even see the cars behind her because her head was in the way of seeing anything out the back, makeup brushes across her face in front and nary a care in the world of how she was driving that day.

Oh c'mon people. Really. Do we even have to talk about this one. I mean we are entertaining laws about banning the use of cell phones in the car but c'mon really, which one here is more likely to cause an accident?

Look. Here's the way I see it. When you turn on the lights in your house, your employer pays that bill. Your car in the driveway, the heat in the house, the groceries on the table, all of the things you have in front of you today were likely paid for by your employer.

Now I'm not saying that your employer owns you but I am saying that you owe it to your employer to give him or her your undivided attention - while you're at work and while you're on your way to work. Then there are the things you do at home like operating a lawnmower while wearing sandals, crawling up a shaky ladder, working on the roof without harnessing. You know, all of the dumb little accidents that happen at home that never would have happened had you used your head for a minute.

Your employer has chosen you to fulfill some duties at your workplace. They have specifically chosen you and have made a deal: you keep showing up and working and they'll keep paying you. It's a fair deal. But in many respects, your not showing up inconveniences your employer. Someone else has to fill in and productivity drops that day.

So, when you're on your way to work in the morning, try not to turn your vehicle into a bathroom. No makeup, no shaving, no loss of attention. The mirror in your car is for seeing other drivers, not how pretty your eyes are.

Your employer, through paychecks, has probably paid for the tank of gas and the vehicle that gas is in. They just want you to show up safe. Try not to do something dumb that would jeopardize the cozy little arrangement you two have. You know, the money-for-work thingy?

An Internet Attitude Adjustment

This one was floating around the Internet when it finally made its way to me. Thought you might enjoy a fresh perspective on Attitude!

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There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today?"

So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

"Hmm," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?"

So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.

"Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail."

So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.

"YEAH!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything. Be kinder than necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.