When Sly & The Family Stone released the song “Everyday People”, which included the line “different strokes for different folks”, few people in the business community understood the word “diversity” as it applies to the workplace. That was 1969. But in today’s business world, diversity is recognized as an important and necessary component of an effective organization. Diversity is defined as “differing from one another; composed of distinct or unlike elements or qualities”. In business, it’s the coming together of people of different backgrounds, cultures, education, skills, and experience to create a broader, more effective organization. I once worked with a CEO who, in a previous job, was an award-winning, high- school choir director. At first glance, you might say… [Read More]
Off the Beaten Path
We had driven by the sign for years, actually decades. A small sign on the left side of US Hwy 84 about an hour north of Santa Fe. Just before the sign, on the right side of the road, is another sign that points to a lavender farm. There’s also a picturesque inn and a Georgia O’Keefe Museum. Those attractions on the right side of the road are enough to divert travelers’ attentions away from the sign on the left side. We had driven by it for years, actually decades – that small sign on the left side of US 84 that simply said, “Abiquiu”(ABBEY-cue). We had often said, “Someday we should drive up that way and see what’s there.”… [Read More]
Whoever Has the Gold…
I love to read the advice columns. “Ask Ann Landers” and “Dear Abby” first appeared in newspapers three months apart in October, 1955 and January, 1956 and immediately gained huge followings. Written by twin sisters Esther Pauline “Eppie” Friedman (“Ask Ann Landers”) and Pauline Esther Friedman (“Dear Abby”), the sisters – who were fierce rivals – dealt with every subject imaginable. After the author of “Dear Abby” died, the column was taken over by her daughter Jeannie Phillips and continues to appear in newspapers today. When I saw this one a couple of weeks ago, my first response was, “This has to be a joke”. And yet, when my clients tell me about the attitudes of some of their employees, I… [Read More]
Asleep at the Wheel
I’m curious. When you saw the title of this month’s e-Tip, what did you think of? For some, it may have been the musical ensemble of the same name. This award-winning band’s music, first introduced in the early ‘70s, has been described by some as country, by others as western swing, and still others as boogie-woogie. (How long’s it been since you heard that term?) If you’re a fan of any of those genres, your mind no doubt went immediately to this Austin-based group. On the other hand, you may have thought of the thousands of traffic accidents, injuries, and deaths caused by sleep deprivation, a growing national epidemic. According to 2017 figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association,… [Read More]
Words Matter
You’ve heard it, haven’t you? “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Really? How many of you have been stung by words hurled at you like stones or had your spirit crushed and beaten down with comments that feel like flogging sticks? It’s happened to all of us. Harsh words are painful and remembered, burned into our psyches like hot branding irons that leave ugly, long-lasting scars. On the other hand, do you also carry in your heart and mind words of encouragement, caring, appreciation, praise, assurance, love? Words spoken by others that have healed, built strength, imbued confidence? I hope so. And what about the words you say to yourself? The messages you… [Read More]
Let It Go!
In 2013, Disney released a movie entitled Frozen, and if you’re a parent or grandparent, especially of young girls, you’re no doubt familiar with the movie’s theme song, “Let It Go”. (In fact, you may have heard that song ad nauseam and found the idea of letting it go quite appealing!) Like it or not, this Academy Award winning song delivers a strong message and one that is applicable as we begin a new year. Perhaps you’ve made a “to-do” list for 2018, but what about a “not-to-do” list? What do you need to “let go” in your life and work? The #1 best-selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo praises the concept of letting go… [Read More]
A Physics Lesson
What??? A physics lesson! Probably the last thing you expect from me, right? I admit upfront that I never took physics. It wasn’t required, and that’s a blessing. I’m pretty sure physics would have thrown me to the ground, crushed me flat, and caused me to scream out, “Help! I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!” I never studied the subject but have heard of that Sir Isaac Newton fellow and am familiar with his First Law of Physics, the Law of Inertia, which – in layman’s terms – says, “An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion.” This morning I was dealing head-on with that “object-at-rest” part of Newton’s law. I didn’t… [Read More]
Response-Ability
We live in a blaming world. We want to point the finger and put the blame of others. We blame the Democrats, the Republicans, the economy, the weather, the traffic, the company, the boss, co-workers, the past, family – the list goes on and on, doesn’t it? We want to blame the circumstances and people in our lives for what we perceive to be the misfortunes that may have come our way. In the workplace, we want to blame messes, mistakes, misunderstandings, mishaps, miscalculations, and mismanagement on anyone and everyone – anyone, that is, but ourselves. If it’s your tendency to be a finger-pointer or a blamer, you also may have the tendency to take the role of a victim…. [Read More]
Bernard Who?
Bernard Sadow – that’s who! It’s a name you probably don’t recognize, and you probably couldn’t identify him if you saw his picture. He’s not well-known. He’s not famous, but perhaps he should be. He’s not an executive or an athlete, an actor or politician, a writer or professor, a doctor or a world leader. And although you’ve never heard of him, he has made life easier for millions of people around the world. Who is Bernard Sadow and what did he do that was so outstanding? As I sit at the gate of a large US airport, I see the results of Bernard Sadow’s brilliance. Bernard Sadow invented the rolling bag, that handy-dandy invention that keeps us rolling along…. [Read More]
Excuses, Excuses
In 1896, the American psychologist and philosopher William James said, “The greatest discovery of my generation is that you can change your life by changing your attitude.” James was one of the first great thinkers of his time to address the subject of attitude and the powerful influence that it has on us. He observed that only about ten percent of all people have enough courage to take the risks required to have the richest, fullest, and most successful life possible. The other 90 percent spend their time making up excuses for why their lives aren’t turning out very well. Our attitude is our disposition, our perspective – the way we see things. It is our response to a situation… [Read More]
