Mike and Mark are back to discuss teams–this time, in comparison with tribes. Which do you need? And how do you identify if you have a tribe? Mentioned in the podcast: “Tribes” by Seth Godin. We would love your questions and comments for future episodes: Email Mike and Mark. Subscribe on Apple or Spotify.
What a black cemetery teaches us about self control
Plot twists ahead I read that this photo is one of a kind: the only surviving Civil War portrait of a black soldier with his family. As of 2010, it belongs in the Library of Congress archives. And, according to Rockcastle’s Mount Vernon Signal, the soldier has now been identified as Sergeant Samuel Smith, United States Colored Troops. The grave …
Are you growing or just changing?
Business trends How many trends have you participated in since you started your career? Here’s an example: In the olden days, companies strove for good customer service. When I was young, J.D. Power pushed statistically driven customer satisfaction efforts. Social media brought customer engagement to the fore … and now we talk about CX, customer experience. There were things to …
Sometimes you do NOT need a coach.
“We should have taken a long rest but, in those days, we couldn’t.” Sometimes you don’t need a coach. Sometimes growing is not the best option. Put another way: How many Everly Brothers hits would you sacrifice if you knew it meant the brothers could keep their sanity? They were often in conflict (mainly about politics, I gather). But boy, …
Podcast 62: Just-in-Time Feedback: why, what and when
Subscribe and listen on Spotify or Apple … or watch below. Just-in-Time Feedback has benefits for the employer and the employee. But how do you give feedback so frequently? Mike and Mark share what works. We mention the AID method, which you can learn more about in episode 16. We would love your questions and comments for future episodes: Email Mike …
Employees who THINK! (like Lincoln did: thanks to geometry)
“They just don’t THINK!” Almost every manager and business owner I’ve served has, at some point, complained that employees are just not thinking clearly. They are going through the motions. Or acting emotionally. Or making bad assumptions. Or just not considering consequences. If there is one U.S. president who kept himself free of such problems, it has to be Abraham …
Podcast 59: Three things you need for your coaching to succeed: Trustworthiness
Subscribe and listen on Spotify or Apple … or watch below. There are many coaching methods out there … but what do you need for any of those methods to work? The first of three things: trustworthiness. Tune in to learn the elements of trust–and, more importantly, how to demonstrate them. Questions or ideas for the podcast? Email Mike and Mark.
You must adapt! Where should you focus?
I majored in public relations. Many of that discipline’s skills transfer to my current work coaching and consulting. For instance, the humble SWOT analysis: brainstorming an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. In our age, often the external part of that analysis (Opportunities and Threats) has revealed what we are all up against: globalization, rapidly changing markets, industry disruptions, etc. …
Podcast 57: Plato’s 8 Universal Leadership Qualities (Part 8: Don’t be a bastard.)
Subscribe and listen on Spotify or Apple … or watch below. Mike and Mark wrap up their series on Plato’s universal leadership qualities with number 8: Don’t be a bastard. It’s perhaps the foundation of the entire list. Questions or ideas for the podcast? Email Mike and Mark.
I love cigarette smoke
I love cigarette smoke. It’s only certain brands, and I couldn’t tell you which ones. Sometimes it’s even just the stale smell hanging in the air of a place frequented by smokers. I know smoking damages you, and I certainly encourage you to give up the habit. But when I smell the smoke, a precious thing happens: I hear a …