Traditions abound right now as one year segues into the next, and those traditions serve to bring us together in a number of different ways. I had started one such tradition just last year with the Ho‘ohana Community of Talking Story, calling it Hō‘ike‘ike. ‘Ike is the Hawaiian word for knowledge, and traditionally, the word Hō‘ike‘ike has been used in Hawai‘i to describe a display of wonderful things one can learn about, such as in a museum or art show. It seemed to be the perfect word to capture the spirit of... More »
Lifehack for the day: Make your customer service experience vastly better for only the cost of your attention. Here’s an example. In meeting the demands of my coaching business, I fly inter-island frequently between four of Hawaii’s larger and most populated islands. I’ve racked up enough miles to normally access the up front aisle seat selections with my online bookings, and my road warrior habits are pretty fine-tuned at this point; I’m primed to dig into some mobile work I’ve packed to go within mere seconds of settling into my chair and... More »
For the past three days we at Say Leadership Coaching have been on a retreat. ‘Retreat’ is what most businesses traditionally call it, but I don’t care for the word with its’ backpedaling imagery and cowering connotations. I much prefer our Hawaiian one, Ho‘olālā, meaning to ‘make plans.’ To make plans is to prepare for moving forward in the best possible way. December is our time for Ho‘olālā for the pure seasonal rightness of it. With the New Year arriving in mere weeks, those inevitable resolutions take shape so much more naturally... More »
Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun. —Colleen C. Barrett Those of us who have been charged with hiring others, have very likely been taught to “look for someone with a great attitude; you can train them in all the skills they’ll need.” Good advice, but just the beginning. Here’s something to consider; attitude is a result of something. If a prospective candidate comes to you with a great attitude, ready to take on the world (and your version of it) they’ve come from a... More »
Happy Thanksgiving! In many homes across the globe people are giving thanks, and talking about those people, places and things they appreciate and are most grateful for. It’s a wonderful Thanksgiving Day practice, one that would transform us all into kinder, gentler, and more appreciative human beings if only we did it more often. Seven days ago, I asked you to “choose values” to help you “get everything else you need to be successful.” In honor of the day, I’d like to share the thanks I give, for the Hawaiian yet universal... More »
I’ve been noticing some very nostalgic longing in the “Most Wanted” lists of several managers. When it comes to discussions about what could be, they talk about wanting an increased sense of responsibility, better reliability and dependability, honesty and integrity, humility and a hunger to do whatever it takes to learn, grow, and improve. What they are longing for, are those good, “old fashioned” values in the innate character of their staff. They want these things with good reason. If I had to choose just one from that signs-on-the-wall framed triad of... More »
I have long considered management to be a calling. In my view, to call management a job, position, or title is completely missing the mark. I believe that the truly great managers of the world have answered their calling to bring the very best out in people, maximizing their potential. They count their successes in counting the people who thrive working with them —not for them, but with them in the pursuit of a common cause. Management is situational and complex; it is mentoring opportunity which happens individual by individual. If I... More »
631 Shares Last Thursday, I wrote a column here called “Why Work?” I was hoping that we could break away from thinking about the income we tend to quickly associate with jobs and working for a living, and think about some other motivators, and some other satisfiers. Yes, income is a necessity of life, and I do not deny it is a strong motivator, but once you get enough to satisfy your basic needs and a bit more, you quickly discover that cash isn’t everything. Not by a long shot. It is just the... More »
314 Shares Imagine something with me for a moment. You are unbelievably wealthy and debt-free. You don’t have to work for the income it brings you, but still, you do work. Because you aren’t concerned with the amount of your paycheck, you are able to choose the work you want to do for the pure joy and pleasure of it. What would you choose? What would you do? Do you have an answer in mind? For some of you, your answer will be remarkably different from the job you have right now; your work... More »
Last week Thursday, I challenged you to consider how you can best take advantage of our “New World” of learning opportunities. The possibilities waiting for you are extraordinary. I asked you to reflect back on when you feel you have learned best, so you can rally together those lessons-learned about when you have been a great student. Think of that self-knowledge as a collection of the great learning behaviors you can turn into great habits; you do them without thinking about them anymore. Arming yourself with those great habits, you can continue... More »
When I think back over a lifetime of learning, I realize that there were certain times I was a great student, and others in which I was just going through the motions, reaping relatively little from the effort. My schooling was a period of time when I learned pretty intensively because that was simply the overall expectation, and without work or age as conflicting contenders for my attentions, learning in school was about all I did. Then, I remember learning in such a rapid-fire, open minded and near-gullible way in the early... More »
It used to be that the phrase “milking it” carried a pretty negative connotation with it for me, for as kids we only used it about people we thought were taking advantage of some situation without earning the right to do so. People who were “milking it” were the human equivalent of leeches. However I’ve recently found that the phrase is very useful when I turn it around to be about me and not someone else. Milk is good. Milk is healthy. And “milking it” has turned into a great personal practice,... More »
The crazy prices we’ve had to pay for gasoline in Hawaii have revived a debate I have with my husband every so often: How much are we willing to pay for convenience, and how much do we value our time? My husband is one of those people who will drive all the way down the coast line, about 30 miles from our home, just to save a few nickels at the gas pump. Sometimes he’ll take that same drive to trade in cents-off coupons for stuff that’s on sale, feeling he’s finally... More »
28 Shares ‘Humility’ is a widely understood word. It’s not one of those words people will pause to look up the meaning for. Generally, people love the thought of humility. It’s one of those ‘good’ values we strive for; one we admire. Yes, most people feel they know what it means to be humble. Demonstrating it however, is a whole other matter. For instance, a person distracted by their Blackberry or cell phone, unable to focus on the conversation you are having with them face to face, is so filled with self-importance, they cannot... More »
Rules are the kind of thing you love when you want them, and hate when you don’t. More often than not, my advice to managers is to avoid the urge to set them. The only exception I can think of on the pro side of writing rules are The Real Rules of Engagement because they save so much squabbling and disrespect within work teams, helping them get to the business at hand quickly and efficiently. Normally however, this is the flowchart that comes with setting rules in the work environment of today:... More »
