What a year 2020 has been so far. And we're only just over half-way through it! How's your company culture holding up? 6 months and counting of a worldwide pandemic. Businesses shut. Opened. And closed again. Ongoing national and global protests demanding change in systemic inequities, leading to talk of significant changes in police practices and conduct, pay, and positional equity. And new laws protecting those who identify as LGBTQ in the workplace. Popular consumer brands renaming and rebranding long-standing…

Customer experience is everything.  First, some background: My husband is a bit of a car guy. And he’s often researching ‘my next car’. Inevitably this leads to the occasional “let’s just stop by the <whatever the brand> dealership and check one out.” A few weeks ago we stopped by a local dealership to test drive something he had an interested in. Our experience was horrible. First, we were ignored for about 20 minutes (even though we were all over one the…

Let's Close the Book on 20th Century Leadership. Leadership as you know it is about to change. Not because there's a new and better kind of leadership approach making its way to business schools. No, the kind of shift I'm talking about is bigger than that. It's based on the many systemic adjustments taking place around us. Politically, socially and environmentally. A few examples: The push and pull between geopolitical isolationism and globalization; polarized political strife domestically and abroad; Black…

In any business it’s easy to focus your attention on what you ultimately want for your company - engaged customers willing to pay for your product or service, company growth and success. If that’s the ultimate goal, then that’s where many leaders think most of their resources should be focused. And often, by default, that means your employees are considered a part of those resources just like money, technology, and infrastructure are. But are they really resources when they have…

  Good News! Happy Employees Are Productive Employees. This isn’t exactly rocket science. Or is it? Why else would the majority of today’s workforce be disengaged? The kicker is, it doesn’t cost that much money or take that much effort to facilitate happiness at work. Remember that the people who work for you are, in fact, people and that they have brains, emotions, lives, and free-will. And the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Keeping these things in mind…

  It’s great that employee engagement increased in the most recent Gallop Employee Engagement survey. And that those reported as actively disengaged dropped to only 13%. But that still leaves employees who are ‘not engaged’ making up over half of the workforce. Gallop defines the ‘not engaged’ category as “generally satisfied, but are not cognitively and emotionally connected to their work and workplace. They will usually show up to work and do the minimum required but will quickly leave the…

  Emotional Intelligence may not be high on your radar and, for some, can seem daunting. But at its core, it’s all about mindset and respect. Understanding yourself and how you think and behave towards others in a social environment - such as the workplace. And effectively managing initiatives, employees and the company in positive and respectful ways. If you are a CEO, your workplace culture is like one big mirror reflecting the collective Emotional Intelligence back to you.  A…

  Are your employees living through a toxic workplace? They won't for long. A paycheck alone isn’t enough to keep employees engaged and productive. These days employees expect respect, acceptance, and inclusion. And don’t expect employees to be overt in their complaints. Instead, those frustrations often head underground, bubbling to the surface in counter-productive ways and creating a 'toxic workplace'. As a leader, are you doing what you need to do to ensure a respectful company culture and retain your…

As a CEO of a business you probably don't think too much about your corporate culture, but you do lots of things to ensure your marketplace is aware of your products and services. You're focused on 'brand awareness’. You want your current and future customers to think of you (and not your competitors) when it comes time for them to buy. At this point, it’s all about what you’re selling. Your product is competitive (but so it theirs), your pricing…