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Maybe it’s because I’m the dad of a High School athlete, but I find this time of year exciting. Coaches are getting teams to end of summer practices, camps, and workouts all geared to help athletes start off the fall athletic season at the top of their game. Coaches know that the best teams aren’t…

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… It can seem that way when you hire a new employee. Many employers have hired someone who was fine in the interview, not realizing the gem she is until after she starts. It’s great when we’re pleasantly surprised. Many employers have also hired…

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), 88,778 charges were filed in 2014.  31,863 of those alleged illegal harassment in the Private Sector; 15, 226 were within the Federal Government.  Add in other Public Sector employees (state and local governments, school boards, universities…), retaliation claims, and some other charges and you get to the…

This week all kind of people are talking about our Founding Fathers; what they said, what they meant, what they codified, what they didn’t.  Americans of every age, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, political party, and any combo or mix thereof, will all join one another watching civic demonstrations of patriotism.  We’ll eat, parade, watch…

That’s what Philip Crosby called the traditional forms of Quality Improvement in his day.  As a best-selling author and Quality Guru, Phil approached quality from a whole different perspective from “Acceptable Quality Levels,” and an attitude of “That’s Close Enough.”  He spoke of “Zero Defects” and an attitude of “Do It Right the First Time.” …

School’s out, the weather’s great, the mountains beckon, and employees want time off.  For many employees, time off is one of the most important benefits an employer can offer.  Companies that provide attractive time off benefits have a distinct advantage in recruiting and retaining today’s workforce.  Following are 5 things to look at right now…

Culture is like an organization’s identity; it’s who they are.  On an individual basis, knowing your identity; knowing who you are will determine your destiny.  The same is true for organizations.  If you think about it, your organizational culture is as much a part of your brand as your logo.  You have to protect the…

You’ve heard it said that, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”  I guess that means that the one being copied should feel flattered about having their original ideas copied.  But what does it suggest about the flatterer?  When it comes to your organization’s culture, imitation can make you sincerely wrong. Employers love a good best…

I love chocolate.  Really love chocolate.  I can do without other sweets, but there’s just something about chocolate that screams to me.  Layla would eat chocolate if I let her.  All of it.  But I let her have zero because Layla is my yellow lab.  What works for me is toxic to her.  Some organizations…

Ask anyone around you to name their favorite Opera star.  Other than the occasional Opera fan, few can.  Ask anyone around you to name their top five favorite Rock stars, and many will have difficulty limiting their answer to only five names.  Why is that?  Opera stars have perfect, well trained voices.  They should be…