Speaking of Impact

Why do we separate these two things? There's a problem in today's corporate environment. We think we have to recruit people away from other companies and then "retain" them. But what if we thought of these things more similarly? If people are thinking about leaving so easily, than you've already lost them. You haven't delivered on what you said in the recruitment process. This lack of integrity ca...

There's this trait that every leader should have. You can name a million of them but what is it? I've heard plenty of leadership trainings. The best one's will focus one specific trait for practice that can level up your work. But there's only one that I believe should be applied generally. We live in a world of more. Yet, in this case, you can bet that if you treat people this way, you'll find su...

Balance is impossible - and undesirable. I left town thinking I'd get "refreshed" but realized I actually just got deeper into the important stuff. This is how time off should be. If you're only relieved when you're away from the office, you're missing something. This isn't the first time I've talked about how I don't shoot for work/life balance but it's the deepest dive. I like to think about wor...

People are quitting their jobs a lot these days. Should you try to avoid it or let people go? It depends…. There are some good reasons why someone might leave their job: relocation retirement family illness new opportunity I wouldn't consider any of these "quitting". They are reasons for change. No one would fault your company for them and so it doesn't hurt recruitment/retnetion. What does hurt t...

You can't do generous culture alone and that's why you have to close the loop. The great news is that you two thirds of the way there. It's important to understand how culture is "felt". It's key in this case because the exponential growth factor is accessed in this flywheel of giving. The third step in the process is what ignites your entire teams passion for a giving culture. It's where educate...

They say the first step is the hardest. The second ain't that easy either. But it's totally worth it and that's exactly what I'm talking about today. My "ACE" process has three steps and you can't get to three without the two. Last week, you learned about taking action to learn about your people. Now, we have to cover the strategy I told you to forget about 😉. Once you understand more about how p...

There is one thing that every culture builder should start with. It's 'bout that action. Simple as that. Generosity is something we're all built with. No need to strategize and over think. You learn best from doing and why not do what's natural? This episode is all about the 1st step in my "ACE" process to building a generous workplace culture. I'll share with you why its important and how to impl...

It's not imposter syndrome unless you've done it before. Yeah, I said that right. If you just aren't ready to do something, you're just a beginner. That's okay. Everyone starts at some point. If you have done it before and you think you can't, then it's imposter syndrome. Either way, I have some key thoughts today of how to handle your situation. The best don't try to avoid the challenges. They le...

People are quitting jobs like crazy these days. I support the people who are in "net-negative" situations - the ones that take away from their life despite giving some basic things like a paycheck. I also support those who don't feel aligned with the mission of the company. But what about everyone else? There are plenty of these and companies and leaders could do a better job of building the right...

Remote work is meh if your environment stinks. I support the work from home model if it's done well. Sadly, it's not always done well. Many companies are offering this as a perk these days - not sure how I feel about that. I'm cool with that benefit but it doesn't seem to be a priority if it's just an add on. Work from home should be foundational part of your culture if it exists. There has to be...

There's nothing more important than this one thing when stuff goes wrong. Poise is a skill. It can be trained. But can it be found? In other words, can you identify people who are poised without actually seeing them display it? In short: no. But there are certain things you can do to understand more about their demeanor. There are questions you can ask and clues to look for when evaluating and int...

Toxic cultures are habitual. There are a lot of internet complaints about toxic bosses. It's good that toxic culture are called out but it's not because of bad peope. Most of the "toxic" bosses are good people with toxic habits. These are the things that form over time as a result of repeated small issues. It's easy to get caught up in a culture when people just expect things to be that way. It le...

The best cultures are built by prioritizing routines. The first thing you think about when you start your workday should not be how you can pair down your to-do list. A lot of us show up for work stressed out by the sheer thought of having a lot of things to do. There's nothing wrong with having a lot to do (unless it's a result of laziness) but how you handle this is key. People say they want to...

There's a major trap that we can all avoid. It's something none of us do naturally. In fact, most of us operate with the complete opposite in mind, until we feel like our career becomes survival. Some people will tell you that you have to take care of yourself above all else and I disagree. I believe you have to take care of yourself along with others. If you only ever take care of yourself. You'r...

Generosity has some great emotions. And humans are emotional beings. The way you use yours can dictate the health of your work experience. No one wants to be overwhelmed by their emotions and it's also not good to suppress them completely. So how you do you handle them well on the job? You identify the good ones and lean in. I have some thoughts to share with you about how powerful certain emotion...

Confidence is great. Arrogance sucks. I've never found two things so different yet so miscast as each other so often. We can all agree that confidence is an important thing to have in business. It's what makes you believe that things can get and done and that you'll make a positive impact on the world. Arrogance is that thing that turns people off even to the most confident. In fact, in can take d...

Employee turnover sucks. But it doesn't have to…in fact, it doesn't even have to be a thing. I like to think of it as opportunities for all parties. When someone leaves: That person gets a chance to be in a different and better position. A new person gets a chance in the vacant role. The company gets a new perspective. I'm not saying there aren't some bad things but I am saying that it can be good...

There's nothing like family - good or bad. Families can have the best of time and the worst of times because they are groups of people who are highly invested in each other. We are a lot about our family. You also care a lot about your work - hopefully, not more than your family but still. It's a big part of life. So, how is this to be handled? A lot of sources these days will say it's toxic to re...

The money is nice but it won't give them want they want. I've worked closely with money for 15 years. It's hard to believe I studies broadcasting two decades ago. I hope it makes me a better podcaster but what about financial planner? Here me out… I can count on one hand the amount of people (out of thousands I worked with) who's final goal was a number in their bank account. 99.9% people had anot...

Turnover can be good. It can also be bad. You have to be careful how to initiate, prevent, and handle it. I find that the best companies do all of these well. There are a lot of things you can do to affect change in your organization so it's best to focus on individual situations. This episode is about when and where to push and pull. Ask yourself the question, "Who does this turnover benefit and...

Negotiations can be generous - for real. I'm not saying it's easy but they can be. The more there are the better. There are a lot of things in life and business that you'll have to negotiate. You know that pit in your stomach you feel when you have to negotiate, even argue, about something? It's a lousy feeling but it can be avoided with the right concentration. I think about 7 things every time I...

Yes, this episode is about "no". This is one of the first words we all learn. It serves so many different purposes when all you can do is indicate what you want and don't want. Things change as you mature, though. "No" begins to have more specific applications. It can indicate, interest, capability, desire, understanding, and many more things. It means a lot in work place culture. If you're trying...

Everyone can affect culture. I'm not saying that every can make culture or build it on their own. But everyone can make a difference. In fact, I encourage everyone to try to. The strongest cultures are led by all. Leadership or certain individuals can set a tone but the more than contribute the better. Sometimes, the best experiences come when someone who is not a leader in title displays some exc...

When you treat people well matters the most. I'm consistently surprised how companies only celebrate people when they're at their best. What kind of message does that send? "We only like you when you to something extraordinary." I don't think that's the idea you want you're people to get. You want them to feel more valuable. They should feel good about their work even if it's a rough day. They sho...

Work isn't always enjoyable but it can be better. I know a lot of workplaces can be a drag. You dread Monday morning and look forward to Friday afternoon like nothing else. It's not healthy. Work can and  should  enjoyable overall. I don't mean every moment but it has to be a net positive or else it will never last. Productivity will wane and fulfillment will never come. The best organizations mak...