Helping CEOs, Managers & HR Professionals  858.451.3601

Sometimes we’ve just got to do the things we don’t want to do. There is a reason they call it work.

On August 9th, 2010, Steven Slater, a Jet Blue flight attendant, became famous when he swore at a nasty passenger over the intercom, grabbed two cold beers and then deployed the emergency escape slide to make his exit from the airplane. Many people have proudly voiced that they look up to him: in their eyes he has become a working class hero.

I personally feel Slater should be fired and forever banned by the FAA from flying. Each year I log over 100,000 miles. I know passengers can be rude and obnoxious jerks. I have been greeted and served by hundreds of flight attendants who specialize in the art of giving great service, despite having to deal with unruly passengers. And, I have witnessed the few flight attendants who are the equivalent of customer repellant. They take a passenger who is a jerk and make the situation worse, not only for the jerk, but for everyone who is around the jerk.

Continue reading “Steven Slater is Heralded as Today’s Working Class Hero (Unfortunately)” »

Understand that no matter how carefully you plan, periodically you will have to deal with conflict. Whether it be conflict between employees, with a vendor, or with a customer, conflict has a way of uniquely appearing, demanding that we acknowledge and deal with the challenge.

Just as you would not ignore poorly-produced products or inferior job performance, you can’t afford to ignore conflict. While it is unrealistic to think that you can create a conflict-free environment, you can learn more about how to resolve issues so that conflict doesn’t overwhelm you and impact your company’s productivity. With practice, you will become confident in your ability to resolve conflicts that typically arise in the day-to-day operations of an organization.

Continue reading “Conflict Resolution” »

This blog entry has been adapted from the July issue of The Quest for Workplace Excellence (sign up here)

“He who knows others is learned; He who knows himself is wise.”

- Lao-tzu, Tao te Ching

If you ask an artist what the most difficult subject to paint is, while retaining true likeness, you are likely to get the answer, “Myself.” This is because the most distorted lens we use is the one we view ourselves through. When artists paint themselves, they are likely to look at their features with varying degrees of self-deception. Sometimes the view is more favorable, sometimes it is less favorable.

Artists’ misperceptions or preconceived ideas of themselves can become the ingredients of a masterpiece. Leaders’ misperceptions of themselves can become the ingredients of a nightmare. While this challenge is all too familiar to artists, it is even more imperative that leaders understand their true likeness, and more importantly, how they come across.

Continue reading “Leadership and Self Perceptions: Who Do They Think You Are?” »

Assess your leadership skills on the following 10 statements using a 5-point scale.

1 = Not like you……………………………5 = Very much like you

1. I have a clear overall vision, or concept of my department’s purpose, function, and responsibility (its contribution, mission, values, focus).

2. I spot the critical issues and upcoming problems my department will need to deal with.

3. I have the facilitation skills necessary to effectively lead a group to consensus.

4. I teach and coach people skillfully to help them handle specific challenges and problems.

5. I keep up-to-date on what’s going on with my department.

6. I keep an open mind when hearing others’ opinions.

7. I show genuine concern for employees as individuals.

8. I maintain good systems that help people work productively.

9. I set a good example with my work habits.

10. I foster a sense of teamwork and build enthusiasm for group projects and assignments.

Continue reading “Test your Leadership Skills” »