What can a magician teach you about business? A Lot, it turns out. To quote the author: It’s pretty hard to be a leader if no one is following. If you want to move mountains you need to be able to move people…Most people try to motivate others by begging, bribing, and reasoning them to
Book Review: Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work
I wish I could have read “Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work…and What Does” by Susan Fowler at the start of my career. It would have been helpful to not only learn the concepts but also to be coached in their practice. I have gleaned some of this information from mentors and coaches, such as: “money is only a de-motivator”. and “when you
Speed versus Quality
Bob came to see me. “When the examiners come just say Plan, Do, Check, Act.” “Um, What?” “Oh and Alignment and Implementation. That’s key.” I rolled my eyes only after he left my office. The Baldridge examiners were coming and I had a script to follow, apparently. Thanks Cavegirl for the book recommendation Why Business
Workarounds
Not too long ago I put this one word sign on my desk: Workaround? The meaning being that I should constantly ask myself “Is this a workaround?” If yes, fix the root cause. Perhaps I am working around a person I don’t trust? That has to be addressed too. Workarounds arise when you have to
TouchPoints: “How Can I Help?”
This is a book about interruptions. No, not how to limit them, avoid them, or schedule them. It suggests that we should embrace them – because this is where the real business of business occurs. The most powerful question you can ask when interrupted is “How can I help?” I would also suggest that an interruption