Leadership, Generations, and Customer Service ~ Appreciative Strategies ®
Blog
Creating Buy-In
So often we hear the words, “create buy-in” and we recognize that it means that we have to get everyone on the same page, the same sheet of music, or at the least, inspired to move towards a prescribed direction. From my experiences true buy-in is an elusive concept, a concept that everyone knows the
Small Failures
What costs more, failure or inaction? Too often risk is measured by the calculated cost of failure, a mind-set that inevitably causes people, employees, and businesses to freeze up, hold, or at the bare minimum hesitate. The objective shouldn’t be about measuring the cost of failure. The cost of failure is most likely small, that
Change Anything
Nearly everyone likes something a little bit extra. We like more fun, maybe a few more sweet treats, or even a little more time off from a busy schedule. Most people, who find something they like, want more. The secret to a little bit extra isn’t always more. Sometimes it is about the value we
Push or Shove
Easy feels safe, comfortable, and desirable, but most people who have it easy aren’t accomplishing much. It is easy to grab an ice cream cone, zip through a drive through restaurant, or simply hang out at a job that doesn’t challenge you. People who push for nothing typically stand for little, because that would be
Make a Promise
Marketing materials, a website, or resume, your brand is not what you say that it is, it is what other people feel that it is. Many believe their brand promise is a statement, or their reputation is their resume, they attempt to illustrate who they are through references, customer testimonials, or achievement awards. All of
Take Giant Leaps
Someone will ask, “How do I build more confidence?” Popular wisdom suggests that self-confidence consists of two factors, self-efficacy and self-esteem. Self-efficacy is the idea that you can produce or create a desired outcome. For example, you believe you have the tenacity to achieve a college degree. Self-esteem is your impression of yourself. Typically you
Start the Conversation
You know a product is good when you recommend it to others, especially when those others are coworkers, friends, or family. The assumption is not that they will tell everyone; the assumption is that they will like it, enjoy using it, or find it extremely helpful. Something strange happens though when someone likes it, talks
Greater Than Zero
Why did she get a raise? Why did he get promoted to department manager? People aren’t selected just because they are present, they are selected when they jump-up, jump-in, or jump-at the opportunity. Someone in a sales position thinks about asking for the deal, but the client may say no, so it’s better not to
Keep Things Easy
The first block laid on the foundation of the great pyramid and the count remaining probably didn’t matter all that much. It would have been much easier to count accomplishments. One block laid. When there were ten blocks remaining, they were likely no longer counting how many were laid, only what remained, because it was
Pivot, Trend, Start Over
Cut off denim shorts, telephone booths, and toaster ovens. We don’t see as many of these today as we once did. We could add many other things to this list such as, 8-track tapes, cassettes, big corrective eye glass lenses, vinyl records, fanny packs, typewriters, cameras with film, brief cases, and wooden clog shoes. Most
