If you treat somebody like a child, they may act like a child. That’s why my podcast cohost Mike Marshall says good managers drop the attitude of “I’m just running a daycare. I’m a glorified babysitter.” (Read more about it in his book “Coaching Amplified!“) But it is easy to see why a manager might be frustrated to the level …
Horn Sections Make Rock Better: Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
This is in honor of Ed, a manager at one of my clients. We had a long talk last week about how the ’90s changed music for the better. You can look up plenty of articles singing the praises of 1991: Metal had its swan songs in Guns N’ Roses’s Use Your Illusion and Metallica’s Black album. Alternative went from …
How close is your customer experience to this bookstore?
This is a quick, charming and moving read. It is the true story of a couple who opened a bookstore in the middle of the pandemic. Small businesses didn’t fare well during lockdowns. This one is thriving. I believe that words–the building blocks of books–are special. I had better, since the God I worship used words to speak the universe …
Podcast 108: The eight things that hinder your coaching
Mike and Mark talk through how to handle eight common things recent research revealed as roadblocks to coaching in an organization. No. 2 on the list is an excellent example of why we are so excited for our coming series on how to have difficult conversations. Listen in for a preview of this universal issue. We would love your questions …
The end of dealerships? Don’t miss the real action item
Service guru Chris Collins has been right about an awful lot of things in automotive retail. See his animated “Pet the dog,” even if you are not in automotive, for some of his genius. His latest video making the rounds has a provocative title. Time will tell if he is right … but watch the video. He and his cohost …
Horn Sections Make Rock Better: The Floral Dance
A few months ago, I realized I was running out of rock songs with horn sections. I sent out a call on social media: Send me your horn section picks. A British cousin sent me this song that is, shall we say, rock-adjacent. Being an American, I was not familiar with the BBC broadcaster Wogan–unless you count a bizarre homage …
The minutes you have to change the world
I recently lost a friend due to tragic circumstances. My friend had a huge orbit of impact, and those in the orbit are feeling the loss deeply. One of them posted this: People could ask about the business name in the comments, yeah, sure. But can you imagine how good those employees felt that night? Can you imagine the value …
107: Nintendo’s tips for customer loyalty: A clean, well-lighted metaverse
Who wants to take out a home loan and spend your leisure hours paying it off? Apparently quite a few Nintendo customers. … Mike and Mark explore the magic of Animal Crossing–and five tips it gives for keeping customers loyal and employees engaged. We would love your questions and comments for future episodes: Email Mike and Mark. Listen here … …
Even Deming thought it was about empathy
“Toyota had problems when the white man took over.” I live near the Toyota plant in Georgetown, Ky.–the company’s largest plant in the world. Lots of folks work there, including folks hours away in Eastern Kentucky. They are in many ways about as un-Japanese as you can get. But these predominately white, Appalachian, rural workers are dead serious about TPS, …
Horn Sections Make Rock Better: Hugo the Human Cannonball
More cheating this week, but I love Ray Stevens. It’s pop novelty, not rock. But he’s clever. This song is clever, dark and somehow sweet. Don’t ask me to explain the MS Paint-esque video. I think he deserves better. Now for the mystery: This is the official recording on the official Ray Stevens YouTube page. But it is NOT the …