The Wait It’s called Gaudete Sunday, after the first Latin word spoken in the liturgy: Rejoice! Here’s a Christmas carol for the occasion. The translation of the chorus: Rejoice, rejoice! Christ is born Of the virgin Mary Rejoice! Quite a contrast from the lyrics of the most traditional Advent hymn: O come, O come Emmanuel To ransom captive Israel That …
Horn Sections Make Rock Better: Sledgehammer
When I was a kid, my mom tossed out, “Yuppies are just hippies who grew up and got jobs.” If she’s right, this would be their cynical anthem. It also features one of the most iconic videos of the 1980s (from the studio that later brought us Wallace & Gromit). Surely this is one of the greatest albums of the …
Emotional Intelligence primer
This is a lovely summary of Daniel Goleman’s seminal work on Emotional Intelligence. It starts with what and who, then moves into why, EI matters. Great quotes from the book are listed at the bottom. I’m posting it here because it’s good stuff … and also because it ties in directly to our current podcast series on “The Lost Tools …
Is “How are you?” a bad question?
CNBC published an article with a bit of clickbait: “Stop asking ‘how are you?’ Harvard researchers say this is what successful people do when making small talk.” Despite all the ads on the page, the article has some good points on how to converse with small talk. Here’s an overarching principle worth memorizing: If you can figure out a place …
SECOND SUNDAY: The Candle of Hope
Dark Is the Night An unkind social media post. Disrobing in a photo exchange. Arranging a meeting that results in addiction, or pregnancy. After 14 years of working with teens at my church, I have learned one thing: If they are going to have regrets, it will be because of something done online, after midnight. Any shock at their “online …
Horn Sections Make Rock Better: A New Series
I am slowly realizing this is my blog and I can do what I want. So I’m going to post rock songs that prove horn sections make rock better. Yes, I will define rock somewhat loosely.
How to Keep Employees
Some quotes over the years from my clients on their fight to keep employees. “If they can just pee in a cup, that’s all I ask.” “As soon as we train them, they leave.” “He just changed his mind once on the job.” “He probably wasn’t a good fit anyway.” (Years after the pee-in-the-cup statement:) “Frankly, I just don’t even …
FIRST SUNDAY: The Candle of Expectation
Plagued by Snakes My family moved just as the pandemic kicked off this year. Into a house with snakes. At first it was just a snakeskin in the attic. Then one in a crawlspace. As spring sprung, we repeatedly caught a 4-footer trying to sneak in the back door. Then we saw a baby slithering across the playroom in the …
Surviving the Stress of Retail Customers
Surviving the stress of retail customers even applies to soldiers. Glenn is a sales consultant for one of my clients. You immediately notice him because of his piercing blue eyes, hip-yet-effortless dress and calm demeanor. Spend enough time with him, and you’ll notice that he is a good listener, like all successful salespeople. In fact, a few years ago he …
“Change is hard, I should know”
“I want to make a career change and know I need to work on my mindset if I’m going to be successful.” “Our staff have to become truly responsive to customers.” “My marriage is in trouble if I don’t adjust how I run my company.” You get the idea. These are paraphrases of things clients have said to me over …