Want engaged employees? You need “Growth.”

The Gallup Q12, as it’s commonly called, is a set of 12 questions designed to measure employee engagement. Not satisfaction. Engagement. Why is that distinction important? Because satisfaction is surface-level—think free snacks in the breakroom—but engagement digs deeper. It’s about your team’s emotional connection to their work and their belief in the purpose of what they’re doing. These questions came …

Want engaged employees? You need to meet “Basic Human Needs.”

The Gallup Q12, as it’s commonly called, is a set of 12 questions designed to measure employee engagement. Not satisfaction. Engagement. Why is that distinction important? Because satisfaction is surface-level—think free snacks in the breakroom—but engagement digs deeper. It’s about your team’s emotional connection to their work and their belief in the purpose of what they’re doing. These questions came …

Transitioning from Go-To Person to Empowering Leader!

Your boss was incredibly successful because he or she had you! What happens after you get promoted and the team you are now leading no longer has a “you?” Recreating yourself as a leader means shifting focus from personal achievement to team empowerment. Your new role is about creating opportunities for others to shine, building trust and independence. Interested in …

Dignity and Excellence: The West’s culture code

Do you strive for Excellence? Do you honor Dignity? If you don’t have both, you’re missing out on what made the West so successful. Enjoy some ideas from Mark’s upcoming book, “The Lost Tools of Business.”  (Mark’s podcast interview on Refining Rhetoric is found here.) Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We’d love …

LISTENER UPDATE: Never assume people want to win as much as you do, part 2

Are you too arrogant to delegate? “One of our two listeners” had a great follow-up to Mike’s story about the managers who weren’t interested in winning. And Mike has a follow-up to what happened with that client.   (FYI, Dow leads an amazing dojo called The Way Karate … so clearly he gets our “Dow-ist”/Taoist joke.)  Interested in coaching or training …

Hunsicker on culture

Author Chris Hunsicker: How to gain a non-duplicatable competitive advantage

Do you suffer from Mood-Dependent Excellence? Do you know why your back-to-basics meeting won’t solve your problems? Do you understand the difference between training and coaching?  Chris Hunsicker joins Mike again to unpack a chapter of his book, “Unstoppable Culture: A Step-by-Step Guide to Create a Relentless, Results-Driven, High-Performing Team.”  Grab a pen–lots of practical tips in this episode!  Interested …