If I asked most people to name the toy trucks in the photo above, I think almost everyone would say, “they’re Tonka trucks,” but they’re not. I’ll get to the name brand in a minute. Here’s the story A little over a year ago, I had a lunch date with my mother. As usual, as…Read more Three Toy Trucks

“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” – Erich Fromm My wife and I were recently talking about creativity and where it comes from.  “Outside The Box Thinking” has been a popular catchphrase for my entire professional life. I’ve heard it used in articles and interviews, read about it in case studies of…Read more Thinking outside the box… What Box?

In a job interview once, after talking through my resume and experience, I was asked by one of the interviewers “tell us about something that you didn’t succeed at.” Being a young and inexperienced job candidate, I froze; to admit shortcomings on that stage was unthinkable. I didn't get the job. As a more experienced…Read more Two Essentials for Better Results

  My 17-year-old daughter recently started a summer job.  It’s her first real direct deposit, wear a blouse but jeans are ok answer the phone and make copies office-type professional job.  Just short term, saving money for college but a job none-the-less.  She tells us amusing stories of her misadventures and encounters with the large…Read more Civility

Franklin Roosevelt said, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” This is one of my all-time favorite sayings, and living on the downeast coast of Maine, near the incredibly dynamic seas off Campobello Island where Roosevelt sailed in his youth, I understand what he was talking about. The tides rise fast and fall fast here, with 20-foot swings being normal. The waters are dark and deep and cold.

I have two daughters, the oldest is 19 and starting her junior year in college, the younger is 17 and is just starting her university career, her first day of classes is today actually.  They are objectively amazing, intelligent, beautiful young women.  I’m not at all biased. As they set out into this incredible and…Read more 18 Lessons From The Middle

Employee engagement is an important part of employee retention, and retention of the most talented individuals is critical to an organization’s long-term success. We know this; we talk about it, read articles about it, and make it the center of our HR strategy.  There are five gifts we can give to our employees that, when…Read more 5 Gifts for Your Employees

Wednesday, October 5th, was CX Day, a day of global celebration of customer experience promoted by the Customer Experience Professionals Association, so with that backdrop let's talk about customer experience and customer focus... Your Customer Orientation - Is It Foundational or Transformational? Customer Experience has become one of the hottest new trends across multiple industries.…Read more Transform Your Customer Focus