If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know I periodically talk about having fun at work. I truly believe when we make our workplace fun, our team members enjoy their work and their environment more. This translates into more productivity and also transfers to our clients. Trust me, even if it is just […]
Tag Archives: grounded
Preparing for the Worst
I attended the American Bankers Association’s Annual Conference in October in New York City. One of the sessions on the opening night was a vendor showcase, where seven presenters were each given five minutes to present their solution. There was an open bar and the session was standing room only. Now, as a professional speaker, […]
Enabling Someone to Do the Right Thing
If you travel as much as I do, you’re bound to be a frequent customer at the dry cleaners. Since my move to Sugar Land, I found a cleaning business conveniently located on my way to work; they are very efficient and have been a delight.However, upon closer inspection, a shirt of mine was damaged […]
Can We Really Trust Our Memory?
Current events have placed old memories into our watercooler conversations, and it just so happens that I have been binge listening to Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast series called Revisionist History. In season 3, he provides a series of episodes on memory. In these, he documents, in his unique professorial style, every detail fully researched yet with […]
It Was My Fault and I Quit AVIS Anyway
As a frequent traveler, I get the opportunity to accumulate travel award points. This summer, while in Colorado to teach at the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado, I rented a car so I could travel up to the mountains to fish and visit with friends. Since I had many American […]
What True Leadership Looks Like
On a hot and humid Saturday in Houston, Texas, I was honored to facilitate offsite strategic planning for Cy Fair Federal Credit Union. Cy Fair is a former education-based credit union, transformed into a community CU charter, but the board substantively consists of current and former educators and administrators. The CEO is Cameron Dickey, and […]
Innovation… in the Restroom Stall?
Recently I was facilitating a small group of bankers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago- an iconic old building with magnificent architecture, soaring columns and lots of marble. But of course, the inside is modern; our meeting room had every electronic audio and visual convenience- the best of everything. During a break, I went […]
If You Are Going to Provide Digital Service, You Better Take it All the Way
As a speaker, consultant and strategic facilitator, I fly a lot. Advancements, such as mobile apps, allow quick and decisive decisions and have certainly improved this experience. There are even options where I can self-select to generate alerts to let me know about key events such as “my flight is boarding.” These alerts can be […]
Be Value Added: Going the Extra Mile to Serve a Client
As a professional speaker, I get to work with meeting planners. As someone who has created and executed many conferences myself, I have a great deal of respect for these unsung heroes from companies and associations. So, I try to go out of my way to assist them in any way possible. I am always […]
An Example of a Thoughtful Response
I am in Seattle, Washington and have just finished a keynote address based on my book, Grounded (Little River Publishing). This is the first annual Emerging Leaders conference conducted by Western Independent Bankers and I am honored to have had the leadoff spot. These are not just the future leaders of their respective financial institutions; […]