Communications + Employee Engagement
During my second ever job interview, for a part time job in college, I was sweating. It was really muggy outside but I also really wanted the job. The woman who would be my boss had a good vibe and her home office was like an oasis in the hot summertime. Toward the end of the interview, she asked: “Do you have any other experience?”
I paused. I did have some but was hesitant to share it.
There is a great scene in the movie America’s Sweethearts where Billy Crystal’s character, Lee, is astonished by the weight loss of Julia Robert’s character. She has lost 60 pounds. He throws his arms and says, “That’s a Backstreet Boy!”
Well, starting in February of 2006 I set out to lose close to that amount. I had no idea what I was going to do, but I knew it was time. Continue reading “You lost a Backstreet Boy!”
I began blogging about the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People a few months back in order to publicly commit myself to its completion… But I started at Habit 2 with the promise to revisit Habit 1: Be Proactive. Here is my answer to that promise:
The simplest way to explain the idea of being proactive is via the fable of The Ant and The Grasshopper.
Habit 4 of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Win-Win Situations makes sense – in theory – but I have yet to see it used consistently in practice. I’ve seen companies come close but most miss the mark entirely because of Trust issues. Or because someone does not recognize that opportunities for constructive criticism are just that: opportunities. Creating a Win-Win is very delicately hinged on creating an environment of Trust and Respect.
