Since today is Independence Day in the U.S., I’ve been thinking a lot about the things that hold us back in life and keep us from being truly free, especially things over which we have 100% control. If you’re tired of suffering under the tyranny of technology, being ruled by bad relationships, or being held captive by […]
If you look up the words explanation and excuse in the dictionary, at first, they appear similar. However, if you look closer, there’s a significant difference: Explanation: clarification, reason, details, an account of … Excuse: justification, defense, to try to remove blame from … When most people offer an explanation, they usually do so as fact—as […]
We all know the importance of giving feedback to others, especially employees, but what about seeking feedback? When was the last the time you asked your boss, employees, customers, and even your family members, “How am I doing? What could I be doing better?” Never assume that people will let you know if there’s something […]
The number one most incorrect quote about customer service that is perpetuated time and again, is: “The Customer is Always Right.” WRONG! Training employees to believe this fallacy and insisting that they live by it is not only wrong, but it’s bad for business. Consider these situations: Would you let a naked customer dine in […]
Over the years, I’ve seen an evolution in terms used for negative feedback. The first term I remember hearing is constructive criticism. The problem was, most of the criticism wasn’t constructive, so it was really just criticism. Then someone decided to soften the term and call it constructive feedback. However, once again, it wasn’t very constructive, so […]
We’ve all come across people who seem to love conflict. They seek it out, jump into it even if it has nothing to do with them, and start it for no reason at all. However, the vast majority of people would prefer not to deal with conflict at all and will do just about […]
I was facilitating a meeting of supervisors last week when one supervisor shared that an employee actually said, “Is that in my job description?” when she was assigned a new task to complete. This situation got me thinking about the things people say at work that can have a lasting, negative impression on those around […]
This past weekend, I was recovering from oral surgery that left it difficult for me to talk or to get much work done. As a result, I spent a lot of time sitting on my couch watching television. (Here’s a pic from my vantage point on the couch.) As I caught up on my favorite […]
