A few years back I heard a very intriguing statement,
“The reason why radio and TV talk / news are so popular (i.e. Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh) is because people love to be “smart” but don’t have the time to be “educated.”
Listening to this type of media can supply you with a lot of information quickly and conveniently, and may help you demonstrate mental alertness (definition of smart) when engaged in business or casual conversations, but it will not educate you. The definition of education is knowledge acquired by learning and instruction.
Just recently, I heard another intriguing statement about condensed versions of books available for iPhones, Laptops, etc. The gentleman said “reading a condensed version of a book, is really learning the material based on what someone else, not the author, thought was important …I would rather read the full version and decide for myself what’s important. I want to be educated, not just smart.”
Wow, I thought to myself…this guy has wisdom, which is the art of utilizing accumulated knowledge and experience with sound judgment and insight.
Yes, I watch and listen to TV talk / news media and occasionally read a condensed version of a book…but I am also a strong advocate of gaining wisdom. One of my lifetime goals is to always participate in “continuing education” in order to grow personally and professionally…after all who ever heard of “continuing smart”?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Leadership is not selfishness
Why do you think you are instructed to put your oxygen mask on first in an airplane emergency?
Well, the obvious answer is to save yourself. The more robust answer is to save yourself so you can help others.
Quite often leaders in our society are frowned upon because they are taking care of themselves. For example, those is leadership roles are considered “selfish” for; taking vacations with their families, allocating time for continuing education, playing golf, going on a retreat, etc.
The reality is leaders need to take care of themselves in order to effectively lead those they serve.
I don’t know about you, but I want my “leader” to be healthy and wealthy. Not just in a monetary sense, but as a whole person; physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Vince Lombardi once said: "The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence regardless of their chosen endeavor."
Bottom line: Leaders need to first take care of themselves, in order to be effective quality leaders.
Well, the obvious answer is to save yourself. The more robust answer is to save yourself so you can help others.
Quite often leaders in our society are frowned upon because they are taking care of themselves. For example, those is leadership roles are considered “selfish” for; taking vacations with their families, allocating time for continuing education, playing golf, going on a retreat, etc.
The reality is leaders need to take care of themselves in order to effectively lead those they serve.
I don’t know about you, but I want my “leader” to be healthy and wealthy. Not just in a monetary sense, but as a whole person; physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Vince Lombardi once said: "The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence regardless of their chosen endeavor."
Bottom line: Leaders need to first take care of themselves, in order to be effective quality leaders.
Friday, June 11, 2010
They Weren’t There For Me…I Was There For Them.
One evening, years ago, while performing an evening audit in a store that I managed, I entered the backroom of the Produce department frustrated about some work that was not completed.
“Hi Judy, hi Paul can I see you for a minute?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Guys, I’ve known you both for a long time, ever since you went full time about 12 years ago.”
“Yes, it’s been about that long,” replied Judy, and Paul nodding his head. (two top senior clerks, part of a team of 18 in that department).
"Well, I don’t understand why I repeatedly have to come back here and solve problems, follow up to see if things are being done, and make all the decisions. You each have a dozen years in the business; you should know how to run this team.”
Paul put his head down, shaking it back and forth, but Judy looked right at me and said;
“First of all, Paul and I both know how to run this team. Second, well…if we wanted to take on the responsibilities we would have signed up to be Managers, well we don’t want that job…that’s your job Bob!
I think this team back here does a great job, but sometimes we drop the ball, like today, but overall things get done…and when issues surface, well guess what, that’s when we need you. We expect you to make the decisions, Bob, because we don’t want the hassle.
They were right. They weren’t there for me…I was there for them.
From that day forward, I learned that not only do I need to serve my customers, more importantly… I needed to serve my employees.
“Hi Judy, hi Paul can I see you for a minute?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Guys, I’ve known you both for a long time, ever since you went full time about 12 years ago.”
“Yes, it’s been about that long,” replied Judy, and Paul nodding his head. (two top senior clerks, part of a team of 18 in that department).
"Well, I don’t understand why I repeatedly have to come back here and solve problems, follow up to see if things are being done, and make all the decisions. You each have a dozen years in the business; you should know how to run this team.”
Paul put his head down, shaking it back and forth, but Judy looked right at me and said;
“First of all, Paul and I both know how to run this team. Second, well…if we wanted to take on the responsibilities we would have signed up to be Managers, well we don’t want that job…that’s your job Bob!
I think this team back here does a great job, but sometimes we drop the ball, like today, but overall things get done…and when issues surface, well guess what, that’s when we need you. We expect you to make the decisions, Bob, because we don’t want the hassle.
They were right. They weren’t there for me…I was there for them.
From that day forward, I learned that not only do I need to serve my customers, more importantly… I needed to serve my employees.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Never Run Out Of Stones
As a child growing up in a small town, Rennerdale Pa., I can remember walking down to the fishpond with my father on weekends.
Along the way, my Dad would allow me to fill my pockets with stones to toss into the pond.
We would stand on the edge, and I would throw the stones in the pond making those memorable circles of ripples reaching out all the way to the water’s edge.
Eventually my pockets would empty, I would run out of stones and the ripples would fade away.
Fast forward to today. Those seemingly endless ripples in the water remind me of word of mouth marketing. Your circles start off small and continue to expand as you build relationships with people. The secret is to never run out of stones!
For more information of having deep pockets and an endless supply of “stones,” give me a call…412.491.7317.
Along the way, my Dad would allow me to fill my pockets with stones to toss into the pond.
We would stand on the edge, and I would throw the stones in the pond making those memorable circles of ripples reaching out all the way to the water’s edge.
Eventually my pockets would empty, I would run out of stones and the ripples would fade away.
Fast forward to today. Those seemingly endless ripples in the water remind me of word of mouth marketing. Your circles start off small and continue to expand as you build relationships with people. The secret is to never run out of stones!
For more information of having deep pockets and an endless supply of “stones,” give me a call…412.491.7317.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
"You've got me? But who's got you?"
One of my favorite scenes from a movie is the image of the "Man of Steel" comic book Superman hero / alias Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) with red cape and tights soaring over Metropolis, especially when he saves Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) as she falls from a helicopter and their conversation,
Superman (politely) :
"Easy, miss. I've got you."
Lois Lane (screaming):
"You've got me? But who's got you?"
In these great United States of America, the entrepreneur spirit is alive and well. Entrepreneurs are the foundation of the American business culture, as they live by a vision in search of their dream.
Along their journey to that dream, most entrepreneurs, feel like they too have been dropped from a helicopter. From increasing unemployment, to the devaluing of the dollar, to escalating business taxes and overall business costs, entrepreneurs need “Superman” to save them.
Unfortunately, that only happens in the movies.
The next best thing for entrepreneurs is to build a team. A team that will be there, a team they can rely on and trust to support them. The keystone for that team starts with a Business Coach.
For more information on building your team and a strong business foundation, drop me a note and I will catch it (pun intended).
Bob Gambone, rvg444@aol.com
I help entrepreneurs tap into their passion, ignite their leadership, to grow their business.
“See the Vision…Capture the Dream!”
Superman (politely) :
"Easy, miss. I've got you."
Lois Lane (screaming):
"You've got me? But who's got you?"
In these great United States of America, the entrepreneur spirit is alive and well. Entrepreneurs are the foundation of the American business culture, as they live by a vision in search of their dream.
Along their journey to that dream, most entrepreneurs, feel like they too have been dropped from a helicopter. From increasing unemployment, to the devaluing of the dollar, to escalating business taxes and overall business costs, entrepreneurs need “Superman” to save them.
Unfortunately, that only happens in the movies.
The next best thing for entrepreneurs is to build a team. A team that will be there, a team they can rely on and trust to support them. The keystone for that team starts with a Business Coach.
For more information on building your team and a strong business foundation, drop me a note and I will catch it (pun intended).
Bob Gambone, rvg444@aol.com
I help entrepreneurs tap into their passion, ignite their leadership, to grow their business.
“See the Vision…Capture the Dream!”
Thursday, May 27, 2010
If You Are Looking For a Competitive Edge, Start With Leadership
---True Story About Leadership---
I was anxious and excited.
It was my first day as Store Manager at a new location.
As I entered the store, smile on my face and notebook and pencil in hand, I mentally prepared myself to meet new customers and employees.
Top of mind was the new “Cleaning” initiative that the company was going through, and my approach would be to talk with employees and department heads about the status of the project as I toured the store.
I was very intrigued, as I walked from department to department, to find that everyone was saying the same type of thing. “Denny has us on top of it”, “Oh yes, we make sure we follow the checklist, wouldn’t want to upset Denny”, and “Nice to meet you, and if you see Denny ask him to stop by, we have some questions”.
Of course my confidence level peaked knowing that Denny, probably a co-manager, was on top of things, and really had the store’s team engaged in the new initiative.
When I finally got upstairs where the offices were located, I asked my Human Resources Manager for a list of the store’s department heads and managers.
After reviewing the list, I turned to Debbie (the HR Manager), and said,
“Does Denny go by a different name? I don’t see him on this list”.
She looked at me, quite puzzled, and said,
“Our Denny? ... He’s the Janitor.”
Denny was not a manager or a department head and had never aspired to be one.
Denny, however, was a leader, and was clearly filling a void that was left empty by the management team.
This realization convinced me that leadership is found in the person and not in the position.
Take a hard look at your management team. Are they inspiring their teams to do the job?
Or are they just simply assigning work.
In today’s economy, more than ever, business owners and executives need their managers and department heads to be Leaders.
Here are seven quick tips to help you identify Leaders:
1. Leaders have passionate enthusiasm! Attitudes are contagious and your team “leaders” need to understand that they are role models.
2. Leaders model your company’s values and “walk the talk.”
3. Leaders pull their teams up the hill, face them, and don’t turn their backs.
Old school managers push employees.
4. Leaders are not necessarily the best workers,
and they understand that the “task” is never more important than the customer.
5. Leaders develop others, place a high value on the “we,” and discourage the “I.”
6. Leaders understand when people need to be led and when to let people take the lead.
7. Leaders listen and provide positive reinforcement and constructive criticism.
I was anxious and excited.
It was my first day as Store Manager at a new location.
As I entered the store, smile on my face and notebook and pencil in hand, I mentally prepared myself to meet new customers and employees.
Top of mind was the new “Cleaning” initiative that the company was going through, and my approach would be to talk with employees and department heads about the status of the project as I toured the store.
I was very intrigued, as I walked from department to department, to find that everyone was saying the same type of thing. “Denny has us on top of it”, “Oh yes, we make sure we follow the checklist, wouldn’t want to upset Denny”, and “Nice to meet you, and if you see Denny ask him to stop by, we have some questions”.
Of course my confidence level peaked knowing that Denny, probably a co-manager, was on top of things, and really had the store’s team engaged in the new initiative.
When I finally got upstairs where the offices were located, I asked my Human Resources Manager for a list of the store’s department heads and managers.
After reviewing the list, I turned to Debbie (the HR Manager), and said,
“Does Denny go by a different name? I don’t see him on this list”.
She looked at me, quite puzzled, and said,
“Our Denny? ... He’s the Janitor.”
Denny was not a manager or a department head and had never aspired to be one.
Denny, however, was a leader, and was clearly filling a void that was left empty by the management team.
This realization convinced me that leadership is found in the person and not in the position.
Take a hard look at your management team. Are they inspiring their teams to do the job?
Or are they just simply assigning work.
In today’s economy, more than ever, business owners and executives need their managers and department heads to be Leaders.
Here are seven quick tips to help you identify Leaders:
1. Leaders have passionate enthusiasm! Attitudes are contagious and your team “leaders” need to understand that they are role models.
2. Leaders model your company’s values and “walk the talk.”
3. Leaders pull their teams up the hill, face them, and don’t turn their backs.
Old school managers push employees.
4. Leaders are not necessarily the best workers,
and they understand that the “task” is never more important than the customer.
5. Leaders develop others, place a high value on the “we,” and discourage the “I.”
6. Leaders understand when people need to be led and when to let people take the lead.
7. Leaders listen and provide positive reinforcement and constructive criticism.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Planting the Seed
Leaders are full of ideas and innovations that can improve the business performance of their teams.
If you want to kick your leadership up a few notches try “planting the seed” versus just telling your team the new idea / innovation that you have formulated.
In “planting the seed,” you will need to provide “teaser” information, and then coach your team to get to the desired outcome. Along the way, your team members may even improve on your original idea, so be open to suggestions, but stay the course.
You will find that this process will motivate your teams to improve their performance because they now have ownership of the idea / innovation.
Remember the 3 P’s- Plan, Prepare, Practice before you implement “planting the seed.”
If you want to kick your leadership up a few notches try “planting the seed” versus just telling your team the new idea / innovation that you have formulated.
In “planting the seed,” you will need to provide “teaser” information, and then coach your team to get to the desired outcome. Along the way, your team members may even improve on your original idea, so be open to suggestions, but stay the course.
You will find that this process will motivate your teams to improve their performance because they now have ownership of the idea / innovation.
Remember the 3 P’s- Plan, Prepare, Practice before you implement “planting the seed.”
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