Taking a Halloween Risk and How I Won a Free Trip to Europe

It was Halloween in the late 1980's; I was working for Ask Mr. Foster Travel Service (Carlson Travel) as a Financial Analyst. There was to be a Halloween Costume Contest - first prize was a pair of tickets to anywhere American Airlines flew in Europe. I was not going to participate, but instead be one of the judges. After all, I was an accountant type person, not a fun travel agent.

At the time we had a Vice President named Pam. She often wore black. She often wore a black cape. People were afraid of Pam; she wasn't the warmest person in the office; not very approachable. When people saw Pam walking across the parking lot they would scream, "It's the Wicked Witch of White Plains."

Hmmm.......................... (yes you know where this is going)

So I went out and bought a witches outfit; broom included. My friend Patty painted my face green. We put an ugly wart on my nose. The outfit was nothing special; compared to some of the elaborate costumes worn by others. The long black hair went down the front and back of my head.

The judging was about to begin. We were lining up in the hallway. And then I had an idea...............

A risky idea, but an idea. I grabbed one of those sticky name tags and wrote the The Wicked Witch of White Plains on it.

But then I had a better idea; tore that name tag up and wrote the following words on it.................

Hello, My Name is Pam!

I placed that name tag just above my heart, but hidden by the hair.

The parade began. I heard great cheers for those elaborate costumes. I entered the room. When I saw that first person I moved the hair ever so slightly so she could read the name tag. The roar was that of a lion. I kept going. The roars were getting louder. Pam was ahead. I hid the name tag. I passed Pam and exposed the name tag again. The roars were even louder. Pam had no clue. For a brief moment morale in the office was increased; there was a bond that was always there but not shared enough.

Belgium and Holland are places you need to go visit. I had a blast; thanks to Pam.

Happy Halloween and the next opportunity you have to take a risk or increase your team spirit or office morale............go for it!

A Few Baby Boomers Might Save Your Life

Millenials, Gen X, Gen Y, Boomers; we're all different, yet at times have a hard time existing together. Boomers are considered dinosaurs. Often times technologically challenged, still drinking whiskey and scotch and listening to heavy metal and disco.

Well I only have one thing to say to all the rest,.................Go Ahead, keep making fun of Disco. Keep making fun of Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, The Trammps, the Hues Corporation, France Joli, Deneice Williams and so many others. Go ahead, keep making fun. Keep thinking that Boomers are dinosaurs and have no value.

The greatest thing about generational differences is that we all bring history, new and old ideas to one place. We can all learn from each other. Boomers need to understand that tenure does not mean knowledge while Millenials, Gen X and Y'ers need to realize that not every answer is a text message, email or mouse click away. Teaching is happening at every level of organizations today; which means learning is too.

So don't knock the boomers and don't look at the young ones as having no value. Everyone has value. Everyone - especially Boomers who love disco.

What?

Boomers who love disco?

Yep, and it just may be a disco sound by the Bee Gees that might save your life.

Go ahead keep knocking disco, but before you do, click here and think about this..................

You're Not Motivating Staff When You Embarrass Them

I just returned from walking the dogs. The woman around the corner was yelling and screaming at her children, yet again. She was yelling at one of them for leaving the f&$%ing living room light on; telling the other one to get the f&*k in the car. She then threatened to 'put the dog down' when it ran out the door and would not respond to her shrieks. I see this scene play out many a morning.

This scene will also play out in many organizations today. Some employee will make an error or need to be corrected regarding a behavior or action. That employee will not be grabbed aside. That employee will not be spoken to in private. That employee will be embarrassed in front of others. That employee will do whatever possible to have minimal contact with that supervisor. The only thing that will be different (hopefully) is the use of expletives. This is not how you motivate, engage, or retain people. This is not how you build and grow a healthy team, department or organization.

In both these cases, it shouldn't be this way. Correct people in private; but more importantly provide them with ideas on how to not make that error again.

If I were the dog I wouldn't want to be there either. And as for who we should 'put down'...........

Forget Starbucks and the third place. My motivation today is to get you to look at your second place.

In 2006 the CEO of Starbucks said he wanted his locations to be our "third place."

Home is number one. Work is number two. And he wanted Starbucks to be number three; the place we would retreat to when the other two had sucked the energy out of our life (that is my interpretation).

Well this really confused me, you see my home and office are the same place. So does that mean I need a new second place? Should I count my vacation home as my second place? Or is that a substitute first place for me? Do I move Starbucks up to my second place? And if I do that now do I need to find a new third place? What about the people who spend more time at the office than at home? I was very confused. And what was this going to do to all the studies that were showing how much time people spend at work? Was the number that some people use to impress others about to have its turf stepped on? This third place thing really opens a can of worms.

I do know this however, there are times we all need to get away from our home and away from the office - and Starbucks is a great place to go.

But if you ask my Parks and Recreation clients, they will tell you that so is a park, a nature preserve, a beach, the woods, a ski slope, a golf course, a bike ride or ______________ (fill in your own).

So while I do love Starbucks, and am sitting here right now, I hate to inform them that they are not my third place. Today they are. But tomorrow my third place might be somewhere else. And there is a very good reason.....

Let's think about this logically; all the time we spend at home or work has driven us crazy, ruined marriages, and offered us lots of co-pays on prescription anxiety drugs. I'm afraid of making Starbucks my third place; spend too much time there and well you see where I am going with this.

So I'm spreading the wealth when it comes to my third place. I'm coming up with a rotation schedule. It's much more fun.

And this has to do with what Rich?

I really do have a point here. As a keynote speaker on employee matters, my job is to make your second place, your workplace, just a bit more fun a bit more tolerable. Is your second place just a bit too crazy at times? Do you ever feel trapped in the craziness; craziness that might be stifling morale, engagement, innovation and creativity? Would it be helpful if you changed your second place location every so often?

When was the last time you took that staff meeting or creativity session to a nature preserve, the woods or the beach? The last time??????? How about the first time! Now is the time; especially with all the fear and concern your employees are having in this economic environment. Now.

But just in case you need to break into this slowly, I guess you can go to a Starbucks. If your meeting gets boring, you can do what I'm doing.............eavesdropping right now on some people planning to fire the manager at a certain chain restaurant nearby.

Does Every Meeting Need To Have An Agenda?

This morning at 11:30 I will be on a conference call with four other entrepreneurs to discuss how each of us are planning to do business over the next six to nine months. While it seems that doom and gloom appears to be all over the news and is the conversation at coffee shops and bars, we have chosen not to participate in those conversations. Our conversation is about moving forward, ignoring (to some degree) this "worst financial crisis since The Great Depression", and letting everyone else worry. I have organized the call and agreed to facilitate it as well.

I was asked by one of the participants if there was an agenda I could send out before the call. I am not an agenda type person. I am not scripted, timed to the minute, or that detail oriented. He probably has a schedule for bathroom visits.

Agendas are not bad. Detailed plans are not bad. But sometimes open discussion with no preconceived notions, no missions and no suggested outcome provides the creative solutions to challenges and opens up new opportunities. When I present breakout sessions at conferences I always give a handout, some people need one. But in the end it is creative, lively, fun discussion that helps organizations generate new ideas and offers employees the chance to learn how to work better with one another.

So my response to him was..................Does Every Meeting Need To Have An Agenda?

He responded with "I gotcha" because he knows me and knows how I work. And he still wants to be a part of the call.

How about you? Are there people in your organization whose style of work you need to be more accepting of or more trusting of? Could you possibly benefit from experiencing a new approach to doing business?

Speaking of Not Recognizing Value

It was a great day to go pumpkin picking yesterday here in the Northeast. But on my way back to the car I was looking down a cliff and saw the above.

All at once the following thoughts ran through my head:

• Is it a mass pumpkin grave?
• Is it The Land of the Misfit Pumpkins?
• Maybe it's Pumpkin Hell?
• Is this where the bad pumpkins are sent for time out?
• The Pumpkin Quality Control Team must have been to work today

But my final thought looking down that cliff was; what a waste; a lot of pumpkin pies could have been made!

Every person in your organization has value. Be a good pumpkin and help them locate it.

I Am Now Smarter Than a Fifth Grader..........I Think

Ever feel like the young ones in your life are running circles around you when it comes to technology? Now for me, young ones are below twenty-five years old.

You just figured out texting and they're Twittering. They don't use email any longer. You're still trying to figure out how to save a document as a PDF and they're doing things with technology that frighten you. Then you go ask them simple questions and they look at you with that "Are you a moron?" look. Now you can look at the humor in this (see yesterday's post) or feel terrible; you decide.

Today I was passed along a great Tech Tips article; (click on those words for the slower ones and a new browser page will open with the article) and I felt it was worth passing along. This ought to help you feel motivated and empowered to continue in your technology quest. There are basic and not so basic tips. Have fun with them. Share the source with your friends. Pick two or three of your favorites and use them today. Show the world how smart you are and perhaps add one of two of your own. It might also give you an opportunity to see what your kids are really up to and substantiate that frightening feeling you've been having.

I don't know about you, but each day I wake up hoping to learn one new thing. It is a priority for every day of my life. It is something as a speaker I share with audiences during keynotes, breakout sessions and workshops. Can you learn one new thing today? Can you do this tomorrow? And the next? Continuing Education to a greater degree happens at conferences, meetings, conventions, and classrooms. Continuing Education however should be on your radar map every day.

The day any one of us cannot learn something new is a sorry, sorry day. Think of that next time you're in a meeting bored out of your mind or reading an article that appears basic. There has got to be some walk-away for you.

Now hit the shift key and then the space key and re-read this post.

It's time for Pumpkin Pancakes!