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Category: Leadership & Communication
Does your team understand where you are going so they can follow you?
Having Effective Conversation
Do we actually listen to others while discussing a topic... Continue Reading
Shepherds and Their Sheep
The shepherd cares for the needs of their sheep. They only have what the shepherd supplies. The Shepherd’s Responsibilities Have you ever wondered why the analogy of shepherds and sheep are so important in Scripture? Let’s look at what a shepherd does and see how it applies to us today. One of the principal duties… Continue reading Shepherds and Their Sheep
“Go and Make Disciples”
The Great Commission 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in… Continue reading “Go and Make Disciples”
How Does the Business World Fit into the Kingdom?
From my observation, most Christian business owners, leaders and managers have a tough time connecting the principles of managing a business with Biblical principles. Most management problem solving and decision making appears to happen without seeking God’s wisdom or reviewing the underlying guidance from Scripture. So, what is the purpose of a business? Is it… Continue reading How Does the Business World Fit into the Kingdom?
The Lack of Candidates
I have discovered there is a name for the candidate shortage phenomena we are all going through, Sansdemic. A sansdemic is the lack of people, or the lack of enough people, to fulfill the work force openings that exist. For the last year, people have been trying to blame the COVID Pandemic, but the signs… Continue reading The Lack of Candidates
Building Bench Strength
How is your bench strength? When your key performers are sidelined, do you have others following in their steps that can step in and “carry the ball” in your key performers’ absence? Everyone has key performers, but the long-term winners focus on the next level to ensure success now and in the future. Some call… Continue reading Building Bench Strength
The Strategic Importance of Trust
I heard this phrase recently and it has echoed in my head ever since. As I pondered the statement, I realized that trust, or the lack of it, is the foundation that all relationships are built on, including business relationships. Who wants to do business with, work for or employee people you do not trust?… Continue reading The Strategic Importance of Trust
Engaged Employees are Self-Governed
As business struggles to build a productive work force in the 21st century, and at the same time engage four generations with differing approaches to work in the same work force, we must not loose sight of the basic foundations of building a great team. In the current employment market, good employees can easily find… Continue reading Engaged Employees are Self-Governed
To Change Your Culture, You Must First Change Your Paradigms
“The culture of any organization is shaped by the behavior the leaders are willing to tolerate.” Gruenter and Whitaker As a leader of an organization, our organization’s culture is what we have allowed it to become; either proactively or inactively. What leaders seeking a culture change need to understand is they need a paradigm shift.… Continue reading To Change Your Culture, You Must First Change Your Paradigms
Is Your Silent Salesman Well Dressed?
by guest blogger Katie Brandel Imagine this. Your doorbell rings, and you open it to find a salesman from ABC company eager to tell you about the services he can offer you. It so happens that you’ve been looking for these kinds of services, so the chance that he could convert this visit into a… Continue reading Is Your Silent Salesman Well Dressed?
Barriers to Leadership
We all can recognize obvious barriers, like road closed signs, caution tape, etc. However, do we realize we can create barriers between ourselves and others by the way we dress, they way we talk and even the way we react to them? I have been around manufacturing management for over 40 years. I have found… Continue reading Barriers to Leadership
Work-Life Balance or a Balanced Life
We have all heard the phrase work-life balance used for years. It was a well-meaning phrase trying to help busy people ensure they spend sometime with their families, friends and other interests. The problem with that word picture is it creates an imaginary scale that you put your work on one side and your life… Continue reading Work-Life Balance or a Balanced Life
Employees are Whole People
My desire is to help leaders recognize the value of their employees and to develop them into the person they were created to be. Sometimes this takes a paradigm shift. Paradigm Your paradigm, or the filter you see the world through, is the sum total of what you have learned and observed up to this… Continue reading Employees are Whole People
The 21st Century Leader
Definition- A person that is respected by others for their knowledge, understanding and foresight. Also, they care enough for others in their scope of responsibility to make the effort to mentor them and help them achieve the knowledge, understanding and foresight they need to become the best they can be in their areas of responsibility.… Continue reading The 21st Century Leader
Carefronting- A better approach to managing conflict
The world of management has transitioned from the harsh dictatorial environments of the past to a less offensive approach of today. However, for the most part, we have not equipped our managers with the ability to handle confrontation in a better way; carefronting. Carefronting is confrontation with compassion. We need to cast the vision and… Continue reading Carefronting- A better approach to managing conflict
The Road to Leadership
Leaders are relatively easy to spot in a group. Just pay attention when you are in any large gathering. There are those people that others naturally listen to and follow. The question therefore isn’t how do we find leaders; they are in every organization. The question that we need to ask is how do we… Continue reading The Road to Leadership
Employee Discipline; Punishment or Education
Many top executives say they struggle getting their front-line managers to have the “tough” conversations with their people. What is it that makes managers find it hard to address issues with employees? I believe it is seeing the discipline process as punishment instead of seeing it as an educational process. The current management philosophy desires… Continue reading Employee Discipline; Punishment or Education
Communication Styles – Tellers, Teachers and Mentors
Communication is interesting. I have come to realize that there are multiple ways of passing information. Choosing the right style has a lot to do with the purpose. If the communicator chooses the wrong style the communication may fail. The first style I call “Tellers”. Think of a speaker addressing an audience. It is one-way… Continue reading Communication Styles – Tellers, Teachers and Mentors
Conversation or Collective Monologs
I read this phrase the other day while I was reading an author’s thoughts on normal one-on-one conversation. The question is do we actually listen to others while discussing a topic on which we have a strong opinion? Do we actually communicate with each other; sharing and understanding each other’s ideas and concepts? We have… Continue reading Conversation or Collective Monologs
Begin with the End in Mind
One of the seven habits in Steven Covey’s book “7 Habits for Highly Effective People” is “begin with the end in mind”. Hopefully most executives think that way. They set a goal, make a plan and attempt to complete the plan. The question is do their people know the goal? If they do, do they… Continue reading Begin with the End in Mind
Managing is like Parenting
After 30+ years of managing people and being a father of 4 and grandfather of 9 I have recognized that there is a parallel between managing and parenting. There is one over-riding truth. For the best results both must be done intentionally. Guiding people to be the best they can be in an area of… Continue reading Managing is like Parenting
Workplace Flexibility
The greatest effect on a flexible work force is your recruitment practice. If you hire the right people they appreciate flexibility. They understand others’ need for flexibility and they will not complain when you are flexible for their teammates. The right employees will work as a team to get the job done, not just be… Continue reading Workplace Flexibility
Continuous Improvement is an Atmosphere
In the last few decades Continuous Improvement has become a topic in most organizations. When I was the Quality Management Director at a Grand Rapids based manufacturer we achieved our ISO9000 and QS9000 certifications in the early ‘90s. A big focus on these Quality Standards is process improvement which includes Continuous Improvement Projects (CIP), Corrective… Continue reading Continuous Improvement is an Atmosphere
Learning from Those Who Disagree With You
It seems to me that most people do not like to listen to other people talk about a topic that they disagree on. In fact, it is a cultural norm not to discuss topics that might bring disagreement like politics, religion, sports teams, music taste, etc. with a new acquaintance, especially if you wish to… Continue reading Learning from Those Who Disagree With You
Christian Life Coach 