Category: Corporate Games

On an episode of Sunset Tan ,
an employee was considering jumping
from the salon to a supplier. 
The rather awkward approach was going well
until…
he badmouthed his current employer. 

I saw the expression on the supplier’s face change
from interested to cautious in an instant. 

Why? 

Because she was thinking that 
if this employee ever leaves the supplier,
he will talk negatively about them too. 

No negatives. 
If prospective employees want to know why you’re leaving,
make it about them and the positives they offer. 

Continuous learning is a necessity today. 
This can be accomplished in a number of ways
including books, magazines, live courses, seminars
and…
online courses. 

This month, I’m taking two online courses
in two very different fields. 
Not only do online courses have a lower tuition fee
than regular courses but
they can be completed on my own timing and
where-ever I happen to be. 

Monday, I can complete my lesson
at 8pm EST in NYC. 
Thursday, it can be done at noon in Vegas. 
Or I could save it for the weekend. 
Wonderful for the busy business woman. 

Tony Blair once said
“The art of leadership is saying no, not yes.
It is very easy to say yes.” 

Once you get a little bit of success,
the requests will come. 
Sometimes the requests are one sided,
with no benefit to you or your company. 
These requests are easier to say no to. 

The more difficult ones contain opportunities,
new projects, new directions, new revenue streams. 
But some of those will also have to be turned away
(or redirected to someone else) . 

A company or person moving in all different directions
goes no where.
Saying no is a success requirement.

It is the classic email mistake. 
Everyone I know has done it at least once. 
I sent out a reply which was supposed to go
to a specific person and it went to the entire loop
(blasted Yahoo). 

So what did I do? 

I thought about sending out an email
asking recipients to ignore the previous one.  
Not a good choice.  
That would rouse curiosity,
prompting a higher percentage of readers. 

So I ignored it
(there was nothing terribly embarrassing
in the email).  

And I received zero comments on it. 
Which gets me to thinking that
most people don’t read their emails. 

A recent study showed that
higher income people apologize more often. 

This surprised many people. 
Sorry is often viewed as a weak word,
apologizing a weak action. 

It is actually the opposite. 
It is the transfer of responsibility
from the recipient of the apology
to the apologizer. 
It is also the acknowledgement of power
(although misused). 

An apology done right
strengthens the relationship,
rather than weakens it.

I went to lunch with a senior executive lately. 
He checked his Blackberry before and after
but during the meal, he was completely there. 
And I was flattered. 

According to a Korn/Ferry poll of
2,300 executives from 75 countries, 
80% of high earners world wide
are literally wired all the time. 

When the number is that high,
it isn’t because they want to be,
it is because its a requirement
so work with it. 

 And don’t squander a tech free moment.

There’s been a lot of fearful talk lately. 
When and what will cause
the stock markets to crash. 
When and what will cause
the American consumer to stop buying,
spreading pain and trauma in the retail world
and beyond. 

These, in my mind,
are emergencies and
emergencies are to be planned for. 

Like our house burning down.

How do we plan for it?
We need to be able to recognize
that our house is burning and
have a plan we can
automatically follow
even when scared and confused by the smoke. 

Do we need to know what day
our house will burn down?
Or what will cause the fire?

If we could prevent it,
that would be helpful
but otherwise, no.

Some of the most emotional managers/execs
I have worked with have been men. 
Why? 
Because they can get away with it. 

A recent study shows that
women are judged more harshly
than men for crying. 
Not only crying but
also for anger issues. 

Women are initially assumed to be emotional
and must prove that they are rational.  
It isn’t fair. 
It isn’t right. 
It simply is. 

So don’t cry publicly at work
(that is why there are doors on bathroom stalls). 

In his book Get Smarter,
billionaire Seymour Schulich talks about
the top four enemies of business people,
Ego, Greed, Alchohol and Drugs, and
Assistants With Big Breasts. 

Of the four, Ego ranks as number one. 
“This one destroys more people
than any other single thing.” 

How do I keep the ego in check? 
By trying new ventures or assignments. 
Nothing makes me as humble as
going into a placement knowing
I don’t know what I’m doing. 

Want great ideas,
great products,
great employees? 
Then don’t punish concept failures. 

Gil Schwartz in the April edition
of Men’s Health writes
“Managers who punish well-intentioned failure
eventually suck the greatness out
of their people.” 

There really is no need for the big stick. 
The people brave enough
to head a risky project,
are usually the same people
harshest on themselves.

Plus looking like a jacka$$
in front of the company
is punishment enough.