People Potential

A few years back, the sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond, aired an episode where Raymond and his wife, Debra, were arguing over her not being ready on time and him having to wait for her in the car.

Raymond introduced a term...AIS, which stood for Ass In Seat, and explained that he would give Debra a set time, say 6 p.m. AIS. If she didn't have her butt in the seat at that agreed-upon time, he would leave without her...a move that I think he later regretted.

Same concept, different dilemma - when it comes to a business's employees, just having  butts in seats, won't necessarily lead a company to success.  People are what make a business develop, grow and excel, not just products or technology.

Good employees don't just show up on your doorstep on a daily basis (unlike Raymond's parents). Great employees carry value that simply can't be replaced.

"The surefire way to help your business improve is to improve your people," says BJ Windhorst, vice president of The Carden Group.  

We believe in people improvement because we know that great employees have extensive knowledge and experience; they have relationships with clients and coworkers that have been built up over years of partnerships and they know what has worked for the company in the past.

The Carden Group can truly unleash the potential in employees. We help people get engaged, get more done in less time, stay motivated, think differently and see their weaknesses as opportunities. We motivate with genuine energy and we are experts at getting people to step out of their comfort zone.

"Business leaders who adopt the attitude that anyone is replaceable, thinking they can simply hire someone with a greater skillset or someone with a more prestigious pedigree, are fooling themselves," says Amy Rees Anderson, in Forbes Feb. 13 online edition. "When a company loses a great employee, not only will other employees question it, but clients often question it as well. They might ask, 'What would have caused that employee to leave? Should we be out looking for a new vendor?'"

Place value in your people who dedicate time and talent each and every day to your business, because those people are much more than just an AIS. No one ever says they get too much appreciation. 

Emotional Selling

Our annual Super Bowl reverie is as much about advertising as it is about the game of football.

In spite of this year's unplanned 35 minute blackout, companies doled out some serious cash, and you can bet lots of market research, to air more than $337 million in  ads (during the game) aimed to tug on your heartstrings and capture your attention.

Some of the most well-received commercials were those that brought a lump to our throats or spread a grin on our faces, they played on our emotions.

Taco Bell gave us hope that even in our old age we can sneak out, party like a rock star, get tattooed and "Viva Young"; Volkswagen urged us to get in a Jamaican frame of mind mon and spread the feeling to help everyone "Get In. Get Happy"; and Coke led a chase across the desert with a surprise ending which made us want to go online to find out who won the race -- and have a Coke!

Budweiser, used not just a Clydesdale, but the love and joy which go into the raising of a colt to leave an imprint on our brains that will last all the way to the grocery store. Jeep and the USO made our chests swell with pride and put a tear in our eye with the grief and fear military families face, when they aired the 2-minute, military-homecoming spot; and Chrysler's portrayal of American farmers planted a seed of desire in our minds to hop in a (Dodge) truck and head to the country.

Watching these spots gives us an insight into selling.  Sometimes we are driven by emotions.  They can make us respond to what we feel and understanding emotions can help us be better managers, employees and human beings.

So the big game is great...but the really big game of life can be studied in the 90+ commercials aired between touchdowns and tackles, packed with research and strategies you can use every day.

Continuous And Never-Ending Improvement

"CANI" could come from the mouth of a four-year old asking permission to eat another package of fruit snacks or ride his bike down the drive way one more time.

Here at The Carden Group we use CANI as an acronym for Constant And Never-Ending Improvement, a term we learned a few years back from a friend and mentor, Robert D. Smith.

A recent article in the University of Kansas Medical Center's newsletter called the Center Express, summarized The Carden Group's leadership development program currently underway at the medical center. Leading the Jayhawk Way is helping the University with continuous improvements.

"The process is giving me the most practical tools I've ever encountered for working with a team day-to-day," said Pat Dean-Love, administrative officer in the Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Compliance. "We're being coached to have a clearer vision and communicate the vision within our work teams so we're all pulling together," she said.

The program was developed specifically for the University after several weeks of shadowing and research to determine the best ways to get the desired results for the hospital's administration. The Carden Group doesn't pull a program off the shelf for our clients. Each one is customized to their needs and goals.

The article in the Nov. 21, 2012 issue says:

It emphasizes excellence and a work environment that is positive, energized and focused on possibilities. The program emphasizes effective communication, clear expectations, effective meetings, appreciation and motivation. Supervisors learn methods for examining themselves and for finding actionable ways to improve as leaders. 

One hundred eighty supervisors, managers and their leaders at the medical center are participating in the program.

Steffani Webb, vice chancellor for Administration at the medical center said, "We are creating consistent processes for how we lead and developing an internal brand that speaks to excellence in our workforce and in our campus culture."

Solutions

One of the things I remember most from my days training with the Dale Carnegie organization is that you have to earn the right to work with your customer.

Basically, this means you need to do your homework to learn as much about your customer or audience, the product, and the subject matter as possible.  If you know it inside and out, no one’s time is wasted and you can solve a problem for your customer. People love solutions and will listen if you have one.

I was on a flight from Chicago to Newark. The flight, like most these days, was full. The boarding agent was trying to board people as quickly as possible so the flight could leave on time and the flight attendants were doing their part inside the plane to help people find their seats.

I was one of the first people on the plane, so I had a ringside seat for the show. We had about 10 minutes to go before departure and the overhead bins were all full. Customers had to start taking their bags off the plane and checking them to their final destination. Then the flight attendant and gate agent began to squabble about people having their coats in the overheads.

Suddenly the gate agent began randomly taking coats out of the overheads and throwing them into the center aisle of the plane, not even asking whose coat was whose. Then the passengers began to get irritated and argue. Soon, 10-15 people were screaming at each other with no solution in sight.

About that time, a flight attendant from the back of the plane began to move forward picking up coats and quietly returning them to the customers. Within five minutes she had the situation under control. The difference between her and the others -- she presented a solution and took action to move the situation in a positive direction.

 Click here for radio interview

Skill vs. Will

Sometimes watching kids gives us a window into helping adults learn something new.

Have you ever seen a 6-year old try to tie his shoes and become so frustrated by bunny ears that he tears off the shoes and tosses them across the room? This is an issue of skill.

At 6, a child probably has the dexterity to tie his shoes. He just hasn’t had proper coaching or enough practice to master the skill. If he is shown, in a patient manner, how exactly the process works (over and over). He will eventually be able to pick up the new skill. Velcro shoes can be banned from the closet!

That same child may be asked (repeatedly) by his parents to eat his peas (or corn, or carrots, or broccoli) for dinner, to no avail.  Everyone is aware that he knows how to put food on a fork or spoon and put it in his mouth….what he is lacking is the WILL to eat vegetables or to try something new.

Much frustration can happen when we confuse issues of SKILL and WILL. Many people will make up excuses when they don’t have the skill to do something, or avoid it entirely because they are not confident. Unfortunately, they may then be treated with discipline, annoyance or intolerance from their coach or instructor.

Taking our cues from how we want to treat kids, we should treat a lack of skill with positive coaching and encouragement which can lead to persistent practice (making perfect bunny ears). Finally, the skill will be mastered, confidence high and momentum will push us forward.

Turns out patience IS a virtue.

118 Years Later

The first official Labor Day in 1894 was all about working conditions in a era where many Americans (some as young as 6 or 7) worked 12-14 hour days for meager wages. Now, 118 years later, many also see the holiday as a way to celebrate the end of summer.

Over those 118 years many things have changed, but some things remain. In the late 1800s many workers were employed in manufacturing and industrial type jobs, but even then they were searching for a common purpose, a feeling of unity, communication from their managers, equality, fair wages and respect. 

Working conditions then were so horrible that workers began organizing strikes and rallies to protest poor conditions and compel employers to renegotiate hours and pay. On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history.  
But, it was not until 12 years later, in the wake of a strike by the workers of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago that created massive unrest; that Congress attempted to repair ties with American workers and passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and all the territories. 

As you end summer with a Labor Day celebration, reflect on the history of American workers  -- we've come a long way, but improving your relationship with your people, or helping your people improve is still at the heart of what makes businesses excel. If you need assistance. We can help!



 

Great Moments

Watching some of the best athletes in world push out every ounce of courage, strength and determination in these XXX Olympic Games, it is easy to rejoice with the winners.

But the heartbreaks sometimes make more of an impact. Because many of these competitors do not let a loss break them down. They have a drive inside to be the best and that shows on the outside.

Some of the most memorable comebacks in history have happened during the Olympic Games. In 1980, the U.S. Hockey team trailed 3-2 against the Soviet Union going into the third period, but they came back, took the lead and won gold. A movie was made about that team, Miracle featuring Kurt Russell as Coach Brooks. If you haven’t seen it or heard the famed pep talk, it is definitely worth watching.

More recently, gymnast Kerri Strugg pressed forward in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta as she vaulted on an injured ankle to help her team win gold.

Speed skater Dan Jansen had a catastrophic performance in the 1988 Olympics when he fell twice after learning of the death of his sister, but he did not quit. He came back in 1992, four years older, but determined to win, and he did…a gold medal!

These athletes are extraordinary in their sports. But, inside they are just like the rest of us, they need a mission, a purpose and vision of how to get there. Like us, they are using what is on the inside to build excellence on the outside.

That is what we want for your company, your career and your life.