When is the last time you intentionally complimented someone? A compliment is an expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration.

There are many benefits to offering a compliment. Compliments are a way of spreading happiness. Giving a compliment is a way of connecting honestly, directly, and kindly with another human being.

Compliments are a very inexpensive way of rewarding others. They say you get what you reward, so look for opportunities to reinforce good behavior and reward those around you with a compliment.

Here are tips to give a good compliment:

• - Be specific – don’t just tell someone “nice job,” a better statement is, “your attention to detail made this report eye-catching.”
• - Be sincere – make sure your words match your body language; make eye contact and engage with the person you are complimenting.
• - Be unexpected – look for opportunities to sincerely appreciate something unique and special. Offer an unexpected compliment to anyone, anywhere for an instant boost.

Sincere compliments helps focus on the positive and builds trust. Higher trust means better relationships and a better environment. Give a compliment today…

How do you share your ideas and get your point across? Rather than focusing on the presentation, think about the audience. What do they need to know? What do you want them to walk away doing differently? Should they be inspired to act or simply informed about something? Get clear on the result you want from your presentation.

Once you are clear about the result you want to achieve, here are three tips to keep you on track when you are preparing to speak:

• - Keep it Simple – the more points you have, the more complex you make the presentation and the less chance you have of getting your listeners to understand your point
• - Tell Stories – stories are the glue that connects your points together; tell a relevant story and make your presentation memorable
• - Use Statistics / Pictures – numbers and visuals make information stick

One more tip to remember is that preparation is important. Although some people are excellent extemporaneous speakers, most of us need time to prepare.

Know the result that you want to achieve.Then make your presentation simple, tell stories and use statistics to speak successfully.

To become truly successful, you (and your team or organization) must move from methodology to mindset.

Whatever profession you are in, there are methodologies for excelling at your work. A methodology is a “body of practices, procedures, and rules used by those who work in a discipline; a set of working methods.”  For example, a sales methodology provides specific practices for connecting with customers and closing a sale.

Organizations often focus on developing the methodology or set of rules, rather than making sure that their people shift their thinking and create new habits. The objective of a methodology should be to serve as a guideline that eventually becomes a mindset.

A habit or mindset doesn’t require documentation because the methodology has been integrated into the thought processes. The methodology becomes a routine part of how things get done.

You know you’re stuck in methodology when:

• • Processes are followed or documentation is completed that add no value to the outcome but is required by “_______” (fill in the blank with your governance team or quality committee)
• • Success is evaluated based on following the rules and processes rather than achieving the agreed upon outcomes
• • You get stuck in a circuitous conversation about whether there should be five steps or nine steps; whether the process flow has the right number of supporting bullet points or if status should be reported in colors or numbers

Pay attention to the habits that need to be formed to achieve success.  Mindset trumps methodology, so focus on building the right mindset — not creating a world-class methodology.

What you do BEFORE you talk with someone about a difficult issue will largely determine what happens DURING the conversation. How you think about the person, prior to talking with them, has a titanic impact on how the conversation begins.

The way you begin a difficult discussion has a huge influence on whether the conversation goes well.  To get the opening right requires intentionally getting into a productive emotional state. Clarity of mind and a thoughtful purpose are critical to preparation.

Here are a few tips to prepare for a conversation:

• Reframe – work on trying to understand the other person’s perspective. What are the circumstances they are facing and what could have influenced their actions or statements?

• Cool Down – reduce the emotional charge by “discharging” with someone else. Vent to someone you trust and work through the emotions of the situation.

• Results and Relationship – focus on the outcome that you want to achieve. Does it matter who is right or can you put that aside and reach a mutually beneficial outcome? Work on getting a positive result and maintaining the relationship.

By preparing for a conversation, you exponentially increase the probability of a successful outcome.

How are your conversations? The quality of your conversation is an indicator of your workplace culture and a window into your team performance and effectiveness.

The key behaviors of a leader manifest through conversation. In fact, you could argue that leadership is a stream of conversation.

A constructive conversation is at the heart of leading well. It centers on a common purpose, makes a difference and is guided by a leader. A constructive conversation creates, refines and shares knowledge.

A constructive conversation:

Constructive conversations happen when people feel safe enough to raise normally untouchable issues, challenge one another’s viewpoints and collaborate to resolve issues. As a leader, you’re the role model for the way conversations materialize. Your ability to conduct constructive conversations is an indispensable leadership tool.

Are you a sloppy reader? Do you have an intentional reading strategy? Steve Leveen of Levenger wrote “The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life.”  This insightful tome suggests that no one can be well-read in all or even most things. The secret is to take control of your reading life.

Here are some suggestions to create your custom reading strategy:

• Start – with a list of topics. What are your interests and passions? Why read in a myopically specific area? Broaden your horizons by identifying your full range of interests and broaden your reading list. Identify the best authors and most renowned books in your areas of interest. Why settle for less than the best?
• Collect – titles of books that you add to your candidate list; these are candidates for your attention not candidates of obligation. If someone makes a recommendation ask them why they like the book so much. Make sure it fits your areas of interest.
• Focus – your reading time and attention on the best books from your candidate list rather than random books. Plan your reading then read according to your plan!
• Enjoy – do not finish a book that you are not enjoying (unless it’s a class assignment!) there are too many books in this world to read. Don’t spend time slogging through a book that brings you no pleasure or benefit.

Start today to create your custom reading list of books that suit your unique interests. Take control of your reading life and make a plan to read.

How are you intentionally growing, improving and learning? You don’t have to be in school to continue learning.

One of the best ways to learn is to remain curious. A curious mind dives beneath the surface of common acceptance to unravel the details driving the process.  Why not ask why?
Here are some tips on learning through curiosity:

• Suspend Judgment– when you keep an open mind you shut down the filters that subtly distort the reality of what you are experiencing, this will help you see things with new perspective and fresh insights
• Ask Questions -what, why, when, who, where, and how give curious leaders the ability to dig deeper beneath the surface of what is going on around them
• Expand Your Horizons – read a book in a different genre, participate in an event that you’ve never been to or vacation somewhere new. Don’t spend all your time in just one world; take a look at other worlds. It will introduce you to the possibilities and excitement of the other worlds which may spark your interest to explore them further.

The benefits of being curious are multifold. You will learn more. You will be a more effective observer which translates into more effective leadership. You will open up new worlds of possibilities. Being curious ensures that your mind remains active rather than on passive auto-pilot. Be a leader and learn through curiosity.


“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” ~ Albert Einstein

1. Clarify the Current Reality

You can’t get anywhere without knowing your starting point. So the first step to success is to get clear on where you are.

• Assess your starting position
• Challenge your assumptions
• Gather data to validate the current reality

2. Create a Picture of the Future

Too often business success is all about a new system, process or structure. What is the new story? Can you simply explain the future in a way that evokes a visceral response? This is hard work but worth it.

3. Define the Path

Connect the dots between the current reality and the picture of the future. Once you know where you are and where you are going you have to think about the options for moving from one to the other.

Successful organizations are their own worst enemy when their success breeds inertia. As customers and markets conditions change, organizations must continually renew themselves to remain viable in the future.

The oft quoted definition of insanity is to “continue doing what you are doing while expecting different results.”  To renew an organization requires doing something different.

There are five critical leadership actions required to develop competency in simultaneously meeting the challenges of today’s marketplace while maintaining a future focus ready to adapt to continuously changing conditions:

1. Get the right people in the right places – increases productivity
2. Remove barriers (breakdown silos) – enhances  flexibility
3. Empower employees – builds employee commitment
4. Learn and improve continuously – prevents stagnation
5. Shift mindsets and behavior – culture change

Leaders must be courageous to lead this transformational change. Leaders cannot play it safe and hope for something to get better. The pace of change is increasing and if you do not adapt you may perish with the likes of Kodak, Blockbuster and Borders.

There is a pattern in the actions and activities that lead to high performing, agile cultures. When an organization consistently builds and reinforces such a culture, it creates a competitive edge.

We’ve talked with multiple clients in a variety of industries and a range of sizes. They are all struggling with a common issue, “how do we continue to produce positive results now while we build for future success in a changing environment?” The answer is in the essence of who they are. It’s all about their culture.

Culture is the shared patterns of belief and behavior that create an outcome. When it’s time to change the outcome, it’s time to change the culture. You cannot define a new strategy and expect success without addressing culture. Three Simple Steps to Success:

• Step One: Assess – where you are and how you rate against other high performing cultures to get an accurate understanding of your current reality. An assessment will reveal your organizational strengths.
• Step Two: Define – your future reality; what strengths you will build on and what needs redefined or restructured to achieve the future reality. Many organizations are recognizing the need to be agile or adapt to a variety of changing environmental factors. This requires culture change to incorporate new beliefs and behaviors.
• Step Three: Align – what you do and what you say. To achieve culture change there are a series of alignment steps that support employees as they build on strength and transition to new beliefs and behaviors. Maintaining this alignment is one of the most challenging aspects of culture change. It requires continuous reinforcement and realignment.