ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - July 23, 2004

Ah, summer in Seattle! You understand, of course, that we are obligated to tell everyone that it rains all the time and not to move here ... but the last couple of weeks have been about as close to perfect as it gets! I am enjoying it while it lasts.

The project of the moment is to get the word out on the Leadership Development Project and finalize the details for the Super Summit in March. In between, look for a couple of restaurant marketing workshops with Joel Cohen in October and a pizza operations conference in November. I hope your fall will be as busy as mine!

Catching Trout
I can always count on my colleague Steve Straus to provide ideas that make you stop and think. Here is one of his recent e-coaching tips:

Rainbow trout are beautiful fish. They're strong and energetic, and live in beautiful streams. Do you know how to catch one? Use a shiny lure. Trout fall for the next shining lure every time .... and they get caught.

Do you let shiny lures distract you from what you're working on? Some shiny lures are: the next great idea, the next big profit opportunity, the next cool business. You know what shiny lures are, they show up all the time. So do be aware of what's around you. Just don't chase everything, or you'll get caught.

Click here to get on the list for Steve's (free) weekly tip.

Watch for Runaways
How loyal is your crew? If they were offered an additional 50 cents an hour, would they jump ship? While the economy is still down an unemployment is still up, now is the time to get serious about staff development. If you do not take advantage of this window to talk to your crew about a career ... and then help them start putting one together ... you could be scrambling when things start heating up again.

While we are at it, are you the sort of boss that you would like to work for? Do you take the time to connect with your crew every day? Do you praise more often than you criticize? Do you give your crew the benefit of the doubt? Do you listen well?

Bear in mind that people do not leave companies, they leave managers. What did you learn from YOUR staff today?

Leadership Development Project
Recently I had an interesting conversation with a client. She said, "If my business is going to be able to grow the way I want it to, I must get my managers to a level of understanding where I can talk with them and have them grasp what I am getting at. They know how to handle the mechanics of their jobs but the people skills and a sense of the "bigger picture" are missing. I do not have the time, the inclination or the ability to teach these skills to them myself, but they are critical to our long term success. Can you help?"

If this plight strikes a familiar tone, you will want to know about a year-long management development program that I have created in cooperation with human relations guru Robert Kausen. It is a unique learning experience that we call the Leadership Development Project.

If you ever think ... like my client ... that you need to get your managers up to speed sooner rather than later, if you ever feel that your business has a potential far greater than what it has demonstrated to date, or if you generally think that "there HAS to be an easier way to do this," please take a few minutes to download the full story. Just click on the link below.

There is nothing like the Leadership Development Project anywhere in our industry. It is not cheap ... and it is not for everyone. But if it is a good fit for you, I promise that your business (and your life) is about to change for the better.

Click here to download a PDF with the full story.

The Perpetual Question
What did you learn from your staff today?

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