Repeating The Same Thing Over And Over Isn't Going To Make Them Listen

Do You Ever Find Yourself Repeating Things To An Employee (or your child)?

When you find yourself in the situation of repeating yourself for the first time (you've said it once, they didn't respond, and now you are saying it a second time), it's important to realize that the thought process / personal commitment wasn't really there for them to change their behavior - the first time. So rather than saying it again and only getting frustrated with their lack of response, it's time to lead them through the process of commitment (even if it means a few extra minutes with them).

Remember, slow is fast when it comes to relationships.

Commitment takes shared meaning - an understanding of "why" as much as understanding "what". And in many cases it requires actual personal participation (even if on a very simple level) through their getting an opportunity to provide input into the solution, or at least being heard.

Commitment from others to your idea doesn't take you telling them. No instead it takes "being heard and understood".

And once your employees (or anyone else) feels heard and understood, (not agreed with, but understood) and believes that you have at least considered their point of view, it's amazing how quickly they can and will get involved and commit to the solution.

On These Issues, Invite Them Into The Process . . . Don't Exclude Them.

So, invite those whom you are trying to lead into a discussion - share with them why you are stating what you are stating and invite them to share their feelings. The key though is that you must listen . . . empathetically. The solution doesn't have to change (but it might). But by being heard they will become considerably more committed in their own mind to the solution and the process you are asking them to participate in.

For example, A couple of months ago, I told my kids to clean up the horse manure in our pasture as part of their chores. Yeah, it's a lot of work, but it's not "hard work" per se. Being the loving children they are, they agreed to do it. But in truth, they had made not internalized the effort or committed to it, because all they could see was the barriers, they didn't get a chance to speak their mind or really get a chance to understand my reasons.

So over the past month and a half, I've been hounding them to clean up the pasture. I would get OKs, but no action ever really resulted. I failed to listen to them, understand their obstacles, their issues, and truly invited them into the process. there was no shared meaning /no shared agreement. They were agreeing because I told them to, not because they committed to it.

The Solution Is Leadership And A Commitment To Include, Not Dictate

In most cases (especially in business), people try to buy commitment with pay. But what they don't realize is that by doing that, they aren't getting commitment to the job, they are getting commitment to the pay. There is a big difference, and you don't have to go too far down any Main Street in America to see employees who are getting paid (often quite well) with little or no commitment to what they are doing.

So, all that being said, there are two things to gaining commitment to a process or idea.

- Have a open dialog about it - sharing the facts as you see them and your feelings and opinion and inviting them to do the same.
- Provide a solution and / or ask them to contribute a solution to the discussion and find the best solutions together.

This is more work than telling - and it is work that most of us try to avoid. But this is Leadership. Dictatorial direction works fine to a certain point with employees (and in my case) kids, but eventually they revolt back. And yes I understand that sometimes for safety reasons, there is no time for discussion, but those are rare.

Whenever possible, whether you are working with your employees, your spouse, your kids or anyone you are trying to "influence" in any way, take few minutes and discuss - the results will amaze you. Because as a result of your discussion, not only will you get a whole new level of commitment, but any discussion that you have to have in the future over failure to fulfill the agreed upon tasks will be completely different than any one you have currently. Because they won't only have let you down, but they will have let themselves down - turned their back on their own commitments.

Leaders Start By Leading Themselves . . . First

Leaders Set Standards and Goals First For Themselves

The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.

Ray Kroc

We are all leaders - leaders of our businesses, leaders of our families and yes . . . even leaders of our own lives. And before its possible to lead anyone else, you must first learn how to lead your own life and follow your own guidelines and standards. Because if you don't believe in and follow the ideals that you espouse, then no one else will either.

I know that may sound funny - following yourself, but it is something that happens more than you think - or it doesn't.

Your subconscious mind will follow your conscious lead. It will believe and follow you to the ends of the earth, if you truly believe and act on your words - and not just say them. But this requires integrity - consistency of action and deed - "Walking your Talk".

You have to live with integrity, be consistent and focus on the standards (and goals) within your life or your subconscious will not follow. Because when it comes right down to it, you, of all people, know when you are telling the truth and when you aren't. And you can pretend to lie to yourself, but your subconscious doesn't always follow your words - it follows your deeds.

What are the standards you set for yourself?

Do you have daily expectations that you hold yourself accountable to?

Do you have weekly, monthly, or even yearly goals that you review and ensure that you are fulfilling - again doing so with accountability in your life?

Or do you simply go about life, living willy-nilly - just doing a cursory review every year on how things went on New Year's Eve and on your milestone Birthdays.

When you say you are going to do something, do you deliver on your promise to others? To yourself?

These are all tough questions . . . intended to challenge you and get you to look at yourself differently. Most people I talk to want to change their surroundings but don't, but rarely follow their own lead.

So if you want to lead "Change" in this world, start first by leading yourself . . . and following your own advice and words. Or you should expect that no one else will either.

How Effective Is Your Network?

It's not what you know, but who you know.

We've all heard that adage before. But I'm hear to tell you, it doesn't even matter "who you know", if they aren't willing to help you.

So the more prudent statement is "It's not what or who you know, but what will who you know do for you."

Try saying that ten times fast.

The Numbers Don't Matter

On Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, or any other network, it seems that people are running around trying build numbers. How many can I get and how quickly can I get them?

Unfortunately, the numbers don't matter, if none of those friends or followers will act on your behalf.

It IS About Trust, Influence, and Leadership

Effective networking is about influence. It's about building trust and about getting others to believe you are who you say you are . In essence, it's about leadership.

And because the ultimate purpose of networking is to get others to take action (how ever you may define that action), it's about getting them to BELIEVE in you.

So, how then, do you effectively build a network? How do you get others to trust and believe in you?

Is it through Social Media tools? Is it via face-to-face "networking" meetings? Or can you do it through others methods?

The answer to all of those questions is a resounding YES! You can build your network via any form of communication that you choose, face-to-face, telephone, email, social media, radio, tv, or any other form of communication that you can think of. The system isn't the key - what and how you say it is. And the most effective networks are built on the foundation of interactive communication - not broadcast communication. Which means that not only do you have to be able to talk or write, but also, listen, read, . . . and empathize.

And in spite of every one out there telling you that you can build an effective online network overnight "by taking their advice" or by using their tool, it's simply not true. Don't buy into their lies or their gimmicks.

Networking, effective networking where you can both trust and be trusted by the people in your "group", takes time, commitment and a lot of elbow grease. You have to be willing to talk to people, learn about them, understand them, give and take in the relationship, and of course be trustworthy. Or you will end up with a lot of acquaintances - and very few friends that will act on your behalf.

So, stop just looking at the numbers in your network - numbers don't tell the whole truth. Instead, start looking at the effectiveness of your network, and that requires you to honestly assess how much influence you have over your network of friends, or how little.

Make Goals Actionable!

One of the key jobs of a leader is to both define the vision of an organization and to help set it's goals. Unfortunately, though, most goals set by leaders lack "Action-ability" for those whose responsibility it is to make the goals a reality.

That is to say that the goals set by leadership are great organizational goals, but the lower ranks of the organization, the employees, struggle understanding how THEIR actions can and will help achieve the goals.

So, along with the setting large "top level" goals that drive the organization in the direction it needs to go, great leaders also break down the big goals into action-able goals for each segment of the organization.

An Example From Naval Aviation

"On the average" there is at least one major accident / incident that either takes a Sailor's life or hurts him severely every time a Carrier Battle Group (the Aircraft Carrier and it's supporting entourage) prepares for and ships out for a 6-Month Deployment.

As such, to be inspirational and to change the "seemingly inevitable outcome", every Commanding Officer, preparing to deploy, sets a goal of NO Major Accidents and ZERO fatalities for the cycle. It is a very worthy goal - one that everybody on the crew can get behind.

Unfortunately, this goal lacks action-ability at the individual level.

The goal is intended to inspire the crew to "be safe" in everything they do. But too often, most sailors get a "salty" attitude after being at sea for a while that makes them think that it's not them that is going to get hurt, but instead SOMEONE else. "Salty Sailors" loose their focus on their own "personal" safety, believing the individuals that are going to get hurt or cause an accident are the "newbies" of the crew.

Although it is likely that the "green" crew members are most likely to be accident prone, on the flight deck of an Aircraft Carrier at sea, it only takes a second of inattention to detail and you could lose your life - flight deck ops are not age discriminate.

Unfortunately, very rarely is this goal of "NO Major Accidents and ZERO Fatalities" met.

As it turns out, in my last Squadron, I had one Skipper who refused to set that goal. In fact as a command (our squadron), we had no organizational-wide safety goals. He didn't like the idea of big goals, because he didn't feel that it was "actionable" by each person. Based on his experience, a command wide safety was TOO BIG, and left the average sailor dis-empowered to take action - putting all the burden on every one else.

Instead, for the deployment, he had every person in the squadron commit to setting a personal goal of coming home safely with no major injuries. He empowered each member of our squadron to achieve their own "personal" goal of a safe return . . . and it worked.

Think about it. By changing the goal from a command-wide goal to individual goals, each sailor felt ownership - could see how they were able to directly contribute to the goal.

Turn Your Larger Goals Into Action-able Plans

The truth is what my old Commanding Officer really did was put "actionability" into the bigger goal. And he did so by putting personal accountability into the process.

Large goals are important - they create eustress that draws your forward. But the when it comes to living each day, "Large Goals" are tough. It's often hard to decide what needs to be done each and every day, when the goals are "too big".

Doubling your sales and / or profits on a business level or wanting to lose 25 pounds within 1 year on a personal level is wonderful. But what does that mean you have to do TODAY.

When it comes living your goals, your "actionability" doesn't go any further than today. It doesn't do any good to worry about what you are going to do next week, next month or even tomorrow. TODAY is all you can affect.

Make sure that your goals are turned into actionable plans, that include small bite sized, manageable tasks that you can focus on and accomplish. And when you build your plan correctly, each small step you take, gets you a step closer to your Large Goal.

Bottom line - Focus your energy on what you CAN do today - the action-able little steps that make the big goals a reality over time.

They Are Getting Rich Selling You Ideas - Not Providing You Solutions

As I go through my morning routine, looking for something great to discuss in the blog today, I can't help but laugh. Every other blog or web-page is selling something. They are selling the "best ideas" on how you can change your life or change your business. In fact, one Blog I found talks about the 50 Marketing Tips that will generate customers for you immediately. Another provides the Top 11 Great Sales Tips to turn a No into a Yes.

Guess what? They all work - and at the same time . . . none of them work.

The truth is, there are thousands of consultants (and yes, even coaches, present company included) who are selling their ideas to be the "be all, end all" of your problem solving needs. And do you know who is making all the money with their ideas? THEY ARE.

As I tell all my clients, there are no magical seeds or perfect solutions for every business. What it takes is a Just Do It attitude more than anything else.

Don't get me wrong - you need the information that these gurus are providing you - they do have some great ideas. But what you need more than the ideas is the commitment and dedication to doing what they say, measure how well it is working for you, and then making a sound business decision (based on the numbers, not feelings) on whether to keep it up (and for how long) or try something else.

Everything takes time. Marketing doesn't happen overnight. Leadership is not a skill you master after going to a class. Customer service requires dedication and commitment to putting the customer first each and every day - it's never ending. Sales usually requires getting nine "NOs" just so you can get to the one "YES". If you quit halfway (or even nine tenths) into the process of any of these things, you will see the process as a failure. When in fact the only failure was that you quit.

So commit and dedicate what it takes to make the change to reach the goals you want. And start today - change occurs the minute you decide to make it. And believe it or not, the decision and commitment to act is more important than what you decide.

Motivate Yourself And Your Employees

Some people work with pride and integrity simply because they believe in what they are doing, believe in the vision of the company and love that they GET to do it every day.

While others work only for the pay they receive with the attitude that they HAVE to do it - often with hate for the company they work for dislike for the team they a part of.

Which are you?

And more importantly, which is the best description for the people that work for you?

Attitude is everything. I don't care what you do for a living, if you enjoy what you do, and look forward to doing it everyday - it will show. You will work harder and be more productive than those who don't care.

And believe it or not, attitude towards our jobs, whether you are flipping burgers for local fast food restaurant, piloting 747s for a major airline, or CEO of a Fortune 100 Business, can be predicted, relatively accurately, based on how people respond to a few specific questions. These questions are:

1. Do I understand and believe in the vision of the business I'm working for?
2. Do I clearly understand my role in the organization, including the responsibilities I have and how I will be judged / rated in performing this job?
3. Do I believe the rewards (compensation) are fair throughout the business - based on performance and not something arbitrary, like color of skin, age, sex, or personal / familial relationships? And that you are being fairly compensated for what you do?
4. Do I have the training I need to do my job properly?
5. Do I have all the tools and procedures I need to fulfill my responsibilities?
6. Are my talents recognized and understood by my superiors?
7. Am I encouraged to use my individual talents to fulfill my daily activities or through some other process?
8. Is it clear to me how I can improve myself and am I given full capacity to do so?

The more questions you can answer above with a resounding YES, the more likely you enjoy what you are doing, the more positive your attitude will be every day and the more motivated and committed to the job you will be. However, conversely, the more NOs, that you answer, the more likely you will feel discouraged, disenfranchised, and simply working for the pay, and not because you enjoy it.

Ask yourself these questions and ask them of your employees. Don't just do it once, make it a system that you rely on to understand the state of your business as much as any financial or sales analysis.

Do your best to encourage everyone to answer honestly. Work not just to make yourself and them happy and to give them more pay, but instead to turn your and their NOs to YESes. Figure out where you and your senior team lack in leading those who do the hard work everyday.

And watch your business grow in ways you wouldn't have expected, with such simple, "soft" techniques. Because when you have motivated employees and motivated leaders, who GET come to work everyday to do what they enjoy doing, and not HAVE to come to work in order to pay their bills, you will reap the benefits of Higher Customer Satisfaction, Larger Market Share, Better Employee Retention and More Productive Employees. Oh and let's not forget, more money in the bottom line - and cash in your back account.

It May Be Easy, But Being A "Yes Man" Isn't The Solution

Most people think that there are two extremes and one middle position when it comes to communicating in the workspace. These include the guys that are always on the side of the boss (kissing up to get promoted), on the opposite extreme always arguing with the boss (and constantly fearful for their job), or right in the middle saying nothing at all.

The first is more affectionately known as the "Yes-Man". We all know this guy - he agrees with everything the boss says - no matter how stupid it is and no matter wrong it is for the organization. He is affirming to the end. The funny thing is that the "Yes-Man" will tell you he is looking out for the company, always trying to do the right thing, but what he is really concerned about is his own butt.

The second is the "Antagonist". In the business world, this is the guy who speaks his mind - NO MATTER WHAT! He is uncouth, and will say anything at any time - regardless of the consequence. He will tell you that he is speaking his mind because that is who he is - and he is only looking out for the best interest of the organization. Unfortunately, again, his motivations also tend to be more self-centered, because he's not really looking at the best interest of the organization, he's just covering his butt, for when he knows it's going to fail.

The third is the silent majority in every organization. They are quite honestly, the worst of the three, because they often have great insights on the organization, but are so afraid of being labeled a "Yes Man" or an "Antagonist" that they just sit silently. Like the other two - they justify their silence in the name of helping the organization - the truth is they are committed only to themselves - not their organization

However, there is a fourth option - one that is not a "Yes-Man", an "Antagonist", or the "Silent Type". Who is this guy? He's a Leader. He's the one who listens to the arguments of others and still speaks his mind completely -regardless of his position in the organizational structure. He is confident and forthright. But this guy does it differently than the "Antagonist", because he speaks from the perspective of understanding others points of view and does it so as to always get invited back for future discussions. He is respectful, but forthright and open.

And unlike the other three examples where their influence in the company ends at the edge of the desk, the "Leader" actually has leverage with every level of the organization - his subordinates love him, his peers seek him out, and his superiors want him at every meeting that he has time to be at. He influences teams and individuals at all levels, not because his ideas are better than any others, but because he manages to speak his mind in such a way that people actually seek him out for his opinion - even when they know he most likely will disagree with them.

So, who are you? Are you . . .

a YES MAN?

an ANTAGONIST?

one of the SILENT MAJORITY?

or are you a LEADER?

Personal Leadership - Commitment to your Goals

As a Business and Personal Coach, I challenge my clients regularly to look at themselves, their lives and their businesses and ask how committed they are to what they want. Some are honest about their level of commitment, while others only think they are. I can usually tell the difference right away, but it often takes weeks (or even months) for them to tell the difference.

Getting people to face the truth about what it truly means to be committed is tough. And to be quite honest, as I look back, I'm not sure how committed I have been in my own life - and how much I just hoped that things would work out for me. It's something I work on every day.

For example, many years ago, as a pilot in the Navy I tried to become a Blue Angel for three straight years. It was a goal of mine – one I thought I was committed to. Needless to say, it didn't happen. But to be honest, I “wanted” it more than I was willing to do to make it happen. I thought I did everything that I could do to become one - but I refused to look honestly at what I was doing - and my real level of commitment.

If I had truly wanted to be a Blue Angel and was committed to it (willing to do whatever it would have taken), things might have been different. As I look back, I didn't give it everything I had - I didn't do whatever it took. And for years I was bitter about it - blaming the system, instead of looking at where my heart really was. Why I wasn't doing a very obvious thing that would have made a very big difference in my pursuit.

Do I have regrets? Yes. But not because I didn't become a Blue Angel. I have regrets because I created a goal for myself, haphazardly, and in many ways, recklessly, without truly committing to it. And had I achieved that goal, without truly giving myself to it, I would have perpetuated an attitude that would have eventually caught up to me.

Today, in my practice, I define Commitment as the willingness to do whatever it takes within the bounds of your morale code (core values) to accomplish what you set out to accomplish - whether it be a simple goal or a long term vision.

Everyday, I work with small business owners, executives, and individuals - helping them set goals - often prodding them (considerably) to push themselves beyond what they would normally achieve given their current thought processes and actions.

Unfortunately, I have found that most people's commitment to their goals is only moderate at best. They tend to spend more time hoping for their goals to come true than they do taking planned actions to make them come true.

True commitment is hard, but it is achievable. We see it every day - when we see greatness - and hear of stories when people have overcome great odds. However, it is very rare to find without some kind of outside force holding that person accountable to achieving what they set out to accomplish.

As children, we rely on many accountability partners in our lives, our parents, our teachers, our athletic coaches, and often times even our friend. And as adults, many find friends or family member to be helpful in this capacity, but that's the exception – because a real accountability partner must stay objective with you – not allowing the relationship to cloud their thoughts. So many of us, myself included, turn to outside individuals to help us stay committed to our goal and hire professionals to assist us: Personal and Business Coaches, Personal Trainers, Health Coaches, Mentors, and Career Coaches are just a few examples that people turn to to keep them on track.

So, not I leave you with a few closing questions to Stop and think about:

• How committed are you to your health goals?

• Do you just want them or are you willing to do whatever it takes?

• Are you living a healthy lifestyle, every day – all day, or a you just pretending to?

• Who is YOUR accountability partner

As I said in the beginning, most people think they are committed to their goals, but rarely are. If you want to lose weight, have a better body, live longer and healthier, or improve any aspect of your life then stopping just saying you want those things and commit the energy and time they require . . . Make those goals a reality.

Think you can't learn from your kids?

Why is it that most people overlook some of the simplest, but yet most profound, teachers in our society? Young children. Yep, many times they can teach us more about "grown-up" life and who we are / want to be than we may realize.

Lea of Lea's Blogging Life tells a quick story of her two young girls interacting while doing yoga together. The story provides great life lessons that we all can gain from - including those out there that struggle with making the simplest lessons "too complex" to learn.

Take some time and watch the youth in your life. Watch the way they play and watch how they learn. And then take some time to reflect on what you see. There are life lessons all around us. They are lessons that have applicability to many situations - so long as you slow down long enough to learn them.

Sales Management & Leadership - Effective Communication Is the Foundation

Let's take Tom Schaber's blog entry on Sales Management and Leadership to the next level. Effective communication isn't just for Sales Managers - it's key for anyone who is on a team - whether you are the leader of the team or just a team member.

Truth is, "Communication" is the underlying key of any relationship. And communication requires trust. Which in this context, is not referring to trusting someone will do what they are told. Instead, in this context, it refers "trusted" and open communication.

Trusted communication exists when each person respects all other members of a team and has their best interests in mind as well as the best interest of the team when communicating with each other. They will listen respectfully and be open to the words spoken - as well as being willing to speak their mind, knowing their words will be honored.

Think about the teams you are on - whether you are the leader of the team or just a member. Do you feel safe to say what's on your mind? Do others listen and respect your opinion? Do you make others feel safe to speak their mind?

Do you trust the others on the team enough to openly speak their mind? Are you trustworthy enough that others feel safe speaking their mind in front of you?

Think hard about the answers to those questions.

I would like to say that it is the leaders responsibility to make all of this happen - but in most situations, the leader / manager doesn't know enough to do it on their own. And if you wait until they figure it out, you might be out of luck. So, whether you are the leader, or just a team member, make the environment you work in a trusted environment.

So what can you do to build trust in the work place? It's simple - Be Impeccable With Your Word! (The first Agreement from don Miguel Ruiz's The Four Agreements)

- Respect others opinions and stand up for them whether you agree with them or not - making sure they know you will make sure their voice is heard. Give them voice.

- Respect those that aren't present - as if they were. Don't gossip.

- Actively listen to those who do speak - doing your best to listen to their inputs so that you truly understand them.

It may take some time and, in all likelihood, it will be very tough to do. But no matter who you are, you can change how well the communication works between you and any other person or team. You simply have to make a choice to make it happen - and commit to it.

It's Easier If I Do It Myself!

Have you ever said, "It's easier for me to do it myself, than to get someone else to do it - because they either don't know how to do it or they don't know how to do it right."

I can't tell you how many times I've said, thought, or heard those words over the course of my lifetime. And quite honestly, when you live only for the here and now, it is true. But, unfortunately, in most situations, if you consider what you are really trying to create in the long term, it is rarely the right response.

Sadly, in today's world, most of us live only for the short term - here and now - and forever live frustrated with this attitude.

So, if you want to be a business of one for the rest of your life, always doing everything yourself, then that attitude works just great for you. Just recognize that when you are a business of one, then quite honestly, you aren't a business at all - you are just self-employed (and pretending to run a business) - present company included.

This may surprise you, but when you look over the course of history, every great leader and business owner has built systems that run his business - and his people just run the systems. So, if you want "real long term business success", whether you are an owner or a manager, then the "do it yourself" attitude is not going to get you there. Real business success is about building systems that leverage the work of others - teams of others. And just because you don't actually do the work, doesn't mean that you can't get the consistency that you want.

Now, the truth be told, it's not easy to build systems and / or teach others how to do things (let alone how to do them right), but nothing worth doing is ever easy. There are times when you have to do things yourself - but more times than not, it just feels that way.

Unfortunately, this is not a habit you are going to break overnight. It takes time. The best way to attack the problem is to start small. Find a single task that only you can do right now, figure out how you do it, write it down and hand the responsibility to someone under you. Oh, but wait. There is two more things that you must do to ensure success. And these are the two steps that are most commonly left out.

The first is defining what is unacceptable, acceptable and great results. This means that not only do you have to give them the procedures to work with, but you also have to tell them and show them what the measures of success of that system are - how you are going to judge their performance on the job.

The second thing that is often forgotten is actually training them how to do the job, until there is no doubt in both of your minds that they know both what to do and what the end result should look like.

Then, sit back and enjoy your newly found time off. Right?

Wrong!

You job is now ensuring that the system is followed. You must hold the newly trained employee to produce what is expected. In the early stages, you may need to spend a bit more time with them. But as you gain confidence in their understanding of the process, and they gain understanding of the desired results and your commitment to achieving them, they will perform.

Then and only then, do you get to sit back and relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor . . . and theirs.

That is until you start the whole process over on the next procedure.

The Real Cause of Nearly All Employee Problems

From what I hear when I talk to my clients (or talk to business owners in general), one of the biggest struggles they face is leading / managing employees. And it's a problem that never seems to go away, regardless of the employee. In fact, besides marketing / sales, from what I hear in my discussions, it is the most troubling problem of most small businesses. Unfortunately, from my experience in military / government, as well as talking to many who are in medium / large corporations, the problem isn't just a small business problem. It a global problem.

The ultimate question is,

"Is it the employees fault or is the leader's / manager's fault?

My response lies in something an old Navy buddy used to say. He'd say "JJ, if you walk into a room and everybody else in the room is *screwed up - maybe it isn't everyone else."

Ok, so what's the moral of that quote?

Well, I guess it's that if you continually have problems with employees, then maybe the problems with employees is just a symptom of a bigger problem. Because they are most likely just reflecting your leadership - or a lack thereof.

So, you have two choices before you. Either you can continue to blame your employees because most of them never seem to get "it". Or you can look in the mirror and make the real commitment to the only change that is within your power in this situation - a commitment to become a better leader.

So, if this is something that is keeping you up at night, do something about it. Before it's too late, look at the mirror and commit to becoming a better leader - make it a goal, make a plan on how you are going to do it and build in a method of accountability so that you won't give up.


* Ok, my buddy didn't really use the word "screwed", but you didn't come to this blog to read a bunch of "Sailor-trash" language.