Strategy sessions can solve problems, as well as spark ideas and innovation that lead to business success. At the heart of all strategy is the drive and desire to be the BEST. “Strategy is not planning — it is the making of an integrated set of choices that collectively position the firm [...]

The Nine Principles® are the glue that holds Evidence-Based Leadership together. They are probably the easiest way to communicate to …

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An employee engagement survey can be a very powerful tool within your organization. Employee engagement surveys provide important information and data regarding the perceptions of employees about their work environment. Likewise, the results from the survey can help teams identify action items [...]

Despite hardwired systems, mistakes can still be made. Therefore, it is vital to have a good service recovery process in place.

The Stoplight Report is a way to communicate how ideas, concerns, and barriers are being resolved. Items added to the Stoplight Report might be collected during check-in conversations, team meetings, or a process audit. The Stoplight Report is shared to keep the team informed of priorities for [...]

Having difficult conversations is never easy. However, it is a crucial part of being an effective leader. While it may be easier for a leader to ignore poor performance and staff feuds, delaying the conversation may tear down workplace culture. Similarly, it can negatively impact employee [...]

The D.E.S.K. approach for low performer conversations provides leaders with a guide to get through difficult conversations and cut right to the chase (Studer, 2004). Take time to prepare for these conversations as they are difficult and require practice. 

Telling people what we think about their performance doesn’t help them improve. Think about the last time you received constructive criticism. Did it actually prompt you to change your behavior? Did you agree with the person providing the feedback? Or did it provoke annoyance instead of [...]

In AASA's School Administrator magazine, Dr. Janet Pilcher discusses specific tools and tactics to achieve high performance results in the areas of student achievement, employee engagement, service excellence and financial efficiency.

Walk into a school during the month of May, and you can practically smell summer in the air – burgers on the grill, sunscreen, and exploding fireworks. Children are dreaming of long days playing with their friends, not interrupted by homework assignments and early bedtimes. Similarly, teachers [...]

You don’t succeed because you have no weaknesses; you succeed because you find your strengths and focus on developing habits around them. -Tim Ferriss According to a recent Gallup poll, only 20% of U.S. workers think their jobs use their talents, and a mere 13% say they find their work [...]

Employees are our most valuable assets, but we often don’t spend enough time making them feel valued. Have you taken time this week to recognize anyone for a specific achievement or contribution to the team? Do you have professional development conversations with your team members? Have [...]

Have you ever had a day when you did not or could not respond to email? Then when you did open your email, the number next to “inbox” was astronomical – like over 100 or even 200! How can this be? I do not know 100 people! You start to feel like you are drowning […]

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” Dalai Lama Can you remember the last time an individual went out of their way to make your day better? Even if it wasn’t recent, the act of kindness itself is most likely a vivid memory. Kindness is not only a soft skill that leaves a lasting [...]

Poor communication is often cited as the problem or one of the biggest problems existing in organizations. Ineffective communication gets in the way of a positive work culture and puts limits on the intentional practice of improvement. How do we resolve the challenges of communication with our [...]

Most leaders want to be more successful than they were yesterday and are always searching for ways to improve. Some organizations exceed results year after year. Others can’t seem to sustain. How is it that some organizations do improvement so well where others falter? To answer this, we look [...]

“Your system is not going to get any better, unless your system is focused on getting better.” It’s a candid realization sparked by Dr. Pat Greco, a leadership coach and national speaker on continuous improvement. Dr. Greco recently retired as Superintendent of School District [...]

We know that a positive culture is important for any organization’s health. In a survey by CultureIQ, 73% of respondents indicated that a great corporate culture drives competitive advantage for their company. They also reported higher engagement levels and a stronger brand. It’s often easier [...]

People have choices. Customers want to know that they can trust the services we provide. When we commit to service excellence and consistently deliver, we establish trust and a reputation that keeps our customers coming back time after time. Reputation of excellence We can establish a culture [...]