How Important Is Culture To Effective Leadership And Employee Engagement?

April 30, 2015

Is There Such A Thing As The “Right” Culture?

Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am

Why Aren't Shoppers Shopping?

April 28, 2015

In a recent study by Timetrade, a retail/shopper marketing research organization, cites the reasons why shoppers are leaving stores empty-handed. They claim that 53% of the consumers don't know what exactly to purchase, 90% can't always find the right person to help and 85% leave without buying when they don't find the right person to give them assistance. Those are staggering numbers. It seems that all a retailer needs to do is provide better personal attention and faster service to resolve these issues. But all too often that does not occur.

Posted by Allan Steinmetz at 11:00am

Employee Engagement, Retail, Customer Service, Customer Engagement

How Well Do You REALLY Know Yourself? Effective Leaders Need To Be Authentic!

April 23, 2015

In order to inspire and engage others, leaders need to know and understand the people they manage.  But there is an important dimension to effective leadership that is often neglected because of the fast pace and constant demands that we face.  And that is to take the time to really know yourself.  That means fully understanding why you see the world the way you do, knowing your values and your non-negotiables, understanding your vision, goals, and objectives, and knowing your strengths and weaknesses.  Let’s look at each of these more closely.

Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am

Leadership, Leading Change, Self-improvement, Professional Development

Do you want to improve internal buy-in for major change initiatives? Start socializing your ideas internally.

April 21, 2015

I often get asked the question, "What is the biggest obstacle for gaining acceptance for internal change?” The answer is simple. Socialize your ideas and let your colleagues contribute to the outcome.

Posted by Allan Steinmetz at 11:00am

Employee Engagement, Change Management, Internal Communications, Socializing Change, Change Behavior

Not Much Has Changed In Levels Of Employee Engagement Over The Past 11 Years

April 16, 2015

So what should organizations do differently?

Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am

Employee Engagement

Are your employees effective brand ambassadors?

April 14, 2015

I am often asked at speaking engagements, conferences and workshops about brand ambassadors. Sometimes brand ambassadors are also called “brand champions” or ”brand evangelists”. What are they? How do you create brand ambassador programs? Are brand ambassadors internal employees or external customers? Does it happen naturally or is it managed and staged? I thought I’d take the time in this blog post to reflect and give you my definition of brand ambassadors.

Posted by Allan Steinmetz at 3:00am

Brand Ambassadors, Brand Advocacy, Employee Engagement, Advocacy Programs

If It Feels Good, Do It! Passionately!

April 9, 2015

Can you think of a job or task that you have performed in the past for which you had no passion or commitment?  Something that you were ordered to do by a superior or even a parent and that you did simply out of compliance or obedience?  How was that different from a job in which you were passionate about what you were doing?  When someone is passionate about a task or job, they are much more willing to go the extra mile and become fully engaged and committed.  Effective leaders understand that they may have the ability to order someone to do something, but they will never gain total commitment until that person shares the same values, passion, and vision as the leader.  Stan Slap wrote a book called “Bury Your Heart in Conference Room B”.  The title intrigued me so I picked up a copy.  Stan builds the case that a leader can buy temporary loyalty from an employee with stock options, bonuses, reward and recognition programs, or even equity in the company.  But they will never capture their heart until that employee feels like they can live out their values on the job.  And that commonality of values and beliefs drives a common passion that results in a strong culture of employee engagement and team alignment. [Read more...]

Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am

Change management, cultural transformation, employee engagement, leadership, tips

Rome wasn’t built in a day…and why it matters

April 7, 2015

There is an old saying, “Rome was not built in a day”. It took patience, tenacity, cooperation, a well thought-out plan, passion (and probably some back braking slave labor). History shows it took a cross- functional team to make the magnificence of Rome shine. It was not simply about the Emperor and what he envisioned, it was also about the parliamentary procedures, having an Army and the funding that made it happen. Cooperation. Shared purpose. Clarity of purpose. And vision. [Read more...]

Posted by Allan Steinmetz at 11:00am

Change management, cultural transformation, employee engagement, leadership

Technical Competency Is The Tip Of The Leadership Iceberg

April 2, 2015

What Lies Below The Surface Are Strong Interpersonal Skills

Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am

leadership, change management, cultural transformation, employee engagement, professional development