Robin’s family has a moving business, now run by her brother, Jim. Robin shared with me that one client hired Jim to move a heavy safe into their basement. While navigating a narrow staircase, Jim scraped the wall slightly. Even though this wall was very scratched up already, Jim felt an obligation to admit his error. When he showed this ...
In 1910, according to historyonthenet.com, the White Star Line’s brochure praised their Olympic and Titanic ships, including the statement, “these two wonderful vessels are designed to be unsinkable.” By the maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912 the ship’s reputation became such that a deckhand reportedly said, “God himself could not sink this ship!” On April 15, 1912, the White ...
Tad Edwards is a 4th generation descendant of the former AG Edwards & Company’s founder. As a young man he watched his father grow the number of company branches into the thousands. Tad wondered aloud, “How do you make that kind of growth sustainable?” Tad’s father said, “If you lower your hiring standards for the sake of growth, it will ...
Early in our nation, our Congressmen and Senator’s tenure averaged approximately 4 years. According to a Congressional Research Service report, tenure more recently, however, has increased to 10 years with multiple members of Congress serving more than 40 years! Power can become harmful to the nation and to the individual. Today’s a good day to reflect on leaders like President ...
One Saturday, as a teenager, my grandfather instructed me to remove the front tires on a car he was repairing so that he could replace the brakes. One tire had a lug nut that wouldn’t budge. After many attempts, I finally told my grandfather that the lug nut was impossible to remove. He sprayed some WD-40 on the lug nut ...
As we remember Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, it’s a great day to remember the importance of doing the right thing, even when unpopular. With half of the nation at war, President Lincoln was very unpopular with most of the nation. Yet, he persevered with abolishing slavery and fighting secession of the South. Today Lincoln is widely celebrated as one of the ...
Our youngest daughter, Bekah, noticed the oil light when it first surfaced, but she thought it was a “suggestion” to get her oil changed. She scheduled an oil change and kept driving. Two days later, she discovered that the light was a warning, not a suggestion! With no oil in the car, the engine “threw a rod” and ruined the ...
Years ago, I felt slighted by an organization. Over time, the conflict in my mind became even bigger, leading me to send an email to the CEO expressing my concerns. This leader never responded, leading me to even greater anger and frustration. Finally, I scheduled a time for coffee to confront the CEO directly. The meeting was an embarrassment as ...
As sexual harassment claims pile up, people previously assaulted now have more courage to speak up. Which also brings more risk that false accusations can ruin someone’s career. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission defines sexual harassment in part as, "Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature." The subjectivity of sexual ...
A Quinnipiac University Poll claims that 60% of women have been sexually harassed, 69% of those women claim it happened in the workplace. So, I asked my wife Kathy if she had ever been sexually harassed. Without hesitation, she said “Yes.” I was surprised, because I had never heard about any incidents from her. Fortunately, Kathy was able to stop ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
