By:
On:
In: Communication Best Practices

The days of show and tell meetings are over. No, not the show and tell that we did back in grade school where we brought in our pet snake, souvenirs from vacation or science project and presented to the class. (Although, that was fun. Life was so easy back then!) I am referring to the workplace where we sometimes hold meetings for the sole purpose of “show and tell”. 1) What is a Show and Tell Meeting? A show and tell meeting is one where the communication is primarily one way and covers information that is readily available to read on your own in aRead More →

By:
On:
In: Achieving Operations Goals, Customer Experience, Operations Best Practices

Sales wants to add as many customizations as possible, but operations wants sales to sell “what is on the truck” already. I have seen this natural conflict or push/pull relationship at every company I have worked for, from packaging supplies, to online advertising to software. Having worked in both sales and ops, I have been both the requester and the rejector. What causes this conflict? Sales people want to please customers and they often believe that providing custom options and/or all the bells and whistles that the customers ask for, is what’s best for everyone. Their perspective is often about the short term gratification andRead More →

By:
On:
In: Communication Best Practices, Employee Engagement

For a number of years I have been involved in initiatives to improve employee morale and engagement, and create a more positive working environment. In my gut, I have always felt like the big, complex projects or events have a much lower impact on improving this area, versus the small things (like touch points) we can all do day in and day out. So, I was pleased when I came across the book called “TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments” by Douglas Conant and Mette Morgaard. A short aside… I came across this book while perusing the business section of myRead More →