Be it in our government offices, our educational institutions, the places we work or even in our own homes, each day we’re presented with actors who think they’re portraying the role of a “successful leader”. The reality is that title exists in name only. Society is filled with two types of people: those who lead and those who simply “boss” people around. Sound familiar? There is a fine line between the two and as most of us come to realize as we journey through life, there seems to be more of the later. Leaders are not successful because of the skills they possess, but rather for the trust and respect they gain from others. These skills are not easily attained from a text book, seminar or through bullying techniques often…
June 2015. It’s somewhat unfathomable to me that almost half the calendar year is already behind us. It doesn’t seem that long ago when we were decking the halls and screaming “Happy New Year!” and yet here it is the middle of June. With every month comes another holiday to celebrate – this month it’s Father’s Day. For some reason I always seem to overlook this holiday – that is until the advertisements begin for that “perfect gift for dad”. I’ve always believed that holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and yes, even Father’s Day are holiday more about commercialism than anything else. After all, will a well-written Hallmark card oozing with sentiment and the latest electronic gizmo really show dad how much you love and appreciate him? Call…
“Nothing annoys people so much as not receiving invitations.” ― Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest Something I’ve come to miss most in my life is the regularly scheduled Sunday dinners my Italian American family used to host. Typically they were held at my grandmother’s house, with a huge bowl of pasta covered in red sauce as the centerpiece - accented by dozens of meatballs and sausages, a crunchy loaf of Italian bread and a chopped salad. I’m getting hungry just writing this! My cousins were there, aunts and uncles and me all set to enjoy the weekly gathering filled with stories, laughter and reminiscing. Regardless of your schedule, you always knew there was an open invitation at grandmas, with plenty of food, company and love of family. But…
“Your customer doesn’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” ~ Damon Richards We all hope the products and services we purchase, after great consideration, will not be met with disappointment or costly repairs. But few things in life are perfect and you’d be naïve to think that problems will not arise at one point or another. For me such problems decided to pay a visit in threes – an airline, a car company and a promotions warehouse. I wish I could say that my dealings have been noteworthy – a model for true customer service in the marketplace. But it hasn’t. As Donald Porter once said, “Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.”…
“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.” Edith Lovejoy Pierce It occurred to me recently that many of the hobbies I once found great fulfillment in have since ceased being a part of my existence. From reading books and magazines to writing poems and lyrics to composing musical arrangements on the piano – somehow they’ve all gotten away from me as the busyness of life seems to have overshadowed them. It saddened me to think how I’ve let myself forget about these treasured hobbies, which once were at the center of my being – helping me through difficult times and easing my anxieties throughout various stages…