Are you by design or by default?

Is your corporate cultureBy Design” or “By Default“?

Do you even know what I’m taking about?

Is your personal cultureBy Design” or “By Default“?

Or, does your culture “just sort of happen”?

I’d bet a majority of you still don’t know what I’m talking about.  That’s ok.  No worries.  Hakuna matata.

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

Make your day purposeful, by design.  If you don’t, who will?  Carpe diem, jungle jeff  🙂

Because Walt said so, that’s why!

Ever heard that phrase, the one that an angry, frustrated adult might say to a young child, “Because I said so?”

Most of us have heard it.  Most of us have also said it.  “Because I said so!”

I know when I hear an adult saying this to a child, there is absolutely no mistaking who’s in charge, is there?

It’s crystal clear, isn’t it?

Why?  Not really sure.  It just is.  Period.  End of story.

Same with the Walt Disney Company.

Why do they focus on, and some might even say obsess over, the small details that most people will never notice?

Because Walt said so!

That’s good enough for me.  I’ve heard enough stories about what their founder valued that it’s crystal clear to me what I should do everyday.

How is it with you and your people, in your organization?

Most people haven’t got time, or motivation, to think about simple questions like this.

And people wonder why it’s so challenging to get people motivated to do a great (not good) job.

I’m certain, today, that being a great organization starts with me.

What are you certain about?

Please consider making it a GREAT day, because if you don’t, who will?  Carpe diem, jungle jeff  🙂

Do you love what you do?

Do you love what you do?

Ever heard, “Do what you love and you’ll never have to work another day in your life?”

I hope you love what you do.  Where I work, we strive to hire people for positions they will most likely enjoy and are naturally suited for.

It’s called “right-fit talent”.

My wife spent ten years in a very large employment office in Central Florida. I conducted hundreds of interviews myself. So, I know the process intimately.

Want a simple answer? One that’s so easy, even a caveman can understand?

Hire people in positions where they “get to do” more than they “have to do”. It’s unsophisticated and maybe even too simple for senior HR professionals who have their own corporate HR jargon.

Do you “get to do” more than you “have to do“? How about the people who work for you and/or report to you?

Make it a GREAT day, because if you don’t, who will? If you’re a leader, the people around you are looking for “cool, calm, collected – optimistic, hopeful, inspiring“. Carpe diem, jungle jeff 🙂

Know the mistake smart people make?

Wanna know one of the biggest mistakes smart people make?

Sophisticated and intelligent, most organizations wordsmith their vision, mission and brand statements for the benefit of looking good to Wall Street and their Board of Directors.

Here’s the paradox, in a quote from someone really smart.

Complexity holds people back from acting because they don’t know which action will have impact”.

What smart person said that?

It was Bill Gates, in a Rolling Stone article I read in October 2007.

Next question.

Do you agree with Bill? Why or why not?

Wanna know my opinion?  It sounds bloody brilliant to me.

Many organizations are tempted to put together various “decks” with really cool, lofty, even inspirational stuff. That’s what great organizations do, right?

They capture the essence of the vision, mission, brand, etc. on “paper”, so that new and existing employees will be fully engaged, and committed.

Here’s the paradox: People are too busy to remember what you’re really trying to say.

My mission is to help people take it from the paper to the floor.

I have many ways in which to do this. For the sake of a shorter post, I’ll stop here.

Carpe diem, make it a GREAT day for your employees, customers and shareholders. If you don’t, who will. jungle jeff 🙂