“Make no little plans, they have no magic to stir men’s blood.” This powerful quote is from Daniel Burnham, the man who planned Chicago and several other major cities. During his time the field of urban planning did not exist. Some say he invented it. Many believed Burnham’s ideas were impossible. But Burnham believed in…
How much time do you spend on the “low performers” in your organization? If you are like the majority of leaders, the bulk of your time is spent dealing with a few employees. Low performers drain a leader’s time and energy. Both of which could be used to further inspire higher performers. It’s no surprise that low…
I’m always interested to see how other businesses work. I don’t just mean the nuts and bolts; I’m fascinated by communications and culture in the workplace. (Translation: I’m a nerd!) I love reading those lists of the best places to work—not so much for the onsite pools and restaurants (although those would certainly be nice!), but for…
This week I listened to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” address. A speech that, though less than 18 minutes long, managed to inspire countless people. I find it truly amazing that despite such a dim reality King refused to accept the status quo. Refusal to accept the status quo…most leaders could learn from this…
This second part of Steve Moran’s interview with me on person centered care for his blog, seniorhousingforum.net, originally appeared on January 12, 2014. You can read part one of this interview here. As you know, a number of months ago, in an article I wrote about the nursing home industry, I made this statement: “Nursing Homes Suck” which got me…
Steve Moran’s interview with me for his blog, seniorhousingforum.net, originally appeared on January 12, 2014. I met Denise Scott in a very unique way. I was on the floor of the trade show at LeadingAge in Denver and felt someone slug me in the shoulder, not hard, but in that kind of friendly, “I haven’t seen you…
It seems like leaders tend to be divided into two camps: those who criticize every little thing, and those who never criticize anything. Both can be equally destructive. I talked about being overly negative—correcting every little thing instead of giving meaningful compliments. I suggested staying away from negative comments and focusing on praising positive behaviors….
Chances are you set some goals for 2013. You probably sat with a group of managers and made a list of items you’d like to work on in 2013. From that list you spent a significant amount of time figuring out what the priorities are, because there is never enough time or money to do…
Merry Christmas! I’ll be celebrating with my family on Long Island and then it’s off for a spontaneous trip to Dublin for New Year’s Eve. (Be careful when reading travel specials online, you can convince yourself that irrational trips make sense!) You are undoubtedly busy at this time of year with work and home, so…
