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Articles from Kevin Burns | Selfgrowth.com
- Mediocre Attitudes And The Downfall of Greatness - by Submitted on Sep 23, 2009 from Kevin BurnsIt all started innocently enough as I was looking for casters. I had this idea for a piece of exercise equipment and decided to build a prototype but I needed casters - those swivel wheels that go under office chairs, carts, etc. I had to ask three sales clerks where to find them in the big box ...
Views: 3602(3 votes) - The Attitude of "Good Enough" - by Submitted on Sep 15, 2009 from Kevin BurnsIf you've been watching TV recently, you will have seen the new commercials for GM. GM is now touting their quality - something the average consumer is certainly not used to seeing GM do. It first surprised me a little that GM decided it was time to start marketing quality over price. This is ...
Views: 3113(4 votes) - #1 In Sales Means Nothing - by Submitted on Aug 12, 2009 from Kevin BurnsThe sign in the front window of my local UPS Store reads. "#2 Store in Canada." I laugh every time I see it. It's too rare that you see a sign reading "#2" in anything. I get it though. Wayne and the staff at my UPS Store do a great job and give great service. They're always busy. Apparently ...
Views: 1439(1 vote) - Why Teamwork is a Bad Idea - by Submitted on Jul 22, 2009 from Kevin BurnsBefore you think teamwork is the answer and spend large sums of money on “team-building” exercises, maybe you should consider whether your place of business needs teams at all. Perhaps more would get done by leaving your people alone to do what they already excel at. Forcing people to join teams ...
Views: 1790(1 vote) - The Hard Truth About Soft-Skills - by Submitted on Jul 18, 2009 from Kevin BurnsThere are 350,000 opinions (books) on “leadership” on Amazon. Corporate America can’t seem to draw a consensus on what leadership is so it’s really no big surprise that Corporate America can’t figure out what soft-skills are and why they are important either. You know, for being such a ...
Views: 2412(3 votes) - The iPod and the Downfall of Social Interaction - by Submitted on Jul 10, 2009 from Kevin BurnsHow many times have you placed a call to a client, a business or a colleague or friend only to reach voice mail? Then within two or three minutes of leaving your message they call you right back. Sometimes they’re honest about it and sometimes they lie but they’ve really been using voice mail to ...
Views: 1804(1 vote) - Instant Leaders Overnight - by Submitted on Jul 07, 2009 from Kevin BurnsThe Global Leadership Forecast 2008/09 researched 12,208 business executives and 1493 Human Resource professionals across 76 countries. Seventy-five percent of executives surveyed identified improving their leadership talent as their #1 priority for organizational success. But the vast majority ...
Views: 1366(2 votes) - Leadership and Management Are Opposites - by Submitted on Jun 26, 2009 from Kevin BurnsLog into any business networking site, like LinkedIn or Ryze, and almost daily will you see someone asking a question attempting to determine the difference between Leadership and Management. What are really interesting are the people who are asking: people in management or leadership positions. ...
Views: 1575(2 votes) - Good Business Attitude Comes from Consequences - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Kevin BurnsConsequences are the guideposts of your moral compass. If there were no consequences, people would run roughshod over each other. Items in your garage would be stolen by your neighbors. Police forces would become irrelevant. You would leave the doors unlocked because, what’s the point? Business ...
Views: 1604(1 vote) - ***Career or Job? - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2009 from Kevin BurnsI met Wendy years ago when I took a job as a restaurant manager. For me, the management position was a job. It wasn’t my career as I hadn’t prepared myself to become a restaurant manager. Heck, I’d never even worked in a restaurant prior. But I had eaten in plenty of restaurants. I had a good ...
Views: 1501 - ***Is Stress Really the Problem? - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2009 from Kevin BurnsThe Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health conducted a survey to determine the Top Ten Stressors at work. Here they are: * 10. "The treadmill syndrome" - Employees who consistently have too much or too little to do create a lot of stress. * 9. "Random ...
Views: 961 - ***Hope I Didn't Complain Too Much - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2009 from Kevin BurnsI spent a little time with Bill recently. He’s in his eighties now and lives alone. He spends most of his days in front of the TV as he needs a walker to get around. He has a boarder who lives downstairs and she is supposed to fix his meals and keep him company in exchange for a substantial ...
Views: 1005 - ***The Résumé is Dead - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2009 from Kevin BurnsWhat is a résumé? It’s nothing more than a collection of things you’ve done in your work life – a sort-of “eulogy” at work. Oh sure, it may also point out some skills that you were allowed to use while on the job but it really gives no indication of your aptitude, your natural talents nor your ...
Views: 1014 - ***Memo from the Customer - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2009 from Kevin BurnsI think I missed a memo recently. I must have. The memo I missed apparently stated that if you are a cashier, a salesperson or even a “sandwich artist,” feel free to have conversations with your co-workers, your friends and other complete strangers while “serving” your current customer. When ...
Views: 1283 - ***The 2% Economic Attitude Adjustment - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2009 from Kevin BurnsI’m getting fed up with the media hysteria of the state of our economy. Sensationalism and ratings-grabs are leading the news these days and it’s sickening. Companies and their “Chicken Little” CFO’s are buying into the hysteria while sitting on piles of reserve cash. The sky is NOT falling. In ...
Views: 961 - ***The Fine-Print Attitude Adjustment - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2009 from Kevin BurnsSo what do you think would happen if you stood up in a public forum and announced, “Our Company is in trouble and we now need a big injection of cash to keep our company going. If we don’t get the cash injection, we will be forced to lay off a lot of our workers, we will have to consider closing ...
Views: 935 - ***It’s Not The Economy, Stupid - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2009 from Kevin BurnsDriving past the electronics store yesterday, a roadside billboard caught my eye. “Watch the recession in high-definition.” That was how the billboard read. My first thought was that the store manager obviously had a few leadership abilities himself. In an effort to stop his employees from ...
Views: 906 - ***The Pleasure Of Never Reaching A Goal - by Submitted on Aug 07, 2008 from Kevin BurnsI remember years ago attending a seminar on goal-setting. This was sort of a generic goal-setting workshop that had the participants write down things that they wanted to accomplish in life - a sort of "Bucket List" if you will. Then a bunch of magazines were distributed to the participants and ...
Views: 1694 - ***No Better Time For Better - by Submitted on Aug 07, 2008 from Kevin BurnsPersonally, I always thought perfectionism was another word for procrastination. Often, in the perfectionist mind, the perfectionist will say, “Since it’s unlikely this project will turn out perfectly anyway and since there is no perfect time to start, why bother?” That seems ...
Views: 944 - ***A Happy Workplace? - by Submitted on Aug 07, 2008 from Kevin BurnsA while ago, I responded to a comment on The Employee Engagement Network that asked the question about employees finding happiness in their jobs and developing a "happy" workplace. Now, if you've ever attended one of my keynote sessions, you already know that I don't subscribe to the concept of ...
Views: 2927 - ***People As Assets - by Submitted on Aug 07, 2008 from Kevin BurnsTwo houses, both thirty years-old stand side by side on a neighborhood street. Both houses are for sale. Both houses have exactly the same design and were built at the same time. One house is valued thirty percent higher than the other because the real estate agent has determined that one is ...
Views: 1132 - ***Love Relationships At Work - by Submitted on Aug 07, 2008 from Kevin BurnsI received a question this week asking, “Just wondering what your attitude would be toward a boss and subordinate starting a relationship at work and the effects on other staff?” Personally, my “attitude” when it comes to office romances is to run for the hills if ...
Views: 2506 - ***Wearing Commitment Under Your Sleeve - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2008 from Kevin BurnsHer name is Holly and she is what appears to be, a typical seventeen year-old. I first met Holly at a music recital. Children as young as six years-old each took the stage and played at least one solo piece. The audience was a gathering of family and friends of the children who had been taking ...
Views: 1195 - ***Salesman-of-the-Month Must Go - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2008 from Kevin BurnsI have been noticing in my daily newspaper these past few weeks, the sheer volume of ads touting various car dealerships’ Salesman-of-the-Month awards. Now, as much as the next guy, I understand the value of recognizing employees and their contributions. And I also get that, especially as ...
Views: 1302 - ***Older Workers Still Have Value - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2008 from Kevin BurnsPerhaps it’s my age but I find the best part of American Idol are the qualifying rounds to see who gets to go to Hollywood. Out of the tens of thousands of hopefuls only a few hundred are chosen as “good enough” to advance to the next round. It amazes me how many of the ...
Views: 1003 - ***A Complimentary Complaint - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2008 from Kevin BurnsI recently had a question to ask my bank about my business. I called the toll-free number on the web site and was connected with a gentleman who gave me the answer to my question. While we were on the phone, he also had a look at my business account and offered a couple of suggestions for new ...
Views: 950 - ***Take This Relationship Philosophy To Work - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2008 from Kevin BurnsA few months ago I was sent an email link to a video by Mark Gungor, a pastor from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Mark, in addition to being a pastor, is a facilitator of relationships. I watched the video and laughed so hard. Mark is also a stand-up comedian combining humor, values and real relationship ...
Views: 1172 - *** Safety Attitude's New Reality - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2008 from Kevin BurnsSafety has become a big issue these days with not only the manufacturing, construction and heavy industry sectors, but also with a growing number of office-bound organizations. Safety is an issue that I take seriously. After all, I believe that safety is an Attitude – in the same way ...
Views: 1999 - ***Confidence And The Workplace Attitude - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2008 from Kevin BurnsHave you noticed the lack of eye-contact from a clerk while being served in a retail establishment? Have you noticed some of the people you work with who are reluctant to be forthright with customers and clients either on the phone or in-person? Have you noticed a propensity in your own ...
Views: 4636 - ***Switch Drivers - by Submitted on Mar 12, 2008 from Kevin BurnsIt's not hard to imagine. You've probably done it yourself. You're on a cross-country car trip with the family. After ten hours or so, and just a couple of bathroom breaks in that time, you've decided that you can't drive anymore. You look over to the passenger seat where your spouse has been ...
Views: 1070 - ***How To Work For A Jerk-Boss - by Submitted on Mar 12, 2008 from Kevin BurnsMichael and I have known each other for about fifteen years. Recently, he has been dabbling in the area of personal development. Not his. Yours. He is a personal coach and seminar leader who is getting ready to publish his first book. While he has been incredibly busy conducting his coaching ...
Views: 1385 - ***You Owe Your Employer Your Attention - by Submitted on Mar 12, 2008 from Kevin BurnsSo I always thought that it was just a joke. But then it happened to me. I was out on the four-lane highway driving to a speaking presentation at about 7:30 in the morning. I was following a red, late-model pick-up truck which was a safe distance in front of me. I was listening to the news on ...
Views: 1331 - ***The New Referral Network: Are You In? - by Submitted on Mar 12, 2008 from Kevin BurnsMy friend Brian told me story a few months back. He had asked his early twenty-something receptionist to dig up a phone number for him. After ten or so minutes, the receptionist had not returned. Brian went to the front desk. "Have you found me that number yet?" he asked patiently. "The ...
Views: 1024 - ***Working For An Under-Performing Boss - by Submitted on Mar 12, 2008 from Kevin BurnsI received an email this week which asked for my opinion on high-performers. The email read, “It would be great to hear your ideas/tips for Bosses and Employees regarding working with “high performers”. I was specifically thinking about the high performance employee working ...
Views: 2977 - ***How To Move Into Management - by Submitted on Mar 11, 2008 from Kevin BurnsYears ago, I sold copiers and faxes for a living. The company I worked for was a Canadian division of a worldwide copier company. Our sales training took place about every eighteen months and was facilitated by our US trainer. One two-day training session every eighteen months was far below the ...
Views: 1235 - ***Customer Service Isn't Just A Department - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2008 from Kevin BurnsIt’s one of the first things a road-weary traveler searches out when he or she arrives in their hotel room: the Guest Services Directory. That little book, packed full of information, gives the traveler the rules of the hotel. And don’t kid yourself, hotels all have rules and it is ...
Views: 1266 - ***Five Tips To Engaging Employees - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2008 from Kevin BurnsEmployee disengagement and unhappiness can result in lower productivity, which affects the financial side. However, lack of employee retention also can result, with its many costs for replacement: recruiting fees, overtime pay to those covering job duties, ramp-up time for replacements, as well ...
Views: 2619 - ***Why Companies Don't Want You To Improve - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2008 from Kevin BurnsIf I were to ask you for one good reason why any company wouldn't want you to get better at sales, better at customer service, improve your communication skills, study leadership, become more productive or just be a nicer person, could you answer that question? Do you think you could come up ...
Views: 1111 - ***Employee Training Ends At Competence - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2008 from Kevin BurnsI got into a conversation recently (on a Human Resources Message Board) with a Management Consultant. His questions got me to thinking. He asked for a further clarification of my assertion that an employer's responsibility to improve its employees ends once they become competent at the job. The ...
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