Is public “brand shaming” ever a good idea? Maybe not, although I came across a story yesterday that may yet prove otherwise. A deli owner in Texas shut down his store after hearing numerous complaints about customer service. Employees are going to be trained in service, food prep, and cleaning, and the store will reopen after the “attitude adjustment” (according to the billboard outside). It reminded me of when Dominos poked fun at themselves for what was apparently bad-tasting pizza, and (very publicly) made a turnaround. There are some very positive benefits that may come from this kind of drastic brand turnaround. First, you almost have to get better. In both examples I mentioned, the owners and manage have put themselves in a position to get results “or else.” I’m guessing that as long as staff is loyal and willing, any brand would emerge victorious. There is also the matter of publicity. Not only is your story interesting and contagious, but you are gaining another step ahead because you’ve made a significant promise to do something well. Not to mention the return of former customers who come back when they hear what you’re doing. And finally, there is the matter …
All managers have been there at some point. You assign a task, provide all of the necessary tools to complete it, and walk away – only to go running moments later to yank back the reins of responsibility. Why do we do this? I’ll admit that sometimes it needs to be done, but other times a project is so important or high profile that we just don’t feel comfortable handing it over to someone else. Either way, it all boils down to trust. The first step is to trust your team. Hire capable and talented people, foster loyalty and reward hard work, and you will be able to trust them with anything. After all, they will want to succeed just as much as you. Trusting and empowering your team to take a project and run with it is the first step toward ending the micromanaging cycle. If you’re stuck in the middle between “big bosses” and staff, you will also need trust in your higher ups. Allowing your team to come into its own is much more difficult when you fear for your job at every turn. My hope is that you work for someone who understands the difference between …
This morning, I read an article about the strange excuses employees have used to get the day off work. And yes, some of them are so completely unbelievable that the dishonesty level should be a red flag. But what struck me most was the amount of time and money companies admitted to using to try to catch these employees in a lie. It reminded me of a boss I had once who loved for his employees to live in constant fear over their job security. I was in a car accident on my way to work one day, and after yelling at me on the phone, he sent a coworker to the scene to verify my story. If he had taken the time to develop a better culture, he would have found that a team motivated by loyalty is more efficient than one motivated by fear. For the most part, though, I believe the “culture of fear” comes about by accident, accumulated over time with out-of-date rules, arbitrary policies, and regulations devised by out of touch higher-ups. A born rebel myself, I encourage managers to challenge the rules. An overabundance of rules can feel oppressive and discourage creativity and loyalty. …
Out of everything my family purchased over the last year, the one most enjoyed by my children was our vacation in early April. It was very cold and we had some snow flurries, but we enjoyed the nearly vacant hotel and the small crowds, and even managed a little swim time at an indoor water park. So rather than filling our home with more toys, my Christmas gift for my children this year will be travel. I’m geared toward time outdoors, things like camping and boating, so I am looking for lots of new experiences that are just as enjoyable during the winter months. I’ve checked out a few places and these are some of the most intriguing ideas I’ve found. Snowmobile tours – I am likely the worst skier in the history of mankind, so snow skiing while keeping track of young children is not my idea of a vacation. But I feel like a snowmobile tour is something I could handle. It would be an all-new experience for my kids, and I know the four boys would be thrilled with something like this. Wonderland themes – Depending on the location, lots of hotels transform their public spaces into …
There are many social media “gurus” who advise gaining followers and engagement through practices that, while they may increase your stats, are not going to help your bottom line. I’ve seen these tactics used by brands I am positive are spending far too much money for this nonsense, and it always surprises me. These tactics include the “Like if you …, share if you…” posts, which for reasons beyond real explanation, attract a lot of engagement. The problem is that the engagement isn’t really interaction with your brand, and is only gaining traction from people who most likely aren’t even looking at your page. Post interesting, beautiful, or entertaining content and your true fans will be happy to share. It may take more time to bulk up your numbers, but the numbers don’t matter if they aren’t If it looks like part of your kids’ second grade homework, it’s definitely fallen into the gimmick waters. Word scrambles, fill in the letter, and especially fill in the blank posts may (oddly) get a lot of comments, but tend to be full of sarcastic answers or crass remarks. Your insights numbers may be going up, but this isn’t profitable engagement. Bottom line: …