Invest In Relationships

Several years ago, when I was conducting a seminar in Atlanta, one of the participants stood up and asked, “how come there aren’t more millionaires?”  As I mulled this question around in my mind, it began to occur to me that the reason there aren’t more millionaires, or highly successful people in any endeavor for that…

How To Be Happy During Tough Economic Times

Recently, I was walking across the parking lot toward the Trader Joe’s near my home.  It was a gorgeous Arizona day and I was in a terrific mood, so I enthusiastically greeted every person I passed.  One woman I greeted sarcastically said back to me: “You must not have any money in the stock market;…

Respect and Camaraderie: The Keys To Building A Winning Team

Even though they didn’t win the Super Bowl, the Arizona Cardinals are still this year’s amazing sports story.  They went from being one of the perennial laughing stocks of professional football to playling in the Super Bowl in Ken Whisenhunt’s second year as head coach.  Right after they won the game that earned them an…

Keeping An Even Keel During Difficult Times

During these difficult economic times, more and more people are saying they’re stressed out.  In addition, psychologists are saying they’ve never seen this much depression and anxiety.  The big question is how do you keep an even keel in the midst of all this?  University of California-Irvine psychologist, Salvatore Maddi, offers some insight base upon…

Worry: The Most Unproductive Of All Human Activities

Even though we know it does no good, most of us are still prone to worry–especially during these difficult economic times when so many people are losing their jobs and homes.  While worry is next to impossible to avoid, there are some things we can do to reduce its intensity.  First, don’t worry alone–you’re far…

It’s Not Failure That People Fear, It’s Criticism

It’s a fact of life; if you follow the crowd, you’ll never be highly successful.  On the other hand, the minute you step away from the crowd, you invite criticism–people judge you and make disparaging remarks about your ideas and dreams which can be hurtful.  So, how do you deal with criticism?  You focus on…

Fun Is A Necessary Ingredient For A Highly Productive Workplace

Having fun at work suffers from an image problem; hence it gets no respect.  It has come to imply that you’re goofing off or messing around instead of attending to the business at hand.  Well, that’s simply not true.  Fun acts functions as a turbocharger in that it releases energy in people that they didn’t even know they had.  As…

Managerial Insights From Job Interviews

My wife has conducted a fair number of job interviews in recent years.  One of the questions she always asks is: “What kind of supervisor do you prefer?”  Never once has anyone said, “I’d love to be micromanaged.”  Or, “I love it when my boss points out my mistakes and ignores what I do well.” …