When I share time with managers, no matter where I am, the conversation always gravitates either directly or indirectly to motivation.  The constant challenge is “how do I motivate my team or team member?” First things first, what is motivation?  Let’s put it into a context.  On example may be Skippy is asked to do […]

My reason for being, or raison d’etre is moot without an audience.  And my audience is typically a group of managers.  There may be a couple of others who may manage the managers or the organization, but by and large it is the quintessential retail store manager. Perhaps the best way to describe them is […]

I have been traveling again.  A lot as a matter of fact.  My client has had me engaging managers across Canada.  It has been amazing to share strategy, ideas and best practices.  We have had six sessions with six to go.  Therefore I will be posting for the remaining six sessions.  I have chosen this […]

OK, so I want to lose some weight.  I am 5 foot 11 inches and weigh about 190.  So I am not looking to lose a ton; maybe ten pounds.  My wife says I am not that bad. Not that bad.  So I have a goal. As a store manager, you have goals.  However the […]

OK, so the majority of what I teach, what I share as a trainer and consultant is about tactics.  I speak to store managers about what they need to do deliberately…what they do consciously to exact a specific return or response.  I teach coaching and communication.  I teach how to create a learning experience when […]

I have always been, shall we say, non-political, non-religious and non-confrontational in my posts so as to not offend.  I have been tagged a few times in my career for just the opposite.  They are in my mind at this present time.  However, today is different and there still is a non-secular, managerial lesson to […]

This will probably be my last post on Gen Y.  Not because I do not like the topic.  It is just that I would like to work on another managerial “thingy”.  Perhaps in some ways I have saved the biggest or most engaging for last.  I cannot count the number of times I have heard […]

So I was reading a very good book today. It was written by John Evans and published in 1807.  I am happy to say it is one of my favorite books (and maybe even treasured due to its age).  It shows a certain character of the times.  Consider this guy wrote it in 1807.  It […]

This morning, I had my usual quiet time.  I do a devotional thing and during my journaling, I began considering the message of giving back and then my calling.  And then I started thinking about Snowboarding.  You see I have been snowboarding for almost twenty years.   I consider myself to be pretty good (good to […]

I recently found myself at…Starbucks.  Oh great, there is someone in Calgary who is erupting in “what did he just say??  My brother-in-law is also more than likely saying “What??”  I was buying drinks for Grace and Sarah.  For those not keeping track, they are 6 and 3 respectively.  I ordered a vanilla steamer and […]