I heard an interesting tidbit. Someone born in America today is less likely to graduate from high school than their parents. Wow! What a change! Two and three generations ago, it was completely different. Populated by European immigrants, the United States was filled with parents who made it a priority to see to it that their kids received an education. Where did the disconnect come? If you do the research, there are compelling statistics describing

Everything you do either contributes to the success of the team or detracts. The great NFL coach Bill Belichick is known for his simple mantra to his players: “Do your job.” In his estimation, his coaching staff spends all week defining and making sure that every player on his roster understands what is expected of him. Those instructions can be complex and intricate. But, once they are defined, taught and learned, the execution strategy becomes

I was reading a management classic recently called Leading Change by John Kotter, a Harvard management professor. In his view, companies that embrace change are those that will survive. Thus, one of the key ingredients of embracing change is to have a team of “lifelong learners.” He lists the habits of lifelong learners: Risk taking: Willingness to push outside of your comfort zone. Humble self reflection: Honest assessment of failures and successes, especially the failures.

The Gallup polling people are famous for their predictions of political outcomes but they also spend a great deal of time polling workers about their workplaces. After polling millions of workers, they have come up with 12 things that set a successful workplace apart from the unsuccessful. I have written to you about these before, but here is a reminder of the elements: You know what is expected. You have the right tools to do

In the last year have you had opportunities at work to learn and grow? According to research about successful companies, the more of you who can say “yes” to that question, the stronger we will be. So, when it comes to you, what would you say? What lessons have you learned? What skills have you developed? What new things have you experienced? Are you a better teammate than a year ago? How about a better