What Has Google Done To Your Business?

If you want to just hang out and do things the way you have always done them, you're dead. Google has changed the way we do business, the way we deliver, the way we sell and the way we hire our people.

Think about the number of times you've showed up in a store and didn't need a salesperson, just a cashier. By the time most of your customers get to you they already know more about you than you think they might. If you think that not having a web site gives you an advantage in that regard, then you're not getting it. A business without a web site is a business that can't be trusted. If you haven't got a web presence with testimonials and satisfied customers then you can't be trusted - and people won't buy from you because you have no on-line reputation.

Even the new people coming to our workplaces have a different idea about what they need to know and what they don't. Most new young workers won't remember facts and figures because they can access the facts and figures on Google when they need that information. If they don't need it always, they won't remember it.

If you think you're running the same business or organization that you were five years ago, hiring the same kinds of people and delivering the same customer expectations - you are out of touch with your own customer base.

Sure, you can run a business this way but it will always be a middle of the pack performer - mediocre.

Greatness requires visionary thinking and an embracing of change. Whether you like it or not, your customers are changing their buying habits. Are you changing your selling and service habits to match them?
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Kevin Burns - Corporate Attitude/Culture Strategist
Speaking Web Site http://www.kevburns.com

Creator of Filter-Free Fridays™
Creator of the 90-Day System To A Greatness Culture™

Coming Soon Kevin's 8th Book - "Your Attitude Sucks - Creating An Oasis of Greatness In A Wasteland of Mediocrity
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It's Filter-Free Friday™

Several months ago I proposed the notion of a "Filter-Free Friday™" - not a day that you rip the filters off of your smokes and go "cowboy" but a day when you turn off your "I can't say that" filters and you say exactly what is on your mind at work, at home, at the restaurant, standing in line at Starbucks. Basically the notion is that if you can think it, you can say it.

I am starting to see some references of Filter-Free Fridays™ on the Internet these days. The idea is starting to pick up steam so, it being Friday and all, let's remind everyone how Filter-Free Friday™ works.

Filter-Free Friday™ is the day when you stop worrying about what people will think about you and actually say what is on your mind - in a respectful and non-hurtful way.

• If your pasta at lunch today is salty, tell your server it's salty - it's not "fine."
• If you have putting up with a co-worker's bad body odor for days, today is the day you say something - not in front of others to embarrass the poor soul but pull them aside and make a comment about how others are affected by it and too afraid to say something.
• If someone parks poorly encroaching on a second space and you can see them doing it, give them a gentle reminder that they might want to straighten their car a bit so others can use the next space.
• If someone gives you exceptional service at Starbucks (or wherever) today, say something to them.
• If a co-worker has gone long enough without praise that you think is deserving, say something even if you're not the boss.

You get the idea don't you? Stop saying nothing and start saying something. The purpose behind the idea of Filter-Free Friday™ is to tell the truth in a respectful and non-hurtful way. The purpose is to make bad service better for the next person, to offer hope and encouragement when someone does something right, to turn off the filters that stop us all from accepting ordinary and mediocre when it could have been great and to encourage people to start telling the truth instead of swallowing and internalizing it.

Everyone deserves to receive something better and we can all use a reminder that we could do better. Filter-Free Fridays™ is designed to stamp out the word "fine" as a response to, "how was everything?"

We'll start this little experiment with one day, Friday, and see how it goes from there. Maybe you might get used to doing Filter-Free Fridays™ everyday.
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Attitude w/ ATTITUDE by Kevin Burns - Corporate Attitude/Culture Strategist

Creator of the 90-Day Strategy to Greatness Culture


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Solving Social Problems

How would you go about improving a sales culture of a small business? You would get all staff to buy into a few new ideas, to focus their attention on ways of turning each customer interaction into a potential sale and to encourage each other to improve their sales ability.

How would you go about improving an environmental culture in a multi-national, publicly-traded company? Likely the same way as a small business just on a larger scale.

So why, if it is possible to improve a company's culture by focusing on the problem and connecting it to the desired outcome, why don't we think we can solvethe social problems that exist in the towns and cities we live in? Why do we throw up roadblocks when it comes to improving the volunteer culture in a small town or the help-the-homeless culture in a small city or making sure every child in every school in a large metropolitan area has enough to eat during the day?

It's not that difficult. It just requires three things: focus, desire and effort. So why do so many of our communities have so many problems? My guess is that the "effort"part is missing.

If it seems like work most turn their backs. Probably the same people end up complaining that nothing is getting done. Those who are making the effort and getting it done are too busy to whine about things not being done.

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Attitude w/ ATTITUDE by Kevin Burns - Corporate Attitude/Culture Strategist

Creator of the 90-Day Strategy to Greatness Culture


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Correcting A Bad Business Cycle

As a boss, when you make a decision that affects the whole organization, are you really clear of the practical and real consequences and fallout on your front-line employees and their families? Really clear?

As a sales rep, are you prepared for the consequences that follow by stretching the truth of your claims just one time too many?

As a customer service rep, are you prepared to accept the fallout that results from you being apathetic in your effort and your job responsibilities?

As a customer, are you prepared to reward lousy quality and poor service by purchasing anyway?

As a future consumer, aren't you upset because the customer before you could have corrected bad service by simply saying something?

As a person of value, are you going to allow the "takers" of the world to butt in line, take more than one parking space, not offer a seat to an elderly lady on the bus or any other event that requires decency?

It's not employees who work for you. It's not prospects you sell to. It's not customers you serve. It's not businesses you buy from. It's not jerks you deal with. It's people. Every single interaction, every single event, every single experience has people at the center of it all.

If you're not "good people" yourself, you'll be an even lousier employee and customer.

The Attitude of Connectedness says we are all connected to other people - all of us. No exceptions.
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Attitude w/ ATTITUDE by Kevin Burns - Corporate Attitude/Culture Strategist

Creator of the 90-Day Strategy to Greatness Culture


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Relationships That Work

Do you have a customer that you speak ill of behind their backs? Do you have a co-worker who you make sure you say things about out of earshot because the things you say are not very complimentary? How about your spouse - do you complain a little about them when they're not around?

How long do you think a marriage would last if both partners spoke ill of the other behind their backs constantly? That kind of relationship is doomed to fail.

A customer that you can't speak well of should not be your customer. I mean, if you're prepared to accept his money while he looks you in the face but you bad-mouth him and his business when he turns his back means you're, in effect, ruining his business - the same one whose money you gladly accept.

How about that co-worker who is just a pain in your butt and, for the sake of not creating workplace conflict, you swallow your barbs to her face but when she's out of the room, you put her down to your other co-workers. How long is that relationship bound to last? Until you get caught?

Relationships that last are built on a foundation of mutual respect - not disrespect, backstabbing and conflict. If that's what your relationships look like then you're really missing the Attitude of Connectedness in your day to day life. The Attitude of Connectedness simply is the mindset that everyone is connected to everyone else - by business, family, marriage or network. You can't badmouth one person and not expect it to come around. Everyone is connected.

You can't just swallow your words and instead continue to think ill of others. What you're thinking is all over your face. People can see it. A fake smile won't make you successful. You have to feel it. You have to live it. People will think and speak well of you if you think and speak well of others - genuinely. But if you complain about your co-workers, your customers AND your spouse, then it's not everyone else. You are the common denominator in every one of those poor relationships.  

You'll never get to "greatness" by putting others down. Tearing others down does not elevate you.
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Attitude w/ ATTITUDE by Kevin Burns - Corporate Attitude/Culture Strategist

Creator of the 90-Day Strategy to Greatness Culture


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Somebody's Watching Your Public Conduct

Times are different now. There used to be a time when you could visit another city other than your own and make a fool of yourself and no one would know who you are. But that's all changed now thanks to web sites like YouTube and Facebook. One person's indiscretion can be easily captured and posted for all the world to see. There's not much you, as the perpetrator of acts of future embarrassment, can do.

So you would think that a university student, who probably spends a few hours each day watching YouTube videos, would be cognizant of these facts.

So while I rode the train home last night from the Calgary Flames game, it seemed strange that six male university students from the University of Calgary would get on the train inebriated and shout the foulest of foul language and discuss things that would make a porn-star blush, knowing that anyone could be recording their antics on video-cam. Their testosterone-charged sickening discussions included, within earshot of a packed train car including ladies and children, the size of their genitals, which conquest they had (descriptive) sex with, which girls (by name) preferred oral sex, which former professional football player's daughter had been one of the conquests and how they were heading to another campus bar to find another girl willing to sleep with them tonight.

Had only it all been all caught on video and posted to YouTube so that in a few years, when these clowns finally graduate (or at least apply for a job), an HR director could embarrass them with the video in their job interview and then have security show them the door. Even mom and dad could gather around the computer screen and pay witness to and be proud of their parenting skills when their little angels are on their own.

As we pulled into University Station, a round of applause erupted from the remaining passengers as the six exited the train. I have never seen a round of applause break out for the departure of train passengers. How bad did it have to be to get strangers to applaud?

The HR directors of today are doing background checks on you on-line. They're watching the videos, checking out your Facebook page, Googling your name so that if any photo tags come up, you're busted. When you're at social functions or just spending time away from work, decorum is more important now than ever. Somebody's watching and possibly recording. If there is something you wouldn't be proud of in a year or ten from now, then don't do it today. The Attitude of Connectedness shines a light into every dark corner of your life. We are all connected. Your indiscretion today could be the YouTube embarrassment of tomorrow.

Oh, and if someone applauds when you leave the room, that might be your first clue that you need to pay more attention to your conduct in public. 
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Attitude w/ ATTITUDE by Kevin Burns - Corporate Attitude/Culture Strategist

Creator of the 90-Day Strategy to Greatness Culture


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Managing By Hug or by Handshake

Do you shake hands with your mom or do you hug her? What about your siblings? How about your spouse? Your kids? How about your close friends? What about your employees?

I suppose we were on a roll with hugs until the employees question huh?

So what is the differentiating factor between offering a hug and a handshake? Perhaps it is this simple: a hug is reserved for people we care about and have feelings for. Everything else would be a handshake.

Managers, do you not care about your employees? I mean, is your corporate culture one of faceless people doing a job or is your culture one of only hiring people who matter to do work that matters? That's the difference between a handshake and a hug.

If you treat your employees as "handshake" people, you will attract people who view their work as "just a job." But if you really value your people, are grateful for their performance and diligence and care about them as people, you will attract people who value their work, are grateful that you chose them and will reward you with performance and diligence. They will take ownership of their work.

People who feel valued and cared for outperform all others by 20%.

A Culture of Greatness is created by managers who know the difference between a hug and a handshake. You don't actually have to hug them - just make them feel like you care enough about them.

If your managers can't do that, then get new managers. The world is changing and your attitude is out of touch with reality. You had better get with the program or you'll end up attracting the employees that no one else wants - you know, the "handshake" people.
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Attitude w/ ATTITUDE

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Managers Responsible For Poor Employee Engagement

Have you made a decision to improve your corporate culture in 2010? Look, you can't keep putting it off. 2010 is going to be the year of mass exodus of employees to new jobs. You are going to lose some good people unless you stop digging in your heels and get with the program.

Right Management's survey results last month says it all: 60% of employees say they will move to a new job in 2010 and another 21% are actively networking right now to see what's out there. That's 81% of the workforce on the hunt for new work because during this recession, you let your people develop fears and feelings of uncertainty. You abandoned them when they needed you most. You took away their training, their perks and the things they looked forward to just to hang on to a few lousy dollars. They feel abandoned now and they have as much loyalty for you as they felt you had for them.

Employees don't leave an employer - they leave their managers and their culture - specifically managers who make your corporate culture hard to swallow.

Now before you hire the Employee Engagement consultants as a knee-jerk attempt to fix the problem, let me clue you in on what the real problem is and why employees don't engage. It's not because there aren't enough perks. It's not because the work isn't rewarding. It's not because the cubicle is too small. It's, most times, because the supervisor is a jerk who under-appreciates them, who treats them like a number, who plays favorites and who has little or no compassion or soft-skills as a decent human being.

Can you honestly say that each and every manager in your group could muster up the courage to have a heart-to-heart with an employee about a sick child at home or to be truly thankful and grateful for the work of their employees? Do your managers, in addition to being taught how to manage, have the ability to communicate feelings or just to bark orders?

You may have been able to get away with that when you had a full complement of Baby Boomers working for you but the numbers are turning and by late next year, Gen Y's will outnumber Boomers in the workplace. Your workers want only a few things and they will actively engage themselves:

• a decent work environment - not a funky new office but a place where they feel like they matter, are told so and are asked their opinions and ideas on company initiatives.
• a rewarding career - not just a job but something that they can become more than just proficient in and be encouraged to become considered one of the best in their field.
• a manager who is as much a coach and mentor as they are a boss - someone who can find the drive, the spark and the magic in every single employee and find ways to inspire those employees to reach for the next level daily.
• a senior management that doesn't just pay lip-service to the softer side of doing business - but a senior management team that actually encourages it and if a manager is incapable of coaching and inspiring, they fire his ass to save their good people.

If you've got a manager or two who refuse to accept that business is run by people, for people and to serve people then I encourage you to pay the legal bills to remove that manager instead of having to pay the recruiting, re-training and recurring bills of getting a constant parade of new employees up to speed.

If you want your employees to engage, you had better engage your managers. If you've got high attrition numbers in one or two departments, it's because of your managers. Stop buying the department manager's excuses and remove them. Your managers are costing your company good people and a lot of money.
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Attitude w/ ATTITUDE

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Connectedness Attitude And The Environment

I'm as environmentally conscious as the next guy. Uh no, let me take that back. Most people are so average that they don't think about the environment until someone tells them to think about it. So no, I guess not. I am not like the next guy. I think for myself which leads me to my thought here today: why would an organization launch an environmental initiative when their corporate culture is stagnating, their mediocre service sucks and their apathetic staff turnover rate is high?

I mean, before you clean up an ocean, wouldn't you want to first clean the beach?

Organizations are focusing on environmental policies and bringing eco-speakers into their organizations. Now, I don't have a problem with protecting the environment. In fact, I applaud it. But if you are going to tackle the environment, shouldn't you make sure you've cleaned up your environment first; your work environment - your corporate culture?

Aren't there a whole lot of more important issues that need addressing during an economic downturn? Have your people been reassured about their future? Have you halted the waning morale eroding your corporate culture? How about stopping your high-turnover or helping management find a direction? What about your incredibly ordinary customer service? Shouldn't you be developing a sense of greatness that changes people's lives (both your employees and your customers) before you attempt to change the world?

Come on, focus on the crucial things first: making sure there are jobs to go to tomorrow so that you are able to lend a hand to the environment. Make sure you are operating from a position of strength with your eco-program so that you don't have to slash the eco-program budget later because you were focused on the wrong things for survival.

This could end up as a colossal resource waster: trying to pursue an eco-friendly direction for a company with a bad attitude - people who bring plastic water bottles to work each day and still toss them out instead of recycling but don't care that they do it. You've got to change the unworkable attitudes inside the building before you can convert them to eco-evangelists. Don't get ahead of yourself. Make your people "service evangelists" first. Clean up problem areas before you create new ones. Fix the attitudes that will undermine your eco-program before you try to establish an environmental Attitude of Connectedness.

I agree all should be on-board the environmental bandwagon. But if your organization is achieving mediocre results, shouldn't your focus be on becoming an organization of greatness first - an organization whose example others will follow? Face it, if the culture stinks, you'll end up with an eco-program of mediocre results too.

Launching an eco-program while your people fear for their future makes you look completely out of touch with what your people want and need. That's not a message you want to send if you want to attract and keep good people, increase your customer base and become an organization of greatness.

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Attitude w/ ATTITUDE

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