If you are like the majority of humans (myself included), you might have looked at the answers you wrote to the aforementioned Recalculating Questions and proceeded to tell yourself things like: There’s no way this will work. So-and-so will be against it. It costs too much money. There’s not enough time.It really isn’t THAT broken. I don’t have the skill. Why bother? Things will change again—sometime. I’m just destined for a hard life. I’ve never done this before. Bad things come in threes—there’s more around the bend. You know the drill. Our monkey mind just chatters away, producing what researchers say is approximately 60,000 thoughts per day!It’s that internal, infernal chatter that can so easy to build up a resistance wall. Amazingly, scientists also tell us that 95% of those thoughts are the same as yesterday! How many times have you found yourself ruminating over an issue—thoughts that play in circular fashion across your mind—particularly when you are trying to sleep? Here’s the kicker: 80% of those thoughts are negative! Now before you jump off a cliff in despair, consider this—it makes sense that our primitive brain would always be looking out for what could go wrong: wild animals, natural disaster, an enemy. Additionally we are THE ONLY species on the planet capable of projecting negative thoughts on a current or future event.No rosebush opened up and thought, Darn, it’s raining. I’m going to get mildew.No dog ran up to its master thinking, I sure hope he pets me because I have had a really bad day! No Monarch butterfly shed its cocoon thinking, I only have two weeks to live! No wonder resiliency is hard work. We need help filling the black hole of negativity. This excerpt is from Your Resiliency GPS: A Guide for Growing through Life and Work. If you’d like your own copy or one for a friend or colleague visit our website here. If you purchase 250 books Eileen will conduct a free 30-minute webinar for your audience! To take advantage of this offer please call our office at 949-496-8640.

It happens all the time: A full-page ad is placed in a major monthly publication. The ad touts the service excellence of their product. Catchy phrases. Great promises. Major dollars are spent to create an implied image in the mind of the consumer. And it can vanish in a heartbeat if promises made are not promises kept—if the derived image cancels out the implied image! Perhaps this has been your experience: You have been standing in line at the bank looking at a sign hanging on the wall that says, “Our Customers Are Our #1 Priority” while the customer in front of you is yelled at by a teller for not having the proper forms needed for the transaction. Or perhaps you’ve had the interaction with a clerk who rolls her eyes when you ask one too many questions about the product. The point is: we will all talk about the derived image—not the glossy ad. Couple this “talk” with chat on the Internet and you’ve exponentially reached thousands. Why should you care what your customers are saying? It costs 6 to 8 times more to get a new customer than to keep an old one. There is a 12% higher profit margin with your existing customers. Companies that keep their existing customers enjoy a 9% higher growth rate than ones who don’t. When each customer leaves they tell at least ten people they know and with e-mail and Internet they may potentially tell thousands or millions. Just look at the power of City Search and Yelp! to make or break a company. It doesn’t take much to make a negative impression. Here are some of the most common customer complaints: unprofessional staff; disinterested staff; bad attitudes matched with a sense of boredom; more enthusiasm for chatting with co-workers than with the customer and a lack of an ability to solve problems. Your employees have probably had customer service training but perhaps you are still seeing customers leave. Why is this you ask? It’s because leadership didn’t take the time to find out how the customer service “rules” affect the actual customer. Here are ten tips to take your customer service from drab to fab: The single most important thing you can do to increase customer satisfaction is to treat your employees well. One disgruntled employee can easily alienate dozens of customers. Find out what is wrong and fix it. Keep employees in the loop so that they are in the know and FEEL like valued insiders. With the power of the Internet your employees can find out corporate news before you do. Don’t let this happen to your company. Talk to employees often and in-person. Teach employees to think of themselves as business consultants rather than employees. Empower them to make customer-pleasing decisions without having to call a supervisor. Ask employees to change their viewpoint. Have them look at all customers as multi-million-dollar businesses and treat them accordingly. Embrace new ideas and reward innovation. Seek and act on advice from your frontline because most of the time they are the only contact a customer has with your company. Recognize and reward each other. Think in 360 directions. A manager needs praise from a subordinate a much as from her boss. Encourage peer-to-peer recognition for helping each other resolve customer issues. Constantly seek innovation. Ask everyone to study the competition and find out what they do that makes them better. The frontline will see what a higher-level manager will not. Seek and act on customer feedback. Don’t bother with customer surveys. Assign an employee or employees to scour the Internet for both positive and negative conversations about your company. Make your current customers feel important. Offer them price cuts or coupons, make every transaction with them pleasant, communicate transparently and have a live person answer your phones, thanking the customer for his business. Seek and reward referrals from current customers. One local chiropractor provides a free adjustment to any patient who refers someone else. She gets dozens of referrals every week and her practice thrives even during economic turmoil. Don’t just pay lip service to improving customer service. Good customer service is the linchpin to survival at any time but especially during difficult times. Start by treating your employees well, keeping them in the loop, and releasing them to do what it takes to send each customer away happy. And your business will be resilient - growing through challenge and opportunity.

Stressed out? Overwhelmed? Too little sleep? Concerned about the “optics” of taking time off?” The list could go on and on with the excuses we make about not taking vacations. Think about it. When was the last time you REALLY took a vacation? A real vacation and not just two days? When was the last time you unplugged from the digital world, spent time doing what you wanted to do, enjoyed family and friends and perhaps had an adventure other than trying to locate a matching lamp shade at Wal Mart? Why don’t we take time off? We (and I put myself in that category) have a work martyr syndrome. If I don’t do the work, who will? How much will be piled up and waiting if I take time off? OK, I am a sole proprietor. But similar thinking exists in organizations. The work martyr syndrome combined with a culture of silence in the workplace is keeping workers at their desks instead of using their time off. The top barriers for employees include: Return to a mountain of work, 37% No one else can do the job, 30% I cannot financially afford a vacation, 30% Taking time off is harder as you grow in the company, 28% Want to show complete dedication, 22% And there is a cost beside the wear and tear on one’s mental and physical energy resources. Although vacation usage is the highest in seven years, 52% are still leaving vacation time on the table. In a report prepared by Project Time Off, the projected economic impact of unused vacation is $255 Billion. The stockpile of unused paid leave is contributing to worker burnout and even larger balance sheet liabilities that directly affect a company’s bottom line. Here are the top four things organizations and individuals can do to break this cycle: Managers: help employees PLAN to take time off. Find out what fears stop people from stepping away from the office. Check the reality of workload. Individuals: remember and repeat: The only person who ever had their work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe. Itemize activities (or non-activities) that help you re-energize, refocus and renew. Chances are, these are not high ticket items. The goal of a vacation is to recharge and renew. Select a date and stick to it. Let all who are impacted by your work know when you will be away. Shut whatever door you have… mentally or physically. As for me, I have marked out the calendar. In mid-summer, it looks like a potential backpacking trek into the High Sierras. And then for three weeks (gasp!) in September, we’ll explore parts of Europe we have never seen: Milan, Lake Como, Budapest, Prague and down the Danube. I’ll come back like the “energizer bunny” with insights and ideas. What are your plans? I’d love to know.

There’s no reason why only the trees and flowers should sprout new growth this time of year.  But how often do we feel more ripe and rotten rather than green and growing? Chances are you started the year with some fresh ideas, only to become caught in the same-old rat race that defeats any feeling of newness and adventure. SO stop!  It’s time to plug into something that YOU chose—something that can renew your batteries and refresh your interest in work AND life.  Unlike the bobble-headed figures that nod “yes” at every touch, you DO get to declare “time out” and place yourself first. Cleaning Tip #1: Nurture your nature.  Bulbs get to nestle in the soil before bursting forth with vigor.  We’re no different. Create at least two days in which your focus is simply on removing yourself from the computer, the phone, the newspaper, the TV and anything else that takes your attention away from yourself.  The challenge: we think the world will end if we don’t respond immediately.  It won’t.Let folks around you know that you are involved in a very serious project and will attend to their needs in two days.(It IS a serious project. It’s your life! Have your spouse take care of the children or if you’re a single parent, look for someone who will trade-off time.  They help you and you’ll return the favor for them. If you can’t take two full days, try and carve at least some time for hunkering down by yourself. Now—with the warm blanket of time cushioning you - spend time thinking just what you’d like to bring NEW into spring time.  Is it a new skill? A new or improved relationship?A remodel of your surroundings? A project that excites you? What will help you feel green and growing. Cleaning Tip #2:  Clean out your mental closet.  To nurture our nature, we also have to discard all the old notions and the negative beliefs that keep us from springing forth.  Write positive affirmations that counter such beliefs and post such statements at places where you’ll see them often.  Don’t worry if you don’t yet truly believe such statements.  Action often precedes belief.Identify what activity you will discard because it feels too tight and constraining.  After all, you’re getting ready to grow.  You need some room to grow. Cleaning Tip #3:  Throw out what you no longer need. This is a physical tossing away everything from clothes that only serve to make you feel dowdy to projects you KNOW you’ll never complete or books you’ll never read. How can you bring in something fresh if there’s no room! Cleaning Tip #4:  Find a great housekeeper. Once you know what new YOU is bursting forth this Spring, find someone who will serve as your advocate and accountability partner. Ask them to help you keep your new “house”, this budding “garden”, in order. Ask them to let you know when you’ve cluttered your life with emotional, mental, or physical junk. And now—SPRING forth.  Regardless of whatever you might have wintered, inside you is, as Camus wrote, “an invincible Spring.

“What kind of flower are you?”  The question took me aback when I read it. Could the writer be suggesting that the kind of flower we surround ourselves with offers testimony to our view on life? The more I thought of it, I realized there was a great truism here. Nature offers her treasures as subtle metaphors for so many of life’s lessons.  Here was my mine: In my work as a professional speaker and consultant, I had found myself sometimes overwhelmed with the amount of work and travel on my plate.  At other times, I heard myself beginning to panic with the scarcity. “It’s either pheasant or feathers”, I’d grumble.  Some colleagues had told me that I worked too hard on material, constantly editing, adding, pruning, and arranging. “But it makes what I do more timely and current,” I’d respond and silently wonder if they were right. And then I read this question. “But of course,” I thought. “ROSES!” In our small strip of California garden, I have planted rose bushes.  In season, they bloom profusely, coming back in abundance the more I tend them, weed, fertilize, AND give them away.  Out of season, their bare stems look forlorn and without potential.  Yet I know that in due time, the nourishment received from this time of rest will bring them back in abundance. It is the course of their life. It is the pattern of my work. When viewed in this manner, I now understand that my work pattern reflects the natural world of roses.  It’s not right for everyone.  But it is right for me.  Guess I’ll just bloom when and where I am planted!

The U.N.’s annual World Happiness Report ranks the happiest people in the world: Finns, Norwegians, and then Danes. The U.S. has dropped to 18th place. What is happening? Surely, we are (or were) a powerful, wealthy nation. That’s the rub. What social psychologists tell us is that happiness flows from our connections to each other, our sense of community, and a shared purpose. It has nothing to do with a never-ending hunt for consumer goods, security, money or status. The bullying and hate speech, the demonizing of groups of people, a distrust of the media, and a political climate that seems bent on its own destruction have pushed us away from the very thing we need: human connection.  Loneliness is epidemic and researchers say, far more dangerous than smoking cigarettes. And loneliness depletes the ability to be resilient because human contact—and therefore help—is diminished. Here’s the challenge I am throwing out to myself, my family, and anyone who wishes to take up the banner: time to create opportunities for gatherings of family, friends and people who are “different.” Time to put away the digital devices that keep our eyes from seeing each other and the beauty of the natural world. Time to count blessings in terms of human connections instead of money in the bank. Time to put away consoling ourselves with unhealthy habits and possible addictions. Author E.M. Forester had it right when he insisted “Just connect.”  And if you have no one to talk to, call me.

Just finished Daniel Pink’s newest book, WHEN: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing . To my great surprise, the revelation of “when” is directly correlated to your energy! In fact, who would know that there are more unsuccessful surgeries, judicial renderings, and financial decisions done in the afternoon. It has everything to do with energy! This highly researched, easy to read book lays out how to determine your personal energy flow AND what are steps you can take to get over the valleys that zap your energy and hamper good decisions and action. Since I know many of you don’t have the TIME to read, please explore the following infographic. My caveat—both Pink and I disagree with the “animal” descriptions presented in this graphic. I am none of those. At the same time, the rest of the information is spot on and very useful. Now, having been at my desk for almost two hours, I am taking a walk outside while I drink 16 oz of water. Just what the “doctor” ordered.

To be sustainable and resilient as an individual or an organization, customers need to know what you stand for. In short—what is your brand? Branding Lesson #1: Your name sets up an expectation. Live up to it or suffer. There is a promise established in what we advertise and name things. Southwest Airlines had thought to create a baggage claim delivery time slogan. Then they realized that due to the configuration in a few of their terminals, to quote such a time was almost impossible. They dropped the campaign even though it would have been true in MOST of their sites. Branding Lesson #2: Your business sets up an expectation. If you don't deliver for yourself - how can you deliver for the customer? If you own a paint store and your store is in sorry need of paint, what does that say? If the waiters in a restaurant cannot tell you about food on the menu because they never get to eat it, what does that say? Look at your business with critical eyes. Would you do business with you? Branding Lesson #3: The past never counts. The present creates the brand. It is the actual in-the-moment experience that creates a brand in a customer's eyes. Brand is a living entity that is re-earned, renewed or revoked with every interaction. Advertising only creates awareness. Branding Lesson #4: Employees are your brand in action. I am convinced the very best, most unique, most competitive maker of a "brand" is the well-trained, empowered employee who can disregard systems and procedures to continue a human interaction. As more organizations substitute technology for people, the company that answers its own phone and get humans connected in short order will win the day. Branding Lesson #5: Facts tell. Emotion sells. People won’t talk about the details of your product or service. They will talk about how they FEEL about the product. For example: the red color and all the on-board gadgets might make the buyer feel high tech, classy, noticed. The Jet Blue agent left me feeling like a valued customer. Same plane as American flies. But a PLAIN difference in results.

Forty-eight years ago, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin was disturbed that an issue as important as our environment was not addressed in politics or by the media, so he created the first Earth Day, on April 22, 1970. Despite the fact that millions of people have participated over the years, since 2017, our nation has taken gigantic steps to erode any progress toward protecting this planet. Some 67 environmental rules have been overturned including anti-dumping rules for coal companies (forget clean water and air), methane reporting, and a ban on a potentially harmful pesticide that can harm children. Scientists have been replaced by lobbyists for the fossil fuel industry and data related to climate change has been taken off the EPA web site. And much has been made of this Administration's decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate accord, making us now the one of only three countries out of 197 nations that isn't signed onto the agreement, with the other two being Nicaragua and Syria. It is said you are known by the company you keep. We are not in good company. But—there is still hope. Individual effort and companies that demonstrate social responsibility for our planet are making headway despite the actions in DC. In 2016, Triple Pundit reported on companies that were working with employees to protect the environment. The outdoor shoe manufacturer, Timberland, gives employees 40 paid volunteer hours per year to work on environmentally-attuned service projects. Timberland also uses recycled paper in its shoe boxes and reports the water and energy usage needed to produce each shoe. Technology start-up, Optoro, reduces landfill waste by helping clients extend the lifecycle of their overstocked, outdated, or returned inventory. While their products create a more sustainable supply chain for retailers, Optoro also does its part to improve local ecosystems by providing employees with plenty of environmental volunteer opportunities. UGE International has deployed renewable energy solutions in over 80 countries around the world. Best-known for putting wind turbines on the Eiffel Tower and installing solar on rooftops in China, the company also encourages its employees to give back to their local community.  Read more about these companies here.  But we don’t have to have a company to do our part in saving Mother Earth. Small steps, when put together one-by-one, can have a large impact. In our house, we recycle everything, flush the toilets using the California mantra, have installed low flow shower heads, and reduced the size of our garden to a minimal plot. We buy locally as much as possible to reduce the carbon footprint from trucks, and reward companies like Patagonia with our buying power. We also try and stay informed about what citizens can do to protect our Mother Earth. Paul Hawken, an environmental activist, has edited a very dense book,DRAWDOWN. Don’t worry about “dense”. It has small chapters that can be selected based upon interest, lots of pictures, and fascinating in its comprehensive nature. ACTIVE HOPE: How to Face the Mess We’re in without Going Crazy, draws on decades of teaching an approach known as Work that Reconnects. Authors Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone show us how to strengthen our capacity to face environmental crisis so we can respond with resilience and creative power. Enough reading! April 20th is a Friday. Go outside wherever you are. Breathe deeply. Walk in nature. Gaze into the eyes of a child—the generation we must protect. Be grateful for what we do have. Thank you for reading.

The good news about technology is that teams can be spread throughout the world, offering a rich background for global enterprises. The difficult news is that time zones and the absence of visual interaction can cause teams to stumble or even fail to start at all. To create a vibrant, resilient virtual team, consider these steps: If at all possible, have the teams meet face-to-face in a single location when the team is formed. Expensive, yes. But - looking into someone’s eyes, breaking bread, and finding commonalities can make huge strides communication and cohesion. Restrict the size of virtual teams to the number of people who can be seen at one time in a medium like Zoom or Goggle Hangout. Insist that video be used and not just audio. Here’s why. Too often, the absence of video lets an attendee multitask instead of paying attention, listening carefully, participating fully.Some members might balk at the request but it is important. Let them know why. Isolation and loneliness are epidemic in our business world.To keep this from happening in a virtual team, devise small interactions that allow participants to begin to see the others as full human beings.Here are some examples: • Ask team members to introduce themselves with this statement “If I could have one last meal to eat, I would choose…” •Ask team members to introduce themselves by sharing a fact that no one except immediate family and/or friends know about them. I’ve literally heard team members reveal everything from swimming with sharks (not the corporate kind) to trekking with Mongolians across the steppes. This latter adventure came from a woman whom most regarded as shy and withdrawn! • Ask team members to explain who the most significant person in their life is and why (restrict all comments to 90 seconds). It can be done. • Ask team members to come up with a NAME for the virtual team and either a mascot or a slogan. You can assign this in pairs. Vote on the best name. • Take turns assigning a person to be the summarizer of the virtual meeting.You are only limited in your imagination. But each request allows virtual team members to get to “know” the others. You can also share the “ask” assignments with different members of the team. Determine short term goals and how the virtual team can celebrate each milestone. If the team is to disassemble and a new team to be formed, create a closure exercise that ask members to state what was most valuable about being part of the virtual team and what could have made it even better. Note that teams that meet face-to-face on a regular basis can also use these techniques. Insist that all digital devices like smart phones be put away whenever the team gathers. Now more than ever, it is the communication we hold with the people in front of us that determines relationships and outcomes.

Well, almost forgotten. I’m referring to the 1074 WASP (Women Air Force Service Pilots) who served this country during WWII. They took over all the domestic war time aviation duties so male pilots could fly combat missions. Collectively, they flew some 60 million air miles, towing targets for gunnery practice with live ammunition, ferrying planes, and testing planes just off the factory line. It was not without hazard… 38 of them died in the course of duty. And when the WASP were disbanded, they were forgotten by the Air Force. Women were forbidden to fly military planes again for 30 years! Mom was a WASP and it is through our bi-annual reunions I met so many of these amazing women. Mom took her final flight in January 2012 and March 15, 2018, 95 year-old Florence Shutsy Reynolds left this earth. That leaves only 62 of these incredible women left to tell their story. I write this post to salute Shutsy, who though late to the WASP effort, made up for it in her zeal and artistry to preserve and create all manner of items that can be passed down for generations. She created the WASP store and went on reproducing beautiful silver wings and wing jewelry to help share the history of the WASP. Her 3' x 12' airbrushed banners were each created especially for WASP and visitors to sign at airshows and aviation events across America. During her tenure at Stores, she designed the WASP WWII Flag, which was voted OFFICIAL WASP WWII FLAG by the WASP organization. She also created the WASP SCARF, which is still worn proudly by WASP across the country. In 1994, Shutsy designed the WASP 50th Anniversary commemorative medallion , the WASP WWII collectible pin and in 1998, the logo for the Kids of the WASP, KOWS as I named us! For her service to her country, she was awarded the American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. She was also awarded an honorable service lapel button and Woman’s Army Corps Service Medal. She was a ground instructor certified in Link training, navigation, meteorology, aircraft, and engines. And like all the WASP, received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010… some 60 years after their service. Shutsy, your spirit, unbridled energy, and determination will long be remembered. Happy landings.

In a war for talent, employee experience has risen as THE critical issue for this year. But make no mistake. It is not: Great onboard and streamlined HR processes (although that is important); Eye-popping salaries (although a competitive wage is critical) Beer busts on Friday and bring your-pet to work days (sounds fun and cozy but that is not it.) Instead, employees come and employees stay for four critical reasons: An opportunity to grow skills and interests and experience career progression in any direction. Remember, a career ladder is now gone. Rather, it is a career climbing wall based upon each individual. Meaningful work that allows employees to feel important and adding to the good of fellow employees and society. Growing on the job without losing at home. A management team that shows respect and consideration for all. Actually, truth be told, I put in the fourth criteria. Sadly, we have an example of how to scare potential talent away and how not to treat people with the turmoil at the White House. I would be derelict in my integrity as a leadership and resiliency consultant if I did not point out that we often learn what NOT to do by watch abhorrent behavior. Think of employee experience as a combination of relationships, opportunities, environment, and—of course benefits. I would bet that everyone has had a time in which they walked into an office and could feel the chill in the air. If you look at the corporate web site, it can tell you much. For example, in one organization. all the people listed has their first names but not the president who was called Mr. So-and-So. Umm. Not a great experience. Consider interaction at meetings. Are all the voices heard or are some voices ignored. Do people have their heads down and hardly glance up or are their smiles and greetings. Ranked as the third Great Place to work in 2018, Ultimate Software has created an environment that emphasizes its mission: People First. From the time you walk into corporate headquarters, you see coffee break rooms designed with specific themes, bicycle racks to encourage riding to work. healthy food that is cheaper in the cafeteria. Employees can be seen smiling and talking with each other. Amazing work gets done but all in an environment that continues to give serious consideration to living its values: At Ultimate Software, we believe that people are the most important ingredient of any business. It's the people who ultimately determine what can be achieved. That's why creating a culture based on trust, respect, and inclusion is our top priority. We encourage our people to always reach higher, learn more, and live up to their potential, delivering our customers the best global human capital management solutions possible. In fact, I would contend that for a resilient, sustainable culture, just study Ultimate Software. Then ask this question: What would it take for my organization to replicate these experiences?