A kegerator? Friday lunches paid for by the company? Open workspaces where even the CEO doesn’t have an office? It sounds like a page right out of Silicon Valley. You won’t find this company in California, though: they are right here in Denver, CO. I knew there was something special about this company when I met a handful of the employees at a networking event. They all seemed to have a passion for life. They didn’t seem like many others at a networking event: the ones compartmentalizing home and life (which doesn’t work); and the overly professional or agenda-pushing. Everyone from the company was high-energy and fun to be around. Continue reading
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How Accountability Can Help Your Discipline
Why is it easier to have success in some areas of our lives but not all areas? I can easily hold myself accountable in learning and advancing myself as a leader, but I have zero discipline when it comes to exercising. My first instinct is to chastise myself and wonder why I so frequently fail in my resolve, especially when attaining my goals would result in high pay-offs. After reflection, I realized I have yet to meet a person who is disciplined in every area of their life.
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Taking the High Road
This topic has been weighing on me lately. It seems many of the sacrifices good parents make could also be said of good leaders. Leaders spend much of their time on stage. I am not sure if many of them realize how much the things they say and do get analyzed by those who work for them. Leaders often become protagonists or antagonists in the hallway stories. Leaders need to realize they set the culture, the morale, and the work ethic within their organizations. While there are many points we could make on this topic, here are a few that stand out to me. Continue reading
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Even the Little People
I was watching the latest Winnie the Pooh movie with my daughter. Being too lazy to get up and turn the movie off, I watched the credits. I loved when I saw an entry for the person with the role “caffeination.” Movies do a great job of giving each and every person credit for the work they did on the movie.
The person on Winnie the Pooh ensured coffee was readily available when needed. This allowed each member on the set to focus on their roles and not have their time taken away by making their own coffee or even leaving to get coffee. Continue reading
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Video Blog: Motivate to Engage
Jana Axline is president and leadership coach at Axline Solutions. Through her leadership musings she hopes to inspire audiences to grow as leaders and ultimately achieve who they were created to be. For more information visit Axline Solutions.
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Take That Back!
I have to admit, I’m a closet Glee fan. Often, I wish my life was Glee. Oh, to be singing and dancing my way through life! But then a scene with the antagonist, Coach Sylvester, comes on, and I’m thankful that I don’t know a soul like her. But I digress. There is an episode where Coach Sylvester tells a kid to take a tube of toothpaste and squirt it into his hand. After a nice blob has formed she tells him, “Now put it back.” Her point is that once news is out, no matter if it’s true or not, it can’t be erased. Continue reading
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Treat Them like a Volunteer
Or at least, a little more like a volunteer. I participate in a couple volunteer organizations, and I’m frequently talking to them about treating their volunteers more like employees. Volunteer organizations sometimes have performance issues because they are afraid to hold people accountable: “How can we expect so much from them? They are just volunteers.” Frequently, you find them settling for whatever they can get.
