Michael Lee Stallard

SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

One of the greatest turnaround stories in all of history is also one of the most unlikely. It is the story of Queen Elizabeth I, a twenty-five-year-old woman who inherited the throne of England in 1558 having no leadership experience, faced prejudice in a time when women were considered grossly inferior to men, and lived with frequent threats of death.

Simon 285

Simon Commitment Teamwork Morale 285

Michael Lee Stallard

MAY 3, 2015

U2 went from a band people laughed at to become one of the greatest bands in history. Today, U2 has been awarded more Grammy awards than any other band and it surpassed the Rolling Stones’ record for the highest revenue generating concert tour. How did such a remarkable transformation happen and how has the band continued its success for more than four decades?

Succession 284

Succession Competitive Advantage Consensus Licensing 284

Michael Lee Stallard

JUNE 7, 2015

#88 Be Responsive. Return emails and phone calls promptly and within 24 hours. Doing so demonstrates respect and helps keep you connected. This is the eighty-eighth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

Tips 280

Tips 280

Michael Lee Stallard

MAY 16, 2015

What sports fan in the 1980s and 1990s wasn’t inspired by Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player ever? His last-second jump shots, airborne dunks, and tenacious defensive coverage made him a crowd-pleasing favorite. Now Jordan has been recognized as the first professional athlete to become a billionaire. What can we learn from his success?

Succession 280

Succession Franchising Sports Mentor 280

Michael Lee Stallard

AUGUST 9, 2015

#97 Give People Time to Finish Speaking Before You Begin. Make sure there is a pause in the conversation so that you don’t cut someone off from what they were trying to communicate. Don’t interrupt! This is the ninety-seventh post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others.

Tips 277

Tips Team 277

Michael Lee Stallard

JANUARY 25, 2015

'#69 Walk the Halls. Howard Behar, the secret weapon of Starbucks, tells leaders to “walk the halls.” Howard, former President of Starbucks North America and Starbucks International, played an instrumental role in growing Starbucks then came out of retirement to help turn Starbucks around when it went off course. “Walk the Halls” is similar to “Management by Wandering Around,” or “MBWA,” a term coined by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman in their book In Search of Excellence.

Waterman 278

Waterman Advice Course Management 278

Michael Lee Stallard

SEPTEMBER 19, 2015

Creating a workplace culture where people feel valued involves more than actively showing appreciation. It also involves eliminating behaviors that make people feel devalued. One of the worst culprits for making people feel devalued is disrespectful, condescending and rude behavior. Obviously, physical aggression is wrong. Less obvious is verbal abuse, especially if it is not clear that the instigator intended to harm the target.

Report 274

Report Stress Resources Information 274

Michael Lee Stallard

OCTOBER 7, 2015

Kate Otto Speaking. Kate Otto has a message for fellow Millennials. Her work experience at an HIV/AIDS clinic in Indonesia inspired her to research the power of personal relationships. She saw that practicing certain attitudes contributed to developing meaningful relationships at work. These relationships made her more productive and increased her feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment.

Productivity 272

Productivity Products Advice Open-book 272

Michael Lee Stallard

AUGUST 2, 2015

#96 Treat People as Partners. Treat people as equals. Never speak down to anyone or intentionally ignore him or her. This is the ninety-sixth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

Licensing 272

Licensing Creativity How To 272

Michael Lee Stallard

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

We connect with some people and not with others. Great leaders master how to connect with just about everyone and that’s one reason why people want to follow them. There are many facets to connection. Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram have written an excellent book titled 5 Gears: How to Be Present and Productive When There is Never Enough Time that provides insight into an important aspect of connection.

Follow-up 271

Follow-up Energy Advice Books 271

Michael Lee Stallard

AUGUST 23, 2015

#99 Read a Book Together Quarterly. Periodically select a business book for your direct reports or team members to read together. Consider reading one book every quarter. Meet to identify ideas from the book that you can implement. Some examples include The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace , Pour Your Heart Into It , and It’s Not About the Coffee.

Books 271

Books Team Report Examples 271

Michael Lee Stallard

JUNE 21, 2015

#90 Expect the Best of People. Frances Hesselbein, the amazing woman who led the turnaround of the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. and whom we wrote about in Fired Up or Burned Out , once told me that her mindset was to always expect the best in others. A mindset or attitude of expecting the best in others helps you connect with them. This is the ninetieth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.

271

271

Michael Lee Stallard

MARCH 6, 2015

'As seen on Fox Business. Saturday begins the Iditarod, a grueling dog sled race that spans nearly 1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Not only is the terrain challenging but wind chill temperatures have fallen to as low as 130 degrees below zero in past races. The winner of the first Iditarod in 1973 took almost three weeks to finish. Today racers can complete the “Super Bowl” of dog sled races in less than 10 days.

Teamwork 267

Teamwork Team Building Armstrong Bond 267

Michael Lee Stallard

JULY 26, 2015

#95 Create a Book to Celebrate Your Workplace Culture. Create a book of employees’ stories or articles about living out the core values of your organization. Two excellent examples are Zappos’ Culture Book and Smile Guide: Employee Perspectives on Culture, Loyalty and Profit, which is about The Beryl Companies. You can read a review of Smile Guide by Bob Morris on ConnectionCulture.com.

Books 266

Books Loyalty Review Article 266

Michael Lee Stallard

JANUARY 24, 2015

'Photo Courtesy of FCB. Consider this: few of the 500 largest corporations from 50 years ago exist today. They failed to change and became irrelevant, left behind by emerging competitors more in tune with the market. How is it possible that so many top companies made this same fatal mistake? The answer may lie in a very simple explanation. Humans run corporations, and humans have a biological aversion to change.

Stress 266

Stress Competitive Advantage Budgeting Globalization 266

Michael Lee Stallard

MARCH 15, 2015

'#76 Keep Them “In the Loop”. Keep your team in the loop on issues they need to know about. Whenever possible, bring individuals into the loop who express an interest in an issue. Doing so helps people to feel prepared for what’s ahead, which reduces stress and increases engagement. This is the seventy-sixth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.

Team 263

Team Advice Stress Management 263

Michael Lee Stallard

APRIL 19, 2015

'#81 Begin Meetings on a Positive Note. Research has found that groups generate more potential solutions when meetings begin with positive comments. Be the person who starts the meeting out with a positive comment. This is the eighty-first post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others.

Positioning 259

Positioning Advice Team Leadership 259

Michael Lee Stallard

MAY 22, 2015

#86 Follow Up in Writing. After a Group or Individual Knowledge Flow Session , follow up in writing to summarize what you heard, what actions are necessary, who is responsible for each action and when each action should be completed. Great communication shows people you value them and also encourages further sharing of information and ideas. This is the eighty-sixth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.

Follow-up 258

Follow-up Information Tips Management 258

Michael Lee Stallard

JULY 12, 2015

Texans know every herd follows a lead steer. On several days throughout the year, you can see a herd in the old cow town of Fort Worth, Texas, a city of approximately 800,000 people, following its lead steer. The surprise, however, is that this herd is on bicycles and its lead steer is their mayor, Betsy Price. Mayor Betsy Price mounts her bike each summer to lead “rolling town hall meetings.

Price 257

Price Follow-up Project Examples 257

Michael Lee Stallard

AUGUST 30, 2015

#100 Begin “Stop-Start-Continue” Meetings. Periodically hold “stop-start-continue” meetings to review your team’s activities. During these meetings, identify the activities your team should start that you are not presently doing, current activities that your team should stop doing, and activities that your team should continue doing. “Stop-start-continue” meetings give your team an opportunity to voice their thoughts on projects and enhance connection.

Team 255

Team Review Project 255

Michael Lee Stallard

JUNE 28, 2015

#91 Say You’re Sorry. When you make a mistake, say you’re sorry. This important step will help rebuild connection. This is the ninety-first post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

255

255

Michael Lee Stallard

JANUARY 4, 2015

'#66 Reconnect Your Team. On a monthly basis at the beginning of a meeting, ask your direct reports to share something on their mind. It can be anything they care to share with the team such as something they did outside of work that other team members might be interested in or something that’s going on at work that they want the team to know about.

Team 253

Team How To Advice Report 253

Michael Lee Stallard

JANUARY 11, 2015

'#67 Connect With Your Body Language. When interacting with others, be sure that your body language is connecting with them by being still, making eye contact while looking away at times so as not to glare or communicate too much intensity, relaxing your facial muscles, uncrossing your arms and leaning slightly forward. This is the sixty-seventh post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.

Advice 253

Advice Tips 253

Michael Lee Stallard

APRIL 12, 2015

'#80 Ask: “What Can I Do?”. Periodically ask your direct reports what you can do to help them do their best work. Choose an action or actions they suggested and then follow up. In particular, look for obstacles that you can help remove. This is the eightieth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others.

Management 252

Management Advice Follow-up Report 252

Michael Lee Stallard

JULY 12, 2015

#93 Be Sensitive in How You Describe Colleagues. Saying this is “my employee” or “one of my people” is disconnecting. Refer to people as “a colleague” instead. This is the ninety-third post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

Reference 250

Reference Advice Leadership 250

Michael Lee Stallard

MAY 10, 2015

#84 Be on the Lookout for the Three Social Cultures. Intentional connectors understand that there are three types of social cultures: cultures of control, cultures of indifference and connection cultures. . In cultures of control, people with power, control, influence and status rule over others and as a result the others feel left out. In cultures of indifference, people are so busy chasing money, power and status that they fail to invest the time necessary to develop healthy, supportive relati

Bond 247

Bond Influence Power Development 247

Michael Lee Stallard

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

Pfizer, the multinational pharmaceutical giant, has become increasingly intentional about shaping its culture. You can see evidence of Pfizer’s commitment in Ian Read’s letter to stakeholders the year after he became CEO: In 2011, we thoroughly explored what our culture is and how it needs to evolve. We engaged with leaders across the business and sought the candid input of approximately 11,000 colleagues globally.

Ethics 246

Ethics Pharmaceuticals Globalization Commitment 246

Michael Lee Stallard

MAY 31, 2015

#87 Create a Connection Café. For those who would like to participate, put cards with all the names of participating team members in a hat and have everyone draw one card. The individual drawing the card must contact the person whose name is on the card and schedule a lunch or coffee with him/her. This is the eighty-seventh post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.

Team 246

Team Participative How To 246

Michael Lee Stallard

AUGUST 16, 2015

#98 Seek Individual Ideas and Opinions. When possible, ask for the ideas and opinions of your direct reports, especially on actions you expect them to implement or believe they want to have a voice in deciding. This behavior reflects humility and wisdom. This is the ninety-eighth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others.

Report 243

Report How To Advice Team 243

Michael Lee Stallard

JULY 19, 2015

#94 Secure Tools and Training. Be sure to get people the tools and training they need to do their work well. Doing so not only helps others to grow, but also helps to reduce unnecessary stress that is harmful to performance. This is the ninety-fourth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others.

Tools 243

Tools Training Stress Advice 243

Michael Lee Stallard

MARCH 1, 2015

'#74 Proactively Help Others. Seize opportunities to help others. Send your colleagues any information you come across that affirms the organization’s Vision, that may help them do their jobs better, that relates to a topic they are interested in, or that may help them in some way outside of work. This is the seventy-fourth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.

Advice 239

Advice Career How To Information 239

Michael Lee Stallard

AUGUST 31, 2015

If you’ve ever been hired into a leadership role, you know how difficult it can be to lead when you are viewed as an “outsider.” It’s crucial to establish trust and connection with your new colleagues quickly, but how? Leaders who find themselves in this challenging position can look to a widely unknown example from the American Revolution for inspiration and guidance: Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, more commonly known as the Marquis de Lafayette.

Gilbert 237

Gilbert Team Competitive Advantage Licensing 237

Michael Lee Stallard

SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking on Work and Life, a radio program hosted by Stew Friedman, director of the Wharton Work/Life Integration Project, on Sirius XM’s Channel 111, Business Radio Powered by Wharton. Below is a transcript of our conversation. . Stew Friedman: Mike, you have a background in marketing and degrees in both business and law.

Influence 237

Influence Career Power Education 237

Michael Lee Stallard

MAY 5, 2015

I recently did a Q&A interview with Katie Russell, editor of ConnectionCulture.com , about the unique advantages that a connection culture provides. Here is our conversation: 1. What does it mean to be a part of a “connection culture?” When you are part of a connection culture, you feel connected to others, included and part of the team versus feeling unsupported, left out or lonely.

Competitive Advantage 237

Competitive Advantage Cooper Long-term Stress 237

Michael Lee Stallard

FEBRUARY 8, 2015

'#71 Connect Outside of Work. Individuals have different levels of felt need for connection. Some people require a much greater quantity and quality of connection than others in order not to feel alone. If you need much more connection than most people, it may be unreasonable to expect that your need for connection will be fully met in the workplace.

Advice 237

Advice Tips Quality How To 237

Michael Lee Stallard

SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

Recently I spoke with Don Yeager , former Sports Illustrated writer turned corporate speaker. Don co-authored a fantastic book on mentoring with the legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden (aka the wizard of Westwood) titled A Game Plan for Life. Don was mentored by Coach Wooden for more than 12 years. Here are four takeaways from our conversation.

Mentor 232

Mentor Learning-by-Doing Planning Sports 232

Michael Lee Stallard

MAY 3, 2015

#83 Use First Names Three Times. When meeting someone for the first time, a simple practice to help you remember his/her first name is to use it three times early in the conversation. This is the eighty-third post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home

Tips 230

Tips 230