Terry Starbucker

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

Or perhaps retrace the letters with your pen or pencil, just to make absolutely sure you knew it was important (but you weren’t exactly ready to take it on). The first one on my list was typically a “ doozy ” task – a task so daunting, so challenging, and so unappealing, that you couldn’t help but stare at it for hours.

Letter 418

Letter Resistance Class Technology 418

Terry Starbucker

MAY 22, 2016

“They Need More Than a Letter” This was this lesson that surfaced when we made the decision to lay off 90 people. We spent days writing and rewriting the announcement letter. And, certainly, there was humanity in that letter. They deserved better than just a letter. I felt very disconnected from it.

Letter 171

Letter Leadership Call Center Long-term 171

Terry Starbucker

OCTOBER 13, 2013

Or, to put it another inelegant (but shorter) way, imagine a boss who didn’t give a darn (or insert a stronger four-letter word). To put this in the right context, sit back and think of a situation where any, some, or all of those four caring elements didn’t exist.

Leadership 379

Leadership Letter Incentives Advice 379

Terry Starbucker

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

Relying on the employee manual “to the letter” (also see #4 above). Doing stuff on your own without consulting your team, or cutting off debate prematurely, just to get work “out the door” 6. Moving on to a new task or goal without a post-mortem (and any approriate praise and/or coaching) on the last one.

Short-term 319

Short-term Leadership Long-term Policies 319

Terry Starbucker

APRIL 15, 2012

I wrote a letter to fear that really helped me , and I would encourage you to do the same thing, as crazy as it sounds. Because your instincts ARE good, and as a dreamer, you’ve already taken some of the hardest steps. For us, it’s “coming to terms” with our fear that will keep it at arms length.

Succession 382

Succession Letter How To Content 382

Terry Starbucker

JULY 3, 2016

Aside from the superb look at Washington, this book has a riveting narrative that is based on many letters, diaries and other texts written by the combatants on both sides, from generals to foot soldiers. . – Above all else, he was a realist – his greatest strength was to “see things as they were, not as he wish they were”.

Leadership 192

Leadership Letter Document Learning-by-Doing 192

Terry Starbucker

OCTOBER 23, 2016

Or perhaps retrace the letters with your pen or pencil, just to make absolutely sure you knew it was important (but you weren’t exactly ready to take it on). So that first one on any list was typically a “ doozy ” task – a task so daunting, so challenging, and so unappealing, that you couldn’t help but stare at it for hours.

Succession 150

Succession Leadership Letter Resistance 150

Terry Starbucker

NOVEMBER 1, 2015

An open letter to all who are thinking about being a leader, are about to be a leader, or are already been given the responsibility of a leader and are trying to figure out how the heck it all works: . Dear Prospective, Pending, or Current Leader: I understand you are trying to be a leader.

Letter 150

Letter Metrics Tactics Construction 150

Terry Starbucker

APRIL 13, 2011

The trap comes into play when accountability focuses more on a “ procedure based ” approach that puts great emphasis on volumes of detailed and explicit rules and regulations that generally need to be followed to the letter, “ or else ”.

Call Center 278

Call Center Policies Guidelines Letter 278

Terry Starbucker

JANUARY 13, 2013

In his IPO letter Mark Zuckerberg wrote: “I started off by writing the first version of Facebook myself because it was something I wanted to exist. Since then, most of the ideas and code that have gone into Facebook have come from the great people we’ve attracted to our team.”

CEO 335

CEO Word of Mouth Marketing Leadership IPO 335

Terry Starbucker

MAY 31, 2010

These 5 words can mean more than any bonus, raise, or promotion – but the deliverer must be careful, and like any wonder drug, the directions for use need to be followed to the letter. It should be delivered personally – face to face is best, followed by a telephone call, or a handwritten letter.

Leadership 292

Leadership Shaw Open-book Letter 292

Terry Starbucker

JUNE 17, 2012

This one has been followed to the letter for nearly 20 years, and has served me well. I owe so much of my success as a leader and public speaker to that horrible moment, because it taught me so many things. The most important: Never speak in public unprepared. Never, ever.

Audience 296

Audience Letter Career Definition 296

Terry Starbucker

MAY 13, 2012

I wrote a letter to myself that day, and finally put in my head what was in my heart since that day in eighth grade: I wanted to be a leader that made a difference. My fears had once again kept me from my calling. But one day, at the bottom, I decided to play quarterback again.

Exit Strategy 293

Exit Strategy Leadership Bottom-up Letter 293

Terry Starbucker

JULY 5, 2015

We came up with a cover letter to go with the shirt, personally signed by me, and then, at our weekly management conference calls, I started to hand them out. My accompanying letter said “ Thanks for giving us More Cowbell ,”, and added one more request – to send back to us a picture of the person in the t-shirt.

Leadership 150

Leadership Letter Conference Definition 150

Terry Starbucker

FEBRUARY 20, 2011

The “Process Speed Bump”: You just signed a letter of intent on a contract that would immediately save the company $20,000 a month. Here are a couple of examples: “The Fire Drill”: Your boss calls about a negative customer comment he read on the Internet, and demands that the situation be resolved immediately.

Tools 204

Tools Cost Conference Management 204

Terry Starbucker

MAY 23, 2010

Home About Me About This Blog Starbucker’s Amazon Store TerryStarbucker.com Ramblings From a Glass Half Full Those Dreaded Meetings and Why You Should Learn to Love Them by Starbucker on May 23, 2010 It’s the office equivalent of a four letter word – “ meeting ”.

Letter 268

Letter Blog Follow-up Conference 268

Terry Starbucker

FEBRUARY 27, 2014

The trap comes into play when accountability focuses more on a “ procedure based ” approach that puts great emphasis on volumes of detailed and explicit rules and regulations that generally need to be followed to the letter, “ or else ”.

Leadership 315

Leadership Learning-by-Doing Long-term Policies 315

Terry Starbucker

DECEMBER 20, 2009

I also didn’t expect that every letter would result in an interview or an offer, or probably even every 10 th letter, but knew that the more I sent the better my chances. I was acting as a “ realistic optimist ” – those instincts had always been there, but they had never had a real chance of being acted upon fully until that time.

Blog 214

Blog Letter Learning-by-Doing Career 214

Terry Starbucker

JUNE 27, 2010

Or perhaps retrace the letters with your pen or pencil, just to make absolutely sure you knew it was important (but you weren’t exactly ready to take it on). It was really tempting, and I mean really tempting, to skip that first one and just start doing the tasks below it.

Productivity 275

Productivity Products Blog Learning-by-Doing 275

Terry Starbucker

SEPTEMBER 26, 2010

toss “They&# out of your vocabulary) - Nothing promotes disharmony more than the use of that four letter word, “ They “ It has to be about the “We&#. That’s diplomacy. Use Proper Pronouns (i.e.

Course 283

Course Blog Objective Efficiency 283

Terry Starbucker

MAY 20, 2010

I’ve never been a prudish about the use of 4-letter words, but this is one that shall forever more be stricken from my vocabulary. Can’t is definitely a four-letter word. People often poo-poo the “power of positive thinking&# philosophy, but I’m completely onboard. Great post, Terry! I’m totally with you!

Learning-by-Doing 388

Learning-by-Doing Blog Definition Open-book 388

Terry Starbucker

JULY 23, 2018

The nice letter with the “thank you for your service” wasn’t enough. I knew the new suit really “fit” the day I sat in my office and decided to personally meet face to face with 87 people we had decided to lay off in a call center consolidation. The fair exit package wasn’t enough.

Leadership 181

Leadership Learning-by-Doing COO Follow-up 181

Terry Starbucker

JANUARY 10, 2010

I visit my company’s field operations quite often, and I like to talk personally with as many folks as I can. The karma comes back to me when I get e-mails or letters about how just showing up, and taking the time to chat, made a difference in how they felt about their jobs.

Blog 348

Blog Learning-by-Doing Follow-up Media 348