Those of you that read this blog regularly may recall my July 2009 post, which focused on online retailer Zappos, whose bottom line sales grew from “almost nothing” in 1999 to over $1 billion in 2008. CEO Tony Hsieh is very clear about what has contributed to Zappos spectacular success – it’s their values based culture. Zappos’ story clearly supports the main theme of my book Road to Respect: Path to Profit – that developing and living  a strategic, values based workplace culture is a key ingredient to business success in [...]

Laughter and work may seem like an oxymoron. Work is often associated with words like serious, dignified, and composed while laughter is associated with foolishness or goofing off. Granted, even good things can be bad if taken to extreme.  Laughter that is offensive or disrespectful is never funny or appropriate. However, laughter and work do not have to be incompatible, and work, without laughter is sad. Consider the positive effects of laughter. Laughter is a cheap cure for the office blahs and can do much to create a more positive environment. It has [...]

Chapter 2 of my book Road to Respect is entitled “Do You Know Where Your Culture Is?” I have no doubt that knowing the answer to that question is critical for success in business today. Workplace culture is the personality of an organization. It is the answer you get when you ask an employee, “So what’s it like to work around here?” Think about that for a minute. What would you want your employees to say? How would you like them to describe your workplace? Think about how it might [...]

“The glass ceiling will go away when women help other women break through that ceiling.” Indra Nooyi CEO, PepsiCo. Ltd I came across the quote above recently, and it got me thinking about the factors that contribute to success – specifically the relationship between support and success. While many of us might agree with the theoretical notion that employees that are supported do better than those that don’t, how many organizations recognize and acknowledge the relationship between support and bottom line success in business? How many organizations make strategic decisions [...]

I’m always amazed to hear the stories of how people subtly fight at work. Through procrastination, gossip, stonewalling, and other passive-aggressive methods, co-workers can find clever ways to obstruct progress while appearing helpful. So much conflict can be hidden under the surface of our actions and conversations. In the theatre, this is called “subtext.” Here are some examples of ways employees fight while smiling. Names have been changed but the scenarios are true. 1. Creating obstacles. “Tracy” is a talented office manager, but if she feels slighted, her ability to [...]

In November 2008, my book Road to Respect: Path to Profit was in the final design stages. I had chosen five Employers of Choice to illustrate the main theme of the book – that a strategically built values-based culture with respect as a core value was simply a business imperative for success in today’s marketplace. It never occurred to me, as Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, to start looking for my heart’s desire, in this case those Employers of Choice, in my own backyard. However, when I heard [...]

October 18 was Persons Day in Canada. It marks the date when women were recognized as persons under Canadian law. A lot has changed for Canadian and American women in the past eighty years. Our rights and our ability to access those rights have increased. The question is, have our workplaces adjusted to reflect those changes? According to the recently released Shriver Report, the answer to that question is a resounding no. The report, authored by First Lady of California Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress, documents the fact [...]

After reading workplace solutions expert and regular contributor, Erica Pinsky’s book, Road to Respect: Path to Profit, I wanted to know more. In her book, Erica provides a wake-up call for employers by detailing why respect, as a core value, is so imperative. She then provides a persuasive argument why organizations should embark on the road map to respect. Particularly compelling are her personal workplace anecdotes as well as the case studies featuring some of the largest companies in Canada, who are getting respect right. Below Erica discusses Road to [...]

We are pleased to welcome guest blogger Lynn Taylor. She is a nationally recognized workplace expert and author with 20 years of expertise. She shares with us her vision for achieving a humanized workplace. The Humanized Workplace: A Goal Worth Achieving These days, it seems that when you hear the word “boss” in the media, it’s all too often preceded by the word “bad”. That may be understandable, what with layoffs, stress in the workplace, CEOs under scrutiny for misdeeds, and other fallout of the recession. Perhaps it’s partly a [...]

Did you know the rate of suicides in the military is rising significantly? According to a recent article on the subject: “The Army, with 128 suicides last year, already has 79 so far this year. The Navy had 41 last year and 28 this year. The Marines have 34, seven shy of last year, and the Air Force has recorded half its 40 suicides of 2008.” So what can be attributed to the increase in suicides in all branches of the military? Various causes of course, but recently Private Keiffer [...]