Welcome back to the fifth blog in our Culture Hacker series. This blog continues the discussion about onboarding. By doing a better job in the first 60 days of a new employee’s career with you, you can stop wasting your investment in new people and their talent by keeping them longer. Last time we focused on day one – the [...]
Welcome back to my fourth blog in our 2016 Culture Hacker series. Last month we discussed your selection strategy, so now let’s talk about on-boarding and orientation. I am very passionate about the importance of both of these topics, so I am going to split it into two blogs. In this first blog I am going [...]
Welcome to my 3rd blog in our 2016 Culture Hacker series. It’s time to talk about selection. One of the most important roles you have as a manager is to select the right people to be a part of your team. Although controversial in his thinking, I found a quote from Italian Philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli that [...]
Welcome to the 2nd blog in our Culture Hacker series for 2016. In this blog, I will discuss the importance of values and the fact that they are not some philosophical BS (which are the exact words I have heard used on more than one occasion). While they are dismissed by many managers, I am here [...]
Creating a meaningful and effective culture is not just an HR thing—it is a business thing that every manager needs to be involved in. Welcome to my Culture Hacker blog series for 2016! Each month I’ll share more insights into how you as a manager or executive can elevate or reprogram your company code to [...]
There are two key elements to defining your culture; the values a person believes in and the behaviors a person should demonstrate. To define your culture with your team, you can brainstorm together. Provide your team with at least a week to think about the three most important qualities a person possesses or believes in [...]
When considering how to improve your customer’s experience, you have to focus on your place or environment, processes, and your people. You must have the procedures in place to ensure a consistent brand experience as defined by the way you enliven your customer’s senses, the way you deliver the experience on time and in the [...]
When I first began working for Williams-Sonoma in 2005, I knew I had found an amazing company with a strong culture. On the second day as Assistant Sales Manager I had a corporate visit. Brand new to the company, I couldn’t help but feel overjoyed when the Regional Manager and VP of Pottery Barn Kids [...]
What is luxury? When I worked for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, it was about perfectly scripted interactions, an unwavering focus on quality, and an opulent environment immaculately cleaned and maintained. While we were always focused on the guest, when it came to luxury, it was really all about the hotel—the product we showcased. As in [...]
Disney parks and resorts have set the stage for a global shift in customer experience. The reason why so many brands imitate their offerings and training program is because they have mastered the guest-facing environment and behaviors that drive engagement and loyalty. People want to be involved in something magical, which is why guests and [...]
