How To Make and Keep Your New Year's Resolution

Well it's that time of year and a lot of us are beginning to make plans for the new year ahead. For many of us that means making the dreaded new year's resolutions. You know those little goals we set with good intention and obligation but secretly understand and expect to break before the end of January. Or maybe that's just me.

You know the kind.

I am going to run every single day. Yep....as soon as that alarm clock goes off at five a.m. I am hoping out of the bed and running my way into a new body.

Or

I am going to start going into the office early and really putting out the kind of effort that will get me noticed by my boss and that promotion I have been wanting for so long.

You get the idea right?

Why is it so hard to keep resolutions? Well in my opinion it's because they aren't realistic. We make resolutions at this time of year because that's what we think you are supposed to do. We focus on things we would like to have or things we would like to accomplish but the thought is more romantic than the work that will be necessary to make it a reality. Maybe we really do want to drop that fifteen or twenty pounds and might even show our commitment by joining the local gym (gym owners love this time of year by the way!). But as the weeks go by, it just becomes easier to go home at the end of the day rather than hitting the aerobics class and before you know it the resolution to lose those pounds isn't nearly as important as catching Grey's Anatomy on the tube.

So how we do make resolutions that we will keep?

• Start by being clear. What is it that you really want to accomplish by making the resolution? What will sticking to this resolution bring to your life? What will it really mean to you?
  

• Don't make a lot of them. Focus is key here. If you are really committed to making some resolutions and sticking to them then make one or two and focus all of your energy on sticking to them. People get overwhelmed when they decide they are going to try and stick to a long laundry list of resolutions and before long it just becomes easier to ignore them all.
  

• Feel it. You have to feel the obligation in the pit of your stomach to make the change. This feeling will keep you on track if you know you are about to stray. It's really important to feel it because that is what will make the difference and help you to focus and stay on task to sticking with your resolution rather than taking the easier road.

• Position...Position...Position. Put yourself in the right position/environment(s) that will encourage and support you, not work against you. If you decide you want to give up alcohol let's say, agreeing to go to happy hour with the crew from work isn't going to help you.
  

• Accountability is key. Working hard at something can be a struggle especially if your battle is being fought alone. Engage your family, friends, co-workers and let them know what you resolutions are (remember only do a few) and ask them to help you stay on track. You will be amazed at how many people will rise to the occasion to help you but you have to include them. Don't be shy about the resolutions you are making.

Resolution can be broken into two powerful meanings.

Resolut(e) -
Solution

When you are resolute to make a change, obtain a goal or whatever it is you want to accomplish the solution lies in your ability to believe in yourself and take action to make it so. And let's face it, when you do that...when you truly believe in yourself, anything is possible.

Good luck and if you need a little extra push, drop me an email and let's chat.

Ripple On and make 2008 Your Best Year Ever!!!


Steve

Go Big or Go Home

"Go Big or Go Home."





It was 1998 and I was coaching my girls under sixteen soccer team in the Capital Area Youth Soccer Tournament semi-finals. We were down two scores when the halftime whistle blew. Every girl looked dejected when they came to the sidelines. Heads were down and hearts were broken.

We were a young team. The core group of my girls were younger than sixteen, our team had played up an age division that season. Now as the scoreboard seemed to loom, each of them were feeling the age difference and looking way out of their element. I never will forget the look they had in their eyes and just how sad and broken each of them looked.

I am a fiery personality. Bet you couldn't tell that from how I write right? Well this fiery coach was also feeling a bit dejected but not because of the score but because I knew that these girls had one shot; one half to make a difference that could and would forever impact their little lives and their individual self-confidence forever. And it was my job as their coach to not make it easy for them to give up on themselves. So I didn't.

I pulled the girls together and I asked each of them to look at me. Look in my eyes. Did they see my fire? Did they see my passion? Did they see my pride? Did they feel it? Did they understand? Could they appreciate that they were the reason that it was there. I had coached a lot of soccer teams but none that had showed the heart and determination these young ladies had showed. I smiled big and for the first time, probably spoke much softer and with more caring than the girls were accustomed to seeing in one of Harp's halftime sermons.

We didn't belong in that tournament. No one gave us a shot at the beginning of the season. We were nobodies but through the course of the season we became somebodies. We did that. We shocked the world (or at least our little soccer community) because we never gave up and we believed in ourselves....when no one else would. I reminded the girls of all that they had accomplished and that they did it all as a team.

I asked one simple question. Were we going to let the other team take that from us? Were we really prepared to say, "Oh ya'll were right, we don't belong. You just need to look at the score to see that."

That got a laugh. Then two. Then my motley crew of young girls were all laughing.

Surrender? No way!

I then settled them down as the referee's whistle went off to call the teams back onto the field. A noticeable calmness settled over all of us and I said, "Ladies we either go big or go home! It's your choice but each of you have to make it. Oh and ladies, its alright to go home but going out big, regardless of whether we win or lose, is so much more fun don't you think?"

That was the loudest team cheer we probably ever did. Loud enough to announce to the other team we weren't going away. No far from it.

We won that game in a shootout. To this day likely one of the greatest games I have ever been a part of.

Why do I share this with you? Because the statement is true and is particularly relevant as each of us find ourselves facing a brand new year ahead. Are you prepared to make your 2008 a bigger, better, more successful, more rewarding, more financially lucrative year than 2007 was?

Are you prepared to Go Big or Go Home?

The whistle is going off and it's time to start the next half of your life. Are you ready?

Ripple On!!!

Steve

Latest Edition

Just in case you don't already receive your own copy of my newsletter Ripple On News & Notes here's a link to our latest edition:

http://www.ripplecentral.com/newsletter/20071222.html


Hope you will check it out.

Ripple On!!!

Steve

Merry Christmas

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to all of you out there!

I hope Santa brought you everything you could ever want and then some!

And now....sung only like the MAN himself could sing it!

Enjoy!!!

Friday Fun: Santa and His Old Lady

Merry Christmas to everyone!!!

Enjoy Cheech & Chong's take on Santa and His Old Lady.

Use The Holidays To Discover

So the holidays are here and for many of us that means spending hours, sometimes days, with family; many of which we don't get to see all that often. Whether it be with the grandparents, parents, cousins, in-laws, extended family, our own children, spouses and/or significant others an opportunity to do something very special is available to us all. It's an opportunity to learn about these people we call family. I don't mean just catching up on how people are doing physically or how the new job is going....I mean really learning about the people themselves.

When you take a broader look at our time on Earth, we realize that time is not infinite. For many of us the next year may or may not be our last. The time we all have here is so precious and yet so many of us spend our time focused on the things that aren't all that important. In fact, we fail to connect with those in our family on a level that reveals much about them at all. Sad when you think about that sister of yours that you know less about than the woman who sits in the cubicle next to yours isn't it?

Use the holidays to ask the insightful questions. Ask grandpa when he was your age what he dreamed he would be when he finally grew up. Ask your cousin what they are truly passionate about and what makes them tick. Ask the elders of your family how your family came to be and what they think of the family as it is today. Spend the time asking your mom and dad questions that let them be Jim and Janet (my parent's names) rather than mom and dad.

Is this hard? I won't lie to you....it can be. Especially if your a family that doesn't truly know one another. But families should know one another don't you think? So when you decided to really get to know the people who you seldom see but really should know better, blame it on your old buddy Steve. Tell him this crazy Ripple author guy suggested this as a way to pass the time over the holidays. Blame me if it eases the reason for doing it, but no matter what, do it.

As most of you know, my mom has Alzheimer's disease. There are so many of those Christmas afternoons I wish I had back. I wish I could spend that time not looking at the cool loot I had just been given but really talking, really communicating with her. I know she had to have had hopes, dreams, fears, opinions, things that excited her but my friends, I never asked about them. I now sit here writing this post and realize that her disease has robbed her of her mind and me of the opportunity to have known what once was floating around in there. I really never knew my mom and that makes me sad.

Don't make the same mistake. Everyone has a story and like I preach incessantly throughout my BLOG, my book and my speeches and training, you just have to have the courage to ask.

Use the holidays to do some asking won't you.

Ripple On My Friends!!!


Steve

The Kathy Love-Hate Birthday Dilemma

Today my adorable wife Kathy turns 37 years old! So Happy Birthday Kath!!!

But I have to say, I both love and hate this time of year and let me tell you why.

Love it because for a little less than a month, I am a year younger than Kathy. Which I know secretly annoys her but thrills me. I turn 37 on January 14th so my rein of youngness doesn't last all that long. Gotta live it up while I can! Now if I could only find my sash that I can proudly wear for the next few weeks that says..."Look Everyone I Am Young Compared To Her!"

Hate it because as you can see by the calendar her birthday is a full six days before Christmas. That means double shopping and triple the pressure for me. You see I absolutely despise shopping and I am no good at it. I am quite certain she gets that exact same look my parents used to get when I gave them some useless piece of crap that they didn't need, nor want. You know the look....that smile that says oh great how nice but they are secretly thinking what in the hell were you thinking?

Love this time of year because....did I mention I am younger than my wife. Hee Hee. Today she's on the down slide towards forty and I am a technically by the letter of the birthday law a good four years away. Can you see me in your mind's eye doing my happy dance? Well buddy I'm dancing and trying hard to ignore that I too will be joining her on that slide in just a few short weeks.

Hate it because no matter what I do, I can't make her day nearly as special as she makes my birthday. Seriously she is like the Martha Stewart of birthdays when it comes to me and it just plain puts me to shame.

Love it because it is one of those days that both boys try, and let me emphasize try, to be good. My son Josh said to me last night as we wrapped her presents, "Daddy we will try not to punch each other too much since it's Mom's birthday okay?" Spoken like a true four and half year old that wakes up prepared for battle each day with his older brother. Could we be looking at a Harper truce? I wouldn't hold my breath!

Hate it because no matter how you slice it, another year has come and gone and when you get to be our age...they seem to go a lot faster.

Love it because for Kathy it means a brand new year ahead. With all the improvements she is striving to make I suspect that her 37th year on this planet is bound to be her best yet!

Hate it because it means that no matter what I do, a day simply isn't enough time to thank Kathy for all that she does for me and the boys.

Anyway thank you for indulging me in my Kathy love-hate birthday dilemma.

I know she is going to kill me when she reads this but what the heck. If she literally kills me I won't have to worry about joining her on that slide to forty which...did I mention, she is now on!

Happy Birthday Babe!

Ripple On!!!


Steve

My Passion Guest Blogger Post

Fellow author, Blogger and good friend Thom Singer asked me to participate in his Celebrate Passion Project and submit a guest BLOG post. I was honored to be asked and even more excited to share something that is truly a burning passion for me....helping kids reach their fullest potential by believing in themselves.

My ultimate goal is to take the Ripple concept to kids. Imagine what kind of Ripples we could create if we could plant the seeds of Rippling in the minds of our youth! Talk about a tsunami of Ripples!!! Alas...someday. Must first walk before run Grasshopper...or should I change that to Ripple Maker? Either way...you get the point right?

Anyway mosey over to Thom's BLOG and take a read and help celebrate my passion and the passions of Thom and is other inspiring contributors.

Thanks again Thom for asking me!

Ripple On!!!!

Steve

Holiday Ripple Connection Question of The Week

Ripple Connection Questions are a unique way to engage people in conversation. Whether with a complete stranger or someone you already know, but want to know better, using Ripple Connection Questions (RCQ) accelerate the dialogue and deepen the connection. The questions are by design, fun to ask and fun to answer, and can take your connection to an entirely new level. Come on, break out of that shell of yours and start Rippling.

Since the holidays are right around the corner and Christmas is everywhere you look, I find that this week's question gives me amazing insight to the people I want to know better. Give it a try and just get ready, because no matter the age of the person you are asking, that little gleam of possibility will invariably enter their eye. Just like it did for us all as we stood in line at that mall and found ourselves waiting to ask Santa the bring us the toys we most wanted at the time.

So have some fun this week asking this one....

SO WHAT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE
SANTA TO PUT UNDER YOUR TREE
THIS CHRISTMAS?

I hope you will not only use this question this week but will post a comment and let us know YOUR answer to it!!!

You never know....Santa may just be a regular reader of my BLOG!!!

Happy Holiday Ripple To You and Yours!!!


Steve

Friday Fun - Reindeer Walk Out

Special news bulletin from my crack team of Ripple reports currently stationed in the North Pole with Santa and his crew. It seems today that despite all efforts, negotiations with the Reindeer Coalition of Magic Flyers and The Ho Ho Group dba Santa Claus and The Little Dudes have broken down. This walkout of course couldn't come at a worse time with Christmas Eve just ten days from now.

As first reported last week in Santa's Inside Track weekly newsletter there was a mass walk out by Santa's Reindeer led by Vixen the head of the Reindeer Coalition of Magic Flyers. The first rumblings of trouble were first reported when the reindeer reported for training camp to get ready for the upcoming Christmas season. One reindeer was ominously missing: Rudolph. At the time it was dismissed as a schedule misunderstanding (Rudolph was apparently sitting on a beach in the Bahamas) but various news agencies reported that Rudolph's top Elven Agent, Little Big Ear, was actually trying to shake down jolly old St. Nick for a cut future Christmas profits. Santa finally managed to get Rudolph to training camp by agreeing to pay to have his nose rebrightened and to review his contract at the end of this season. This action reportedly left the other reindeer more than a little annoyed.

If you remember fur was ruffled at the end of the last Christmas season when Rudolph released his controversial book "Just Follow My Damn Nose and I'll Lead You Home You Fur Balls." Despite an early bump in sales and a number of appearances on the late night talk show circuit, book sales trailed off. The book fiasco and other apparent hard feelings were seemingly forgotten by everyone, including the reindeer as they broke camp and moved into the Christmas season. But now it appears...maybe not.

"We want our fair share. This is a team and there is not one reindeer here that is more important than any other," said Vixen as he walked out of the North Pole Complex yesterday evening carrying his sleigh bells; a sign that this walkout might just be permanent.

Doner was reached at home and had this to say, "The old and yes I am going to say it, fat, dude has been riding us and riding us for years. We work hard for our money and we want out respect. You know he kisses Rudolph's red nose every chance he gets but where's our love? Can you tell me that?"

Comet had no comment.

The other reindeer refused to talk to our Ripple reporters as they walked into to the adult reindeer club 10 Points. But according to my inside sources tell me that there is discord on multiple levels and that this action has been a long time coming.

This isn't the first time controversy has struck Santa and his team of reindeer. If you remember just two years ago Blitzen took his name a little too seriously and showed up at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Blitzed (see picture). The team pulled together then and showed their support by getting Blitzen into the Cold Mountain Rehab and Treatment Facility and were able to get him detoxed and cleared to fly before that year's Christmas Eve. It was hoped that some of these personality conflicts and other issues could be overcome too with the team coming together but it doesn't look good.

Well boys and girls of Ripple land, I am taking the first flight to the North Pole and see what I can do. It definitely looks like the power of connection amongst this team is needed and though I make no promises, we will see what my eleventh hour attempts can do to avoid what is sure to be a Christmas disaster if we can't get the two parties back to the candy cane conference table.

Stay tuned.....

And Ripple On!!!


Steve


P.S. If anyone sees Rudolph, can you tell him to call me as we really need to talk.

A Little Ripple Goes a Long Way

When was the last time you recognized or complimented a coworker, good friend or even a complete stranger for something, anything? You know unexpected recognition, praise and encouragement can impact a person in ways that you could never imagine. Sure it takes a little risk on your part and can maybe at first seem a little uncomfortable but that's alright. The more you do it, the more comfortable you will get at doing it.

There is a particular coffee shop that I drop by nearly every day for my daily caffeine fix. The woman behind the counter is, I think, somewhat introverted. Her shyness could, and is, easily misconstrued as her being somewhat rude or aloof about her duties. I somehow recognized this about her after she first started working there and I consciously decided to do my part to take some action to change that about her; well at least when she deals with me.

I refuse to let a day go by that I don't at least try to joke with her on some level or compliment her either on what she is wearing or note how good it is to see her. This invariably makes her smile big as Texas and I like to think, happy that I come in virtually every day. She really seems to love it when I kid her when there is a line of people standing behind me. I don't know if my efforts somehow yank her out of her introverted dungeon of fear or if my jokes are just that funny and entertaining, but I can truly see the Ripple my efforts are creating. I watch as I step aside to prep my coffee and watch her personality really come out and shine with the next few people in line. My simple act of attention I believe helps her to be better at her job and the people who used to not care for her (and it was obvious) really seem to now enjoy seeing her every day.

What does my effort cost me? Absolutely nothing! I have had the opportunity to get to know a really nice lady whom I likely never would have gotten to know had I just been a mindless customer coming in for my coffee day after day. The changes that I have seen in this woman are nothing short of amazing and I believe are, at least in part, due to taking some action to recognize, compliment or joke with her every time I see her.

People matter and whether you are serving me coffee, driving me to the airport or taking my phone call, I like to show it through my efforts, my attitude and my way of Rippling. Give it try and just see how amazing a small effort on your part can impact another person and how incredible you feel for doing it.

You just never know what kind of Ripple it might create. This morning....my little investment of daily Ripple may have just gotten me a free day old Danish. Yummy!

Ripple On!!!

Steve

When In Doubt....Clarify Your Meaing

So having a frank and honest conversation with my dad last night and with my wife again this morning, it was pointed out to me that my BLOG post the other day might have possibly offended some of my readers. I thought that I was hopefully clear in communicating throughout the post that this was not my intention nor my desire to diminish the accomplishments of any professional in any industry. I stand by my comments but realize the main point of what I was trying to say might be have been said clearer. So let me give it another shot.

Titles or impressive letters following one's name don't make the person...the person makes the person. My intent was to communicate that titles, certifications and professional achievement though important and absolutely something you should be proud of, very well may be intimidating to new people when you first meet them. The real question is, does your title or letters after your name tell the average person something important about you that they, as a common person can immediately recognize and understand, or does it have the opposite affect? Does the average person possibly get intimidated or annoyed with the fact they don't know what a PhD does, let alone how to connect and communicate with him or her so they just don't.

Simply stated....I would hate to see someone great miss out on meeting someone else who is great simply because a title or professional certification presents a connection barrier.

Maybe I am wrong, maybe the impression I get is not every one's and that's okay too. I simply think it might be worth examining on some level.

So now that I have opened this can of worms what do I do to get them back in. Well if you sport one of these acronyms, signifying letters or educational accomplishments on your card, ask yourself if you think the average person could identify with their meaning. Don't stop there..get the opinion of family, friends and some complete strangers along the way. See what other's have to say about their first impression.

If this unscientific yet powerfully insightful survey yields mixed results consider getting two cards printed up. One to use when you are out in the general business public that states what you do in simpler language and one that you can use in environments where those who attend will get and understand what your higher level of achievement means and signifies.

In closing, I just want to say I apologize if my comments offended any of you in any way. But the goal with my BLOG is, and will always be, to get my readers to look at things from hopefully a different and sometimes controversial perspective. But please trust that I would never do anything that is intentionally mean-spirited or diminishes you my faithful readers in any way. And if Thursday's post did...please accept my apology!

Ripple On and Enjoy Your Sunday!!!

Steve

Strive For Three

I recently gave a speech to a group of business executives and during the question and answer portion was asked how I might suggest someone begin adhering to a Ripple-centric philosophy for their life. I get this question quite a lot so I figured it would be worth sharing my answer in this platform.

Ripple is about creating or taking action on someone else's behalf. Doing something....anything on a a consistent every day basis. My belief is when you are consciously on the hunt to Ripple on someone else's behalf you become acutely aware of your surroundings and it makes you active participant in the game of life. Not just a transient passenger of it.

So back to the question. How does someone begin utilizing the concept in their life? I have a little mental game I play with myself called Strive For Three. It's quite simple and a whole lot of fun. Here's how you play:

Throughout your day look for three opportunities to help someone and do it. Take an action on their behalf. It can be a big action or a little action but whatever it is, it's an action. It could be as simple as holding a door open for someone and wishing them a good morning. It might be complimenting a co-worker on a job well done or how nicely they dressed on that day. It might be letting that guy who's had his blinker on trying to get into your lane of traffic cut in in front of you and giving him a big smile while you do it. It could be stopping and offering to help that person change their tire. Or it might be buying a cup of hot coffee on a cold winter morning and stopping to give it to the flag man of the road construction crew.

The cool thing is your action can be anything you want it to be!

So as you do these things throughout the day keep track. Write them down. Strive to do a minimum of three each day and record your Ripples in a little journal. Tally your score at the end of each week and see how many positive Ripples you have created out there in the world.

Before long what you will notice is Rippling is no longer a game....it's a way of life. Your good deeds will have you feeling a little like a super hero and extremely good about yourself. That alone is a fantastic reason to begin Rippling every day in every way. And those Ripples you create will come back to you in ways that are unimaginable.

Strive for three is a great way to get yourself actively Rippling. So what are you waiting for?

Ripple On!!!

Come on....Letters After Your Name. Are You Serious?

I am fairly certain that little Johnny's parents didn't proudly announce to the world that here is our new baby boy John Smith Esq.. Nor do I think that Amy Wright's grandmother tells the ladies at bridge that their sons absolutely need to meet her granddaughter Amy Wright PhD.. But this trend of putting impressive indicators of one's higher education or professional certification seems to be running rampant. It leaves me wondering if our society has become so myopic that we wouldn't want to meet, connect or even hear someone speak without some level of indication that they are better than us somehow. The letters or string of certification indicators after a name seems to bark ego and I for one don't get it.

I recently received an invitation to a local business function where the speaker was simply advertised as George Jefferson, PhD.. It was advertised with such emphasis on this man being a PhD that what he was speaking about was actually lost in translation. It left me feeling as if I should be so lucky to see the incredible George Jefferson PhD what with me being just a mere mortal and all. Needless to say I didn't plop down my thirty-five bucks to see the PhD and I am certain it was my loss.

I know my comments may offend some of you and that is not my intention. I am quite certain if I achieved a level of certification or educational importance I would be quite proud of it myself. I just wonder however, how many people one might be intimidating with the very in your face public display of professional or academic achievement.

Case and point, I have a good friend that for a while has somewhat been fascinate with a particular person in my local business community. He believes this person would be able to accelerate his learning curve a great deal for his job given this individual's professional standing in their industry. Recently over coffee I suggested my friend just pick up the phone and honor this individual by saying he would like to meet him because he is someone my friend really respects and he would like to learn from him. My friend shrunk back in his seat and said he couldn't do it...the guy was too important and, this is no lie, sited the letters after his name as some indication of their social class difference.

Hogwash! I am quite certain this particular individual is not a God in his profession and that he very well could learn something from my friend who is brilliant in so many ways. But I've seen this man's card and he has more letters after his name then Starbucks has combinations for their drinks. I could see at first why my friend would possibly be intimidated. Then the more I thought about it the more I wonder what the letters might mean to the man carrying them in terms of lost opportunities for himself. Opportunities he doesn't even realize he is missing out on because he is intimidating people which his self-promoted importance.

I don't believe the letters define you and perhaps in certain circles those letters mean a great a deal and have practical application. But if you are business coach trying to drum up business at your local chamber of commerce, no one gives a rat's you know what if you are a CSP, CES, ICP, CPC or whatever...they just want to know you as George or Jane. The impressive title or long string of letters following your name is not what defines who you are and what you might bring to my personal or professional life; you do. But we may never get the chance to explore that if you shove a card in my face that makes me, a mere uncertified, unsanctioned, unannointed mere mortal feel intimidated. Just go with the card that say, Shelia Waters, Executive Coach.

I don't do business with my attorney because he is John Tarbox Esq.. In fact I have no idea if he is an Esq. or not and I don't care. I do business with John because he is John and that's how I met him and how I got to know him. But better your bottom dollar I wouldn't refer him if he pontificated that he was an Esq. because my peeps don't role with that.

But hey....this is only an opinion and I hope no one minds me sharing my rant too much. It's just something that bugs me and if I can't share it with you then who can I share it with? And to be completely fair I give medical doctors a pass on this rant. It's always good to know who might stop the bleeding and fix you up after you do something stupid!

On second thought, perhaps maybe I should start going around calling myself Steve Harper, P.R.C.E. (Professional Ripple Connector Extraordinaire). Nah.....just call me Steve....or maybe Ripple Man!!!

Ripple On!!!

Broken Company Broken Souls - Continued

Had some great conversations with readers these past few days both online and over the phone about Thursday's post. It was telling to hear several of you talk about living in this world either as an employee or as an organizational leader. It seems the scenario I painted is fairly representative of some current work environments from some well known corporations out there. But whether you're at a Fortune 500 company or running a small business with just a handful of people, any way you cut it, this scenario would be bad. Real bad!

So who's to blame? No one? Everyone? Well....yes....

Clearly entire books are written on this kind of subject matter but let me just hit a few of my observable highlights.

The company promotes a workplace culture that is obviously so not accurate. Leadership is to blame because they allow such an obvious misrepresentation of the company to be portrayed by the recruiters and hiring managers. A company can be excellent at attracting top-tier talent but if they don't have the uber hip environment that these candidates now turned employees, were promised and expect, it will only breed contempt and disloyalty for those who stay. Those harsh feelings morph into a culture of disconnection, broken relationships, unhappy employees and ultimately dissatisfied customers.

The company also appears to have extremely disengaged leadership. You see this a lot especially in smaller companies. The attitude becomes we were lucky enough to land these people so let's not rock the boat by being overly managerial and too in your face. Marcia's boss is a perfect example of clearly having no idea what she does throughout the day and likely out of fear of losing her and perhaps looking bad amongst his peers for the turnover, turns a blind and naive eye. The lack of his leadership and his expectation of accountability only serves to fuel Marcia's discontent and questionable behavior and becomes the temporal pulse from which his other employees and related departments take their cue. A rudderless ship full of passengers expecting something out of the voyage they agreed to take is a ship headed to no where and a mutiny (or abandon ship call) can't be far behind.

So what about Marcia, doesn't she bear some of the blame? In my opinion absolutely yes! Marcia is representative of the attitude I see in a lot of today's workforce. Many of today's workers so believe they are owed something from "the man" and conduct themselves accordingly. People must show up every day and put out a solid effort or they should move on or be removed. Marcia is no exception.

Marcia may have been duped into taking a job that is nothing like what she expected it to be. If so, she must for her own pride and sanity seek out and find employment that is more challenging and rewarding. Her pride in herself and her abilities should be encouragement enough to let her own internal compass know that the things she is doing at work, calling it work, isn't right. No, in fact it is downright wrong. Her attitude about killing time until she can resume her life should be the first indication that there is something wrong and if management isn't going to fix it she should. She should take a stand and be a change agent within the company if she believes the company is worth fighting for. If not, she should quit wasting hers and everyone else's time and move on.

But is it really that easy? Isn't it easier to just hope Marcia will wake up one day and feel guilty about taking that check home for playing on the Internet ninety percent of the time? Isn't it just easier for a company to say we can't get the right people if we don't fib a little during the recruiting process? Isn't it just easier to be a leader that is liked because you don't create issue and fail to hold people to a certain level of accountability?

I think we all know the answer to these questions. It's why we see companies that once held such great promise never achieving greatness. It's why we see people who should be so much further down the career path still stuck in neutral. It's why we see people losing self-respect in themselves by taking the easy and less bumpy road to get through the day. It's why so many companies are broken and why so many us go to work like zombies day after day; each day giving up a little bit more of our soul along the way.

Change in any corporation, big or small, is difficult. Fixing a sick department, division or entire company takes work. It is hard work but not impossible work.

So what about you? Are you a Marcia? Or are you a Marcia boss? Are you running a division just waiting for the battle lines to be drawn so you can settle in your spot to begin pointing fingers and assassinating characters?

Broken companies can be fixed with committed truthful leaders. Broken souls can be fixed with self-respecting employees who aren't going to take the easy personal road but would rather do the heavy lifting that is required day in and day out. Together with the right kinds of leaders and the rights kinds of employees a company can be created that people will truly want to work for and it will produce products and services customers will really want to buy.

Marcia and her company can be fixed and boy if they were real, I would sure like to give them some ideas how.

Ripple On!!!

Broken Company Broken Souls

Marcia comes in every day without fail and sits at her desk and appears to work diligently at the tasks at hand. She rarely, if ever, calls in sick and is the one person everyone can count on to work through lunch without complaint. Marcia is considered a team player by the staff and appears to be liked by everyone so her boss considers himself fortunate to have her on his team.

Marcia on the other hand has a different opinion. Marcia comes in every day because that is what she has to do to get the paycheck. She gets to her desk and rarely leaves because she has fifteen chat conversations going on at once and of course dozens of personal emails to attend to. She makes use of the high speed Internet to download music to her conveniently hidden IPOD and is often engaged in a mad game of Texas Hold Em going on a game site. She sprinkles in a little bit of work here and there to feel like she contributed her self-imposed important piece to the company's success; knowing in her own mind the company wouldn't likely exist without her critical contribution. She always appears busy to anyone who might be looking but all and all no one checks on her so she is pretty much left to do as she pleases. She passes the time until five o'clock when her real life resumes.

Marcia's company brags about being a cutting edge employer that only hires top-notched talent and that every member of the team is critical to their success. It's self-described literature to the college recruiters is "being the place people want to work." The recruiters know that a candidate's placement at this company is a sure road to a comatose mental existence but the company pays a big placement fee so they keep finding and attracting talent.

The company is filled with many Marcias on ever level of the organization. Secretly in the boardroom the executive team knows the company is struggling and has many issues to contend with, not the least of which is how to get the team on the same page. The "team" doesn't seem to want to get excited about anything these days and though it appears everyone is working hard, things aren't working. Both sales and customer satisfaction are beginning to falter and the new products are way behind in development. The board of directors is demanding changes happen and happen soon. They debate for hours about what's wrong and who's to blame because of course someone has to be blamed. Many executives and and department heads dig in and prepare for the inevitable battle of duck, bob, deflect, assault and cover your ass.

Marcia occasionally looks up from her computer monitor to make sure the suits are still engaged in whatever it is they are talking about. It looks like they are going to be in there for a while yet so she smiles to herself as she realizes she has a little time to do some online Christmas shopping before the next Hold Em tournament starts. She glances at the clock and says to herself only three more hours to go until happy hour. She prepares to dig in and looks across the office and if she didn't know better, she would swear everyone else was doing exactly what she was doing.

So my Ripple friends....a question. Who's wrong in this story? Who's ultimately to blame? And maybe more importantly what needs to be done to fix this?

I realize this is a very loose and open-ended story with few specific details. Or are the details that I have given you somehow oddly familiar? Perhaps with your own corporate environment?

In my next post we will look at what's possibly going on but in the mean time I would love to hear your take on what is happening with Marcia and her company.