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By Mary Kelly
Sally is a 38-year-old manager of a retail store in a busy strip mall in Portland, Oregon. Last week, in a panic, she called her regional manager, Darla. “Danny gave me his two weeks’ notice today. Charlene quit last week. I do not have people to run the store. What do I do?” Sally’s boss weighed Sally’s options:
Sally was at her wit’s end, and she was frustrated with Darla for not understanding that the problem was bigger than just her and her store. Sally was thinking: “Darla doesn’t understand that I bend over backwards for my people. They like me and they have worked for me this long because they feel a sense of loyalty. I cannot blame Danny and Charlene for leaving right now. It just does not seem worth it to work.” “They hate wearing masks all day. They hate that part of their job is now cleaning and sanitizing the store. They hate that shoplifting is increasing and that the police cannot respond right away. They know that their taxes are going up, so their take-home pay is going to decrease. The workload of the job has increased, and the pay increased, but not as much as the hassle of coming to work. Darla does not understand that Danny and Charlene were my best workers. They were reliable. They each have over 4 decades of work experience. Customers love them. I depended on them.” “But I can’t blame them. If I were in their position, I would quit, too.” Danny and Charlene are part of The Great Resignation. Baby boomers, who are turning 65 at the rate of 10,000 per day have been crunching the numbers on their Roth IRAs, their Traditional IRAs, their 401(k)s, their SEPs, their savings, their investments, and their social security. They are doing the math on their budgets. And the Baby Boomers are resigning in droves. For Sally, it is a problem to replace her best front-line employees. For large corporations, the resignation of 21 million experienced workers in the past 8 months is a crisis. This attrition the next business crisis – the loss of the knowledge, education, work ethic, and talents of their most experienced people. As Baby Boomers walk out the door, some Generation Xers are feeling relieved. “Finally! Maybe I can get promoted now!” Other Generation Xers are considering their own resignation. “I don’t want to work for a new boss. Bill was great. I do not want Bill’s job. Whoever they bring in is going to be worse. Maybe I will follow Bill’s example and retire as well." Human Resource managers are panicking. “We are advertising everywhere, and we still cannot recruit the right people.” “We are offering great pay and benefits and we still cannot hire the right people.” “We are incentivizing our current employees with free lunches and other perks, and we still cannot keep the right people.” This, and thousands of other scenarios, is The Great Resignation. Senior executives are worried: “How are we going to fill the gaps? Where are the job-hunters? How do we get future leaders ready for increased responsibilities?” Some senior leaders were not thinking about leaving or moving to another job until they were hit with a wave of empty positions: “I don’t want to have to do Cindy and Mark’s job along with mine. Maybe it is time for me to retire, too." Employment cycles move like waves in the ocean. External forces impact us close to home. Everything Sally is experiencing is happening on a larger scale throughout corporate America. The businesses that are least prepared and most negatively impacted by this wave are those without a viable succession plan. A solid succession plan:
The consequences of The Great Resignation are just now being realized as organizations are opening back up to find that some of their best talent is staying home for good. How is The Great Resignation affecting your organization? Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success!
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By Josh Linkner
When we hear stories about world class creators like Lady Gaga or Lin Manuel-Miranda, or ultra-successful entrepreneurs like Elon Musk or Sara Blakely, we immediately think these people must have some special gift that we normal folk are missing. As if the skies opened for a brief moment and the gods anointed a chosen few with heavenly powers. We’re led to believe that we’re either creative or we’re not, and there’s very little we can do about it. This is what we’ve been told our whole lives. And it’s dead wrong. Over the last decade, neuroscientists have made massive leaps forward in understanding the human brain. Much of this bold discovery has been the result of advanced technology such as fMRI machines, providing history-making clarity and unlocking century-old mysteries about how the brain functions. A key finding is the concept of neuroplasticity, now widely accepted in the scientific community. Until recently, the prevailing belief was that your brain was fixed. It was wired the way it was wired, and that was that. You’ve probably heard myths such as brain cells can’t regenerate or that cognition is the result of a piece of static equipment, incapable of adapting or growing. If your brain was the lawnmower you bought at a garage sale, there was nothing you could really do to upgrade it shy of replacing it entirely by shelling out $1,900 for a brand-new John Deere E120 42 in., 20 hp, V-twin Gas Hydrostatic Riding Mower (try discount code: neuroplasticity). It turns out, the brain isn’t at all like the old lawnmower that can’t be rebuilt. It’s more like the lawn itself. Your lawn is malleable, responding to changes in environment, fertilizer, pesticides, new seeds, and your neighbor’s yappy brown poodle. If you never water your lawn, it turns to scorched earth. Leave it unprotected and it becomes a hideous weed field. But if you add new seeds, fertilizer, and irrigation, trimming—if you protect and care for it—your emerald-green lawn can become the envy of the subdivision. A lawn is something that responds to change; it can be grown or killed, thickened or depleted, beautified or polluted. With the right care, it can quickly bounce back from previous neglect, once again growing and thriving. That is the essence of the incredible breakthrough of neuroplasticity: your brain isn’t fixed…it can change, adapt, and grow. One of the least-technical definitions I found was from a 2017 article in the painfully dry scientific journal Frontiers in Psychology: Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience: “Neuroplasticity can be viewed as a general umbrella term that refers to the brain’s ability to modify, change, and adapt both structure and function throughout life and in response to experience.” (Pro tip: reading technical neuroscience research is an excellent cure for insomnia.) What made bespectacled research scientists want to stand up from their lab desks to dance in a conga line? It was the proof that our brains can form new pathways, synapses, and connections. We’re not just talking learning; we’re talking actual changes in brain chemistry and composition. Just as coal can transform into diamonds and snotty teenagers can eventually transform into tolerable human beings, your brain is something that can be shaped and developed. Relating to your creativity, I’m taking a big leap here and coining a new phrase: INNOplasticity. (Should I disappear unexpectedly, please notify the authorities to investigate the evil geniuses behind Frontiers in Psychology: Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience.) Building on its big brother neuroplasticity, innoplasticity is the notion that your creativity is expandable just like your brain. Swapping out a few words from the above definition, think of innoplasticity as “a general umbrella term that refers to one’s ability to modify, adapt, and grow creative capacity throughout life and in response to training, development, and experience.” Innoplasticity is a fancy way of saying that your creative potential is far greater than the creativity you had at birth, in eleventh grade, or even now. All of us can cultivate and improve our imagination, the same way brains—and front lawns—can transform for the better. And these changes can happen much faster than you might think. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By LeAnn Thieman. This was originally published on LeAnn's blog.
Sleep problems and a high level of burnout are associated with increased odds of COVID-19 among health care workers, according to a study published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore administered a web-based survey to healthcare workers in six countries with a high frequency of workplace exposure. The associations between sleep, burnout, and COVID-19 were examined. The researchers found that one-hour longer sleep duration at night was associated with a 12% reduced odds of COVID-19. Having three sleep problems was associated with 88% greater odds of COVID-19 compared with having no sleep problems. Reporting burnout “every day” was associated with increased odds of COVID-19, longer duration. Your body needs sleep in order to recover from the demands of the day and in order to process everything that happened, too. Selfcare for Healthcare is a comprehensive program aimed to reduce nurse burnout and improve self-care for nurses. Many facets of health and well-being are covered in our program, including how to encourage your staff to get better sleep. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By John O'Leary. This was originally posted on JohnOLearyInspires.com. When John O'Leary was 9 years old, he suffered burns over 100% of his body and was expected to die. He is now an inspirational speaker and bestselling author, teaching more than 50,000 people around the world each year how to live inspired. John's first book, ON FIRE: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life was published March 15, 2016. John is a contributing writer for Huff Post and Parade.com. John is a proud husband and father of four and resides in St. Louis, MO. Order John’s book today anywhere books are sold.
Determination. Resilience. Willpower. Vision. Courage. These are some of the characteristics required to overcome adversity, take the next right step forward and thrive in life. Yet, beneath those brawny traits exists a singular, common denominator, liberating us to overcome personal adversity, unite with others, and become far better versions of ourselves: Love. Love transforms brokenness into unity, despair into hope, and deficiency into perfection. Love allows us to rise above our challenges – and it empowers us to help others rise above theirs, too. Few understand this truth better than the Hughes family and their son, Patrick Henry. Born without eyes, and with arms and legs that would never fully function, Patrick Henry Hughes entered this world with far more challenges than most. Although Patrick Henry was destined to spend his life in darkness with significant adversity, his family refused to let him be defined by the things he could not do. Instead, they chose to celebrate the many gifts he possessed, rejoice in the life that was perfectly his and stoke his greatest passion: Music. This father exemplifies the one thing you need to overcome adversity. Even from his earliest days, Patrick Henry exuded a deep love of music. He took to piano early and by age two was taking song requests from friends and family! As he grew, Patrick Henry expanded his skill and began to play the trumpet. By high school, he was so gifted that he was invited to be part of the University of Louisville marching band! But how could a trumpet player who is wheelchair-bound and blind possibly join a marching band? Patrick Henry had a father who loved him well. Patrick John challenged his son to continually grow personally and to never make excuses. When presented with the opportunity to join the band, he encouraged his son to go for it and did everything imaginable to support that effort. He worked the night shift in order to go to class with Patrick and went to class with him to helped take notes. Patrick John took his son to daily marching band practice, learned all the steps and pushed his son’s wheelchair so that his son could march with the rest of the band. In other words: Patrick John loved his son. It turns out love allows each of us to discover strength we never knew we possessed, the ability to impact in a way we never knew we could, and the potential to change the world one life at a time. The one thing you need to overcome adversity and how to ensure you find it. My friends, as we march into summer, let’s focus less on the challenges we face. Let’s focus more on celebrating what the opportunities we possess, those marching with us and the remarkable chance to be part of this orchestra of life. And belated Happy Father’s Day to all the dads and father figures who have stood behind us and pushed us forward. They remind us that life is far less about which instruments we were given and far more about choosing to create beautiful music with the ones we’ve received. This is your day. Live Inspired. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Marilyn Tam
The past year has graphically shown us that sudden disruptive change can happen without warning. What worked in the past is not going to resolve the issues of the present and future. The previously familiar command and control style of leadership is ineffective in managing the challenges we face now. Harvard Business review’s article by Herminia Ibarra & Anne Scoular illustrated how successful leaders today coach and mentor their teams to achieve optimal results. Yet most leaders overestimate their abilities in developing and motivating their teams. In research by Joe Folkman & Jack Zenger published in HBR, the majority of 2,761 leaders studied overestimated their coaching and mentoring skills. 24 percent were significantly off the mark on how effective they were in fostering their employees’ abilities to achieving their best, individually and as a team. Yelling and reprimanding employees, especially in a meeting, is a poor way of coaching and motivating others.My first corporate boss after college yelled constantly instead of speaking in normal tones. He shouted at everyone he worked with, in person and on the phone. He didn’t listen and barked out orders whenever he needed anything. Yet he thought he was a great leader, telling (shouting at) anyone around that he’s the best trainer of new executive trainees, including for yours truly. No one dared to contradict him — for fear of more screaming. It’s a wonder that he lasted as long as he did even back then when the hard knocks way of developing employees was more accepted. Today when talent can be accessed globally to work remotely, leaders have to establish a culture that fosters engagement, growth and collaboration to attract the best. The competition for quality workers is strong and they have great flexibility in their choice for employment. A high development environment is attractive and good for the employees and also fosters productivity, innovation, morale, recruitment and retention for the company. In 2020, Gallup research showed that organizations with a coaching and talent development centered culture have employees who are motivated by more than a paycheck. They are aligned with the company’s goals and know that their own personal career goals are intertwined with the success of the organization. These workers are more engaged, productive, innovative and stay longer at the company. How do you develop the skills to become a better leader in today’s abrupt and constantly unsettling environment? A manager’s role now is to support, guide and encourage employees to learn and adapt to continuously changing environments so that fresh energy, innovation, and commitment become the norm. The boss is not anymore the person who knows the most or has the most experience. The successful leader is the one who can manage and lead the team with vision, integrity and understanding. A coach/mentor who can bring out the best in the team, facilitate collaboration and guide progress towards the organization’s mission and goals. Leading a team remotely requires different skills. A manager has to coach and mentor to bring out the best in each person.Here are four points to help up level your leadership skills for now and the future: 1. Clarify your organization’s mission and goals and explain how they align with the work each person is doing. When employees understand the alignment between their goals and the company’s, they will know how to approach the changing circumstances appropriately with the resources available. Equally important, they will feel that they are working in tandem with the company’s mission and are actively committed to achieving it. 2. Connect with each direct report to establish their personal goals and benchmarks and maintain regularly scheduled follow up sessions. At each meeting, ask open ended questions, truly listen and respond honestly with the intention to foster personal and professional development. Conclude each meeting with actionable and measurable items to be discussed during the next session. 3. Treat each person as you would like to be treated. Guide them in fulfilling their goals even when their ideas seem grandiose. With active communication and support, your employee will either find a way to achieve their goals or learn to modify them so that they can be attained. Your job as a mentor/coach is to help them explore and grow. You gain new perspectives, and the organization is energized from the possibilities that you may not have considered. All parties learn and grow from the interactions. 4. The coaching sessions will also reveal case(s) where the employee’s goals and talents are not suited to your division/organization. Help them transition to another division or company. By doing so you open their position(s) to a more suitable person and also strengthen the reputation that you and the organization genuinely care about the employees’ wellbeing. Morale will increase, retention and recruitment will be enhanced. As you can tell the benefits of being a coach/mentor for your employees has multiple benefits. The old saying, “it not personal, it is only business” can be retired for good. Welcome to a more humane world. What happened to my first boss who yelled all the time? He was let go less than a year after I was promoted. The last I heard he moved back to New York and was doing similar work in a small company there. I wonder if it would have been a different story if he had a good coach and mentor. As for me, I learned from him how not to be. I learned the value of coaching and mentoring and how everyone and the organization gain when we collaborate, support each other and work towards the same goals. Thank you, S.C., my “anti-mentor”. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Ron Culberson. With a master’s degree in social work, Ron Culberson spent the first part of his career working in a large hospice organization as a clinical social worker, middle manager, and senior leader. As a speaker, humorist, and author of "Do it Well. Make it Fun.The Key to Success in Life, Death, and Almost Everything in Between", he has delivered more than 1,000 presentations to associations, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporations. His mission is to change the workplace culture so that organizations are more productive and staff are more content. He was also the 2012-2013 president of the National Speakers Association and is a recognized expert on the benefits of humor and laughter.
An old television commercial showed a woman describing the many demands in her life and when she finally got to her breaking point, she looked towards the heavens and said, “Calgon, take me away.” She was immediately transported to an overly sudsy bathtub and relieved of all the stress in her life. I’m not sure if any religion actually recommends the use of Calgon as its spiritual cleanser but I do like the simplicity of summoning bath bubbles from the heavens as a way to escape the challenges of life and work. After what seems like a lifetime of health, political, and economic challenges, I suspect we could all use a sudsy tub of Calgon to take us away. However, I think humor is another option that helps us handle stress—but without the suds and the need to get naked. You see, when all we see is stress, that’s all we will experience. Yet, if we can see something else in the very midst of the stress, we can experience a respite from it. Let me give you a few examples. After a long time of being off the road, I am now speaking at in-person events again. But I must admit that my traveling skills are a bit rusty. A couple of weeks ago, I spoke at a very nice resort in Pennsylvania. While masks were not required for those of us who were vaccinated, I chose to wear one because I would be interacting with a lot of people. As most of you know, communicating with a mask is challenging. First of all, you can’t see the other person’s facial expressions and surprisingly, it’s hard to judge non-verbal cues just by looking at someone’s eyes. And further, our words often sound garbled. When I got to the resort, the front desk clerk said, “Do you frmpth dus chngl stld?” I nodded, assuming he had asked if I was checking in. He then pointed towards the door. I was confused. As a college student, I was kicked out of a hotel or two but as a responsible adult, I have never been turned away before I even checked in. I pulled my mask down and said, “Pardon me?” He pulled his mask down and said, “Will you need to valet your car?” “Oh,” I said, “no thank you. I’ve already parked my car.” For the next few minutes, our conversation continued in this manner. There was initial confusion. That was followed by a clarifying question which actually led to more confusion. The confused confusion required our masks to be lowered so that we could speak unencumbered—which eventually resulted in a mutual understanding, a wink of acknowledgement, and a quick replacing of the masks. Finally, after much effort, the check-in process was complete. The front desk clerk then lowered his mask once again and said, “To get to your room you need to go down that corridor over there until you get to the first restaurant. Then turn left and go up the ramp to the atrium. Beside the gift shop in the atrium, which is different from the emporium by the way, you’ll see a set of elevators. Those are not your elevators. Go past those elevators until you pass the jewelry store on your left and the coffee shop on your right. Take the hallway on the left behind the display case showing early American drinking containers. After a few hundred yards down that hallway, you will arrive at your elevators.” Confidently, having heard every unmasked word, I headed off. After fifteen minutes and being certain that I had crossed into the state of Ohio, I could not find a restaurant, a gift shop, or any elevators. In the process, I passed through the lobby three times. Finally, on my third trip the lobby bartender said, “Can I help you?” I told him I would appreciate his help. He then took out a map of the resort and said, “You’re right here and you need to go there.” With the map in hand and his encouragement behind me, I was sure I could find the elevators. Ten minutes later, I was next to what appeared to be the boiler room in front of a door with a sign that read, “Do not open or alarm will sound.” I felt like I was in the movie Spinal Tap.“Hello Cleveland!” I finally found a member of the housekeeping staff who kindly escorted me to my room. At this point, I just wanted to unpack and relax. Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out how to turn on the lights in my room. I pushed several buttons but nothing happened. I hit what looked like a switch and a light came on, but then immediately went off. I ultimately had to search Google for instructions to get all of the lights on. Feeling that I had triumphantly defeated this newfangled technology, I fell back onto the bed exhausted—and off went the lights. The next morning when I started my presentation, I said, “Did anyone else have trouble working the lights in your room?” The audience burst out laughing and heads nodded all around the room. It was in that moment that I realized I had not fully embraced the humor that had been right in front of me the day before. Instead, I got caught up in my frustrations rather than the absurdity of the moment. When we can appreciate the absurdity, the frustrations lose their grip on us. Similarly, I was discussing the use of masks with a woman attending a conference in Ohio. Due to the resurgence of the virus, she said, “At my Catholic church, we’ve now gone back to masks on Zoom.” Now I know that some organizations are very cautious when it comes to the virus, but wearing a mask while on Zoom seemed a bit over the top. I asked her why they would need masks on Zoom and she said, “No, we’ve gone back to mass on Zoom.” We had a wonderful laugh about my mass-understanding and once again, I was grateful to see that humor was there for the taking. Lastly, after paying for my meal at a restaurant in Illinois, the waiter came back with my credit card and said, “My one isn’t working.” I had no idea what he meant. I considered that he might be making a reference to God and that perhaps, he had found that he was no longer confident in The One? So, I said, “Your one what?” He said, “Oh, somebody spilled beer on the credit card machine last week and now, the one button doesn’t work. So, can I charge you twenty dollars, instead of fourteen, and then give you six dollars back in cash…since my one doesn’t work?” I told him that would be just fine. And then, after writing down what he said, I laughed all the way back to the hotel. Even in the midst of our journeys, our masks, and our spills, there is usually humor nearby. If you can see it, I think it has the potential to take you away, just like Calgon, to a better state of mind and a better experience. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Kristin Baird
Have you ever noticed that people tend to preface the word feedback with a qualifier such as positive or negative? The truth is feedback isn’t positive or negative. It’s feedback. Period. The dictionary defines feedback as: information about reactions to a product, a person’s performance of a task, etc. which is used as a basis for improvement. I might say, “I have received valuable feedback from my team.” Being valuable to me doesn’t mean that the feedback was all good news and praise, nor does it imply that it was bad. It was information that will help me make improvements. A healthy culture where people are committed to excellence requires everyone to be open to both giving and receiving feedback. When trying to build a culture of feedback it is important to drop the qualifier. This makes the information less judgmental and more targeted at improvement. Imagine if I walked up to you and asked, “May I give you some negative feedback?” You’d probably have visceral, defensive reaction before I even opened my mouth. If, however, I ask, “May I give you some feedback?” You may be curious and probably not as defensive. Especially if the culture fosters open giving and receiving feedback. CHANGING THE TONE A few years ago, I had hired an employee who came from a dysfunctional culture. When I said, “Let’s talk after lunch, I’d like to give you feedback from the meeting,” he looked terrified. Noticing this I said, “It’s all good.” I could see him visibly relax. He said, “When someone tells me they are going to give me feedback it usually isn’t good. Even if they call it constructive feedback, I expect to get bad news.” My guess is that he hadn’t been getting feedback. He was being criticized. In the Forbes[i] article, Five Essential Differences Between Criticism and Feedback, authors Jim Ludema and Amber Johnson make a very clear, and useful distinction between the two. IT’S THE LEADER’S JOB TO HELP PEOPLE GET ACCUSTOMED TO GIVING AND RECEIVING FEEDBACK OPENLY. It’s the leader’s job to help people get accustomed to giving and receiving feedback openly and graciously. Making it positive or negative defeats the purpose. Focus on future improvements and you’ll find people accept feedback openly. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Shep Hyken
“We love our customers, and they obviously love us. They keep coming back, again and again!” Who doesn’t want to be able to say that? And, if that is the case with your organization, let me ask you this question: Do you know why they are coming back? Not to be a “downer,” but we shouldn’t confuse a repeat customer with a loyal customer. They are not the same. Don’t get me wrong, I love repeat customers, and we absolutely want them. Repeat customers are very desirable. I write about this topic in my latest book, I’ll Be Back: How to Get Customers to Come Back Again and Again. As a business, you should do everything you can do to get the customer to come back. However, as I explain in the book, just because they do come back, that doesn’t mean they are loyal. You have to understand the why behind the repeat business. For example, let’s say you own a retail store. There are a number of reasons customers might come back. Ideally, it’s related to an emotional connection that causes them to want to come back to you and not the competition. Maybe they love your unique merchandise. Maybe they love your salespeople. Perhaps there is a cause or charity you support. These are reasons that customers could be emotionally connected to you. But, maybe it’s because of your location or low prices. If the customer keeps coming back because of a convenient location, the moment a competitor opens a store that’s more convenient, the customer may go there instead. It’s the same with price. If you promise low prices, and that’s what is driving customers to come back, as soon as the competition offers a lower price, you may lose the customer. And you thought they were loyal? They were, but that loyalty was to location and price, not to your business. The point is to recognize the difference between repeat customers and loyal customers. Make sure you understand the why behind what brings that customer back. If it’s something other than an emotional connection that can drive loyalty to your business, work to move that customer from just being a repeat customer to loyalty. I like to refer to repeat customers as gold and loyal customers as sacred. And to emphasize, while customer loyalty is the “holy grail,” there is nothing wrong with going for repeat business. The point is that you must understand why the customer comes back. Once they start coming back, make sure they are coming back for reasons that will keep them from leaving you for your competition. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Amy Dee
Unresolved Conflict Grows Years ago, before I became a funny motivational speaker I was a nurse and during a crazy shift at the hospital, two of my co-workers clashed over a patient’s care. While there were no black eyes or hair loss, the quarrel was big enough to make them mad, and the rest of us uncomfortable. Unfortunately, the dispute ended, but the crummy feelings didn’t. In fact, the bad blood between the two became worse as they repeated their version of the conflict to anyone who would listen. Despite several of us encouraging them to “talk it out,” they never did. As a result, this small quarrel became the foundation for them to see each other in a bad light, no matter what happened. Years later, while neither can remember the argument’s gist, the coldness between them is noticeable. Broken Window Theory This small disagreement reminds me of the broken windows theory that I’ve often applied to my problems. Created by James Q. Wilson and George Kelling in 1982, the Broken Windows Theory is based on a metaphor of broken windows. Kelling, a criminologist who worked with Wilson on the theory, stated the following: “When a window is broken, and someone fixes it, that is a sign that disorder will not be tolerated. But one unrepaired broken window is a signal that no one cares, and so breaking more windows costs nothing.” In other words, if broken windows get quickly repaired, the environment appears well kept. A tidy environment is perceived to be inviting and safe. The appearance of a safe and orderly neighborhood helps to eliminate crime. Years ago, this broken windows theory was the cornerstone of the “quality of life” crime-reduction program in New York and Los Angeles. I acknowledge that this theory has been argued, defamed, and debunked throughout the years. Nonetheless, BWT it has been a helpful metaphor I’ve used to improve my life. Personal Improvement Broken windows repeatedly pop up in my life. For example, over the last few months, I’ve eaten with a toothpick while wearing my swimming suit to lose twenty-five pounds (whoop! whoop!). Unfortunately, by mindlessly eating jalapeño kettle chips and peanuts M & M’s while watching Netflix at night, I’ve recently gained five pounds. Recklessly eating junk food at night is a personal broken window. If I don’t get my eating under control, I’ll eventually regain the weight I’ve lost. In the same manner, after writing, I’ll often leave a stack of notes and empty coffee cups. This little mess can start an avalanche of the disorder. Suddenly, a jumble up of books, plastic bags of yarn, and a swarm of pens appear( I am looking at my office as I write this). Eventually, a mini mess (broken window) becomes a massive mess and a much bigger problem. Sometimes a lousy mood causes me to begin finding fault and snapping at Steve, another broken window. If I don’t flip my perspective and get my mouth under control, I can harm my relationship with my husband. Likewise, when he is impatient or irritable with me, I don’t feel as close to him. Broken windows show up at work One unhappy customer can eventually complain to between 8-20 people, severely harming your reputation. A grumbling employee can taint the entire team. A few dirty coffee cups and leftover doughnut boxes can turn a break room at work into a nasty eyesore. One missed deadline can lead to more of the same. How Small Problems Grow What about your life? Do you repair the ‘broken window’ quickly? Or do you sweep it under the rug, thinking “it doesn’t matter that much” or “I will deal with it later”? Allowing a mess in your life to remain doesn’t impact how others see you; it can also negatively impact how you feel about yourself. Not only that, the larger the mess, the more overwhelming it is to clean up. Exactly the way one disagreement grew with my two co-workers. The longer they procrastinated mending the situation, the worse the distance between them became. This broken window theory can easily apply to organizations. A quickly fixed problem can’t grow into a bigger, more costly problem at work. For this reason, it’s worth the effort to be proactive and fix small problems before they gain momentum. Not only that, but this theory also doesn’t just apply to fix problems. It can create improvements. Just like landscaping and painting upgrade your home, enhancements can make a good organization even better. In any case, whether it’s a broken window, a bad tooth, or service failure, quickly fixing a problem avoids decay. Not only that, we all know that maintaining is a lot easier than gutting and having to start from scratch. On the other hand, if a complete rehab is unavoidable, fixing a broken window could be a great way to start. Two Questions for Life Improvement Look at your life objectively, from an outsider’s perspective. 1. What’s a broken window in your life? Where can you use a touch-up? Is there a physical and emotional part of your life that could improve by a bit more order and control? Are there bits of your home life, work-life or relationships that could use some repair? 2. What can you do right now to begin fixing that broken window? While improvements are a breeze, others take courage and commitment. Whether you need to lower your cholesterol, repair a friendship, or rework your sales strategy decide what you can do today. If you can’t fix it immediately, take action by creating a plan. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! |
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