I grew up on a large cattle ranch. We raised Registered Brangus. The best cattle were sold for 10’s of thousands of dollars to ranchers looking to improve the genetics of their herds. The ranch was a mix of iconic cattle wrangling and sophisticated lab work, which melded together to produce the best bulls and cows possible. I worked on the ranch during the summers. Two days a week all I did was mow. I mowed acres and acres of grass. I mowed miles and miles of road edges. I’d finish those two days covered in grass clippings with a lingering hum in my ears. One day I asked my dad why we spent so much time mowing grass: “When people come to the ranch, they see how attentive we are to the grass. They assume that if we take that good a care of the grass, we must take…
About two years ago, I asked a new friend of mine to join me for lunch. I had just celebrated my daughter’s first birthday. Gene Ellerbee had just…
The next time you’re putting together a presentation, ask yourself whether a slide can be replaced with a picture. If you can get your main point across with…
How often do you find yourself saying, “You misunderstood me”, and getting caught up in a prolonged conversation to explain what you really meant? At best, the frustrating…
How often do you take calls from numbers you do not recognize? How often do you feel obligated to reply to an email simply because someone sent it…
I just finished reading the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, a wonderful, albeit lengthy, account of Grant’s military endeavors. In several scenes I was struck by the respect…
Wondering how strong a significant relationship at home or work really is? Here’s a quick gauge: How comfortable are you saying difficult things? If you shy or run…
I have a lot of conversations about tools that I or others find useful, whether products, books, videos, sites or services. In an effort to condense and consolidate the…
What separates mediocre service from service worth telling others about? Isn’t it doing whatever you can for your customers v. doing what you must? A “must” perspective is inherently…
