In an age of weak managers, hypocritical policticans, and spineless leaders, I am soooooooooooo impressed with England’s Prince Harry. Even though no one would have questioned him staying in his homeland where it is safe, he appealed to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, to let him serve in the most dangerous provinces of Afghanistan, where he’s secretly been for the past two and a half months. He brings new meaning to old world concepts such as honor, duty, courage, leadership, and service.
Archive for February, 2008
A Prince Among Men
Friday, February 29th, 2008Hoop Heaven
Thursday, February 28th, 2008Don’t bother to read this unless you’re a college basketball fan. Only hard core fans can appreciate the Hoop Heaven that we Tennesseans are experiencing right now. Last week the #2 team in the nation, the University of Tennessee, traveled from Knoxville to take on the #1 team in the nation, Memphis State University. It was such a star studded event at the FedEx Forum that” Entertainment Tonight” even sent a television crew to film celebrities in the crowd such as Priscilla Presley and tennis great Lindsay Davenport. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who is a U.T. alumnus, flew in on a private Learjet with his brother Eli Manning, quarterback of the New York Giants and an ‘Ole Miss alumnus (tithe University of Mississippi is about 70 miles south of Memphis. )
UT beat Memphis State to earn their first #1 ranking for men’s basketball in school history. (The UT women’s basketball team is perennially number one thanks to Pat Summit. Talk about living in someone else’s shadow). Ah, but the spotlight was short lived. Night before last, #1 UT came here to Nashville to take on #16 Vanderbilt, and POW Baby! Vandy knocked UT right out of their top spot. While Clemson University (in South Carolina) may call their football stadium Death Valley, this week Tennessee has been the death of two #1 basketball teams.
The Marvels of Modern Technology
Wednesday, February 27th, 2008As much as I curse it, I also make a point to stay on top of ever changing technology. Today I am giving a webinar on managing problem employees for The Alexander Hamilton Institute near New York City. While I’ve done these many times now, what’s new about this one is that attendees all over the U.S. and Canada will watch my PowerPoint presentation on their computers, while the moderator in New Jersey text messages me private conversations which they won’t see on my screen, while they text message him questions through another chat box, while I continue speaking. He will then read the questions on air at certain points in my presentation, and I’ll answer them. They’ve shifted to this model instead of having attendees ask questions live on the phone because so many attendees use speaker phones, and the audio quality is poor. It all gives new meaning to “multi tasking”.
Feedback on 2/26/08 Issue of Work Is Not for Sissies
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008To post your comments, scroll down and:
1. Enter your full name.
2. Enter an email address (this will not be published)
3. Post your comment and click on the button labeled “Submit Content”
Have Farmers Had a Reversal of Fortune?
Monday, February 25th, 2008I grew up in an agricultural area where we knew a lot of farmers, but don’t know any today, so I’m a little out of touch on this. I still remember John Cougar Mellancamp and Willie Nelson at Farm Aid trying to help struggling farmers.
But I saw a very interesting story on 60 Minutes last night that mentioned how farmers can’t keep up with the demand for their crops now, in large part because of the increasing demand from the rapidly growing middle classes in places like China. And for those farmers who grow corn, the new demand for ethanol has their crop in even greater demand.
If that’s true, then I’m happy for the farmers. I spent a day or two working with farmers when I was a kid, and it was the hardest, dirtiest, most thankless job I’ve ever encountered. Whatever they make, they’ve earned, and then some.
The New War Between the States
Sunday, February 24th, 2008Last week while I was in Alabama and Louisiana, the Georgia state legislature voted to move the Georgia-Tennessee state line north by a mile or so in order to get control of a river that would supply Georgia with much needed water. Even though there is some problem with how and where the state line was drawn two centuries ago, there’s little chance it would be moved today. If Georgia really wanted to do this, they’d have to go through federal courts. They couldn’t annex part of Tennessee just because they want to, any more than Mexico can annex Texas.
But for all you Georgians trying to steal (or take back) part of Tennessee, let me just remind you…The movie “Deliverance” was filmed in that area. When we go rafting down there every summer, they sell shirts that read “Paddle faster. I hear banjo music coming out of the woods”. 
Dateline Shreveport, Louisiana
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008A manager who attended my seminar at LSU Shreveport yesterday shared what might be the best reason yet why “softies” have to become strong managers. She had been using one of my suggested interview questions, “What could your present boss do better?” on applicants, and was amazed at how many people criticized their bosses for not being strong enough. Yep, the Glennster has been hitting the nail on the head with that one for years. People today are sick and tired of weenies trying to be managers. Your employee want good, strong leaders.
Dateline Lafayette, Louisiana
Friday, February 22nd, 2008The Broussard, Louisiana police chief attended my seminar yesterday at the ULL Cajundone, and is the perfect example of why managers must not tolerate employees who don’t respect the authority of the position they hold. Seven years ago at age 30, Brannon was elected chief. He came in to a situation where his predecessor had committed suicide, and Brannon was younger than many of the police officers he supervised. They could not respect him personally yet because he had not yet earned it, but he made it clear that everyone must respect the authority of the position the voters had elected him to fill.
He brought his entire management team with him to the seminar, and I asked them if he ran a tight ship. Each officer quickly answered “Yes Sir!”. How they said it conveyed even more than what they said. It was obvious that they not only respect his authority, but that now each one also respects him.
Dateline Mobile, Alabama
Thursday, February 21st, 2008If you’ve ever hired someone who was the perfect employee until their 90 day probationary period was up, and then turned into Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, give yourself a break. Two managers from the F.B.I. who attended my seminar yesterday at the University of South Alabama told me that the bureau’s probationary period is two years. If it takes the FBI two years to determine if someone’s a keeper, it’s no wonder the rest of us can’t get an accurate read in only 90 days.
Dateline Auburn, Alabama
Wednesday, February 20th, 2008It amazes me how many job opportunities there are that people never hear about or even know exist. A teacher who attended my seminar at Auburn University yesterday works in a detention center for kids. She only teaches 3 –4 hours per day, but gets paid for full time. But she said that what’s even better than the hours is the students. Unlike when she taught in the public school system, these kids really want to be in the classroom – because the alternative is their jail cell.