I’m usually interviewed about once a month by a reporter from a magazine or newspaper. Most are fairly standard. But I was interviewed this morning by Morey Stettner of Investor’s Business Daily, and I have to say that he’s the best interviewer I’ve ever had. He specifically wanted examples of why managers have to be firm, fair, and consistent. Look for the interview in his “Managing for Success” column in the next issue of IVB.
Archive for June, 2008
Investor’s Business Daily
Monday, June 30th, 2008“Just Checking In to See If It Did Any Good”
Sunday, June 29th, 2008This morning when Dr. Howard Olds preached his final sermon at Brentwood United Methodist Church, he left with a story that reminded me of some of the responses to a recent issue of Work Is Not for Sissies.
“A parishioner who had attended the same church and parked in the same spot for 20 years arrived to find that a bearded man of Middle Eastern decent had taken his spot. The parishioner explained that the visitor was in “his” spot, and the visitor moved. Then after the parishioner greeted everyone and entered the sanctuary, he discovered the visitor was sitting on “his” pew. He explained that his family had sat in the same spot for 20 years, and the visitor moved. Then when the alter call came and the parishioner went to kneel in the spot where he had prayed for 20 years, he found the stranger in his way again. The stranger said, “Let me guess. I took your place again?” and the agitated parishioner said yes. The stranger then pointed to the cross hanging behind the alter and said, “A long time ago, I took your place there, too. I was just checking to see if it did any good”.
The New Posters Have Arrived!
Saturday, June 28th, 2008
The first in our new line of posters arrived from California yesterday and look awesome! Watch your inbox next Thursday.
Dateline Augusta, Georgia – “Underwear Is Not Optional”
Friday, June 27th, 2008I guess this is the week for dress code issues. Yesterday the manager of a dental office told me her young female employee decided to wear low riding Capris and no underwear. The manager was appalled that she would actually have to tell the young woman to either wear underwear or cover herself up better. But that’s the younger generation that’s coming in to the labor pool to replace us Baby Boomers for you – they think that anything is acceptable.
Dateline Milledgeville, Georgia – “Izzy Scrubs”
Thursday, June 26th, 2008I closed my seminar at Georgia College & State University yesterday with my trademark story about the OB/GYN practice manager who had to make her 21-year-old receptionist start wearing scrubs, because she had been wearing clothes that drew as much attention to her body as possible and left nothing to the imagination. Then a doctor in the seminar came up and informed me that scrubs are not all loose fitting anymore. There is a line called “Izzy Scrubs”, which are apparently patterned after the character on Grey’s Anatomy. They’re intentionally cut to be form fitting and sexy, which pretty much defeats the purpose of not drawing attention to a young woman’s curves.
Dateline Tifton, Georgia – “Don’t Apply If You’re Perfect”
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008Here’s a great interview question from a hotel manager who attended yesterday’s seminar:
Manager: “Do you make mistakes?”
Job Applicant: “No”
Manager: “Then this is not the place for you, because I’m not perfect, and neither are my employees.”
Feedback on 6/24/08 Issue of Work Is Not for Sissies
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008To post a comment, scroll down and enter your name and email address (email will not be published).
Then post your comment and click on the button labeled “Submit Content”.
George Carlin
Monday, June 23rd, 2008Geesh. I’m not too superstitious, but it seems kind weird to have just blogged about one celebrity death yesterday, and there’s another one today. George Carlin performed at my 10-year college class reunion at Georgia Tech in Atlanta in 1995, and I was not impressed. In fact, we walked out. It seemed like such a waste that a guy so intelligent had to rely so much on foul language.
While Carlin’s passing at 71 wasn’t a complete surprise, it’s still a sobering reminder of how arbitrary death can be. I’ve been preparing myself for the impending death one certain celebrity who had a big impact on my career, and is now approaching his 90th birthday. I hope he lives for many more years, but I know he can’t last forever. I guess Carlin’s death at 71 is a reminder of what a gift 90 years is, and Tim Russert’s death at 58 reminds us of what a gift 71 years is. What I can’t understand is how people like Keith Richards and Ozzy Osborne, whose bodies ought to already be nearing rigor mortis from their drug and alcohol-ridden lifestyles, can live on. I guess both life and death can be arbitrary.
What Do You Want Your Tombstone to Say?
Sunday, June 22nd, 2008I watched Tim Russert’s memorial service on MSNBC today. As I blogged last week, this is the most unusual presidential election of our lifetime. Toward the end of the service, Tom Brokaw said something that reiterated the cruel irony of Tim dying now of all times. Tim recently told a colleague he could not believe he was being paid to cover this election. Who would have ever predicted he would not live long enough to see it through.
Tim was a big Bruce Springsteen fan, and Bruce played “Thunder Road” live via satellite. I’ve never heard The Boss’s harmonica sound so sad. It seemed like an odd selection for a memorial service, but then again, I’m not sure what would be appropriate for Springsteen to sing for such an occasion.
When I was 19, I wrote my own epitaph, in hopes that I could live up to it. My tombstone will read, “Here lies Glenn Shepard. He lived with passion, and died with grace”. Tim Russert certainly did both.
Like a Kid in a Candy Store
Saturday, June 21st, 2008Oh boy oh boy oh boy. Today my lovely bride is taking me shopping for a new Jaguar. Not brand new, but new to me (I’ve never bought myself a brand new car in my 44 years of existence, which is one of the reasons I can afford to splurge on a toy like this. See “The Millionaire Next Door” if you don’t know why this is.) There’s one specific model I’m looking for, and it’s relatively rare. We found one with black exterior over black leather interior here in Tennessee, and a white one with ivory white leather interior in Kentucky. I figure that the surging price of gas is going to flood the market with lots of hybrids, but guy-toys like these will become harder to find. I have perfect clarity on the fact that this is a toy, not a necessity. No one needs a vehicle with 12 cylinders. But there are some toys that are just more fun the more you have. For women, it’s shoes. For men, it’s cylinders and horsepower. Makes me want to go to the gun club and smell a little gun power just thinking about it. Argh, argh, argh (Tim Allen growl).