Nearly everyone reading this article finds themselves in some sort of a management or leadership role. Ever wonder what we’re doing there? I think most everyone has at some point. Like so many folks in management roles, I knew a lot about what I thought poor management was. So when I got into management, much […]
In a previous article, Why and How Visioning Works, I wrote about how the process of visioning which, as we define it at Zingerman’s, is a picture of the success of a project at a particular time in the future. I noted that a vision isn’t a strategic plan—which is the map to where we […]
At Zingerman’s, the visioning process is the act of describing a picture of what success looks like at a particular point in time in the future, described with enough richness of detail that we’ll know when we’ve arrived. Visioning has played an essential part in Zingerman’s successful growth over 40 years. Learn about how visioning […]
It’s no secret that I was a history major, which obviously makes me slightly more inclined than the average American to advocate sharing stories of where we’ve come from. But I’m here to tell you that organizations that regularly and actively share stories of their past get better staff buy-in, make better decisions and probably […]
In 1992, we called together a group of managers, staff, and owners and set out to put on paper a statement of what Zingerman’s is all about, to write what’s referred to in business books as a Mission Statement. I was skeptical. I’m not sure why I agreed to it; probably because my partner Paul […]
Regardless of your actual title in an organization, your job involves making decisions. New staff members start making decisions the day they are hired, and beginning with their decision to accept the job, we hope their decisions will be good ones. One of the basic tenets of Bottom-Line Training — clear, documented expectations — is […]
Congratulations! You made it through the holidays. And if you’re taking the time to read this column, you must have made it through more or less intact. In the best case, it was your biggest holiday season to date and you’re feeling wonderful about how smoothly everything went — despite all the things that went […]
Happy New Year! As the retail world catches its breath after the whirlwind of the holidays, many managers find their New Year’s resolutions include “doing something to improve training.” How about you? Now that there’s hope for a little down time, does training figure in as one of the projects you hope to accomplish? Very […]
My formal education was first in German literature and then later in business administration. What I know about training design, development and delivery, I’ve learned through on-the-job practice and self-study. I’ve gone to lots of seminars, designed hundreds of classes and workshops, and helped to implement effective training here at Zingerman’s. Along the way, I’ve […]
A new year brings with it renewed energy – energy to tackle goals, try new things and/or break habits that might not be serving us. What happens when we bring our unique energy to work each day? We have the profound power to affect our work ecosystem in ways that impact productivity, profits and well-being. […]
Breaking the Cycle of Time Management Urgency and Overwork Had you asked me ten years ago to describe my relationship with time, I probably would not have responded positively. Time was a four-letter word; one with which I had a very contentious relationship. I was working 60-70 hours a week (on a light week), and […]
A company that is optimistic, collaborative and up for any challenge doesn’t just happen. It takes leadership, vision, hard work and positive energy. The good news? Personal and organizational energy is a truly renewable resource—if you know how to foster it. Here are eight tips for successful energy management.
