Tag Archives: Vince Lombardi

Hanging Mistletoe in Your Office

Leave a reply

By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here’s an idea to help you more fully appreciate your staff. Reading time 3:55

Carefully positioned for optimum view, the plaque beamed a critical message for all leaders: “MAKE SOMEONE FEEL IMPORTANT TODAY.”

Hung strategically in a far corner of the office, the motivational plaque served as a visual reminder to the leader: pay attention to the feelings as much as to the facts in coaching and in reprimanding.

Hanging “mistletoe” in the office seemed to be just as effective in influencing behavior as in hanging mistletoe at home at Christmas time, albeit prompting only verbal “kissing” of course.

But at least the office version of mistletoe helped the leader slow down to focus as much on the person as on the problem.

After all, it’s too easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the office -just like it’s too easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas time at home. Until you step under mistletoe hung strategically over a doorway.

Then you pause, look into your partner’s eyes, kiss and make each other feel important. No matter how busy you are. No matter how mad you are. No matter how exhausted you are. Continue reading →

Meetings: Make Commitments not Appointments

1 Reply

By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here are a few ideas to help you get more control over your calendar. Reading time: 4:17

I seemed to be running from one meeting to another. And often I was running late. Finally my New York team started joking with each other that “he’s on Chicago time.” I would rationalize my tardiness with something like: “I have too much responsibility to parcel my time out to the precise minute. Besides I can be a few minutes late. The important aspects of the meeting usually don’t start until a few minutes into the meeting anyway.”

But that was before I met our new company president. I always was on time for her meetings. One day the president seemed to be in a philosophical mood. She looked at her calendar for the day and said more to herself than to me:

” Leaders are never too busy to lead.

  1. They invest time. They don’t spend it.
  2. They make commitments not appointments.
  3. They fulfill their promises rather than fill full their calendars.”

Continue reading →