If we want our businesses to thrive in 2026, we have a BIG choice to make now—invest in leadership and management training or risk the consequences of inaction. Employee engagement in companies and practices is on the brink. Why? Because managers’ engagement is on the decline. And when managers struggle, their team struggles. When managers thrive, so do their teams. …
Is Your Workplace Toxic or Cooperative?
The American workplace is deteriorating, and it doesn’t have to be like this. According to a recent poll done by Monster (2025 Mental Health in the Workplace survey) of over 1,100 U.S. workers, employees are increasingly reporting toxic work environments, poor well-being, and little faith that their employers are taking action to help improve the situation. In fact, 80% of …
The Happiest Employees
Last week, I shared an article about the number one trait of great leaders. This week, I’d like to focus on another article. This one, from CNBC’s “Make It” blog on October 13, is about what makes employees happy. The CEO of an executive search firm who has interviewed more than 30,000 candidates found 6 keys that create happiness at …
What Makes a Great Manager?
What is the one trait that makes for a great manager—vision, empathy, intelligence, communication skills? According to an article in the Wall Street Journal last week, the answer may surprise you. The journal, citing a 10-year study of a large global firm with 200,000 employees and 30,000 managers in 100 countries, found the number one predictor of an effective manager …
That’s My Job!
This month marks the 23rd anniversary of our Monday Morning Stretch, and to celebrate we are recycling some our most popular editions over the next few weeks. This Stretch was first published in May of 2014, just one year before Tom and I were married. It’s a great lesson in remembering that our job is often to help our customers …
Me and El Tigre
This month marks the 23rd anniversary of our Monday Morning Stretch, and to celebrate we are recycling some our most popular editions over the next few weeks. This Stretch was first published in July of 2016. Tom and I had been married just a little over a year, and this was yet another one of our cycling adventures which yielded …
Lessons from the Silver Strand
This month marks the 23rd anniversary of our Monday Morning Stretch, and to celebrate we are recycling some our most popular editions over the next few weeks. This Stretch was first published in March of 2014. Rereading it makes me want to dust off my old road bike, spin the tires, and feel the wind on my face again! As …
Guests in the Kitchen!
This month marks the 23rd anniversary of our Monday Morning Stretch, and to celebrate we are recycling some our most popular editions over the next four weeks. This Stretch was first published in February of 2007, and I still vividly remember this meal. This experience proves that we can create experiences for our customers and patients that they will remember …
We’re Turning 23 This Week!
This week we are celebrating 23 years of Monday Morning Stretches! 23 years. Every. Single. Monday. In the beginning, we called it a Focus Fax because, well, we faxed it. Although the industry was using email, it wasn’t what everyone checked each morning. They checked the fax machine. Wild, right? The first Focus Fax was sent out on September 24, …
The Mousetrap Maze
One of the most interesting and provocative leadership training exercises I have facilitated over the years is one I call The Mousetrap Maze. You set it up pretty much exactly the way it sounds, loaded mousetraps are set randomly on the floor in a large defined space. On one side of the line are several pairs of teammates who will …
