[June 06, 2014] Seventy years ago today, over 160,000 Allied soldiers landed on a 50-mile stretch of beach at Normandy, France. Assembled was also the largest naval task force ever created with 7,000 vessels and in addition there were 24,000 paratroopers dropped inland. The invasion was a controversial plan fraught with great risk and peril if it should… Read More »
[June 05, 2014] In Part 1 and2, the connection between customer service and leadership was discussed (link here and here). I proposed that customer service varies somewhat by organization; and while that is true, the differences are mostly superficial. A great friend and retired military officer writes her customer-service philosophy … arranged as an inquiry. She asks, “The… Read More »
[June 05, 2014] From Al Emara Studio1 we get pictures and information from what is being called “a captured American soldier” in Afghanistan. What would normally be good news is surrounded in controversy and involves some very emotional responses across the political spectrum. Why? The fact is there is some mystery on how it came about that the… Read More »
[June 04, 2014] From time to time we recognize certain important events to pay our respects to those who were there and to acknowledge the importance of those events. It is not the date of import, but that it gives us a reminder of those events and the significant impact on our lives. The knowledge of history allows… Read More »
[June 04, 2014] In Part 1, the link between customer service and leadership was discussed (link here). I proposed that customer service varies somewhat by organization; the basics however are largely the same. A retail business for example may be different in their customer service than the military. Today, I will make this comparison. Oh, what about my… Read More »
[June 03, 2014] Last year I was at the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to get a new driver’s license and car plates. Nationwide DMVs have a bad reputation for historically terrible customer service. Interestingly, DMVs are used as an example in public service seminars as the classic case of how not to give good customer… Read More »
[June 02, 2014] Domino’s Pizza has a commercial out that begins with their product innovator saying, “we know that failure is an option.” The commercial makes the point that in order to get ahead and to get better mistakes will be made. It is the attitude we take to keep our head up and our hearts in the… Read More »
[June 01, 2014] An important way of learning to be better leaders is to listen to other senior leaders talk and ask them questions. We all know the other main way to learn is from the mistakes of others and we have explored this latter way considerably in this leader blog. Prior to the “surge” in Iraq, after… Read More »
[June 01, 2014] Last night in a small New Jersey town, there was a celebration of the 75th anniversary of singing by The Celebration Singers. These singers have been entertaining audiences in the area for 75 years. Their goal is to provide quality musical programs for their audiences and members. Strong leadership works and it worked great things… Read More »
[May 31, 2014] Interim Veterans Administration chief Sloan Gibson stated that the VA as a whole needs “a change in culture.” The scandal of hiding wait times that appears to have resulted in military veteran deaths is shameful. However, the fix is not in better management systems and processes but in the elimination of the VA’s current employment… Read More »