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Michelle Ray

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Business

Three Ways To Sustain An Extraordinary Workplace Culture

May 24, 2017 by Michelle Ray

How often does one hear a president of a company open an event for his leadership team with the words: “Mom and Dad, I want to thank you for all you do”. Not only were his Mom and Dad in the audience, they were interacting with everyone throughout the entire meeting, from start to finish. The Founder (aka “Dad”) joined both his sons on stage to answer questions from attendees, holding nothing back. More than 300 people hung on his every word; laughing and at times moved to tears, as Dad told stories about the early days, his reasons for starting the company, as well has his vision for future success.  As I witnessed the smiles and animated conversations that ensued during coffee breaks, lunch and the reception afterwards, it was clear that this was no ordinary company. What made it so special? In a word: Culture.

The ability to sustain an extraordinary workplace culture while growing at an unprecedented rate is a scenario that many organizations would like to have. At the same time, preserving the unique attributes that make an enterprise successful can present its own set of challenges. The solution to maintaining an outstanding culture lies in consistently applying the following principles: [Read more…] about Three Ways To Sustain An Extraordinary Workplace Culture

Filed Under: Business, Business Motivation, Employee Motivation, Leadership, Organizational Development, values in business, Workplace, Workplace Culture Tagged With: Code of Ethics, Michelle Ray, Organizational Culture, Transparency in Leadership, Values, Workplace Culture

Out Of Control: Three Reasons Why We Can’t (Or Won’t) Get Off The Work Treadmill

February 22, 2017 by Michelle Ray

“There aren’t enough hours in the day.” …The catchcry for the busy professional who laments the fact that if it were possible to cram more hours into a day, he or she would make it so. When will the “crazy busy” (workaholic) lifestyle give way to a more “sane” way of being? If you were to ask most people to answer this question, the likely response would be “perhaps never”. Or, you may hear complete denial regarding the reality of life spinning out of control. [Read more…] about Out Of Control: Three Reasons Why We Can’t (Or Won’t) Get Off The Work Treadmill

Filed Under: Business, Business Motivation, career, Happiness at Work, Well-Being, work-life balance, Workaholism, Workplace Tagged With: Michelle Ray, personal leadership, Time Management, Work Addiction, workplace

Driving With Husbands In Cars: Business Lessons From The Road To Help You Stay Ahead Of The Curve

January 24, 2017 by Michelle Ray

During our Christmas vacation, we rented a vehicle, as part of our ritual holiday planning. My husband, who works in the automotive industry, quickly pointed out that our car was supremely inferior to the Ford Motor Company’s equivalent, which was unfortunately unavailable. When I asked him about the difference, he simply stated: “Ford’s technology is intuitive, simple and way ahead of the game.” I realized in that moment that Ford is an example of a company that is willing to embrace change.

Although my enthusiasm for cars will likely never match my husband’s, I was nonetheless intrigued by the conversation that ensued as we navigated the highways of California in our “second rate” rental car. My husband’s comments about the Ford product got me thinking about the three main challenges that many of my clients are facing in their efforts to stay ahead of the curve: [Read more…] about Driving With Husbands In Cars: Business Lessons From The Road To Help You Stay Ahead Of The Curve

Filed Under: Ahead of the Curve, Business, Change Management, economy, Future of Work, Innovation, Uncategorized Tagged With: Ford Motor Company, Ford Sync 3, future of work, innovation, Jeff Bezos, Lead Yourself First Institute, Michelle Ray, Old Spice

Workaholism – A Sanctioned Addiction: A Message For Dedicated Slaves…And Slave Drivers

November 30, 2016 by Michelle Ray

How do you extricate yourself from an unhealthy work situation? Is it more difficult to do when you relish a challenge? Can you tell the difference between being a workaholic and a hard worker? If you are an employer, are you treating your best people with respect, or are you rewarding hard work with more work? [Read more…] about Workaholism – A Sanctioned Addiction: A Message For Dedicated Slaves…And Slave Drivers

Filed Under: Absenteeism, Business, Business Motivation, career, economy, employee engagement, Happiness at Work, Uncategorized, work-life balance, Workaholism, Workplace Tagged With: Addiction, Author, Lead Yourself First Book, Michelle Ray, Workaholism, workplace

The Five Biggest Credibility Killers Leaders Can’t Ignore

October 12, 2016 by Michelle Ray

Deborah is a senior marketing manager for a renowned home care services organization. I have known her and several members of her executive group for more than a decade. Over the past year she has witnessed growing discontent amongst the core leadership team, a dedicated group that pioneered significant initiatives to innovate and grow the business. During their last management meeting, frustrations reached a crescendo when the VP of HR reported on the findings of the previous month’s exit interviews. [Read more…] about The Five Biggest Credibility Killers Leaders Can’t Ignore

Filed Under: Best workplaces, Business, Business Motivation, Communication, HR, Leadership, Uncategorized Tagged With: Credibility Killers, drama at work, HR, leadership, Michelle Ray, professional development, Trust

The Value Of Business Relationships: One Constant In A Changing World

June 30, 2016 by Michelle Ray

“I’m not a people person.” I will never forget hearing those words during a leadership workshop I was facilitating, nor will I forget the newly appointed manager who uttered them. The shocking truth is that according to the extensive Gallup study of 2.5 million manager-led teams in 195 countries, organizations fail to select the right person for the role of manager over 80% of the time.

Imagine the consequences for your employees, customers, and overall business success when a leader lacks critical acumen regarding the value of human-to-human connection. [Read more…] about The Value Of Business Relationships: One Constant In A Changing World

Filed Under: Best workplaces, Business, Business Motivation, Communication, Leadership, Relationship Skills, Uncategorized, Workplace Tagged With: Change, customer service, Interpersonal Skills, Michelle Ray, moments of truth

Sink Or Swim? How To Anticipate Change

May 27, 2016 by Michelle Ray

Why do organizations repeatedly react to rather than plan for change? Why are leaders often stupefied by the glaring realization that their workforces are aging, or that their customers have “suddenly” switched allegiances?

Consider the example of Mike, a manager working in the wholesale grocery business. Mike sought my advice to lead his department through change. He had just received a list of his company’s soon-to-be retired employees. [Read more…] about Sink Or Swim? How To Anticipate Change

Filed Under: Business, Business Motivation, Change Management, Creativity, customer service, economy, Innovation, Leadership, Talent War, Technology, Uncategorized Tagged With: Change, future of work, Lead Yourself First Institute, Michelle Ray, Talent Retent, transformational service, workplace

Leadership Lesson: How To Retain Great Employees For Long-Term Success

April 13, 2016 by Michelle Ray

“What could we have done differently?” This is the burning question on every leader’s mind when a great employee decides to leave. There is no question that the cost of rehiring and retraining, the impact on the bottom line and the stress associated with repeating the exercise takes a toll on every type of business. However, the good news is that you can break the cycle by relentlessly adhering to the following strategies: [Read more…] about Leadership Lesson: How To Retain Great Employees For Long-Term Success

Filed Under: Best workplaces, Business, Business Motivation, Leadership, Talent War, Uncategorized Tagged With: Best Places to Work, Change, Michelle Ray, Millennials, talent management, Talent Retention, World Class Brand

@remaining humble: Remembering the Founder of Email

March 16, 2016 by Michelle Ray

Last week the world lost a real pioneer; a man who transformed communication and revolutionized the way we do business. Ray Tomlinson, the inventor of email and the creator of the “@” symbol, was described as “humble, kind and generous with his time and talents”. Mr. Tomlinson spent almost 50 years with the same employer, the Raytheon Company (formerly known as BBN Technologies). He worked there until his death. Joyce Kuzman, a Raytheon spokesperson, said of Tomlinson “people just loved to work with him…He was just a really nice, down-to-earth good guy.” Paradoxically, unlike the millions who frequently use his invention today, Mr. Tomlinson was not addicted to email. [Read more…] about @remaining humble: Remembering the Founder of Email

Filed Under: Business, Communication, Technology, Uncategorized, values in business Tagged With: Arpanet, Email Founder, Humility, Invention, Legacy, Ray Tomlinson, Raytheon Company

Here Today. Gone Tomorrow…Why Customers Go Elsewhere In A New Economy

March 2, 2016 by Michelle Ray

The question: “Why Customers Go Elsewhere?” remains timeless, even in the digital age. Unfortunately, many businesses fail to deliver on a simple premise: Take Care of the CUSTOMER. This applies to every individual, whether or not he or she has regular, direct customer contact.

In a memorable Seinfeld episode, Jerry and Elaine are incredulous as the customer service representative from “Worthy” Car Rentals informs them that her company has no mid-size cars available, despite the fact that Jerry has reserved one. The exchange becomes heated when Jerry exclaims “you know how to take the reservation…you just don’t know how to hold the reservation.” The customer service representative discusses the matter with her supervisor and offers Jerry a compact size vehicle instead, which he accepts. The scene ends as Jerry agrees to take full insurance on the vehicle, informing the agent that he will be sure to “beat the hell out of this car.” [Read more…] about Here Today. Gone Tomorrow…Why Customers Go Elsewhere In A New Economy

Filed Under: Business, change, economy, Innovation, Leadership, Uncategorized Tagged With: Customer loyalty, customer service, Michelle Ray, New economy, Rental Car Complaints, Seinfeld, Uber

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