It doesn't take a genius.

Have you been outsourcing the hard work of addressing employees directly? Triangles are draining your team--but there are simple techniques to solve them.  (The excellent "Executive Coaching with Backbone and Heart" was a source for this episode.)  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Welcome to our Myth Busters series! Is it really true you should praise in public, criticize in private?  Tune in to find out how you might be emphasizing psychological safety to the expense of culture, standards and performance.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Most managers coach on the surface…

Most managers don't fail because they don't care… They fail because leadership becomes a “when I have time” activity. In this episode, we break down the ultimate leadership truth: If it's not on your calendar, it's not real. You'll learn how top-performing leaders use consistent execution to build winning teams by scheduling: ✅ Weekly 1-on-1 coaching ✅ Daily leadership touchpoints ✅ Development time that actually happens ✅ Culture-building recognition moments This is the simple discipline that separates average managers from great leaders. Because winning isn't luck… Winning is consistency. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

What do Walt Disney's cashmere sweater and a bottle of pesto on a Patagonian mountain have to do with each other? The answer is the same thing that helps build trust and loyalty with the people around you.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

You don't get what you want in life. You get what you ask for. Most people walk around hoping. Hoping they get noticed. Hoping the boss sees their effort. Hoping the customer understands their value. Hoping the universe connects the dots. Hope is not a strategy. Asking is. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Another tool in your work to engage others: your stories. About 2,500 years ago, Plato said this would work. It's still used today. Here's why--and how to get started.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

A follow-up to our episode, "Your coworker, the flat-earther" moves on from your engagement to your employees' engagement. Are they Patriots?  Can you be OK with them just being Citizens? (AI is probably going to make this problem even harder!) Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Do your coworkers wear you out?  One hilarious novel from 1910 has the answer--and it happens to agree with Gallup's Q12 Employee Engagement Survey. Have you made friends with your weirdo coworkers? Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

Guitar gods Steve Vai and Joe Satriani agree with Mark's Pap-paw! Memorization (yes, even in the workplace) is really important--and you CAN do it. Links: Rick Beato's fascinating interview with Vai and Satriani Red Harrison mini-documentary  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

Mike and Mark had a chance to interview the owner-operator of two incredibly successful Chick-fil-A locations. Her insights on customer experience--and employee engagement--inspired us to record this overview.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

Thanks to research, Mike has cracked the code on how to give a memorable present. Tune in to hear how diamond charms for your friend's Crocs may actually be a good idea.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

Have you fallen into the trap of problem-solving instead of asking? It may be counter-intuitive, but if you're the manager ... it's how you grow your team. (AI says: The discussion focuses on the importance of questioning and understanding decision-making processes, emphasizing that managers need to develop skills in asking thoughtful questions rather than providing immediate solutions. The episode concludes with insights on organizational growth challenges and the need to foster independent problem-solving through active listening and reflective thinking.) Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

Do what now? Well, the disaster in Mark's front yard (yeah, it's a water main) illustrates a workplace truth echoed in the book of Jeremiah. When all you see are actions, how can you judge intent? Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

It's not what you think! In less than 5 minutes, Mike gives you a powerful question that will give you fresh eyes for your entire operation--and a followup question that will ensure you can take action. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

Mark had an Experience with AI. It's a sign that there has never been a better time to connect with your network. Listen for six ideas on how to increase interest in your brand in the Age of AI.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

Observe these two actions in your boss (or yourself!) to identify one of four types of leaders. Only one type is the best. ... (Every good business book needs a foursquare grid--and Kim Scott's "Radical Candor" gives us an incredibly practical one.)  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

How do you maintain enthusiasm and motivation, particularly during challenging times like the transition into fall and the holidays? Use Marcus Aurelius' practice that has influenced millions ... and these three other great ideas. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

A general manager made an observation, and maybe you've seen it too. Some employees are rude--or the opposite, fawning. Is it possible that it's just a lack of self-worth? Tune in to learn the symptoms that point to an employee self-worth issue--and what a manager can do about it.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Almost 7 minutes of straight fire! (We're pretty sure the kids are still saying that.) Do you need signs to tell customers what to do? You may be putting a Band-Aid on poor design. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Do you want an engaged team that innovates and collaborates its way to long-term success? Mark's incredibly successful client has a concept for you: Think art, not sport.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Mike's litmus test of effective training and coaching. Can you use what we teach in a game situation? Learning has not taken place until behavior has changed. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Every one of these true stories from our clients cost $20 or less. And all of them generated positive reviews, perfect surveys, repeat business and referrals.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

What does your brand promise? If you dilute how you live up to that promise or drift from it, your customers will know it long before there are any Cracker Barrel-style news items.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

"You can choose your attitude!" ... But how? Mike dives in to the simple link between action and emotion. Do you ask yourself the question? Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Did you see it coming? You should have ... now, how about your organization's brand? Or your personal brand?  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Mark shares the one sentence a sushi restaurant said to him that made him a customer for life (if he wasn't one already). Are you equipped to speak the same way? Whether you have a CRM or not, listen in to hear how to implement a culture that personalizes to customers and builds loyalty.   Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Mike discusses the importance of time management and the "4D, One Touch Rule" to maximize efficiency and reduce stress. The rule involves deleting items that are not relevant, delegating tasks to others, doing tasks that can be completed quickly, and deferring tasks that require more time.  Can you implement it and save time?  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Compassion > Empathy. Customers become more loyal--and employees don't burn out!  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

A chilling question from Mark's friend prompted this episode. Are you using an assessment such as DISC? It should never be used for evaluation or punishment. Details in this episode.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

A conversation with an award-winning Navy captain led to this episode about the one thing a leader cannot delegate.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

How can something so basic be so instrumental to employee engagement and retention?  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Hilaire Belloc was a dynamic leader--a historian who became part of history himself. He studied the Duke of Marlborough, a commander who lost ZERO battles. And it convinced him that there are four qualities of a leader. How do you measure up?  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Safety razors, old coffee-making methods, vinyl records and the Squirrel Nut Zippers have something to say about what kinds of customers and employees you are seeing. Special thanks to 4th Level Roasters ... D&V Barbers ... and Mark's blog where these kinds of thoughts have been percolating for a while. (This wasn't meant to be an episode. But an off-the-cuff discussion of authenticity is pretty authentic. ...) Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Have you struggled to make a change because you weren't clear on what you actually wanted to accomplish? This easy exercise helps you gain meaningful clarity on what the future should look like.  (Mark learned it from Master Certified Coach Bryan Brown of Coaching To Lead. Check him out!) Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

Instead of asking direct questions, you make confident, open-ended statements that invite response, insight or clarification. Isn't that breaking the rules? No! And it has a particular set of advantages--tune in for more.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

Guest genius, Dom Genova, returns to explain how a creative entrepreneur survived a stifling culture to launch a successful car dealership that won awards for ethics.  Dom's success as a car dealer boiled down to ensuring his customers didn't get taken advantage of by the car biz. Now he has a book to help others.  Also check out Dom's podcast and radio show, the No-Nonsense Roundtable. His guests range from YouTube's best rock music interviewer, Rick Beato, to a member of the Rascals, to Garrison Keillor himself, to the man who bought a laptop for Ringo.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

Sometimes, it DOES take a genius. Meet our friend, Dom Genova. He is an expert at customer experience, marketing and entrepreneurship.  Dom's success as a car dealer boiled down to ensuring his customers didn't get taken advantage of by the car biz. Now he has a book to help others. And it's good!  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

Fascinating research from Decision Dynamics reveals why some employees seem to lose motivation after a while--and why great employees become mediocre managers. Are you leaking solid talent?  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

From their new book: Silence is golden--and awkward. But do it anyway! Mike and Mark explain why silence works, why it's hard to practice ... and how you can break through to using this key skill for the inquiring leader.  This episode is from Mike and Mark's new book, "The Inquiring Leader"--buy it here!  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

From their new book: Mike and Mark take aim at one of the biggest lies in leadership: "Great leaders are born, not built." Learn how to flex your leadership muscles of inquisitiveness in this episode. (Want more articles? Here are a scholarly explanation of dialogic leadership and a short piece from Mark explaining how slowing down leads to learning.) This episode is from Mike and Mark's new book, "The Inquiring Leader"--buy it here!  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

If your team always agrees with you--but never takes action--this episode's for you. It's time to stop settling for input ... and start asking for ownership. From Mike and Mark's new book, "The Inquiring Leader"--buy it here!  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

From Mike and Mark's new book, "The Inquiring Leader:" It's easier, more efficient, to be the Answer Guy--the leader who gives all the direction and tells people what to do. Or is it? There are limitations to directive leadership. ...  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. (And buy the book here!)

From Mike and Mark's new book, "The Inquiring Leader:" A manager's "impossible choice" was solved with a powerful question. All four types of powerful questions help a leader clarify the situation, analyze what's really going on, gain awareness and plan for the future.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. (And buy the book here!)

From Mike and Mark's new book, "The Inquiring Leader:" How five different leaders used questions—not counteroffers—to retain employees ready to resign. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. (And buy the book here!) How to retain employees without a raise Coaching conversations to reduce turnover Best questions to ask when someone wants to quit Employee retention through leadership Stop resignations with empathy and inquiry How to have powerful stay interviews Modern employee engagement strategies Leadership questions to build trust Culture-driven employee retention

From Mike and Mark's new book, "The Inquiring Leader:" The real-world story of a general manager who slashed "time-to-line" from 38 days to 5—and saved $1.2 million—because of a single question. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. (And buy the book here!) Leadership questions that drive performance How to lead with questions Modern leadership styles Culture of curiosity at work Business coaching with questions How to reduce employee turnover Dealership management success stories Time to line improvement Leadership podcast for young managers

We conclude our series on fostering a culture of continuous improvement by talking about how it needs to be ... continuous! You need regular check-ins that look at progress through three different lenses. And there are pitfalls to avoid when you do that.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Champions: It's a corporate buzzword ... and it is a crucial element for anyone hoping to develop a culture of continuous improvement.  3M, Pixar and Intuit all have lessons for us to learn about how to--and how NOT to--engage champions for your initiatives. Are you punishing your champions?  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

There are four things you need to have for a pilot to be a success--even if it fails. In our ongoing series on creating a culture of continuous improvement, we discuss how to pilot your innovative ideas. Google, HubSpot and SpaceX have lessons for all of us.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

In our ongoing series on developing a culture of continuous improvement, it's time to start filtering all of those ideas you've collected. If you are overwhelmed, take a pruning lesson with this episode: There are many prioritization techniques and time management strategies, such as the Eisenhower Matrix and the MoSCoW method. Improve your strategic decision-making by focusing on high-impact activities to achieve long-term success. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

In our series on developing a culture of continuous improvement--as Seth Godin says, "being better at being better"--it's time to share how you FIND those improvements. How do you create an idea bucket ... with a tap? Mike has lots of experience getting teams to share their ideas.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.