Corporate Bits and Bites

Accessibility - How Do We Measure Up?

2012-02-23T05:35:00.000-05:00

I took a walk with a friend of mine, well, to be exact, I walked and he rode his scooter. We were downtown Sudbury on a beautiful summer day and one would think it would be the most scooter friendly area of the city. One would be wrong! As we walked along the approximate 2½ blocks we travelled, we encountered broken and/or uneven sidewalks, chewed up streets and then as if that wasn’t

Good Customer Service

2012-01-09T11:21:00.002-05:00

I don’t know how many company 'Value Statements' I have read which proclaim the customer experience is the reason for their existence, yet find that the actual customer experience is anything but exemplary! We believe we know what to do, but, the delivery remains unsatisfactory. How do we get it so wrong? Let’s examine one story. Bob decides to start a business. He has great rapport with

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-01T01:45:00.002-05:00

It’s a new day, in a New Year – 2012! This year promises to hold exceptional opportunities, just like last year did, but, we need to identify these and grab hold and make them our opportunities! I’ve been blessed this past year with good friends, absolutely brilliant colleagues and a family to make everything else a bonus. I wish this to each and every one of you for this coming year. Are

The Ghost of Christmas Past!

2011-12-27T23:38:00.002-05:00

It's difficult, don't you think, to live up to the Ghost of Christmas past. You remember, the Christmas we,...You can't beat the Christmas of,...I'll never have another Christmas like this one (which will become Christmas past). We all have them don't we? The perfect Christmas! At least that's how we remember them. We try to make everything perfect, the right gift for the right person, the

Inertia to Engaged in 4 Easy Steps

2011-12-11T18:27:00.002-05:00

Inertia is insidious, in lives and in business. Inertia is derived from the Latin iners - idle or lazy. It can really apply to us during the summer months can't it? But, we call that R&R and we really do need that too! When it becomes really destructive is when it is brought into your work-a-day life. In our lives we can experience inertia at work whether we're responsible for it or not.

Lest We Forget

2011-11-11T15:13:00.002-05:00

Beneath me lay the sands of time Four sand walls and they are mine My roof is but the starlit sky and that's a Soldier's Paradise ~Thomas Murrie Donnelly All of us know someone who has served in the armed forces-somewhere! But, how much do we really know about them or what they did? If your family is anything like mine, the stories of war didn’t get dragged out and bragged about at the Sunday

Construction - Where do You Start?

2011-09-19T11:01:00.004-04:00

No matter how you look at it, construction makes a mess! Pass any site under construction and take a look at the apparent chaos. Pass by again once construction is complete and landscaping has been completed and you'll see a totally different picture. What is it about construction that causes such anxiety? the mess - yes, there will be a mess the time - will things be completed on time? the

Inertia

2011-09-04T03:25:00.004-04:00

Policies and Procedures Purpose

2011-09-04T03:10:00.001-04:00

There is much to-do about Policies and Procedures now, but, aside from current wave of employers developing P&P manuals, why should you create one? You should not undertake something, anything, without a clear purpose. Within today's very short blog, you'll find the precis version of Policies and Procedures. First Q. - What is a policy? A. - Policies define their purpose and a definite

Love, Hope and Optimisim

2011-08-27T13:01:00.002-04:00

I'm not particularly political. I don't campaign for candidates, display my preference in lawn signage during elections or attend rallies. I do, however, believe in the power of individuals, not parties, to make a difference. To Olivia Chow, I would say - You have my sincerest heartfelt condolences on the loss of your husband. And, thank you for allowing us to grieve with you and mourn the

Broken Promises

2011-08-17T09:33:00.002-04:00

Every now and then, someone will break a promise to you - it happens - you deal with it! But, when it comes to customer service, this becomes a point of contention. You, the customer, are incensed! How dare they - don't they realize I may never shop here again? The fact is, broken promises are inevitable. You can play the part of the wounded party; or you may become the enabler; or you

Volunteerism

2011-06-17T14:10:00.001-04:00

I have found working with volunteers to be so complex and this avenue (blog) does not lend itself to complex issues, that I nearly didn't address it at all. But, in the spirit of 'finishing what I start', I've decided to, in a small way, address the animal most at risk - the volunteer. As much as I would like to say working with non-profits, charities and organizations is a rewarding

Impartial Observer

2011-05-10T19:21:00.001-04:00

Allowing an impartial observer (IO) into an interview process is unique and expresses management's commitment to creating a dynamic team. It's not always easy for employees to express themselves without the feeling of reprisal or repercussion. Some companies allow employees to have other employees as their witness; although this may be allowed, it is not the optimum solution. Another

Incongruity

2011-04-28T19:16:00.005-04:00

I'm trying in my own way to apply the principles of leaving a reduced carbon footprint. I recycle whatever I can, reuse veggies to compost; reduce the amount that goes to the local landfill. I also buy recycled copy paper, try not to print what I don't have to and buy products that are lean on packaging, collect and contribute aluminum can tabs to worthy causes. So, with all of this going on in

Bullying

2011-04-16T13:48:00.001-04:00

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Briefing and Debriefing

2011-03-22T12:58:00.000-04:00

Briefings provide excellent opportunities for communication of execution details for the planned event. This is not the time to start making the plan - communicating the how is what should be happening here. Having your volunteer team understand the how and why of the event is important to their actions. Answer their questions. Better yet - ask some questions. There may be some