Lakeshore Garden Space

By Amanda Chocko

As an entrepreneur, having strong leadership skills is imperative.  Even if you do not have any employees, you must lead your business by interacting with clients, vendors, contractors and prospects.  Recently, I attended a seminar where the speaker handed out an index card titled “The Leadership Test”.   The purpose of the index card is to keep it on your desk and take the test each night before you go home.  I encourage you to read these questions every morning before you begin your day, and again before you leave your office.  Here is the test: Read the rest of this entry »

by Mark De Roo, Advisor

Do certain things stick in your mind?  Sure they do.  Here’s a headline from my hometown newspaper, the Columbus Dispatch that has stayed in my mind since high school:  Sneezing in St. Louis Causes a Thunderstorm in Shanghai.    As a weather-wannabe, that headline grabbed me.

In reading the article, it was all about how the pressure exerted when sneezing (obviously, the person has no manners and didn’t cover his/her mouth!) can change the molecular structure of the immediate molecules in the area-which impact the air molecules in the St. Louis area-which then alter the molecular composition of water particles in Missouri-which then change the air environment of the entire Midwest-which then adjusts things for the entire North American continent-which travels ¾ of the way around the world with such force that a thunderstorm is created over the Himalayas and eventually dumps a ton of water on Shanghai.  Now, that’s some type of sneeze!   Read the rest of this entry »

 MARK DE ROO, ADVISOR

It’s 3 a.m.  And once again, you’re awake.  Maybe, this is the third time you’ve awakened since hitting the hay.  And it’s not just tonite.  This has become a pretty annoying nightly ritual.

Maybe, it’s time to give Dr. Thomas Maas a call.

Dr. Maas from Cornell University is a so-called “sleeping expert.”  He’s written a book on the topic as well as providing tips on Good Morning America.  He’s also become an advisor to the mattress folks at the Simmons Company.   Yeah, Simmons as in the famed “Beauty Rest” mattress.

If you visit the Simmons web site, you’ll see a page on “Sleeping Tips” from Dr. Maas. Among his tips are some pretty basic suggestions as:
·    Taking a warm bath
·    Reducing caffeine
·    Not smoking

I suspect your Grandma  had these same words of wisdom.  What was noticeably absent, however, on Dr. Maas’ Top Ten list was “eliminating hassles at work.”

Say what? Read the rest of this entry »

MARK DE ROO, ADVISOR

Is there a Bill Gates on your team? Or a Michael Jordan? Or a Joanne Rowling (author of Harry Potter books)?

Well, let me share a story from author Bennet Cerf. In 1949, J. Wiliam Stanton served as a congressman from Ohio. Being a good representative, if not a politician, Stanton offered an opportunity to bring in a new congressional colleague as the featured speaker for a fund-raising dinner sponsored by the Painesville, Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

Within a couple of weeks of his offer, the good congressman received a written reply. It was a reply he didn’t expect. Here’s a portion of what it said, “We feel that this year we really need a big-name speaker who will be a drawing card. So, we’re hoping to bag the head football coach at John Carroll University. Thanks anyhow for suggesting the name of Representative John Kennedy. “

Does the term “missed opportunity” mean something or what?! But, let’s not be too harsh with the folks at the Painesville Chamber. Putting it into a contemporary context, did any of us hear the name of Barach O’Bama five years ago?

This is exactly the point. We won’t know what people may or may not be unless given the opportunity. And that’s true whether that opportunity is a fundraising dinner, a new project, or a new role.

So, do you have a potential JFK in your ranks? Perhaps, that JFK might be on your work team; or maybe in your family; or maybe even closer than that. Maybe, that person is within you.

The moral is simply this: look for the underlying potential within others and within yourself. If you even discover a smidgeon of it, draw it out. The world is waiting.

You and your manager have just concluded your annual performance review discussion. On a scale of “1” to “5” with a “5” being “excellent,” you’d give the discussion a “2.” There were some surprises. Fortunately, there weren’t enough to push you on the gang plank, but an ample amount that you better up the performance a few notches over the next 12 months. That is until your manager says this, “Let’s schedule our next review in 2021.”

Say what?

You don’t quite believe your ears, but you immediately know better than to challenge him. Besides, 13 years basically gives you free license to do whatever. Hey, don’t worry; be happy.

Welcome to the world of one of my clients. Recently, I met with an owner of a small company who wanted to talk to me about a “performance issue.” Right away, I know it’s not about an issue but an employee—an employee with issues. When probing the concern, I asked about what efforts had been made to address the issue over the past year. He said, “Not much.” I asked about previous years, sensing that this was a long-standing issue.” Again, he said, “Not much.” So, it begged one more question from me, namely, “When was the last time he had a performance review?” He thought about it, covered his eyes, and sheepishly said, “13 years ago.”

Yeah, 13 years ago.

Read the rest of this entry »