June 1973. Long hair is trendy. At 15, I’m hot (the sweaty kind). “Mom, shave my head?” She did. Friends laughed. Neighbors pointed. Uncle Bob: “Well, this proves that the hair makes the man.” Ouch. But, I was cool (lower temp kind). And, I must say, it felt outstanding to stand out—by not conforming. Which, 40…
Continue ReadingPeople sometimes ask, “Why did you write the QBQ! book, John, and where’d you get the material for it?”
Well, here’s where I got it:
You.
I sold leadership/management training for a decade, sitting in 10,000 hours of workshops with managers and frontline folks. Good people.
Good people who asked bad questions, such as:
Continue ReadingQBQ! reader: My friend quit his job because his supervisor was so controlling. Several more employees left, too. The supervisor’s still there. Controlling people—at work and home—don’t know the damage they cause … Emotional connections are severed. Hurts are hardened. Colleagues, friends, siblings, and offspring drift away. Relationships die. Sad. Solution: emotional maturity. Mature people—accountable people—ask…
Continue ReadingI love those conflicting two-word phrases called oxymorons … “pretty ugly” “legal brief” “old news” “committee decision” And, “country music.” 🙂 Another: Adult learning We’re not good at learning because we’ve “mis-learned” what learning is. Learning is not about showing up. Learning is not about going to class, memorizing content, passing a test. That’s called…
Continue ReadingDavid, a Rockwall, Texas Costco photo customer, shares the secret to winning him over forever: My posters were done when promised. They took the time to retouch the images, removing every blemish. They did it without any request from me. No extra charge! The final product was beautiful. Guess who gets all of my photo…
Continue ReadingJohn, Karen, three active grandkids—and a 34 year, work-in-progress marriage. In 1991, eleven years married, Karen said, “John, I’m going to marriage counseling. You coming?!” I went because this relationship is my most important relationship. I also hoped counseling would … fix Karen. 🙂 Instead, I learned this truth—and have learned it again…
Continue ReadingKnow the difference? Skepticism: It’s wise to not buy everything read or heard. Skeptics add value with, “Not sure that’s the best path; can we talk about it?” A skeptic’s accountable question (QBQ): “How can I make a difference?” Pushback builds a better mousetrap. Cynicism: Cynics doubt the intentions, sincerity, and good will of others—usually…
Continue ReadingMy CPA, Bob, just emailed. His business partner passed away. Gone, at 64. Probable heart attack. Tragic. My first thought: I was there days ago; did I say hello to Bill? Then, suddenly, it was Tuesday May 20, 1975, about 5pm. I was days from 17. My dad pulled into the gas station where, in…
Continue Reading*JUST99WORDS I dropped my family at the San Diego airport and drove the mini-van to the Hertz facility. Once parked, I headed toward the Hertz bus. It was there that Candy (the driver standing outside the vehicle) demonstrated a billion dollars in customer service training: Receiving a genuine smile and a warm “Welcome aboard!” clearly…
Continue ReadingLike little boys everywhere, our 4-year-old grandson, Joshua, can be loud. When my wife, Karen—aka “Grandma Nonnie”—was driving our van recently with Josh and his toddler sister, “Becca Boo,” sitting behind her in their carseats, she asked Josh to lower his voice. Josh complied. But then he turned to his sister (co-conspirator?) and whispered …
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