R.E.S.P.E.C.T.—everybody wants it, but not everybody gets it.

Have you ever heard an athlete complain, “I don’t get the respect I deserve”? This person is unaware that respect is not a gift; it is something you must earn. We might admire him for his skill, or envy his million-dollar salary, but we respect the athlete for the attitude he or she exhibits on the field or court, during an interview, or in daily life.

What is that attitude that quickly wins respect? Humility—a modest view of one’s own importance! An attitude of humility is one of the most significant predictors of someone who is respected…read more

The old adage “Measure twice and cut once” is practical advice for everyone, especially carpet layers, tailors, and carpenters.

My lesson today is on measurements; however, it’s about a different kind of measurement. It’s about the importance of measuring your performance.

Dr. H. James Harrington has been involved in quality and performance improvement projects since the 1950s. He summarizes well what this lesson is all about. “Measurement is the first step that leads to control and eventually to improvement. If you can’t measure something, you can’t understand it. If you can’t understand it, you can’t control it…read more

Whether you have thought about it or not, if you market your services to the marketplace for a fee, you’re an entrepreneur. Some of us market our services to our employers and some of us market our serves directly to consumers. Regardless of who buys our personal services, we are the owners of our own businesses and we market our services for a fee.

One of the few times when most employees actually view themselves as entrepreneurs is when marketing themselves to prospective employers. They put together an impressive résumé. They go out and market their services. They put on their best behavior during the interview process as they describe their services with confidence. Then once they get the job, they are back to thinking like an employee…read more

As many of you may know, the sum and focus of every post I write on the Little Things Matter blog is about helping you become the person you need to be to achieve your goals and live the life you desire.

The stories told, daily lessons posted, and life experiences shared are all about helping you grow in every area of your personal and professional life.

In today’s lesson, I want to bring attention to one of the core elements of your character—being a person of your word. There are very few subjects more important than your personal character. Being known as a person who honors your word is as simple as doing what you said you would do when you said you would do it…read more

The 1991 movie City Slickers is a cowboy comedy starring Billy Crystal as Mitch and Jack Palance as Curly. These two men have a conversation that becomes a pivotal point in the movie.

Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? This. [Holding up one finger]

Mitch: Your finger?

Curly: One thing. Just one thing.

Mitch: But what is the “one thing”?

Curly: [Smiling] That’s what you have to find out…read more

As I read the latest news regarding the BP oil spill, I was reminded once again about this important subject of accepting responsibility.

BP confirmed that Tony Hayward will step down on Oct. 1 as the company seeks to reassure both the public and investors that it is taking responsibility for the spill and is learning lessons from this major disaster.

“BP will change as a result of this accident,” BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg told investors.” We are taking a hard look at ourselves, what we do and how we do it. What we learn will have implications for our ways of working, our strategy, and our governance…read more