Wally Amos is
the founder of
Uncle Wally’s
Muffin Company.
You can reach
him at www.
wallyamos.com.
Take time
to innovate
Go further
NAPOLEON HILL, in his legendary book Think
and Grow Rich, highlights the importance
of going the extra mile. He says it is one of
the quickest ways to riches and success.
I’ve discovered that going the extra mile has
always helped me move quickly to the next
level. It encourages loyalty and support in
employees, customers and friends alike.
Through the years I’ve done motivation-
al work with the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain,
which is noted for going the extra mile.
Their credo says, in part, “The Ritz-Carlton
experience enlivens the senses, instills
well-being, and fulfills even the unexpressed
wishes and needs of our guests.” Their
motto stresses to employees that they are
“ladies and gentlemen serving ladies
and gentlemen.”
Going the extra mile indeed means
giving everyone you come into contact with
more than they expect. Going the extra mile
doesn’t mean you’ll have less if you give
more. It means making the people in your
life feel special. It’s letting them know that
you genuinely appreciate them.
WHILE SOME MAY say that being an
innovator is innate, authors and Costco
members Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen and
Clayton M. Christensen suggest otherwise
in their book, The Innovator’s DNA:
Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive
Innovators (Harvard Business Press, 2011).
“In our research of the world’s most
innovative companies,” they say, “we discovered five skills that leaders relied on to
More in archives
On Costco.com, enter
“connection.”At Online Edition,
search “Wally Amos.”
Managers in the spotlight
HOW MUCH INFLUENCE do managers
have on their employees’ contributions and
enthusiasm? More than they realize, according to Costco members Doug Katz and
Craig Wasserman, authors of The Invisible
Spotlight: Why Managers Can’t Hide
(CreateSpace, 2011).
Using a combined 70 years of
experience as management consultants,
Katz and Wasserman
make a compelling
argument that all
managers work in
the heat of an “
invisible spotlight,” where
every word and
deed is scrutinized
by employees.
“Employees
spend countless
hours watching, listening, thinking about,
talking about, and trying to please their
bosses,” writes Katz.
With a series of real-life stories of management successes and misadventures, the
authors offer their perspective on building
sound management relationships.
A caustic yet capable trucking manager
in Ohio reveals how a boss can improve the
bottom line but demoralize his workforce in
the process, putting longer-term success in
jeopardy. A nit-
picking boss
who tried to
artificially create
a “Caring
Culture” in her
department
underscores the
importance of
credibility. The
successful trans-
formation of a
former superstar
employee to a
behind-the-
scenes leader
offers a lesson in how to adapt to a new role.
Say Wasserman and Katz, “We’re con-
cerned with the foundation that underlies
and enables the achievement of goals, the alli-
ance you create with employees.” C
PHOTODISC
IMAGEZOO
