Emberlin's Miscellany

Listening in the quiet, listening to ideas - this might be the most important practice for any creator.

Possibilities hide in all of us, but so often we don't carve out quiet places to let our minds wander into them.

Unless we choose to accept that we need a mentor, that we have something to learn in the first place, those mentors, those lessons and layers, will find someone else. Without the humility it takes to listen to and follow the sages in our lives, we won't grow into the work God has for us.

All of us need encouragement. All of us need the positive light of positive people, especially when we're creating new things or exploring and implementing our ideas. In fact, the quality of our creative community can be the single determining whether we become better or bitter. Finding people who are steadfast and uplifting turns us into the best versions of ourselves...

To be the best of anything is not the same as being excellent. You can be better than all your competitors and still have a gap to deal with when it comes to achieving excellence.

Passion has to align with the real world in some dimension.

The commitment to measuring and adjusting is not a luxury. It is essential to responsible leadership.

Before you blame [employees] for underperformance, first check your own performance in reinforcing the vision.

I won't settle for less than the vision. No excuses allowed, either from myself or those who work with me. As I said previously, ther is no beauty in the excuse or 'explanation.' No forward motion comes from it.

The organization you want is the one with energy and initiative, even joy.

Because employees are important, I will create an environment where people want to do a good job. I will invite, not dictate. I will get results by inspiring, not by controlling or mandating.

Defect prevention is key to service excellence.

But let's be honest, very few people come to work to be negative or do a lousy job. People come to contribute to a purpose. When we invite them to join us, to take on positions that befit them, their talents can blossom.

Sometimes a customer service problem - or any defect, for that matter - is rooted as much as five steps away from where it shows itself.

Every employee in every department needs to figure out who their internal customer is.