Daniel Horgan’s Post

No More Pizza Party🍕 Please! It's easy to fall into the trap of the proverbial pizza party in the workplace. You know the scenario: a quick celebration that superficially signals appreciation but skirts around the deeper issues at hand. While the gesture of a pizza party is well-intentioned, it often misses the mark on genuinely recognizing effort and progress, especially when underlying challenges within the organization remain unaddressed. In our Feb - Mar @Maximising Middle Managers Cohort, one of our Managers just realized how resentful his team was because up till then, he had fallen prey to the "Pizza Party Fix" So, instead of defaulting to these symbolic acts of celebration, it's time to shift to a more impactful and meaningful approach - celebrating the concrete steps we take toward addressing and overcoming the challenges. Here's how to start: 🥳Acknowledge the Hard Conversations: Recognize the courage it takes for team members to speak up about difficult issues. Celebrating this openness fosters a culture of trust and transparency. 🥳Celebrate Small Wins: Every step forward, no matter how small, is progress. It could be as simple as a successful brainstorming session that brought new ideas to light. 🥳Recognize Efforts to Learn and Grow: When individuals or teams take the initiative to develop new skills or knowledge areas, especially those that address organizational gaps, it's worth celebrating. 🥳Applaud Adaptability: In today’s fast-paced world, the ability to adapt is invaluable. Celebrate the moments your team successfully pivots to meet unexpected challenges. 🥳Honor Contributions to Problem-Solving: Whether it's finding a temporary workaround or a long-term fix, contributions that move us closer to solving organizational problems deserve recognition. By shifting our celebrations to focus on these meaningful steps, we not only validate the hard work and dedication of our teams but also reinforce the behaviors that contribute to our collective success. This approach helps to cultivate a more engaged, motivated, and resilient workforce. What steps have you celebrated in your team recently? Share so we can celebrate with you and them. Have a Beautiful Weekend ❤ #WorkplaceCulture #MeaningfulCelebration #TeamEngagement #Leadership #OrganizationalGrowth

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣 "𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚" 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚? When I saw a cameo of Will Guidara on The Bear, I was inspired to re-read his book, Unreasonable Hospitality. While it appears to be about the high end restaurant biz, it's a thinly veiled manifesto about both leadership and team culture. His message may be even more beneficial in 2024? Exceed expectations in ways that make people feel seen, heard, and valued, employees and customers alike. When you invest in going the extra mile for your people, it’s not just about kindness, it’s about fostering loyalty, engagement, and a sense of belonging. And here's the kicker: when your team feels truly empowered to deliver excellence, they’re more innovative, connected, and invested in the company’s success. In a world where “good enough” is often the bar, Guidara says why not blow past it? Here’s to creating a culture where hospitality isn’t just for guests, but is woven into the everyday interactions within your teams. What’s one “unreasonable” thing you’re doing to elevate your workplace culture? I'd love to hear about it. #Leadership #ThrivingCulture #UnreasonableHospitality #BusinessSuccess

“Doesn't everyone want to be doing things they are good at as often as they can?” I'm pleased as punch to bubble up the awesomeness that is Tara Anderson, Mountain America Credit Union’s very own Café General Manager. In her role, Tara is responsible for all food service operations and cafe events at our Cairns Café located in our Sandy Mountain America HQ location. Her reach extends into financial management, reporting and analysis, business reviews, employee management, and guest service and interaction. A few months ago, I had the good fortune to chat with Tara about her CliftonStrengths. Tara leads with Strategic, Individualization, Learner, Woo, and Communication, and it has been inspiring to watch how quickly she has put those strengths to action. I asked Tara what value she’s found in knowing her CliftonStrengths and how she created opportunities for her department of over 70 team members to learn what they do best. “With CliftonStrengths, I learned a language around what I already do well and what I gravitate towards. It allowed me to see myself through a lens of capacity and potential. I also see that when I am struggling, I am likely not using my strengths properly. Often times, we focus on improving weak areas; CliftonStrengths allows us (if we choose) to use our natural tendencies to tackle work and lead in an unlimited capacity. At the beginning of the year, my Senior Vice President asked if anyone had a suggestion for a team-wide goal for 2024. I immediately knew this would benefit our entire team, "top to bottom." Everyone benefits when they understand their abilities and how they operate; when you combine that with team leaders having this valuable knowledge it allows for great understanding and hopefully better use of the talent we have. Doesn't everyone want to be doing things they are good at as often as they can?” If you've every stopped by the Cairns Cafe, you know firsthand what amazing experiences Tara creates for us all. Thank you, Tara for bringing out the best in all of us! #cliftonstrengths #teamdevelopment #culture

We had a great crew this morning for L&D Issues and Ideas at Oscar’s Restaurant. Some familiar faces - Toni Veiledal, BA, Jason Leeder, Paula Stanghetta, Kirsten Boileau and one new person - Shelley-Ann Cowan. I wanted to talk about how we can create ‘space’ to live life, relax and learn. And once we figure it out ourselves, how can we help the leaders in our organizations create space for themselves and people on their teams. It’s a pervasive problem and is complex because there are several factors that contribute to our inability to balance work, life and learning. We didn’t solve the problem but bantered around some good ideas, including: Drawing on the idea in the Wealthy Barber - pay yourself first. Take time at the start of a new job (onboarding) or at the beginning of the day (habit of learning) for learning and development. For our leaders, make sure there are clear expectations and accountability for embedding developing into conversations and work. Make development more public - talk about and recognize development and reward learning alongside performance. Mark your calendar for February 15th at 7:30 and join us! #learning #instructionaldesign #workwithhannah #waterlooregion #issuesinsights #leadwithlearning

The unlock in creating a magic culture is when your employees realize they don't have to be right all the time. That they have permission to make mistakes. That they can take time to think about things. That they can show up and be themselves and contribute their max amount and stretch to learn and it will be applauded and appreciated. That they will be rewarded with opportunities to grow, opportunities to create higher income, opportunities to be trusted with more responsibility. That leaders care, want them to succeed, celebrate them, and support them to the end. It's not taco parties. It's not happy hours. It's not gym memberships. Sure, an al pastor taco with a marg before I get my swole on is great. But they don't keep me coming back. How do you think about getting your employees to keep coming back? To keep showing up? PS: 2 of 3 US workers is unengaged. Probably too many taco parties. 🤷♂️

Culture is fun and great cultures have fun. Take it from Hello Chef, who danced their way through our Culture Fulfillment Program. They are a great example of how embracing fun doesn’t equate to sacrificing commitment to their work. Alongside enjoying themselves, they've also attained B Corp status. #BCorp #CultureIsFun #FunAtWork #Culture #CultureMatters #WorkplaceCulture #PeopleFirst #LeadwithValues

A few weeks ago I had the profound pleasure of collaborating with one of our talented young Food & Beverage managers who approached me with a challenge that turned into a remarkable opportunity for growth. He noticed some team members were caught up in gossip, a habit that can easily undermine team spirit. Inspired by our positive club culture, he reached out for guidance on how to address this constructively. During our discussion, I commended him for his dedication to nurturing our club's culture and his proactive approach to resolving concerns. To support his journey, I shared a favorite resource of mine, "Culture by Design" by David J. Friedman. This book is a gold mine for anyone looking to actively shape a positive organizational culture. Just a few days later, he returned my copy, enthusiastic about the insights he gained and eager to implement them. He even purchased his own copy to delve deeper! Since then, it's been incredibly rewarding to see him not only discuss the principles from the book with me and others but also actively apply them. Inspired by the Ritz Carlton's legendary customer service training, he has been actively demonstrating the importance of "service excellence" — for instance, he now personally walks members and guests to their destinations within the club instead of just pointing the way, ensuring a personal touch in every interaction. He has also initiated team discussions focused on the impacts of gossip and the benefits of supporting each other, which has significantly improved communication and strengthened trust within the team. His proactive stance and commitment are not only reshaping his direct interactions but are also inspiring others around him. Observing his peers begin to emulate these positive behaviors, adopting a "pay it forward" mentality, fills me with immense pride. This ripple effect reinforces the power of positive influence and the impact one individual's transformation can have on an entire team. The transformation underscores a vital lesson: the core of any organization's success is its culture. By fostering an environment where every team member is empowered to contribute positively, we pave the way for not only individual but collective excellence. I am filled with pride and excitement as I watch our team grow stronger, guided by the principles that enhance our unity and commitment. Here’s to more growth, learning, and cultural enrichment at Sharon Heights! #Leadership #TeamCulture #GrowthMindset #SharonHeights #ProudMoment

At MISEbox, we believe effective leadership goes hand-in-hand with clear, open communication. We’re excited to share some insightful thoughts from our founder, Dana Koteen, who recently wrote about the importance of active listening in restaurant management. This soft skill is critical not only for fostering team morale but also for improving guest experiences and operational efficiency—a key reason why MISEbox exists: to streamline communication between managers and their teams. We encourage restaurant leaders to prioritize these meaningful conversations in their daily operations. Active listening isn’t just about hearing what’s said—it’s about driving better outcomes for your team and your business. #Leadership #Communication #HospitalityLeadership #ManagerTraining #ActiveListening

Do we embrace appreciation enough? 🤷♀️ As a leader, I focus on results and on how we can keep on performing better, do and achieve more. And as a people leader I like to celebrate the achievements of the team. But once when I sat down to write the THANK YOU message to my team, I realized – I don‘t do that nearly as often as I should. Do you? There‘re many upsides of showing appreciation – from fostering the positive work environment to driving collective success. Most of us probably have witness firsthand how acknowledging efforts of colleagues can make the difference: - It can boost morale and engagemenet: taking a moment to express genuine appreciation reinforces sense of belonging and validates team‘s contribution. And let‘s be honest – there won‘t be any results if there won‘t be the team; - It creates and cultivates positive team culture; - Culture of appreciation drives creativity and innovation: people tend to voice their ideas and solutions more freely when they are feeling appreciated. - And it‘s not just about the culture – when people are feeling valued, the results tend to amplify. Because we all work harder and more efficiently when we believe in what we do – and when we know that our team, our leaders believes in us. As leaders, it is our responsibility to cultivate that positive culture – let‘s not underestimate the power of appreciation. Spend a moment today, tomorrow and next week to share a few good words with your team, clients and partners – and see where it takes you. And I am thanking all Magnetic Training and Magnetic Engineering customers who finds few moments to leave their feedbacks for us - good, amazing or bad. It helps us to celebrate or improve and become a better version of ourselves 😉

Let me tell you a story about a small London patisserie where two sisters, mistaken for twins, embarked on a journey to redefine customer service. In a time when exceptional service was rare, they elevated their craft to an art form, mastering the art of customer connection ☕️ It wasn't just about teaching their team how to serve coffee; it was about remembering customers names, making every customer feel valued and creating an extraordinary workplace culture. Whether you're a barista or a business leader, building a beautiful culture within your team means remembering the small things that make a big difference. From managers to team members to customers, let the essence of your culture flow through every interaction. So, whether you're perfecting latte art or honing your leadership skills, remember: it's not just about service; it's about making your craft an art form. Become the best in your business and let your culture shine bright. Oh yes - and those sisters were actually my sister and I 😉 What was your favourite job of all time? #teamculture #leadershipskills #workplaceculture #connectionpowersperformance #leadershiptips #leadershipcoach