It doesn’t take a genius.

Want engaged employee? You need "Belonging and the Greater Good."

The Gallup Q12, as it’s commonly called, is a set of 12 questions designed to measure employee engagement. Not satisfaction. Engagement. Why is that distinction important? Because satisfaction is surface-level—think free snacks in the breakroom—but engagement digs deeper. It’s about your team’s emotional connection to their work and their belief in the purpose of what they’re doing.
These questions came from years of research by Gallup, particularly detailed in their book "First, Break All the Rules" by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, which examines what makes employees thrive. And guess what? Engaged employees don’t just work harder—they work smarter, stay longer and bring their A-game to your organization every day.Part 3,  "Belonging and the Greater Good" - Questions 8 to 10:
8. The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
10. I have a best friend at work.
 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Want engaged employees? You need to meet "Basic Human Needs."

The Gallup Q12, as it’s commonly called, is a set of 12 questions designed to measure employee engagement. Not satisfaction. Engagement. Why is that distinction important? Because satisfaction is surface-level—think free snacks in the breakroom—but engagement digs deeper. It’s about your team’s emotional connection to their work and their belief in the purpose of what they’re doing.
These questions came from years of research by Gallup, particularly detailed in their book "First, Break All the Rules" by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, which examines what makes employees thrive. And guess what? Engaged employees don’t just work harder—they work smarter, stay longer and bring their A-game to your dealership every day.Part 2, Meeting "Basic Human Needs" - Questions 3 to 7:
3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
4. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.
5. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
6. There is someone at work who encourages my development.
7. At work, my opinions seem to count.
 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Want engaged employees? You need "Clarity and Resources."

The Gallup Q12, as it’s commonly called, is a set of 12 questions designed to measure employee engagement. Not satisfaction. Engagement. Why is that distinction important? Because satisfaction is surface-level—think free snacks in the breakroom—but engagement digs deeper. It’s about your team’s emotional connection to their work and their belief in the purpose of what they’re doing.
These questions came from years of research by Gallup, particularly detailed in their book "First, Break All the Rules" by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, which examines what makes employees thrive. And guess what? Engaged employees don’t just work harder—they work smarter, stay longer and bring their A-game to your dealership every day.Part 1, "Clarity and Resources" - Questions 1 and 2:1. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
2. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Hope in suffering, 2: Surviving abuse in a Soviet orphanage

WARNING: This episode features physical and sexual child abuse, as well as suicide.She is a cherished wife and mother of four successful children. She owns her own cleaning business. She is usually the most positive person in the room. And yet she started life in an orphanage in Moldova, surviving years of some of the worst trauma. What was life like in Soviet and post-Soviet culture? What gave her the ability to overcome her challenges? How can we overcome ours? Learn the answers in this two-part episode. Resources mentioned: "Open Fields & Iron Curtains: Hope, Endurance, Suffering & Grace" by Lilia KlaczynskiThe Murray Method

Hope in suffering, 1: Surviving abuse in a Soviet orphanage

WARNING: This episode features physical and sexual child abuse, as well as suicide.She is a cherished wife and mother of four successful children. She owns her own cleaning business. She is usually the most positive person in the room. And yet she started life in an orphanage in Moldova, surviving years of some of the worst trauma. What was life like in Soviet and post-Soviet culture? What gave her the ability to overcome her challenges? How can we overcome ours? Learn the answers in this two-part episode. Resources mentioned: "Open Fields & Iron Curtains: Hope, Endurance, Suffering & Grace" by Lilia KlaczynskiThe Murray Method

Are your concerns shrinking your influence?

Stephen R. Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" is something you've probably used, even if you can't name the seven habits.
A core principle is this: At all times, you can focus on only one of two things. And that focus will determine your trajectory. 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

People are smart! (No, really!) They just need a reminder.

The man whose face launched a thousand memes (warning: language) figured out long ago the importance of reminders over instruction. Reminders help us maintain habits and practices. And stories are reminders on steroids. Stay tuned for wisdom from the Dr. Johnson. 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Aristotle and Teddy want you to stay in the fight!

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. 
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Transitioning from Go-To Person to Empowering Leader!

Your boss was incredibly successful because he or she had you!
What happens after you get promoted and the team you are now leading no longer has a "you?"
Recreating yourself as a leader means shifting focus from personal achievement to team empowerment. Your new role is about creating opportunities for others to shine, building trust and independence.
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Three kinds of stories your culture must discover and share

Want a corporate culture as strong as Western Civilization itself? Find your stories. 
Mark and Mike discuss the importance of stories in shaping culture and their potential impact on an organization. They discuss three kinds: "origin stories," "stories of bad times and lessons learned" and "stories of heroes and triumph." They can help you and your people not just understand but shape your culture.
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.