I interupt the "Creating a High Octane Culture" series to introduce to you the next President of the United States

You heard it here first.

The next President of The United States is going to be Bill Richardson.

This, coming from a registered Republican and a guy that has a non-sexual crush on Rudy Giuliani.

Yes, that's right. I saw this guy speak over the weekend and he was the most down to earth guy I have seen in the race so far. I really connected with this guy! He was speaking from the heart, not just saying whatever he needed to say in order to make people happy in the moment.

Ok, I am not going to make a video in which I star as the Richardson Guy. I am just saying that I actually could hang with Bill.

He's a regular guy. I could imagine him at my house without any pretense. I might even be able to tell a dirty joke or two!

He has all the experience necessary - He's been a Congressman, Diplomat, Ambassador to the United Nations, Secretary of the Department of Energy and Governor of New Mexico.

Here's his platform:

A national security that is tough & smart
A military second to none
A firm commitment to building diplomatic alliances
To defeat terrorism
To promote freedom
To alleviate poverty
To stop global warming
To make our nation safer and our economy more fair
To make health care and college more affordable
To energize America w/ energy independence
To guarantee a dignified retirement for all Americans

How can anyone disagree with that? It even sounds Republican! (are there really two parties anymore, anyway?)

Just add to the list "Stop America from becoming the most morbidly obese country in the world" and I think we're all set.

My Republican friends are going to shoot me (they are members of the NRA), but let's face it, the two parties are not that different anymore.

It's time to vote for the person, not the party.

Here's my prediction:

My friend Rudy - His family is going to ruin it for him. You know there's trouble when his own daughter gives her allegiance to Barack Obama on her MySpace page.

Hillary and Obama - They duke it out so badly that nobody has any respect left for either of them.

Mitt Romney - His perfect hair turns out to be a toupee and his Superstar Ken doll cover is blown.

All the others - They haven't won before and guess what, they're not going to win this time either

Well, there you have it, straight from the grassroots entrepreneur’s mouth.

Maybe you disagree with me? That's Ok. It's America! You can do that and I won't shoot you.

But, in November 2008 when Bill wins, I'd like you to give me a call. I promise I won't say "I told you so."

But that may just be a campaign promise.

Go Bill!

Creating a High Octane Culture - Part 6

Emerson said it best in his quote, "What is Success?"

"To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded."

I take the second sentence into the workplace - "To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children."

One of the best ways to win the hearts and minds of people is to sincerely get to know their kids. I am lucky, I love kids. I have two of my own and sometimes my wife will send us all to time-out.

I can easily slip back into my youth and relate to them. Many times, I enjoy the company of kids more than most adults. I certainly have an inner child that refuses to give up. Just ask my employees about my remote controlled fart machine. But that's a different story.

The most important thing in your employees' lives are their kids (if they have them). Get to know them. It's a three way benefit between the kid, you and your employee. Plus, they're just so darn cute.

If one of your employee's child comes in the office and he is running around the office looking for you, then you've got that employee for life. I mean come on, what better judge of character is there than a child? Children have the best radar for good hearted people. They also can detect slime pretty quickly too.

Here's what I recommend - buy birthday gifts for your employee's children. I do this for all my Next Step kids. Right up until they are 18. Then they get a card after that.

They get the gift in the mail on their birthday. Think the kid will have a positive association about mommy's workplace? Plus, what's more fun than putting a smile on a child's face?

Graham Robert's 4th birthday is coming up this Sunday. He is the little guy in this post.

Happy Birthday Graham! (check your mailbox today). :-)

Creating a High Octane Culture - Part 5

Do it right from the beginning.

Have you ever started a job and nothing was prepared for you? Maybe you showed up and your new boss was like "Oh hey, that's right, you start today." And then you sit around most of the day feeling like an ass.

Your desk is not prepared. You can't sign into your computer. You don't even have an e-mail account yet. Maybe you get to sit in on some meetings just because the boss can't think of anything else for you. And you feel like a nuisance.

How special does this make you feel? Not very?

Well unfortunately, that kind of welcome is called "orientation week" at many companies. They wait until you show up to get their act together.

At Next Step, we realize that if you hit the ground running with a newbie and make them feel incredibly welcomed and special from day one, then your chances of success are 1068% better. We researched it and everything.

Ok, no research. We just think it's no brainer.

Here's the formula:
Make someone feel special = they will worker for you and stay forever.

And you thought E = mc2 was ground breaking.

Here are some of the things we do the first couple weeks:

1) Throw a party! We have a company-wide lunch so everyone can meet the newbie.
2) Have her desk completely organized with a key to office, paper, pens, the computer passwords working, e-mail working and a list of everything she'll have to know to navigate the office.
3) Develop an orientation schedule. Newbie sits down not only with HR and gets the standard employee manual orientation, but with each employee individually for at least 15 minutes. Newbie will learn what that person does and also gets to know him/her a bit.
4) CEO takes newbie out to lunch. This is where I get to tell my start-up story. You know, when I bought my first desk at OfficeMax and assembled it in my bedroom and then started making sales calls. In my opinion, the "history of the company" talk creates an appreciation of how we got where we are today. It endears newbie to the company and makes him realize that this is someplace special. Plus he feels special because the CEO bothered to take him to lunch!
5) A "Your Company" Way presentation. I present a Next Step Way PowerPoint to newbies that details what it means to be a Next Step employee. Every company develops its own culture and DNA. We certainly have ours and I am very proud of it. At Next Step, we all know what it means to be a Next Stepper. One doesn't have to ask if it's OK to do something. We all just know if it's a "Next Step" thing to do or not. We have a very distinct culture, and if you're not living it, you'll stick out like a sore thumb.

6) Develop a "how to" manual for newbie's position. We had a new sales person start yesterday and today he will get a copy of "Next Step Sales Boot Camp." It's 24 pages and was written by the managers and me. If newbie has any questions, he can also refer to the manual first.

And of course, he can always come to us. He'll realize that after day one.