Gal Morale's Blog

Gal Morale: Review of The Celebrity Experience

Check out Kirsten Harrell's review of The Celebrity Experience.

Gal Morale: Check out this review

Today my alter ego's (Donna Cutting) book got reviewed! Check out Phil Gerbyshak's review of The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets to Delivering Red-Carpet Customer Service.

Phil is a customer service manager, an author, a speaker, a brand guru, and a popular blogger whom you can check out over at Make It Great and Slacker Manager.

Thanks, Phil, for taking the time to write about The Celebrity Experience. So glad you found it valuable.

Gal Morale, Private Eye

aka Donna Cutting

Gal Morale: 2008 - Make It Great!

I just received a fabulous little book by Phil Gerbyshak, The Make It Great Guy, entitled (coincidentally enough) 10 Ways to Make It Great!

Here's what I love about this book -

1. I agree with the premise that we can (and should) take responsibility for our lives. Why blame outside forces for our own unhappiness when it is our own choices that make us unhappy. Phil owns that responsibility for himself and inspires others to take it on.

2. It's ACTION oriented! This is not just a motivational book. Phil gives you easy, simple ACTION steps (my favorite kind) to make your day...and your life...a GREAT one.

3. It's about the PASSION to be extraordinary. Phil says, "Why have a nice day, when you can have a GREAT day!" I agree. It's so much more fun to be living life with absolute passion for making it great.

Some of my favorite chapters (or "ways") - Dream Big Dreams, Do Big Things, Never Stop Learning, Work Hard Now or Work Hard Forever, and Finish What You Start. (A tip I think many leaders could benefit from).

Thanks, Phil, for a fabulous book!!

Gal Morale, Private Eye

Gal Morale: Can We Do That?

If there is one thing I like, it's people who think differently. Which is why I was thrilled to have the chance to have breakfast with Peter Shankman. Peter is a PR Professional, and the author of Can We Do That?! Outrageous PR Stunts and Why Your Company Needs Them.

This guy thinks out of the box - and he commits to his goals. When his team had an idea to have over 100 people jump out of an airplane at the same time to bring awareness to their company he went for it. Never mind that he had never jumped before...just a minor detail. (Now he's a skydiving junkie).

What I like about Peter and what I liked about his book is that they are about being extraordinary. Standing out from the pack.

Whether it's PR, employee engagement, customer service - whatever - if we continue to do "business as usual" we're going to continue to get the usual ho-hum results.

It's people who put themselves out there, take a risk, commit to doing the outrageous that really make a mark.

Want to learn more? Check out Peter's Blog at PR Differently.

Question: What's the most outrageous thing you've done lately?

Gal Morale, Private Eye

GAL MORALE: Generation Y in the Workplace

Are you a manager in your in your 40's or 50's managing 16-24 year olds?  Generational differences in the workplace provide excitement, diversity and a combination of experience and freshness.  However, they can also pose challenges. 

An excellent book on the topic is "Getting Them to Give a Damn: How to Get Your Front Line to Care About Your Bottom Line" by Eric Chester.  Eric is a consultant who is often called upon to provide insight on how to work with younger employees.   

Eric also has a blog called Generation Why?  Check it out.

Let me ask you this:  What are your tips for handling generational differences in the workplace?

Gal Morale

Gal Morale: Exciting News for Donna Cutting

Click on this link to read Donna Cutting's Exciting News about her forthcoming book, The Celebrity Experience: Transform Your Company with Red Carpet Customer Service!!

Gal Morale, Private Eye

Gal Morale: Do You Have A Dream?

It's My Dream and Who Am I To Stop Me?  That's the question asked by author Sandy Geroux in her new book by the same title! 

I'm in the middle of the book now, and I recommend it to any of my blog readers who have a dream - of any size - that you are not acting on. 

What is it about?  Dreams - yes!  However, it's really about personal accountability!

Whether we're talking about our goals in the workplace or our personal dreams, excuses are, frankly, a way of life in our country. 

I should know.  I've got a dream to drop the 30 pounds I've put on since my business really started cranking.  Why haven't I?  Well, if I listen to myself, I haven't because:

• It's hard to lose weight when you travel
• I'm too tired after speaking and I just don't care enough to make healthy choices
• It's no fun to make healthy choices
• I don't have time to take a walk every day
• I forget to pack my exercise clothes
• I just can't focus on that right now

The truth is...those are excuses! 

We hear them in the workplace too:

• We tried that before and it didn't work.
• I don't have time to recognize employees properly.
• I don't have time to hire for fit - I've got to get someone in there
• I don't have time for fun in the workplace - we've got business to attend to

Or perhaps you've got a personal dream.  Something you've always wanted to do, but something (or someone) is holding you back.

Whether it's a workplace goal or a personal dream, Sandy Geroux knows from personal experience who it is that is holding you back.  It's you.  She knows - she's been there.  She spent years holding herself back and after overcoming her own "excuses" she is dedicating her life to help you overcome yours.

Check out her book!  It's fantastic.  You can find it at www.whoamitostopme.com.

Question:  When have you overcome excuses in the workplace to see your dream realized?  Share your story with me here.

Gal Morale: Favorite Books

Here are some books on the topic of recognition, reward and employee morale that I recommend:

"Care Packages for the Workplace" by Barbara Glanz - Barbara is terrific at giving hands-on, action ideas that you can implement immediately.  I'm glad to call her a friend as well.

"Managing to Have Fun" by Matt Weinstein - the definitive book on having FUN at work - lots of actual ideas you can use.  Meeting Matt at a National Speakers Association Convention was a treat for me.  Great guy!

"I Quit, But Forgot to Tell You - Attacking the Spreading Virus of Disengagement" by Terri Kabachnick- Exceptional, research-based book by a good friend of mine.  This book was published in January but is already in it's second printing.  Excellent book!!

"Love 'Em or Lose 'Em" by Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans.  I don't know Beverly or Sharon, but I like their easy, fun way of writing. Their book is chock full of content and their ideas are right on the money.

"1001 Ways to Reward Employees" - Bob Nelson.  Don't know Bob, but a great idea book! He's full of them.

"The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield.  I don't know Steven personally, and this book is not about the topic of employee engagement.  However, it's such a powerful book and has made such a profound difference in my life that I recommend it to everyone.  Every time I read this book (and it's a quick, easy read), I get off my butt and get to work - I am that inspired.  Steven is the author of "The Legend of Bagger Vance" and other novels.  To my knowledge this is his only work of non-fiction.

Gal Morale's book - still to come!

Question:  What are some of your favorite books on the topic of employee engagement?  What are your favorite books on ANY topic?

Gal Morale, Private Eye