Cheryl A. Bachelder's Blog, page 3

Meaning Makes a Difference

Excerpt from Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others

Why does work have such a bad reputation?  Or is it just my former line of work that has a bad reputation?

When you work in the restaurant business, you take a lot of flak for your job – particularly if you work in “fast food.”  Popular culture is full of unflattering references such as “burger flipper” and “minimum wage worker.” Despite the fact that one in ten Americans currently work in a restaurant, one-third of...

Bring out the Best in Your Team

Excerpt from Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others

Getting the best performance from teams is the subject of countless leadership books. It can be a complex subject, but I suggest you start first with creating a space for success.

Dare-to-Serve Leaders create work environments that bring out the best in their people. If you have an underperforming team, the easy thing to do is to say “I need new people.”  Frankly, that is what most leaders do – fire the people you ha...

Dare-to-Serve Leadership: What’s in it for me?

Excerpt from Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others

Dare-to-Serve leadership is based on the idea of servant leadership.  It’s about having the courage to put people first.  When I talk about this concept, I often get a question about results- can serving others drive productivity and growth? My answer is an unequivocal yes!

But taking this path requires more than ‘saying’ you serve others. It requires a shift in attitude, thinking, actions, and leadership approach:

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The Problem with Hurry

Full disclosure: I suffer from what psychologists’ call “hurry sickness.” I didn’t know it had a name until recently, but nonetheless, I’ve always known that I suffer from it. I jam-pack my days. I overschedule. I say “yes” way too often. The benefits of my disease include getting a lot done, being admired by others who do less, and feeling an almost constant adrenaline rush. It is exciting to be in a hurry!

But there are serious downsides to this disease. One is that you live in a constant...

Called to Account

Do you know what an idiom is?  It is a collection of words that have a meaning not obvious from the words themselves.  Examples in the U.S. include:

“Barking up the wrong tree” — looking for answers in the wrong places. “Crying over spilt milk” – complaining about something that’s already in the past. “Killing two birds with one stone” – accomplishing two things at the same time.

Today I want to ask you a personal question – and idioms are involved.

If you are a regular reader of this blog...

Performing Is Not Fast

If you enjoy watching Wimbledon tennis, you already know this to be true: No athlete who wins Wimbledon made it to the winner’s circle fast. Serena Williams won first place in both singles and doubles in 2016. It was her 22nd Grand Slam title and her 16th Grand Slam doubles title. Her age? 35 years old.

When did Serena start playing tennis? Age 3. When did she turn pro? Age 14. First Wimbledon win in 2002, age 23. Today, Serena Williams is undoubtedly one of the greatest female tennis athlet...

Skeptical of Serving?

Last month, I attended the first high school graduation at a school my father had helped found nearly 20 years ago, which now serves over 350 students in grades Pre-K through 12. The first graduating class was three young men, who proudly represented the school — its past, present, and future. I was thrilled to see this evidence of my father’s legacy. Lives were changed forever because of his decision to build this school.

As part of the day, the three seniors were asked to tell board member...

Principles in Action

My grandson is 3 years old – and if you’ll allow me to say so – he is really smart. He knows me. He knows my principles. How do I know that? Recently, I was giving him a bath. He started playfully splashing me. I said, “Stop it,” but without any serious tone. His mother walked in the room and said, “Grant, we do not splash our grandma. Do you understand?” He looked up at his mom and stopped splashing me. Then mom walked out of the room. Before I turned back to him in the tub, Grant grabbed a...

Transition With Purpose

Dear blog readers,

This is my first post since leaving my role as CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. Thank you for the the many emails and posts wishing me well in the next adventure.  I am grateful for the outpouring of encouraging words and support.

Last fall, I planned 12 topics that I would blog about in 2017.  For the month of April, I chose the topic of Purpose.  Of course, at that time I had no idea that Popeyes would be sold to a new owner on March 27th and that I would lose my j...

What Can I Get Done in 2017?

Quote — “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” ― John Wooden

How many goals have you set for 2017? Or how long is your list of things you hope to do in 2017? Ten, twenty, thirty? Be honest. It’s January. We’re in our ambitious, we-can–do-it-all, highly motivated state. The excitement level is high. The energy is palpable.

And the list is too long. And it’s not going to happen.

I don’t mean to sound negative or discourage you. I want you to have an amazing 2017 – and...