Monday, December 9, 2013

Monday, December 2, 2013

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Simplify!

Diane sent me this image and I love it! It's so true. As we make Open Mortgage a great place keep in mind this idea of understanding a process really thoroughly, and that will help you get down to the simplest, cleanest process.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Rolling Out Catalytic Coaching

Catalytic Coaching is on the way. Take a listen to what that means to you...

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Always Be Recruiting!

A great company requires great people, like you.  Help us find more like you.


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Act Like You Own the Joint

How would you do things differently if you owned Open mortgage?

Friday, October 18, 2013

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Tips for Great Customer Service

I saw this list in a post by Shep Hyken, author of Amaze Every Customer Every Time.  It's a great little reminder list so I'd really like you to scan down it and see if you couldn't try a couple of these.




  • Manage first impressions.  They set the tone.
  • Manage last impressions.  They create “lasting” impressions.
  • Show up on time.  Being late is a sign of disrespect to the people waiting.
  • Always do your best.
  • Smile.  It’s better than a frown or an expression of apathy.
  • Be accountable.  Don’t blame others and accept responsibility.
  • If a problem comes your way, you own it, even if it is not your department.
  • Even if you own the problem, and you do have to pass it on to someone else, circle back with the customer to make sure it has been resolved.
  • Show up early.
  • Stay late.
  • Do more than is expected.
  • Under promise and over deliver.
  • Be proactive.
  • Build rapport.
  • Aim for perfection, even if it is not a reality.
  • If there is a problem, respond quickly.
  • Return calls quickly.
  • Care! Don’t just act like you care.  Really care!
  • Be enthusiastic.
  • Always say, “Thank you.”


  • Thanks for considering these tips.  I appreciate it, and so do our clients!

    Wednesday, October 2, 2013

    Leaders Lead

    A thank you to the Leaders in Open Mortgage. But watch the video to find out who the 'Leaders' are.

    Friday, September 20, 2013

    Prevent Misery, Promote Magic!

    If we want to prevent misery and promote magic, we need to look for the clues.

    Friday, September 13, 2013

    Friday, September 6, 2013

    Thanks for the Feedback!

    We needed your help and you delivered, so we want to give our some dinners!

    Thursday, August 29, 2013

    Wednesday, August 28, 2013

    Friday, August 23, 2013

    Monday, August 19, 2013

    Quick Update and Challenge

    I want to give you a quick update on recent events, and give you a challenge!

    Saturday, August 10, 2013

    Remember Stockdale!

    This video is a reminder of the stockdale paradox and how it related to us today. If you are new to Open Mortgage you might not have heard of it before. It's named after a POW from the Vietnam war.

    Thursday, August 1, 2013

    Are You An Energizer?

    Sorry, no video this morning. But instead PLEASE take a look at this article about Energizers and De-Energizers! I really believe there is something to it. See if you are an Energizer, and see if you can increase those behaviors.

    And by all means, if we make a hiring mistake and hire a De-Energizer let your supervisor know. It will happen in every company, but when it does we need to correct it.

    Are You An Energizer?

    Wednesday, July 24, 2013

    Take Care of Them, But Take Care of You Too

    Because of the scrutiny of social media we have to do a great job for our clients, but sometimes doing that will wear you out. You might need to talk to someone at corporate after getting an earful from a client.

    Are You a Loyal Employee?

    I read this article this morning and I was thinking about doing a video on the idea. But I decided to just post the link. Some of you might prefer to read it anyway.

    The article talks about what Loyalty means in a company. I liked the definitions so much I wanted to pass it on. I also want to be sure you know that I value this type of Loyalty. Maybe loyalty is the wrong word, maybe I should say I value that type of behavior.

    I specially like the points about having integrity, praising fellow employees, and talking about things that need to be talked about.

    I think Open Mortgage is lucky to have so many great employees. Keep it up!

    7 Qualities of Truly Loyal Employees

    Thursday, July 11, 2013

    Wednesday, July 3, 2013

    Wednesday, June 26, 2013

    Don't Fall For Negativity

    Related to the last video, if we want to give people a great experience (at Open Mortgage, or in life) we have to avoid negativity.

    Thursday, June 20, 2013

    Improv and the Experience Economy

    If we treat our work as a form of improv we may find we can improve our customers' experience, and our own.

    Monday, June 10, 2013

    Sunday, May 19, 2013

    Time to Make a Plan

    Summer is almost here and if you are going to have a life you need to plan a VACATION!

    Friday, May 10, 2013

    Congrats Reversers! (if that's a word)

    Here is a quick update on some great progress in the Reverse Division.

    Sunday, May 5, 2013

    The Chick-fil-A Challange

    More ranting about continuous improvement, and a comparison to Chick-fil-A!

    Thursday, April 18, 2013

    Core Values Time

    Time for us to work on our Core Values. Not living up to them, but deciding what they are! I need your help.

    Wednesday, April 10, 2013

    Thursday, March 28, 2013

    Red Flag for Improvement

    Here is a quick example of how to spot a red flag that can lead us to improvements.

    Friday, March 22, 2013

    Task Force Update

    A quick update on our Lending Task force and other ideas.

    Wednesday, February 27, 2013

    More About Improvement

    This video is my comment on the exercise we did last week at corporate, and how you can help.

    Tuesday, February 26, 2013

    The 'Ball' Game

    Guys if you work at the corporate office and you did 'the game' on Friday you can skip this video. For everyone else, I wanted you to see a tape of the exercise so you can at least get a little taste of what we heard from the speaker.

    Marty Jacknis was a very successful IBM salesman, who went on to have other professional successes. He retired, got bored, and is now one of the top rated Vistage speakers. His presentation was about how successful companies take advantage of opportunities other companies miss. The exercise you will see is on improving processes.

    Please watch this video, and I will say more about it next week. For those of you not at the corporate office I am truly sorry that you could not be here for this speaker.

    Saturday, February 16, 2013

    No Surprises

    Last week we had some bad surprised, or at least some Loan Officers did. Let's try to avoid surprises in future.

    Wednesday, February 13, 2013

    The Social Era and You!

    I ran across an idea that will help us improve the company. It has to do with how each of us sees our roles and our interactions. I like it because it brings the focus of improving the company back to each of us improving our world.

    Friday, February 8, 2013

    Challenge to Change

    Here is a message about the belief that 'Better is Possible'. I need your help.

    Wednesday, January 30, 2013

    Have You Been Watching?

    Last week I talked about the belief, "Better is Possible." Today I want to say more about that.

    Thursday, January 24, 2013

    Thursday, January 17, 2013

    Your Homework

    I have a video homework assignment. Watch this video to understand it. Then follow the two links below.



    Here is a link to the Simon Sinek video...

    Simon Video

    Here is a link to my video...

    My Video

    Friday, January 11, 2013

    What is an MBO?

    A quick message about the flu (avoiding it), and our 2013 MBOs.