Month: August 2025

leadership dot #4703: big dance

August 11, 2025August 11, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Over the weekend, Jen Pawol made history by becoming the first female to umpire in a Major League Baseball game. It’s an unlikely path, not only for a woman, but also for someone who holds a Master of Fine Arts degree and was an art teacher in her previous career.

Pawol serves as a role model of persistence, regardless of gender. She played Division 1 softball in college, and then umpired amateur softball leagues for 11 years (for a whopping $15/game!). Ten years ago, she enrolled in the umpiring academy, received an invitation to take the advanced course, then worked her way up through Gulf Coast leagues, Triple-A baseball, spring training, and as an on-call umpire. Finally, all that work paid off on Saturday when she “went to the Big Dance.”

Jen Pawol’s dream was to go from being a painter to becoming an MLB umpire, and here she is. If you have the grit to stick with it like Pawol, you won’t strike out.

leadership dot #4702: tie-in

August 10, 2025August 9, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

If you follow the WNBA at all, you know that there has been quite a bit of chatter this year about the performance of the referees. Everyone, from coaches to players, fans, and the media, has at one point or another called out the refs for missing calls.

Lasik.com brilliantly decided to capitalize on this dissatisfaction by offering free Lasik surgery for all WNBA referees. It is a well-timed and very smart promotional move on their part. The likelihood that someone will take them up on their offer is low, yet the social media value is high. They really can’t lose with this campaign.

When you see something trending on your social media feed or hear rumblings in the water cooler chatter, think about whether you have a service that could appropriately tie in with what is happening. You don’t want to be like the refs and miss making that call.

leadership dot #4701: inclusive

August 9, 2025August 8, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

It’s Back to School season, but not all students are able to use the mainstream supplies that most families are purchasing. To aid in their learning, Walmart is selling a selection of Inclusive Learning Tools, including loop scissors, reading strips, finger highlighters, pencil grips, textured stickers, and adaptive cuffs. These tools help students to grip writing instruments, follow the lines on pages, and have better focus in the classroom.

Their display says: “Unlock your full potential…designed to meet diverse needs and foster success…” Isn’t that what the maligned DEI is all about — accommodating people with different needs? I can’t understand why some people are so afraid of it.

Although it was in a small way, Walmart acknowledged that needs vary. I hope your organization does that and more.

leadership dot #4700: hidden jobs

August 8, 2025August 7, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A post by Jeffrey Cohen highlighted all the “hidden jobs” that exist on a college campus, but are often overlooked. People always think of the professors and maybe the advisors or admissions staff that students interact with before enrolling, but the university is an enterprise that employs almost all manner of jobs. Campuses have lawyers, accountants, nurses, salespeople, purchasing agents, maintenance engineers, transportation coordinators, event planners, graphic designers, campus ministers, recreation leaders, security officers, athletic coaches, mental health counselors, landscapers, and plumbers. Major campuses are a mini-city with the breadth of jobs found within the town.

It’s not just colleges that have a hidden layer of work that is accomplished. Google has far more than software designers. The local bakery has someone doing its books. The veterinarian has canine physical therapists and marketers. Sports teams have a full complement of positions. And so it goes.

Cohen’s premise is that by not highlighting the hidden jobs, students remain focused on the common industries and may miss out on internship and employment opportunities in unrealized areas. They fail to see how skills can transfer to different sectors, thus limiting their career prospects and mobility.

It’s likely you are or know someone who is employed in a “sub-field” that isn’t the most obvious application of their college major or the expected location where one would be expected to work. Highlight those variations and open up the world of possibilities for others.

Cohen was inspired by the book “Hacking College: Why the Major Doesn’t Matter and What Really Does” by Ned Scott Laff and Scott Carlson, 2025

leadership dot #4699: incentives

August 7, 2025August 6, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Both Chicago’s O’Hare Airport and Boston’s Logan Airport have parking challenges. One way to remedy that is to build additional (expensive) parking structures on the limited land around the terminals. Another is to provide incentives for people to use alternative methods of arriving.

American Airlines at O’Hare has partnered with the Rockford Airport (approximately an hour away) to provide seamless bus transportation. This isn’t a shuttle; it’s the first step in the American journey where passengers check luggage and conduct TSA screening in Rockford, then move directly to their gates at ORD.

At Logan, passengers arriving via the Express Bus or water transportation are given a “Ticket to Skip”, allowing them to move to the head of the TSA screening line. By taking public transit, people can avoid waiting or dealing with the expense and hassle of parking, and the airport is free of traffic from personal cars or ride services.

Both of these programs incentivize desired behavior by collaborating with external partners. How can you similarly meet your needs? You don’t need to be the sole provider of solutions.

leadership dot #4698: jump in

August 6, 2025August 5, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

When you are the champion of a change effort, it’s tempting to want the same level of enthusiasm from everyone. At the initial launch, it would be great if everyone would hold hands and metaphorically jump in the pool together or make some grand gesture that shows they buy into the cause.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t usually work that way. While you are saying, “Come in, the water’s great!” others need time to put on their suits and consider whether they will ever join you. Some may be dipping their toes in the water and taking it slowly before making the plunge. Still others are water-adverse and have no intention of getting wet.

There are decks around the pool for a reason. Allow people multiple ways to be part of the effort without everyone needing to make a big splash at the same time.

leadership dot #4697: valued

August 5, 2025August 3, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’m re-watching Downton Abbey in anticipation of the upcoming movie and was struck by a scene in one of the earliest episodes. Due to the death of future heirs, Cousin Matthew is informed that he now inherits Downton and all the fortune that accompanies it.

Before the announcement, Matthew was a middle-class lawyer who eschewed all of the trappings that came with wealth and privilege in the early 1900s. In his new role, he is provided with a valet, but finds the position superfluous, as he does not feel he needs someone to assist him with his dressing, and plans to dismiss his aide.

Before this happens, Lord Grantham reminds him that everyone plays a role. If Matthew has no valet, he will deprive someone of their livelihood. Grantham wonders if Matthew will fire all of the maids, housekeepers, footmen, valets, and butler when he takes over the estate. It provides Matthew with a new perspective, and he begins to see the value in each position.

Matthew isn’t the only one with the initial tendency to discount service roles. Those in administrative positions can overlook the behind-the-scenes support staff who handle the finances, hiring, maintenance, and technology. The chef receives the accolades, but may forget to value their sous chef, purchasers, bookkeepers, hosts, or wait staff. Teachers may forget about the principals, textbook writers, curriculum leads, and bus drivers who help make the educational experience possible.

Whether front of the house, back of the house, or out in the field, treat people in each role with the dignity and respect they deserve.

leadership dot #4696: simplicity

August 4, 2025August 3, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

There is a place for complexity, many options, personalization, and advanced features. There is also a role for simplicity.

A brilliant ad from Apple (the gurus of simplicity) shows how to connect a credit card to an Apple wallet in three easy steps. (I especially like the smiley face instead of a number 4.) It was the back cover of a People magazine — presumably targeted to a slightly older crowd that may not yet have linked their payments.

If you want to change behavior, it’s best to make it easy to do so. The Apple Pay ad provides a good example of how explicit simplicity can be.

leadership dot #4695: no sense

August 3, 2025August 3, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Chipotle has expanded its menu recently, and it seems fitting to experiment with options like honey chicken and avocado ranch. What doesn’t make sense to me is their foray into unrelated items, such as lip gloss and album debuts.

I love guacamole as much as the next person, but have absolutely no need for Lipotle. Even if someone wanted green lips (why??), I wonder if they would consider a restaurant as their source?

Just because you have an idea and you can implement it, doesn’t mean you should.

leadership dot #4694: groupings

August 2, 2025August 1, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Once again, the library serves as a benchmark for innovation and exceptional customer service. The Galesburg (IL) library is one of many that offers Book Club Kits — a tote full of multiple copies of the title and discussion questions. One member can check out the tote and distribute the books, saving others the trip. The kits are checked out for six weeks, allowing people time to read, meet, and discuss.

Think about how your clients use your services. Can you package them differently, as the library did, to better align with how people prefer them? A pre-filled backpack of school supplies. A two-month supply of medication instead of one for people who travel. A packet of school uniforms instead of all individual pieces. A kit for a new puppy, including leash, tiny collar, slow-feed bowl, food, etc.

Not everything needs to be provided in individual increments.