Your coworker comes in late, leaves early, does not attend regular staff meetings and demands steamy hot Krispy Kreme donuts because this person believes he/she is “entitled.”

Entitlement is best defined as “claiming rights that have not been earned.”

These staff persons usually have been around a long time, regularly indulge in name-dropping, produce large profit margins, possess specific skill sets and are demanding…especially about issues of privilege that come as a result of “paying my dues.”

How do you respond to and handle these entitled people who work beside you?  Here are three strategies that will help you mitigate the power of these privileged people.

First, do not buy what they are selling.  When a coworker tells you he/she does not have to attend team meetings because “I have seen and heard it all” respond with, “This is an issue of fairness. We are all on the same team and we do rely on each other.  When you decide to be absent you also create communication problems.  That decision is unfair to me.”

Notice I am taking responsibility with the concluding statement, “…is unfair to me.”  Do not talk about anyone else but you at this moment.

Second, anticipate the “I have paid my dues” argument with this retort, “Yes, you have a lot of history with this organization.  That is the reason why we need you and your extensive knowledge.  Can we count on you to help us with your expertise?”

Good question.  If the entitled person says, “No, I do not have any plans to help you or anyone else,” respond with, “Thank you for your quick response.  How should I interpret your refusal?”

That last statement is an open-ended question and should provide the two of you a forum for continued conversation.  If you can keep talking, you have a chance to find a negotiated solution to this person’s entitled attitude.

Finally, I am convinced entitlement, if it is not resolved between you and a peer, will need intervention from a third party.  

Notice I am not going behind the entitled employee’s back.  I will say to the coworker, “I continue to be frustrated with the response I am getting to my request for your cooperation.  What do you think is our next step?”

If the peer says, “Let it go and stop bugging me about this,” respond, “My requests are legitimate and I believe our next option is to involve our manager.  Are you comfortable with that?”

There are two liabilities at this point. First, what if your manager supports the entitled staff person?  You probably have hit a brick wall.  You can argue issues of productivity with your manager but this is, unfortunately, a “face-saving” event.  No one wins this one.

Second, what if your manager is non-confrontational and responds, “I’m not interested in getting between the two of you.”  Answer that statement with, “This is an issue of our bottom line and fairness.  I need your help.”  If there is silence, you have hit a second brick wall.

So why push it?  Why continue these conversations with your manager?  Think about this.  Isn’t it better to take the initiative instead of muttering to yourself and others at coffee with statements like, “Who does he think he is?”  Passivity is your worst choice.

The only person I can control is me.

Entitlement is like a bad cold, you can catch it when privilege sneezes on you.

History does not guarantee expertise.

I met this author in January at one of my John Deere leadership presentations.  His story was mesmerizing.

Tom Gegax lost his multi-million dollar business, his health and his marriage in what seemed like nanoseconds.  As the CEO of Tires Plus, Tom had it all…and then had nothing.

At his lowest point he realized the only other loss would be losing himself.  He decided to stop his slippery slide into a nameless oblivion.  

Tom reignited his spirituality, started to care for his body, centered his mind, rebuilt his fractured relationships and his business.  Today, Tom is a business consultant who works with organizations and senior leadership who find themselves in the muck of mediocrity.

His book, Big Book of Small Business (You Don’t have to Run your Business by the Seat of your Pants) (ISBN: 978-0-06-120669-6) is a worthy read for entrepreneurs who are just worn out and overwhelmed.  You will find practical skills to first create a business between your ears, design a business plan on paper and train your staff in disciplines of excellence.

Tom’s book is one of the best step-by-step, build-your-own business books I have ever read. And, the author authenticates his words with a smile that comes from a deep peace inside.

New Free Article

“Is Criticism Ever…Constructive?” is my latest free article you can download and read or publish in an organizational newsletter.

The essence of this article is we will all make mistakes and what we do with the admission of our failure is the crucial moment in growing up.  Denial of our humanity is not a good idea, neither is, “How dare you say that to me.”  We have other choices when responding to statements we do not want to hear.

If you regularly get testy when coworkers find factual mistakes in your work, this article will give you a new “script” for responding to criticism which may not feel good, but always is true.

To download a copy of this article, please go to www.execenrichment.com and choose the DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES option.  You will be asked to fill out a brief form and then you will see a list of articles available.  If you are planning on using this article in an organizational newsletter, please give me credit for the piece and send me a copy of the publication.

Available CDs

Here are seven CDs that are available on my website.  Each CD is $12.00.  To order a copy, go to www.execenrichment.com and choose the OUR PRODUCTS option.  You'll see a list of the products currently available.

“Skills for Increasing Sales”

"Skills to Verbally Defend Myself"

"Skills to Work with A Whiner"

"Skills to Find My Next Big Idea"

"Skills to Motivate the Stuck, Entitled Employee"

"Skills for Prioritizing My Chaos"

"Skills for Fighting Fair"

I am not sure we will ever know.

No, not the real reason for the price of gas; rather, who is the real person we will elect as President of the United States in November.

If you are like me, you probably are confused.  From the daily incendiary political ads to the well-timed questions about an opponent’s character, this presidential road show is wearing a little thin with me.

I just want to know who I am voting for.  The smoke-and-mirrors of handlers, spin-doctors and PR specialists have created questions rather than answers.

What I don’t want is on November 6 to find out this person I trusted has broken a promise or reneged on a commitment.  I do not want to discover political expediency has once again trumped my trust.

There is something I have accrued over my lengthening days and that is perspective.  It seems to me my heroes have hanged themselves on the gallows of guile.  Frankly, it is difficult for me to trust any of the candidates.

I am looking for an authentic leader who has proven expertise, is not intimidated to own a decision, will live with the results and then openly admit when he/she has been wrong.

It is the greatest contradiction in our political system that the most powerful person in the world must be proven powerless to be himself/herself.

If you are in the Northwest, here is a wonderful two-day trip you will savor the rest of your life (bring a really good camera).

Stay in Seattle at the Edgewater Hotel.  This is the infamous hotel where the Beatles were frequently photographed during their first American tour.  The uniqueness of this property is the pilings that support the four floors of unobstructed, pristine views of Seattle’s harbor.

After an evening in your real-wood-burning fireplace room, it is time to pack up and walk just three blocks north to the Victoria Clipper, a high-speed catamaran that will ply the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca at 35 mph making this 71 mile crossing in just two and a half hours.

Here is a tip that will save you some frustration.  You can buy your ticket two months in advance (approximately $125.00 per person round-trip) but they practice an airline boarding system that includes a “group number.”  Even though you may have arrived at the earliest cue-up time, you may be in Group 4 (guess who got Group 4!).  It seems some seasoned passengers have figured out you can go to the wharf a week before you embark to get your boarding pass and appear at the front of the line.  The best seats next to the windows, facing forward, are the first to be chosen when Group #1 hustles to their premier seats.  Live and learn.

When you get to Victoria, British Columbia Harbor make sure you have your passport.  This is an entrance point to Canada and they are serious about border control.  Flashing your driver’s license and a Yank smile will not cut this Canadian mustard any longer.

You have to stay at the Empress Hotel (a Fairmount property) that proudly rules the Victoria Harbor.  “High tea” is a must for this travel experience.  Make sure you are dressed appropriately in “smart casual” (no torn jeans, tank tops or other clothing that looks like it was rejected by your washing machine).

Anyone who visits Victoria will become a devotee of Butchart Gardens (pronounced Bu-chard).  This is a world-class botanical experience that will bounce around your memories for a life-time with its vibrant color and manicured lawns.

You probably will not be able to afford (like me) more than two nights at the Empress, so get your return voyage on the Victoria Clipper (boarding with Group #1) and take a cab to the airport (about $40.00) for your return flight.  

While jammed into seat 27B (middle seat on the right side) you will have a sliver of a smile on your face because the last four days have filled you up with exquisite memories.

Here is my schedule for the remainder of April and the first portion of May.

This month we will spend a few minutes with the scintillating topic:  the possessive forms of personal pronouns.

Make note of the following rules.

Use my, your, his, her, its, our, or their when the possessive pronoun immediately precedes the noun it modifies.  (That is my book.  I’m sorry but that was their choice.  Sally is her neighbor.)

Use mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, or theirs when the possessive pronoun stands apart from the noun it refers to.  (That report is mine.  Sorry, the choice was theirs.  Tommy is a neighbor of hers.)

Please note:  do not include an apostrophe before the final “s” in possessive pronouns.  (yours, not: your’s/ hers, not: her’s/ ours, not: our’s).

Finally, when you use a pronoun that modifies a gerund (a verbal noun ending in ing), it should always be possessive.  (I appreciated your shipping the item I ordered.)

I do not want to be indelicate, but you may want to physically check your face before an important meeting.

Specifically, before meeting a client, a boss or someone who may have what you want, go to the restroom, look in the mirror and check the following orifices.  

First, your teeth.  If this is an appointment following lunch, you could be harboring Romaine lettuce as dental veneers.  When you smile and flash some green, it could cost you credibility.

Second, your nose.  I think you know where I am going.  No need to tunnel into this area, but if you have low-hanging fruit from a nasal cavity, there may be built-in resistance to your message.

Finally, your eyes.  When we rub our eyes we can dislodge small gelatin-like orbs that hang around the eye lid.  Can you imagine the distraction one of these errant silly-putty-like spheres can bring to your next strategic conversation?

How do I know so much about these facial faux-pas?  Yes, you got it! 

The written prayers in this section are Cal’s divine conversations reflecting the needs others have shared with him.

Good morning, Lord…You have always been a morning person.

It was in the morning You showed Your disciples how to fish, You showed Your disciples how to pray.  And, You showed them how shake off the remnants of sleep and…sin.

The dewy newness of another spin of this globe was always Your best time.  Your quiet surprise for Mary, stepping out of the morning fog, was a nice touch.

And we need a nice, morning touch.  There are some of us, Lord, who have been staggering around in the sightless black of our failures, our regrets, our diseases, our pain and our dreams…that have never seen the light of day.

The yawning emptiness of Your tomb excites us and causes us to repeatedly gape into the opening to get a better look at where history told us You were supposed to be.

O Lord of the dawn, cascade into our day and burst into our mourning with Your…morning.