January 2023 | Van Hooser Associates, Inc

Jan 24, 2023

Need to Communicate Better? You Gotta Work for It!

To Communicate Better Is Like Weight Loss Every new year, millions of people resolve to lose weight. Their motivation may range from improved physical health to heightened emotional security. But whatever their reasoning, very quickly into the process they understand that losing weight is hard work! It takes effort, sacrifice, personal discipline, and long-term commitment. […]

Jan 12, 2023

Why Leaders Should Rethink the Golden Rule

In American culture, we’re taught from a young age “the Golden Rule”— to treat people the way you want to be treated. And while I could not agree more with the goal of that statement, most leaders operate with the intention of getting it right, but their execution is wrong — primarily due to a […]

Jan 20, 2022

Vision: Do You Know Where You’re Goin’ To?

Forgive the incorrect grammar, but superstar singer, Diana Ross made famous the following lyrics: Do you know where you’re goin’ to?Do you like the things that life is showin’ you?Where are you goin’ to?Do you know? You see, being crystal clear about your destination is absolutely critical for long-term success in any venture. If we […]

Jan 6, 2022

Tornados, Turnover, & To-Do Lists

On the night of December 10th, 2021, primal instinct came over me. We had no more time – the F4 tornado was here. While it ripped through the field beside us, with all 5’3″, 115 pounds of my body, I desperately shielded and white-knuckled the bodies of my three children on the back floorboard of […]

Jan 26, 2021

Do You Even Know My Name?

If we’re honest, we often find a “people issue” at the root of many of our work problems. Sometimes it’s caused by something as simple as being unable to respond to the question: “Do you even know my name?” If a leader can’t get the answer right, it could be the best place to start. […]

Jan 19, 2021

Legos, Leadership, and Leveling Up

It’s not a bad idea for leadership to involve employees in hopes that they will increase their knowledge, become more invested in the work, and overall become a stronger asset for the team. But, involvement is only half of the solution that will earn you those results you want. What leaders must do is both […]

Jan 12, 2021

Intentional Leaders Steer Where They Stare

Several years ago, I took a motorcycle safety class. During the course, the instructor made a statement that applies not only to successfully riding a bike but also to successfully leading. The instructor said, “When you get on the bike, remember this: you will steer where you stare.” The same is true for intentional leaders. […]

Jan 6, 2021

Talk Business To Me, Baby! — Communication Tip for Leaders

Talk Business To Me, Baby! — Communication Tip for Leaders One-on-one time with my husband the other night didn’t quite turn out the way I originally thought it would. Joe and I have four kids, including a newborn, so sleep is often hard to come by. And adult alone time? Well, we’re in this wild […]

Jan 31, 2020

Emotional Intelligence is the X-Factor

I think you would do this, but tell me if I’m wrong. If an employee came to you and legitimately asked for specific training to help them better understand how to use the company intranet, understand the policies better, or improve their technical skills — you would probably do everything you could to make sure […]