A great deal has been written about time management. Hundreds if not thousands of systems and apps exist promising to be the best time management tool available. Most of them are more than adequate. Use whatever works for you they are easy to find with a quick trip to Google. However, I don’t believe the…
The Starbucks experience changed for me yesterday, and I’m looking for a substitute. Yesterday morning, as we often do, we had a great walk on a beautiful day in the nature center. After our walk, a visit to our favorite Starbucks store. There was no line at the cashier’s station. Only three attendants were behind…
We all carry cards, have titles, responsibilities, comp systems and offices that define our formal roles at work. Also, each member in every work group has an informal role, both self-selected and assigned by the group. This selection process doesn’t happen according to any traditional method but develops over time, through the process of discovering…
Each Father’s Day weekend I take the opportunity to speak to all my sons about life. We will do it again this weekend. Several years ago, I wrote the passages below, and they are even more appropriate today. Give your kids a big hug and some sage advice this weekend. To my sons on Father’s…
I agree. I think that sounds right. Sure, we should do that. My sentiment exactly! Except, it’s not so easy to join the action — you know, the things people will ask of you when they see that you agree. It’s far easier to agree than to take a different position — because that would…
So the time was early January, and I had just worked with Bill Strong and his team at Strongfab to finalize their overarching strategy for the year. Their Q1 operating objectives were in place under all the segments of the plan. Starting in January, their primary growth strategy was to enter the automotive market by…
I heard it from three of the five members of the management team during individual coaching sessions. Not all at once but over a few months. I addressed it with Mike very carefully and, not to my surprise he was aware of the feeling. Together we explored the mission critical initiatives he had managed over…
Jack was running his business in the cavernous footsteps of his larger-than-life father. The father loved to make big deals and was very successful for most of his life. Jack’s father was prominent in the community, a philanthropist, sought after by the boards of local charities, and honored as a major contributor. Not surprisingly, Jack…
“The decorative aluminum grill market moved to pre-finished materials and it took us three months to get our designs straightened out and a new set of standard inventory items set for distribution. We have finally made the initial run and sent the stock to the field six months after our competitors. Now they want custom…
During discussions of change I often ask coaching clients how they think Artificial Intelligence may become standard in their business. The answers make it clear that for those of us embroiled in managing business every day not much thought goes into AI yet. It will not be long, perhaps 5 years until several forms of…