In my last post I talked about how management challenges are a lot like long distance running. New Balance shoes brilliantly branded the running experience in their ad campaign “Love/Hate, the New Balance.” Anyone who’s […]
Tag: Strategy
Managing Change
We’ve had a major organization structure change at our company this past week. Change is a scary word for people at work. The mere mention of organizational change creates anxiety in people. Will I be […]
Three Resolutions for Better Performance in 2011
Since New Year’s is a time for reflection and goal setting –– two of my favorite things to do—I thought I’d share my plans to improve as a leader in 2011. Few people make resolutions […]
Every Baby’s Different
My wife and I are expecting our first baby in March. We’ve shared the exciting news with everyone. The other night I was talking with a classmate, a father of two. As he told me […]
You Never Know
You’re a young entrepreneur who’s just inherited his father’s burgeoning business. Dad passed away just as the business was getting on its feet and this makes you doubly committed to success, yet cautious of the […]
If It Ain’t Broke, Grow It
The old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” does not apply to business. Complacent businesses quickly fade to obsolescence as competitors pass them by. The same could be said for us at work. […]
The Dark Side of Email
Email, text messaging, and social media messaging are some of the greatest technological innovations of our time. But there is a dark side to these communication tools. One that destroys time and creates trouble for the unscrupulous […]
Busy Work
Peter Drucker, one the most celebrated management minds of the twentieth century, applies the 80/20 rule to time management. Drucker says that managers spend 80% of their time on busy work, and only 20% of […]
Staying Power
Some ideas come and go while others have real staying power. One of my favorite business writers, Gary Hamel, compares the odds of developing a lasting innovation to the survival rates we see in nature. […]
Internal Customer Service
When you are a customer, how do you judge customer service? Quality. Value. Speed. Help with resolving your problems. I like to think of associates as customers of the management team. How would your direct […]
My Favorite Interview Questions
To me, hiring and developing an effective team is the most important part of a manager’s job. Here are my five all time favorite interview questions: 1. If you could land a dream job, what […]
The Costs of Turnover
High turnover is like having a tapeworm. No matter how many new people the organization hires, they never grow. Here are a few of the less obvious costs: Training costs Think about the amount of […]
Five Free Ways to Boost Associate Morale
You cannot have happy customers without happy associates.The real value in a company is created at the interface between the associate and the customer. Here are some best practices for creating and keeping happy associates. […]