The stereotypical entrepreneur is a guy running around with his or her hair on fire, pushing all the buttons, pulling all the levers, and wearing all the hats. We’re all wired a little bit differently, but ultimately, we all reach the limit of what we can do alone, and when we do reach that point,
“Has anyone ever said, ‘I wish I could go to more meetings today’?”
Everybody complains about meetings . . . they’re too long, boring, and don’t accomplish anything. Or as humorist Dave Barry puts it, “If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be ‘meetings.’ “ Unfortunately, too many
What kind of clubhouse are you running?
The stunning, come-from-behind victory of the Chicago Cubs in the 2016 World Series made me wonder if there might be some business lessons to be learned there. Sure, it’s a sports franchise, but major league baseball teams are businesses too. Yet we tend to experience them as entertainment, not as business models to be studied.
“Much of what we call management today consists of making it difficult for people to work.”
Noted business author and keynote speaker, Dan Pink, talks about motivation . . . a lot. He talks about what motivates us and what does not. He talks about which motivators work and which do not. One of his favorite topics is “if-then” motivators. “If you do this, then you’ll get that.” Those motivators grew
Are you a leader, or just holding down a leadership position?
In a posting earlier this year, we mentioned John Maxwell who is a prolific writer and speaker, often on subjects related to leadership. In that posting, we talked about what Maxwell calls “positional leadership” which is the bottom level of his “5 Levels of Leadership.” However, there’s an important leadership lesson to be learned when
“You cannot expect to perform at a high level unless people are personally engaged.”
Doug Conant is the former CEO of Campbell’s Soup Company. When he assumed that position in 2001, he says the environment at Campbell’s was “toxic.” One third of his 20,000 employees were looking for jobs elsewhere. He and his team attacked the problem with a strategy of “employee engagement.” As a result, he was able
How to Make Money and Do Good
According to Adam Smith, credited with being the Father of Modern Economics, “If you continue to operate in your own self-interest, you will do the best good for society.” That sentiment was echoed by American economist and free market champion, Milton Friedman, who said, “There is only one social responsibility of business – to use
When was the last time you fired someone too soon?
Most managers will tell you that the toughest part of their job is firing someone. It’s an inevitable part of the job, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Of course, we’re not talking about firing someone due to unethical behavior, unlawful acts, or willful acts of disobedience. Those situations are relatively easy to handle
A few questions every entrepreneur ought to ask.
In 2014, Inc. magazine published an article titled, “100 great questions every entrepreneur should ask.” Some of the questions were submitted by best-selling business writers such as Jim Collins, Patrick Lencioni, and Peter Drucker, while others were submitted by a variety of business educators, business leaders, and business owners. But all were thought-provoking and insightful.
Unlimited paid vacation? Are you kiddin’ me?
Some companies, both here and abroad, are experimenting with unlimited vacation, or “discretionary time off” as it is known in HR circles. And we’re talking about paid time off, not unpaid leaves of absence. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? What’s to prevent someone from heading for the beach and never coming back? How are we supposed
