For the same reason you wouldn’t do it if they were the boss and you were the employee and they were trying to get you to do something! It’s virtually impossible to “get” employees – or anybody else, for that matter – to “do” anything. There has to be a compelling “why,” There has to […]
Organizational Design
The real enemy of greatness…
I’ve always appreciated the Jewish proverb which states that good is the enemy of great. This has been applied many ways over the years, but it’s especially useful in reminding us of the negative consequences that can come from merely settling for for “good” when we are capable of so much more, whether we’re talking […]
How to get the most from EVERY strategy(Especially the ones that didn’t work)!
Og Mandino once said “Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.” I think every success offers a lot of valuable lessons, too, and I know for a fact that most managers don’t spend nearly enough focus on how to derive […]
All hail the power of the pivot…
All organizations exist in a dynamic environment. The very nature of that dynamic environment means there will be things that will necessitate change for the organization. Constantly. One way the most successful organizations cope with change is to constantly be a student of their environment while constantly asking “what if…” questions, then brainstorming potential strategies. […]
Why I’m not a Wal-Mart Customer…
Off and on over the years I’ve taken a few jabs at Wal-Mart. You might think it’s because I grew up in a family owned business and that family-owned business was a little grocery store and that I have such dislike because Wal-Mart is often accused of running the “little guy” out of business. Nope, […]
The road to entrepreneurship?
There are any number of ways one can become an entrepreneur, and there are many ways to earn success as an entrepreneur. While there may truly be no “one best way” to get there, my belief, based on advice from entrepreneurs I admire and my own journey, is that there is a preferred path to […]
A good lesson for marketing (and life, too!)
Every time I attend a seminar or pick up a book on marketing I find myself fighting the urge to go down one rabbit trail after another. While it’s good to keep an open mind and check out lots of different ideas and viewpoints, I think a much wiser approach is to peek through the […]
Downsizing often costs more than it saves (way more!)
What a crazy, uncertain time we live in. I realize that just about any generation could say that, but you’ve gotta admit, things are pretty nuts right now and without getting even the least bit political here, we’re venturing into some uncharted waters this election year. Uncertainty always plays havoc with the stock market and […]