What are your priorities? Now that we’re on picnic and party season, setting priorities and work-life balance become more important than ever. At picnics, the top priority is to have room on your paper plate for “the good stuff.” This might be the BBQ ribs, or grandma’s potato salad, or homemade peach cobbler. Here, the…
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Who is the right hire for the job? That’s a question managers and recruiters face with every open position. Almost always there is a job description, and informal knowledge about the daily activities. And on the other hand, there are dozens if not hundreds of electronic applications. And on both sides, there is imperfect information.…
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Employee turnover can be deadly. Look inside. Is your workforce empowered and enthusiastic, or do they look like beaten dogs? Are people coming and going so quickly that you can’t remember all incumbents in a position for the last three years? Some turnover is inevitable, and indeed, beneficial. New ideas and expertise refresh operations and…
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Good, Bad, or Ugly? Meeting strategies can bolster an organization, or alienate your best staff members. In most organizations, meetings are a part of the landscape. Whether it’s two or three people chatting by the coffee maker, or a work group, or a general, all-hands-on-deck full staff gathering, meetings can be an efficient way to…
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Change Management: Danger Ahead Change management is like sailing into a minefield. One wrong turn can take a simple project and transform it into a bloodied mess. You’re progressing on schedule and on plan, only to be blindsided by something that throws you into damage control. A critical component has been discontinued. Contractors find asbestos…
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The Big ROI Do you invest in yourself? We often invest financial resources in stocks and bonds, and invest our time in business or family issues. And we can expect both gains and losses from these investments. The market may move against us, or we find that we have wasted time in unsuccessful projects. In…
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Are you a fearful seller? Do you get queasy just thinking about asking customers for the sale? Asking someone to pay money for your product feels like a huge imposition. You don’t want to be pushy, and cringe at the thought of rejection. Yet this is part of your job. Getting a Handle on the…
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The Really Big Picture What is your life purpose? Why are you here? Do the goals you set and the way you manage your time support your vision? And do you invest time into meeting those goals? How well are your accomplishing your primary mission? “What is your purpose in life?” is a tough question…
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The Impact of Leadership Effective leadership skills can spell the difference between a skyrocketing career and professional implosion. As a subordinate, it’s easy to tell a great leader from a dud. The great leader inspires and encourages growth. Even though every organization hits bumps in the road, under a good leader, goals are met…
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If you’re not coachable, you are expendable. So how can you tap into coachable success? What is coachable success? Success can be maddeningly elusive. You can work hard and seek the latest advice, but feel like you’re trapped in a tar pit. Progress is at a snail’s pace, while competitors and opportunities seem to be…
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