Business magazines publish article after article discussing a company’s culture. The articles often focus on perks, the color of the office walls, or the fact there is a ping pong table where the conference table used to be. Who cares! I don’t care that I get to play ping pong at work if I can’t […]
When meat is marinated, it is soaked in a marinade for an extended period of time. The marinade sauce penetrates into the meat and not only keeps the meat moist and edible when it is placed over a fire, but it also changes the flavor of the meat. That flavor is maintained during the cooking […]
“Argue with me.” He said it, AND he meant it. As I watched this leader invite his team to tear down his idea, I was astonished, inspired and humbled. Astonished: Because I had never seen a leader so readily open to criticism from the people he led. Inspired: Because I watched his team argue passionately […]
“Tell me about yourself.” “What is your definition of teamwork?” “What’s your biggest weakness?” These are old interview questions that rarely improve an interviewer’s chance of finding the best candidate. Some interviewers have not changed their interview questions for years, or they are using the questions they were asked when they interviewed years ago. It […]
The Zone, Body For Life, Atkins, South Beach, and Vegan are all different eating plans I have employed to lose weight. They all worked too. That is, they worked as long as I executed the plan! I’ve spent many hours in conference rooms developing business plans. Some companies will take three months out of 2014 […]
There was an upperclassman at West Point who I was sure was the worst leader I had ever met. Then I met a commander in the Army that jumped to the top of the list. But, it was not until I hit the corporate world that I met someone who, to this day, ranks at […]
Now what? After reviewing a stack of resumes, phone screenings, multiple interviews and reference checks, I have hired the best person out there for the job. What’s next? I could do nothing, roll the dice and hope my new hire reaches the potential I see in them. Or I could eliminate chance and put the […]
Who would you rather follow? A gray haired veteran who has two kids in college or a recently promoted 30 year old former cheerleader? To me, neither of these descriptions gives me enough information. I have seen both types lead well and both types act like spoiled adolescents. The differentiator between leaders is often maturity. […]
Imagine a company that truly lived by its values. Imagine a company where Trust was a core value. What would it be like to work for a company that habitually operated like the values they espouse?
We were in last place. I was leading a team that began the year #71 of 72. By February we were alone in last place. In June, nothing had changed. As a new manager, I was losing sleep, losing my temper and losing my team. One night as I fretted over my team’s results with […]
