Even during “normal” times, in business and in our personal lives, we encounter challenges and uncertainty. The past year has forced us to live constantly with uncertainty.
Intentional Culture & Memories
Last week I attended a luncheon for past employees of FMC Corporation (Northern Pump, Northern Ordnance, United Defense, BAE Systems) in Fridley. I worked there 30 years ago.
Are Your Customers Sticky?
A CNBC Survey reported that 30% of small business owners shut down during the pandemic, 10% of those have yet to reopen. Some businesses run in circles shouting, “The sky is falling!”, while others hunker down, adapt, modify, and update their organizations to this new world.
It’s Hard Out There. Really Hard.
Walking by Sean’s cubicle, his supervisor noticed his shoulders were shaking as if he was crying. She paused, uncertain if she should speak to him, then walked on.
What is “important” work?
Michael Mason was fourth from the top at the FBI; half of all 35,000 people employed by the agency reported to him. When he retired, he went to work as a CEO for a Fortune 500 company. He was doing “important” work. Retiring yet again, he wasn’t sure what he would do next. Then he heard about a widespread school
Customer Conversations Every CEO Needs to Have Part II
Last week was about preparing for a thorough and honest face-to-face with your customers. We talked about the importance of doing a comprehensive customer evaluation prior to a visit. It’s important to know the good, the bad, and the ugly before sitting down with them.
Murphy’s Law isn’t always bad
Does the phone seem to always ring just when you’re dashing out the door? Does your PC freeze when you’re in the middle of an important task, leaving you frantically trying to replace your work? Do you put your holiday tree up at the last minute expecting none of the lights will work? Welcome to the aggravating world of Murphy’s
Do You Use a Sledgehammer or a Velvet Hammer?
When it comes to leadership and management styles, most people fall into two categories: sledgehammer or velvet hammer leaders.
Are Systems More Important than Goals?
According to Atomic Habits author, James Clear, “You don’t rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.”
Whatever Happened to Good Manners?
In Vail, Arizona speakers at a recent meeting took turns blasting school board members over masks, vaccines, and discussions of race in school. “It’s my constitutional right to be as mean to you guys as I want,” one woman said.