Wally is smart, savvy, and like other Raven Roundtable members, enjoys sharing his hard-won wisdom. He purchased a small manufacturing plant, growing it into a $15 million company in 5 years. In a recent CEO Roundtable meeting, he listened as John shared his plans for transforming his company by bringing on a new and very different product line. Wally couldn’t
What bugs you?
A Roundtable member recently shared the “What Bugs You?” campaign she started in her company. The focus was to encourage employees to be honest regarding what bugged them about their workspace: were there changes that would enable them to work more efficiently? She was amazed at how engaged her employees were in the process. They peppered her with ideas on
My seven expectations of you
Who comes to mind when you think of famous business leaders? Warren Buffett? Indra Nooyi? Bill Gates? Sheryl Sandberg? Each leads a great organization and has changed lives. My vote goes to an individual closer to home. He helped shape the culture at East Central Energy, and his legacy of leadership continues. Steve Shurts was the CEO of East Central Energy for 10 years. When
Business Lessons in Junior High
In seventh grade, I learned one of my most important business lessons: the benefits of clearly communicating a message to an audience. Picture a geography class full of 13-year-olds. Our assignment was to create a diorama about building the pyramids. We were divided into teams, given a shoe box and our assignment. My team was diligently painting and gluing, all
Why we celebrate July 4th
The Declaration of Independence located in the upper level of the National Archives Museum, was written and signed 247 years ago by 56 men who pledged “our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor.” They knew they could be put to death for treason. This document is a symbol of what America stands for. Thomas Jefferson intended the Declaration to be “an expression of the American mind,” and it was written in terms
Cheaper can cost more
Do you agree that cheaper sometimes means it can cost more? For years Mike and his employees have been frustrated with inefficiencies due to cramped space and disorganization. His company is in dire need of space dedicated to storing tooling and fixtures. Mike finally agreed to add an addition to his shop; plans included a new tool room. Everyone was
Hello! Hello! Hello! – The echo effect
Have you ever had the opportunity to shout and listen to your voice bounce back at you? Pretty cool! Masters of communication often make good use of this echo effect. They’ve learned that listening and repeating back the words they hear makes people feel more comfortable. This mirroring and clarification of language brings a better understanding of the other person’s concerns
Your first job
Do you remember your first “real” job? The first job where you had to be at work for certain hours, performing certain duties AND you received a real paycheck! Over the years, I’ve employed a number of interns, high school students who want to learn about some of the aspects of office/administrative work. Our latest intern, Emma, with her enthusiasm
Industrious
Before my father passed away, he cleaned out his shed and house and held an auction. My siblings and I helped him sift through a lifetime of tools, bolts, chainsaws, and lawnmowers to decide what to toss, what to keep, and what to sell. Mom had passed away several years earlier. We decided it was finally time to purge her
Not one of my best ideas
I love the fair season in Minnesota: the smells of cotton candy, popcorn, and 4-H animals wafting through the air. A few years ago, I took my nephews, Charlie and Josh, to the local fair. We had a good time taking in the sights as we ambled toward our ultimate goal, the Midway. The giant yellow slide made two sets