Serving on our local electric cooperative board (East Central Energy) is an honor and a responsibility. I take it very seriously. We are the stewards of our members’ investment in their electric utility. Controversy over decisions made by the CEO and directors of Crow Wing Power recently received front page coverage in the Brainerd Dispatch. It begs the question: How could good
How to Grab a Customer’s Attention
Everyone wants to be unique and noticed by customers. It sounds easy, but doing it right requires effort.
7 Ways to Get Through Tough Times
When times are tough, toughen up! When things are going well you feel like you’re on the top of the world and can deal with anything that comes your way. The flip side is when you find yourself in tough times and nothing seems to be going the way you planned. It can be hard to get back on track.
Eight Simple Words
The dairy farm where I grew up was in west central Wisconsin; the neighborhood was filled with family-owned farms. Some farms were larger than ours; most were smaller. We were a tight knit group who helped each other out in bad times and celebrated together in good. I believed that way of life would last forever, but it was not
How to Kill a Rattlesnake
My friend from the Badlands of North Dakota is wary of rattlesnakes. He said when riding his horse and he spots one, “I usually kill ‘em”. “I don’t want them to strike out at my horse.”
Watch out for that Middle Mile
Your business is several plus years old; things are going well and you’re coasting along. But watch out, the “Middle Mile” is approaching. According to Dan Steenerson, the real work on your business is just ahead.
Blind Spots
Of all the skills an executive needs to successfully lead, self-awareness ranks near the top. Without self-awareness we move through experiences and relationships disconnected and unaware of how others perceive us. This can create blind spots.
April’s Around The Table – Answers
Here are the top three answers from last month’s, Around the Table Question: “How can your company become more high-tech while remaining high touch?”
What I learned from the Avengers
Avengers: Endgame just grossed 1.2 billion dollars world-wide, a record setting accomplishment. After watching the movie on Saturday, I began wondering how we mere mortals could be more Avenger-like in our approach to business.
We say it in our heads more than we say it out loud
As Robert walked through his shop, he looked around, observing how organized his new foreman was. Technicians were engaged at their stations; no stray tools were laying around. The foreman was in conversation, Robert’s day got busy, and he never got around to letting the foreman know how pleased he was.