It’s a roller coaster ride and it isn’t over yet. Our lives are full of the unexpected, but 2020 has been especially so. It’s been a year of “what else can go wrong”:
Did Someone Say Strategic Planning?
I agree with this description of strategic planning by cartoonist Tom Fishburne. “Traditional strategic planning is often neither “strategic” nor much of a “plan”. It usually resembles a peace treaty more than clear marching orders for an organization.”
How to Become Antifragile
People are reacting in different ways to current events: the pandemic, civil unrest, election jitters, stock market swings, etc. Some are celebrating, some are screaming in despair, others are crouched in fear waiting for the next catastrophe. There’s hardly anyone who hasn’t been negatively affected by one or more of these events.
Do You Know What Your Employees Are Going Through?
When will we finally be able to stop worrying about this #!!#%$ pandemic!? Unfortunately, that’s a question no one has a definite answer for. The result is fear, anxiety, and stress that according to the CDC, can be so overwhelming, it can lead to burnout. Knowing what to look for help. Stress can make people feel irritated, angry, and uncertain. Some
The Lies We Tell Ourselves
Every organization needs radical honesty. The leaders who run them juggle innumerable demands, take massive action and push their limits every day. Being responsible for keeping a business solvent, people employed AND healthy is more challenging than ever. We often think it means we need to put on a show of strength, keeping our own struggles and insecurities to ourselves. But
Succeeding in Spite of COVID-19
Companies all over the world are being challenged to find new ways to serve their customers and communities while trying to keep their employees safe. Heroic efforts by many organizations attempting to do business during this have resulted in employees who are suffering from fatigue and burnout.
I’ll get to that tomorrow… maybe
Procrastination. The single biggest killer of a working day. Procrastination is the art of delaying action on something that needs our immediate attention: 88% of the workforce admit to procrastinating at least one hour a day. Some college students procrastinate for weeks. The result is people don’t reach their full potential.
Wartime and peacetime CEOs
In 2001, Ben Horowitz of Andreessen Horowitz described the Peacetime and the Wartime CEO. During “peacetime” a company can focus on expanding, providing a large advantage over the competition. Conversely, in “wartime”, a company must fend off an imminent threat.
Are You Determined Enough?
In 1995, Kevin Plank, a 22-year-old University of Maryland athlete, was tired of always needing to change out of his sweat-soaked t-shirts. He noticed his compression shorts always stayed dry. This sparked an idea.
Customer Onboarding – Do You Do It?
There was a time when bringing on a new customer was a straightforward three-step process: You received the contract. (Surprise!) You delivered. (Hopefully on time and to expectation) You got paid. (Optimistically as promised)