As a leader, you’ve no doubt been exposed to or used the SMART goal formula. You know, the one that says that goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-limited. The problem? SMART goals are completely uninspired and uninspiring! Mark Murphy articulated this exceptionally well in a January 8, 2015 article in Forbes Magazine […]
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What’s Your “z”?
Capt. L. David Marquet, USN (Ret.) is one of my favorite thought leaders. Today’s Leadership Nudge™ from Capt. Marquet (you can sign up for these at www.davidmarquet.com) offers a great look at how to stretch your team to take on greater levels of control, based on the “z” factor: If you want people to move […]
Lessons in Scaling Up
I just returned from the Gazelles/Fortune Magazine Scale Up Summit in San Antonio. The learning was absolutely fantastic! Here are just a few of the highlights: Bob Chapman, Chairman & CEO of Barry-Wehmiller and author of “Everybody Matters,” had an incredible presentation on how he’s grown his company by focusing on people – his employees […]
The ROI of ROA (Return on Alignment)
A July 28, 2015 article by the Gallup organization entitled, “A Company’s Purpose Has to Be a Lot More Than Words,” highlights why a company’s “Core Purpose” and “Brand Promise” – things that we emphasize in the Four Decisions® model for scaling up your company successfully – matter so much to the bottom line. Those […]
Innovation in the Workplace
Innovation. It’s the business buzzword of the decade, so much so that many of us are sick of hearing it. But no matter how you slice it, creativity in the workplace leads to more innovative products and services – something that virtually every business needs to attend to in this era of nanosecond loyalty. I […]
The Impacts of Employee Disengagement – Part 1
A recent Gallup study found that only 10% of managers know how to engage those whom they manage. In addition, the study notes that over three quarters of American workers are either indifferent or actively disengaged (“actively disengaged”’ means that they are working against your company’s best interests!). This lack of engagement costs the U.S. […]
9:30 to a Better Corporate Culture
If you’re wondering how in the world you’re going to get the people in your organization to perform at their optimum level, take a look in the mirror. Do you keep control over everything or do you give control to people? Do you provide direction or do you dictate methods? Are you convinced that you […]
Strategic Planning: The Business Case for a Strong Why
Strategic Planning: The Business Case for a Strong Why Too often, strategic planning focuses exclusively on “the numbers.” Although that is absolutely essential, a recent Deloitte LLP study provides strong evidence that the key to an organization’s ability to perform consistently over time is rooted in something much more esoteric: understanding the organization’s deeper reason […]
Tesla: Changing an Industry by Getting Clear on Their Core Customer
American auto dealers presently serve the interests of the auto manufacturer. Tesla is taking on the traditional method of automobile distribution by proposing – gasp! – that customers bypass distributors and talk directly with the manufacturer (see this LinkedIn article). In doing so, Tesla has identified that it’s customer truly is the automobile consumer. By […]
Mindfulness in Business and Your Compelling Why
After completing Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” course, I had the privilege of sharing some thoughts on the topic of how to apply mindfulness in business to find your compelling why on a podcast with author and business coach, Joan Sotkin. To listen to the podcast in your browser, click here. To listen via iTunes, […]