Holly Green
Wow, what a year! 2009 has come and gone, and many of us are taking a huge sigh of relief. Going through one of the worst recessions in U.S. history will certainly take the wind out of your sails. But we appear to have weathered the worst of the storm. And while the economy might…
Imagine if Hogwarts, the mythical school of magic and sorcery in the Harry Potter books, taught strategic planning. You could use enchanted mirrors to gaze into the future with unerring accuracy. You could conjure up potions for warding off evil competitors, recite charms for turning lousy products into perennial moneymakers, and chant incantations for rendering…
Wait your turn. No pushing in line. Yield to pedestrians. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Certain timeless rules are better obeyed than broken. But in today’s topsy-turvy business world, many of the rules that informed and guided previous generations of business leaders no longer apply. If you’re not breaking rules…
Identify Key Lessons from Troubled Times Signs of an economic recovery are starting to come into view. Are you prepared to seize the momentum? Or is your organization still in a holding pattern as you ride out the storm? Those companies that act carefully, but swiftly, will have an unfair advantage in re-building as the…
At last, some evidence that suggests the economy is about to escape the doldrums. In its June 2009 Investment Outlook, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney pointed to a number of important economic signposts that have charted upward since the beginning of the year. And while many economists and financial experts have been predicting the demise of…
Strategic planning methodologies are like shoes – one size does not fit all. Some companies use a top-down, autocratic approach, where the plan gets created by a small group of senior managers and handed down to the rest of the organization. Some prefer a more democratic approach, with employees at all levels contributing their ideas…
Today’s business leaders understand the importance of growing their people. They know that with so many demands on everyone’s time, employees won’t acquire the knowledge and skills needed to move the company forward unless management makes people development a strategic priority. Accordingly, smart leaders take the time to set clear performance expectations with each person…
Have you ever attended a meeting where people promised important deliverables but never followed through? Conversely, have you ever committed to a deadline knowing full well that you couldn’t meet it but that no one would hold you accountable for it? According to recent research, 78% of all company leaders identify “getting the right things…
We are pleased to have another guest blog, this time by Amy Rasdal, founder of Rasdal Associates, Inc. and Billable at the BeachTM. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to say “no”? Some people find it nearly impossible and end up with too many commitments. We’ve all done it at one time or…
What are you saying and who are you saying it to? Remember that, in a void, employees will fill in the blanks with meaning and interpretation typically much worse than the truth! They will MSU (make stuff up). We are all quite good at it; interpreting body language, tone and inflection and often jumping straight…
What creates it & how do you maintain it today? Trust is the state of readiness for unguarded interaction with someone or something. Trust is built and maintained by many small actions over time. Trust is telling the truth, even when it is difficult, and being honest, authentic, and reliable in your dealings with customers…
Who doesn’t recognize the need to constantly innovate today? After all, just look around at all that is new in our world in the past few years. Are you twittering? 1 million+ others are. Do you have a product or service video up on YouTube? 25 million+ people do. And are you LinkedIn or participating…
