pause

Stop Distracting Me!

Do you think email, Twitter, and Facebook are workplace annoyances? When it comes to blocking innovation, they’re not nearly as destructive as your own internal distractions.

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The Dangers of Traditional SWOT Analysis

It’s that time of year again. And, no, I’m not referring to Christmas shopping. It’s only September, for gosh sake! I’m talking about strategic planning. This is the time of year to pause for a bit longer than usual and think and about what winning will look like next year. It’s when we peer into…

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Happy 4th of July!

July 4th is one of my favorite times to pause. I am perhaps one of the most patriotic people you could meet. I love this country. I am proud every day to be an American and proud of all that we have accomplished. I am proud of the men and women who serve us in…

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Measuring What Matters: How to Stop Wasting Time, Talent, and Resources on Projects that Don’t Go Anywhere

Remember the old adage, “what gets measured, gets done?” Well, what does not get measured may still be getting done in your organization as well. Unfortunately, it may not be what you want done or what gets you to your destination. In today’s volatile markets, goals set in January can easily become out of date…

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The Value of True Friends

Some people get all stressed out about the holidays that start this time of year. All the shopping to do. Decorations to put up. So many people to see. So much food to cook (and eat). All those extra pounds to lose after the holidays. For me, holidays are just the opposite. They’re a time…

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What If You Took the Time to Ask “What If?”

Recently I was doing a keynote presentation on innovation when a member of the audience, a senior manager at a large company, posed this question: “What’s the difference between individual and organizational innovation? We have plenty of people who come up with good ideas, but nothing new ever seems to get done in our company.”…

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Thinking the Unthinkable: The New Leadership Imperative

People ask me all the time what I consider to be the biggest challenge facing today’s business leaders. I don’t even hesitate on this one. It’s the automatic assumption by most business leaders that we still live in a fairly predictable world. Think about it. Six months ago, who would have thought that Toyota would…

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