strategic agility

Employee Engagement 2015: Not Much Has Changed

Do you have an engaged, committed workforce?  How do you know? Here’s one way to find out. Each year, Gallup surveys a broad base of employees on this issue. They identified 12 key indicators that translate to high levels of employee engagement: I know what is expected of me at work. I have the materials…

Read More ›

Practice Your Way to Winning in 2015

Winning in business takes practice. Not just practicing any old thing, but practicing the right things. Far too often, however, I see organizations practicing the wrong things. For example: Conducting disorganized meetings where people arrive late, unprepared, and not focused on what’s really important Making decisions based on assumptions rather than hard data Failing to…

Read More ›

Stop Pretending to Be Rational at Work

At times, English can be an illogical, irrational and downright confusing language. Just look at all the homographs and heteronyms that crop up throughout the lexicon. A homograph is two or more words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. A heteronym is a homograph that is also pronounced differently. For example: Is…

Read More ›

Brainteasers: Play with Your Brain

I frequently write and speak about the need to pause, slow down, and focus on winning every day. With so many interruptions, distractions and lengthy to-do lists, it’s all too easy to take our eyes off the ball and lose our sense of direction. It’s also important to pause and have some fun from time…

Read More ›

A Pause to Say Thank You

2014 was quite the year for The Human Factor, Inc.! As usual, it included a lot of learning and adapting on our part to make sure we’re still meeting your needs and fully supporting your success.  For example, we launched the neuroprompt subscription series (https://ad934.infusionsoft.com/app/storeFront/showProductDetail?productId=86), a fun and convenient way to prompt yourself to pause…

Read More ›

Pause and Plan to Win in 2015

Did you blink and another year went by?  Me too.  Which means it’s time once again to climb up on my soapbox and talk about getting ready to win next year. But first, a few questions. How did 2014 go for you?  Did you and your organization achieve all that was possible?  Did you meet…

Read More ›

Are You Assuming Your Way Out of Business?

What do Sony, Radio Shack and Sears all have in common (besides instant brand recognition)? They’re all losing money, and lots of it. According to a recent Forbes article entitled “Wrong Assumptions Create Lousy Results,” Sony has lost money for 15 out of the last 16 quarters, and projects a loss of $2 billion this…

Read More ›

How Elite Leaders Win

Have you ever noticed when you buy a new car you suddenly start seeing it everywhere on the road – even if it’s not a popular model? Well, it’s happening to me, only not in relation to cars. Earlier this year, I published a blog https://thehumanfactor.biz/are-you-an-elite-leader about the characteristics that define elite leaders. Since then,…

Read More ›

Developing a Winning Team

In my last blog, I talked about Alex Ferguson, the now retired coach for Manchester United, one of the most successful sports franchises in the world. In addition to his technical soccer skills, Ferguson won wide acclaim for his ability to grow and develop talent. Whether in sports or in business, building a winning team…

Read More ›

The Ferguson Formula for Winning

You can always count on the Harvard Business Review for great insights on strategy, leadership and success.  I love this article – “Ferguson’s Formula” (http://hbr.org/2013/10/fergusons-formula/ar/1)  – from the October 2013 issue. One of the most respected names in global sports, Sir Alex Ferguson managed the highly successful English soccer club Manchester United for 26 years….

Read More ›

Prove Yourself Wrong to Get Your Plan Right

  One of our greatest strengths as adult humans is to the ability to “prove” ourselves right.  We do it in many different ways. First, we constantly look for evidence that supports what we believe to be true. At the same time, we actively block out data that contradicts our prevailing point of view, making…

Read More ›

Strategic Agility: The Antidote to a Hostile Business Environment

Remember when government was a friend to small business – the leading source of new jobs in the U.S.? Me neither. And now it’s getting worse. The Job Creators Alliance — a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the public and policymakers on what it takes to create jobs – recently surveyed 600 small…

Read More ›