Do you struggle to make “next level” decisions to improve your organization or area of responsibility?  The following is a simple, quick and easy strategy or decision making formula to help you brainstorm next steps to take towards achieving greater success.  
 
First, ask yourself:
What does “excellent” look like in your area of responsibility? 
Once [...]

If you aren’t doing so already, I want to encourage you to plan your week for efficiency.  Every Monday (or Sunday night if you prefer), as the first thing you do, consider the week ahead.  Follow this formula:
 
1.   Write down what do you hope to accomplish for the week.  What do you need to accomplish?  [...]

Sometimes life throws curves at us that take the wind from our sail.  If we aren’t careful we can allow the injury to haunt us for life; never regaining what we have lost.  Have you lost a job recently?  Have you had a business failure?  Did you suffer from divorce?  Has the person you trusted [...]

How do you know when it’s time to leave an organization or company?  Sometimes it’s more damaging to stay than to quit.  Recently I was asked to help a friend think through his own decision of whether to stay or to leave his current position.  The following are some times to consider leaving.  I think [...]

My grandfather saves boxes; all types of boxes. Before he entered the nursing home if he emptied a cereal box, he saved the empty box.  Shoe boxes…all saved.  He loves boxes.  When asked why he saved so many boxes he would reply, “You never know when you might need them.”  That is just one example [...]

Do you remember the scene in “It’s A Wonderful Life” where George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart) was forced to forgo his honeymoon because there was a run on the bank?  The people were afraid their money wouldn’t be available, so they wanted to take it out of the Bailey Building and Loan Association in [...]

Someone shared an article with me by Raymond P. Rood entitled “How Then Should Organizations Live”. (http://www.humantechnologies.com) In the article Rood makes the point that every organization has three basic needs. They are growth, maintenance, and development.  For an organization to thrive it must do all three well.  Yesterday at our all day staff retreat we [...]

There are some things in leadership that drive me bananas.  Maybe you have your own list, but this is mine.  Here are 10 things I hate (or don’t like very much) in leading or following people: 
 
1.      Responsibility without authority. If you ask someone to lead something; then let them lead.
2.      Small mindedness. I like [...]

It’s all a matter of perspective….and taste I guess.  Did you read the story about the man who has eaten 23,000 Big Macs in 36 years?   You can read that story here.  The only day he didn’t eat one was the day his mother died; in honor to her. 
 
Contrast that with the now famous [...]

What does it take to grow a company in today’s business environment?  I observe the business world these days and it seems there are plenty of opportunities for rapid growth, but there doesn’t seem to be as much staying power for an individual company.  An idea or product can quickly catch on, but after a [...]