A famous quote states that, “no battle plan survives contact with the enemy.”* In my world of strategy + execution I believe that “no strategy survives contact with reality”. Meaning that you can’t perfectly predict the future, you can’t anticipate everything. And you can’t perfectly plan out everything.
How to Create “Moments” that Matter
If you ask customers to evaluate a service experience, they don’t consider each element of the experience and then average them out to come up with a summary impression. Instead, what they remember are the peaks and the pits – the exceptional highs and the exceptional lows. That’s one of the insights from an audiobook I’ve been listening to, The Power of Moments, by Chip and Dan Heath.
Hiring? Here’s Why Skills and Experience Aren’t Enough
You need to hire. To fill new positions, to replace others. What do you look for? Candidates who have the required skills? Those with the experience, who’ve done it before? Those who reflect the right values?
Why it Doesn’t Ultimately Matter What Leaders Do
“We need stronger leaders.”
So goes the refrain in many boardrooms. Which results in leadership development programs, mentorship programs, and a host of other initiatives. The focus? What it means to be a leader. What effective leaders do.
How to Lead Your Organization to Success in 2018
It’s the New Year. A fresh start. Rekindled ambition. It’s time to lead your organization to the Promised Land!
The Secret to Keeping Good Employees Motivated
You might think there’s no secret to keeping good employees motivated because they’re already motivated. Which, of course, they are.
How to Become Expert at Hiring
I recently read Bloomberg Businessweek’s, “The Year Ahead 2018”. While I was interested in their predictions for the coming year (and the rationale for those predictions), what I especially enjoyed was their assessment of last year’s predictions. What they got right, what they got wrong, and – most importantly – why.
Embrace the Joy of Pain
Dream big! Develop a vision! Identify your big, hairy, audacious goal (BHAG)!
What “Ruthless Consistency” Does Not Mean
Whenever I deliver a presentation on Ruthless Consistency, I can usually pick out someone who just isn’t comfortable with the idea.
How Well Aligned is Your Leadership Team?
You want top performers on your leadership team. After all, they’re the ones you’re relying on to make strategy happen throughout your organization. But what if those top performers don’t, or won’t, work well together? Misaligned leadership teams can be hugely draining on an organization – operationally, culturally and financially.
How “Empathy” Applies in Business
Over the past few years we’ve seen increasing references to the role of empathy in business. While some have embraced the idea, others have reacted with skepticism. Let’s take a step back and ask: Is there a role for empathy in business?
How Great Companies to Work For Stay Great
Over the past 20 years, more than 450 companies have appeared on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. Yet only 12 companies have made it onto the list every year. The obvious question: What, if anything, do those 12 companies have in common?