The myths, the truths and the processes. CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve just finished that two-day offsite (or zoom) session to develop your strategic plan and do some executive team development. You’ve done an excellent job of getting all the stakeholders involved in defining your SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats), an aspirational vision and a clear and […]
How can the past provide clues for the future? AFTER THE CIVIAL WAR the United States was flooded with immigrants looking for new opportunities and a better life. The infusion of cheap labor helped transform the landscape of business from family-owned shops to large manufacturing companies. The Industrial Age brought with it new trends and […]
Clarify Who Makes the Decision LEADERS ARE OFTEN conflicted. On one hand they want to engage their people in discussions in order to gain good ideas and buy-in, and on the other leaders want to make the final decision because they have a clear idea how something should be done. What leaders really need to […]
What it is, isn’t, and how it helps transform companies THE GREEN LIGHT indicated we were live, and the host of the business radio show turned to me, and said, “We have Dean Newlund here today. Dean is a coach. Dean, which professional sports team do you coach for?” The year was 1995 and coaching […]
What works for one company may not for another. WE ALL KNOW too well that one style of leadership is not appropriate for all employees nor for all situations. Paul Hersey writes a lot about this in his book, The Situational Leader. Customers are the same way. Each has their own needs and desires and […]
Stand out with great service during COVID THE COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on customer service. And those that can keep their customers happy will be more noticeable than those that don’t. Recently I had these 4 experiences: Delta announced a 9 hour wait time to talk to an agent. Shirts I ordered back in […]
How language and accountability reinforce our dysfunction. HOW WE SPEAK and hold others accountable reinforces a myth about personal responsibility. Do any of the following sound familiar? “You make me mad”, “On our wedding day you made me the happiest person in the world”, “Our 2020 F150 Toyota truck will give you the feeling of […]
T’is The Season for Self-Reflection FOR THE FIRST TIME in years, families and friends are re-examining their relationships just as companies, organizations, and governments are re-examining why they exist. Gone are unconscious connections replaced by the choice to connect or not to connect. Before COVID many relationships were supported by routine, habit, and convenience. Like […]
Our country was founded on creativity “ACCESS TO TALENTED and creative people is to modern business what access to coal and iron ore was to steel-making”, according to author and thought-leader, Richard Florida. A common response we hear is that creativity is limited to a small group of people with particular talents. The misperception is […]
A happy brain outperforms a negative brain THE MAJORITY of the information we are fed every day is not positive. The news is about murder, corruption, natural disasters and diseases, like COVID-19. Quickly our brains start to think that’s the accurate ratio of negative to positive in the world. It’s not the reality that shapes […]