I often recommend to leaders that their presentations or other communications tell a story. I sometimes get some strange looks and reactions: “I’m just reporting quarterly sales, are you saying that I need to tell a story about how one of our customers bought the products?” or “My boss doesn’t have time for stories, he …
With the election primaries upon us, we hear are hearing a lot about the youth vote and how to appeal to it. Sometimes we may question what our young people are thinking. However, if you listen closely, there is a lot of wisdom in their simple, straight-forward response to you and to life. This entry …
At some point, in the spirit of collaboration and dialog, leaders were taught that open-ended questions are more effective than close-ended questions. In many instances that is true. Open-ended questions promote dialog and discussion. But, as with any rule, it is important to understand the context and assumptions underlying the rule. Otherwise it is easy …
Read more “The power of close-ended questions. Sometimes they are ok.”
“You’re on the bus and running a little late for work. In your hurry, you forgot your watch and your cell phone is at the bottom of your briefcase, so you ask the woman next to you what time it is. She glances at her watch, which reads 8:33:46, and replies ‘Eight-thirty.’ Did she lie? …
Analytics and data-driven decision making have become major areas of focus for many leaders. In response, leaders are asking for more data and more tools to analyze the data. Yet, despite the increased attention and increased data, decisions don’t always improve. Data and analytical tools are important. However, they aren’t enough on their own. They …
Back by popular demand…and, it really does fit into the tune of the original song! And, the 11/28 USA Today reported that the price of the actual gifts for the twelve days of Christmas are up 4.4% to $101,119 based on the annual Christmas Price Index compiled by PNC Wealth Management. The list below is …
You might be thinking that I got the title backward. Isn’t the old expression “seeing is believing”? Maybe so, but it’s not accurate. The reality is that very often our experience and expectations have a greater impact on how we view information than the other way around. For example, which lottery ticket has a greater …
Last year’s Celebrity Apprentice finals pitted Academy Award Winning Actress Marlee Matlin against country singer John Rich. Both celebrities had strong track records throughout the season. Both showed tremendous leadership, creativity, and results. But when the final curtain went down, John Rich was the winner. The final competition was to develop a marketing campaign and …
Imagine this scenario. You’ve been given a sales target by your boss. You have three direct reports. You tell each one where you’d like them to focus and set appropriate targets. All three leaders exceed their targets but your department misses its overall target. What rating do you give them on their performance review – …
Read more “Hold people accountable for their decisions only”
In the “Good Cop, Bad Dog” episode of Modern Family, Gloria Pritchett (Sofia Vergara) brings home an aspiring but somewhat naïve entrepreneur named Guillermo (Lin-Manuel Miranda). She wants her husband Jay (Ed O’Neill), a successful executive, to give Guillermo some business advice. Their conversation begins like this: Guillermo: Are you aware that last year Americans …