If a tree falls in the woods and there is no one there to hear it, does it make a sound? How about this one? If your business is running on a daily basis but there is no data to measure it, does it have successes and failures? Smarter people than me have pondered the …
Asking questions is an essential way to find meaning in information. Many leaders want to ask questions but don’t know where to start. Ideally, you ask questions based on your existing knowledge and the current context or situation. Therefore, every situation will have its own unique set of questions. However, to get started, some basic …
What do the following five events have in common? · Police questioning of suspects/witnesses· IRS audits· Courtroom testimony· Investor calls· Doctor visits They all typically seek “just the facts”. This makes sense. In a courtroom, the jury’s job is to interpret the facts; they don’t want them clouded by the witness. I think in most …
How much context do you provide when requesting reports or information from your team? Do you include information on how it will be used, what decision will be made or what you are looking for or expect to see? If you are like the vast majority of the leaders with whom I’ve worked, the answer …
In his book, Freakonomics, Steven Levitt has an excellent chapter on risk. He quotes risk consultant, Peter Sandman who said, “That basic reality is that the risks that scare people and the risks that kill people are very different.” Sandman uses a simple definition of risk. Risk = Hazard + Outrage For example, Levitt poses …
Read more “Swimming pools, guns, and why your people don’t speak up”
“What would happen if you fully unleashed people’s potential?”I’ve used this tag line for over a two years to help leaders rethink their responsiblity and relationship to the people with whom they work. We often overlook the passions, talents, and hopes of people as we try to mold them into “efficient” and “productive” workers. Yet, …
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Which of the following goals reflect business outcomes? · Reduce procurement costs · Standardize customer service processes · Implement an enterprise-wide financial system · Increase manager attendance/throughput in leadership development program · Increase the use of preferred vendors · Decrease SG&A expenses · Increase customer service calls taken per hour Only the first and sixth …
The following are four quotes about technologies that were predicted to revolutionize learning. Try to guess what each is referring* to and when it was said (answers at end of article): a) …will revolutionize education…can motivate students, guide and sharpen their reading by providing background and demonstrations, encourage responsibility for independent learning, arouse curiosity and …
A group of friends sit around a table talking, sharing storiesand memories. The dark burgundy tablecloth is broken up by a scatteredgrouping of wine glasses and three open bottles of wine. Thepastel-splattered labels show scenes of small villas surrounded by fields offlowers. Bach’s Mass in B minor is playing over the stereo as the host …
About four years ago, I realized that I had a major weakness. I didn’t communicate clearly. I focused on that problem and improved. Today I have a different problem – I need to fill my pipeline. I’m not ashamed to admit these problems. In fact, by recognizing these problems and getting them out in the …
Read more “My problem is your opportunity, but it is still my problem”