Years ago, in my consulting practice, I worked with companies from a variety of industries. On occasion some would contest my recommendations on improving their profitability, claiming I didn’t understand their industry. One approach I found effective in that case was using their own experiences against them. By reviewing multiple years of their company finances, I usually could find examples ...
Recent accusations against Justice Clarence Thomas is a good reason to discuss conflicts of interest.  Conflict of interest policies are prevalent for board members, and in many industries, such as government roles, banks, and nonprofits. It’s important that there be clear policies, and transparency related to those policies, so that we are confident that self interest doesn’t undermine the public’s ...
In this series, we’re discussing different approaches to leading a company through a recession. Visionaries often differ from the financially driven in that they view a recession as a time to expand market share.  If your company has the strength financially, recessions can be a great time to expand.  While Blockbuster Video stores still dominated the video market, ...
A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted that Sentieo, a financial-intelligence platform, found that expletives in transcripts of quarterly earnings calls, investor conferences and shareholder meetings rose to a five-year high in 2021. The article went on to discuss pros and cons of using foul language in the workplace, but some of the article focused on ways to increase your ...
My team and I were having breakfast with a bank president in Oklahoma City. This banker named Sean remarked on how friendly and attentive our waitress was to our needs. Later, Sean informed our group how difficult his bank had found it had become recently to find friendly employees. Later, Sean went to his car for a job application. “I’m ...
A titanic shift is happening in our marketplace that will be highlighted in history books decades from now and provide great opportunity today. Just two years ago, generous entry level jobs paid $10 per hour. Now we have employers starting employees at $21 per hour! This has applied upward pressure on all wages. Yet, while wages are at record highs, ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
