Up until the 1980s, pension plans were a common approach for employers to help employees with retirement. Unfortunately, the investment risks became a bigger burden to carry than many businesses felt they could afford. Ted Benna, a benefits consultant, however, shrewdly discovered a 1978 tax provision that could replace the investment risk of these pension plans with what became known ...
Valuable information tends to level the playing field when you are in negotiations. Recently, I was negotiating a contract. There was one significant item in the proposed contract that didn’t seem reasonable to me. This item was going to add significantly to my costs. So, I typed out my scenario in Perplexity AI and moments later I had a detailed ...
As a young employee in my first corporate job, I quickly learned that executives were powerful people to be feared and followed. One executive in particular, a former Navy officer, commanded authority. He knew his stuff and expected respect. But that image completely fell away when I walked into a classroom one evening to take a class on boating safety. ...
I was leading a non-profit board when we faced a divisive issue. Emotions were high, so we brought in a seasoned mediator to help us find a solution. The mediator recommended activities focused on building relationships and consensus to allow us to move forward. I, and a couple other board leaders, decided the issues couldn’t wait. We pushed through ...
In leading any organization there are constant challenges and decisions to be made. Some decisions are more difficult than others, which can leave me feeling inadequate at times. That’s when I yearn, and seek, the wisest counsel I can find. Fortunately, I have access to boundless wisdom. Recently, faced with some difficult decisions, I was reminded of the importance ...
I was leading a non-profit board when we faced a divisive issue. Emotions were high, so we brought in a seasoned mediator to help us find a solution. The mediator recommended activities focused on building relationships and consensus to allow us to move forward. I, and a couple other board leaders, decided the issues couldn’t wait. We pushed through a ...
Over the years I have served on many different boards. Occasionally, I’ll serve alongside another board member who dominates the conversation, expressing opinions on almost every subject. Unfortunately, center-of-attention kinds of people don’t usually ask many questions or seek understanding. Instead, they tend to only offer uninformed opinions. This means that their input often overlooks important facts. They haven’t ...
Many seem to believe that science and religion inherently conflict with each other. A Mind Matters article about Elaine Howard Ecklund’s study of scientists’ attitudes towards religion, however, may help debunk that belief. Through more than 40,000 surveys, Ecklund found, that at least 30% of scientists declared a religious affiliation. Her study also discovered that two-thirds of United States scientists do ...
A friend of mine was considering some speaking engagement opportunities to teach potential business prospects about his consulting niche. But my friend rarely teaches publicly, and when he does, unfortunately, he struggles to hold people’s attention. Many professionals build their business by writing books and teaching to generate leads. But not all people are gifted teachers. Some people speak ...
In leading any organization there are constant challenges and decisions to be made. Some decisions are more difficult than others, which can leave me feeling inadequate at times. That’s when I yearn, and seek, the wisest counsel I can find. Fortunately, I have access to boundless wisdom. Recently, faced with some difficult decisions, I was reminded of the importance ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
