Shut the Front Door
Whenever I start with a new client, we make an STFU list. You see, every leader has pet projects and ideas that the team hates dealing with—or thinks are more a distraction than an opportunity. Occasionally, the boss listens and will kill the project or take the idea...
What You Must Stop Doing
As you move up the ladder or your business grows, you’ll hold onto tasks from your old position too long. (It’s hard to give some things up.) Use this quick gauge to decide what you should keep doing and what you should delegate ASAP. Ask yourself: What do I need to...
Keep your eye on the ball
I’ve really been lax…with my football metaphors. After all, there are few life lessons that can’t be taught through football* Here’s one I use often: Don’t worry if your boss “likes” something or it makes him “happy.” Worry if it contributes to the core business goal...
This little piggy
I’ve always hated the phrase “I just don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.” It means you have an idea that will move a project or the organization forward, but you may not share it because you’re worried someone will be upset that you crossed some (imaginary) line. My...
Hmmm…not so sure about that green cup
The other day, I passed a man lying on the street in a sleeping bag surrounded by carts full of his stuff. I stopped and offered him a Starbucks gift card with $5 on it. He looked at me very kindly and said, “No, thank you. I’m not a customer of theirs anymore.” (True...
Trump’s secret sauce (no, it isn’t orange marmalade)
This is not a political post… it’s about marketing. So pretend they weren’t running for president but trying to sell you a weight-loss supplement. Trump: You’re gonna lose so much weight. Huge weight loss. You’re gonna look amazing…so amazing you’ll go from a 4 to an...
Good decision, bad decision…make a decision
Do you suffer from DPS…Decision Paralysis Syndrome? Do you panic that you might make the wrong decision so you put it off until it’s too late? Or worse, decide to put it up to a vote? Imagine if the military operated that way. Our troops would be ambushed while their...
If your success depends on this, run…
There are many factors that contribute to your success at work… what unique skills you have, how committed you are, whether you have strong ideas, and (especially) if you’re willing to fail. But if your success at a company depends on someone else’s failure, it’s time...
Are you a skydiver or a paraglider?
In skydiving, you just JUMP. When you’re paragliding, you run until there’s no more ground beneath your feet. In both cases, you’re in mid-air…but how you got there matters. Are you someone who loves risk and can just jump…or do you need things lined up every step of...
A Time to Kill
We spend a lot of time brainstorming how to build businesses, and how to increase revenue and profit. But we don’t spend nearly enough time discussing which projects to kill. That’s right: kill. Not "put on the back-burner"... kill. Killing projects shows employees...