Networking For Life

I was so excited about my book recommendation this month, “Never Eat Alone,” and the great connecting strategies that author Keith Ferrazzi openly shares in this truly “must-read” book. And then Hurricane Katrina struck. Since this tragedy more than 10 days ago, I have witnessed the power of effective networking and the healing arms of…

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Networking Action Plan

It’s been a long time since I have read a book about networking that moved me. When I read Keith Ferrazzi’s book, “Never Eat Alone” published by Doubleday, I was more than moved… I was inspired. What really caught my attention was his idea that we all need to develop a Networking Action Plan to…

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Networkers Anonymous Unite!

As I have traveled around the country speaking to people about the power of netWORTHing™ one thing has become clear; people are looking for a change! People have a lot of pain around traditional self-serving networking. Everyone has been burned by someone who in the name of networking, is only pursuing their own selfish agenda.

Negativity Saps Productivity

After nearly five years since my last flight as a private pilot, it felt great to get out flying again with an instructor. It was amazing how much past knowledge came back so quickly. That shows the power of repetition from the original flight training nearly 10 years ago! And speaking of repetition… it seems…

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Negativity Invades Work Environments

When you walked into the office this morning was the general climate a positive or negative one?  It seems that when I speak with my friends and former co-workers that their work environments are increasingly toxic with negativity. Who is responsible for this onslaught of emotional crud?  Is it the leaders in the organization, the…

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Mr. Pink on Selling

I first discovered Dan Pink when I read his book, A Whole New Mind. In a time when managers were advising me to read Jack Welch; this book took a different approach. The Mac was gaining popularity, graphics were replacing spreadsheets and the right brainers now had a point of intrigue. Mr. Pink’s follow up,…

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Most Common Change Management Mistakes Companies Make

We are occasionally asked about mistakes that we see companies make related to organizational change management. In reflecting back over several years and many client engagements, below are the most common mistakes that we have seen. 1) Not Seeking Outside Expertise Rarely do companies have deep change management expertise, though some are seeking to build this…

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Momentum by Mistakes

Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary to a worthwhile achievement. – Henry Ford I came across some interesting statistics recently that underscored what could happen if 99% were good enough: 12 newborns will be given the wrong parents daily 2.5 million books will be shipped with wrong covers 315…

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Mistakes of Managing to the Metrics

You’ve likely heard the expression, “What gets measured, gets managed.” And companies have improved their capability to measure dozens, or sometimes hundreds of data points that reflect how the business is performing. Unfortunately, managers are falling into the trap of “teaching to the test” which means that they harp on the metrics without coaching the…

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Misdirected by metrics?

You’ve likely heard the expression, “What get’s measured, gets managed.” And yet, if you pay attention to the wrong metrics or measurements, it can distract both management and employees from desired behaviors. Metrics provide management with the key information needed to make decisions and assess performance in the business. Paying attention to the wrong metrics or…

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Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

By Carol S. Dweck Random House, 2006 ISBN #1-4000-6275-6 Reviewed by Ian Cook John McEnroe reached great heights in the world of professional tennis but, by his own admission, he did not fulfill his potential. Whenever he lost, it was not his fault. Even his defeat at the 1984 French Open he blamed on sound…

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Meet The Ables

The Ables are not just a family from Oklahoma. They are the functions of what empowers talent in your organization. I was conducting a thorough organizational assessment for a large company recently. One of the organization’s leaders explained to me that she did not have the luxury of examining every area of her organization. There…

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Measuring Up to Success

How do you measure up? Are you as good as you could be? Do you even know how good you could be? Here’s a way to find out. Research studies on self?monitoring show that people who monitor what they do often become better at it. I don’t know why it works, but research shows that…

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