An article in the Harvard Business Review pointed out that 43% of hiring decisions are made within the first 4.8 minutes of the interview. Talk about the importance of a candidate creating a good first impression! If this is the case, why bother interviewing people for more than 5 minutes? The answer is because hasty…
DetailsIs your organization unable to change in the face of forces and threats from the business environment? Are you struggling against overly complex systems that frustrate and undermine your attempts to create positive change? Is your organization activity focused, rather than outcome focused? Does vital business information get filtered, altered, or stopped as it moves…
DetailsIt’s been almost a year since the larger corporate workforce transitioned into isolation. Adaptations have been tough, technical bandwidth had to be enhanced and those of us who depend on social interaction were forced to pivot. Eventually, we all figured it out. While there cannot be a silver lining in a time of such tragedy,…
DetailsSo let’s say there is a skills gap in your company. If budgets allow, your first inclination might be to hire someone from outside the company to close that gap. After all, there are some people who know how to look great on “paper”, and a stunning resume can make any company leader salivate over…
DetailsO, beware my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on. – Shakespeare A story is told of two shopkeepers who were bitter rivals. Their stores were directly across the street from each other, and they would spend each day keeping track of each other’s business. If…
DetailsThe Eastern Ontario dairy farm on which I grew up had numerous oak trees. I have fond memories of collecting autumn oak leaves colored red and orange-brown or fallen acorns for science projects during my school years. Itdeeproots always amazed me that such a massive plant could grow from a small acorn when planted in…
DetailsI think we can all agree that leadership is an art form: a dance, a painting, a well-executed pass play. The best leaders know the moments in which to interact. More to the point, an employee’s valuation of their company comes down to a few moments (and their direct report is usually part of them).…
DetailsLiving in the Washington DC area, you can’t escape the excitement of Washington Redskins fans as their team–finally, after four losing seasons–contends for a playoff spot. At the center of their big turnaround from 3 wins & 6 loses to ending up at the top of their division is their rookie quarterback, Robert Griffin, aka…
DetailsThe Great Jim Collins is at it again. The author of “Good to Great” and “Built to Last” has brought us another installment in his collection of business and leadership development owner’s manuals. In “Great by Choice”, Collins takes us through the development of ambition and its equated value to 10x Leadership. With the support…
DetailsI worked recently with the Board of Directors of a large public power company. They needed stronger governance systems. I mentioned how efficient boards operate. I broke down our approach. “With our framework,” I told them, “the board expresses exactly what it wants the organization to achieve in the form of policies. By defining what…
DetailsFollowing the Second World War, the allies determined that if the enemy nations were going to be able to make meaningful contribution the world’s economies, then they would have to receive some assistance in rebuilding their manufacturing infrastructure. A particular challenge was to get the Japanese up to a point where they could actually compete…
DetailsA few weeks ago I was speaking at a conference in the brand new Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Denver, Colorado. At the luncheon the manager of the hotel welcomed everyone to this new flagship property, which is creating a lot of buzz in the hotel industry for its breakthrough technology. They are using easy…
DetailsWe all face challenging personalities on a daily basis. It could be that customer who has great expectations, maybe it’s the channel partner who takes but does not give, and sometimes our greatest challengers are on our team. Some call them “problem children”, but I do not recognize that label. Leaders Beacon is the Holy…
DetailsYield – (verb), to give forth or produce by a natural process or in return for cultivation. – Random House Dictionary In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster…
DetailsThere is enough research on Employee Engagement to show that engaged employees give more “discretionary effort” (going above and beyond job expectations…without being told/asked) to their employer. Yet levels of engagement have not changed over the last ten years or so, through a period first of boom, then of bust. Consider this data from the…
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