A reduction-in-force (RIF) is one area where companies commonly make a bad situation even worse. In fact, effectively conducting RIFs is an area where a significant “Knowing-Doing Gap” exists. In other words, there is an abundance of available information to help us effectively conduct a RIF, but many companies do not apply this information to…
One new franchise opens every eight minutes of each business day. Franchises account for $1 trillion in revenue – that’s over 50% of every retail dollar. The following table illustrates that American franchises have an enviable rate of success compared to other American businesses. Franchisers provide their franchisees with three advantages that most entrepreneurs do…
Do you ever feel that leading your company is a balancing act? Leading a company to sustained growth requires a dual focus: handling today's business and ensuring tomorrow's success. Leaders of growing companies are like circus tightrope walkers who must focus on the next step while keeping an eye on the end of the rope.…
There are many changes occurring in today’s economy: globalization, speed, technology, virtual workforces, generational value differences and labor market tightening. All of these forces are changing the world of work, but the basic principles of effectively leading organizations remain unchanged. These basic principles are clouded by a multitude of management fads and new packaging. An…
Featrued in Smart Business cover story Here are some highlights of how we helped this client build an engaging culture while they experienced 100% annualized growth for 5 straight years. Survivor, Real World, Fear Factor, The Bachelor. Reality television is currently a hit, so we thought an episode of Real World business lessons would appeal…
Leading a company during a slowing economy has plenty of challenges: What should you change, stop or continue doing? Organizational change is just a concept. Organizations do not change - individuals change. If enough individuals change then you start to reap the benefits of organizational change. Therefore, this report addresses common vs. effective responses to tough…
With global Merger/Acquisition (M/A) activity topping $3 trillion, less than 50% of M/As meet expected performance. In today’s economy, the primary drivers for M/As are to: increase market share, access new markets and achieve competitive size. From a dotcom perspective, Internet companies grow 12 times faster and they tend to acquire other companies earlier in their…
What’s the one thing we do more than anything else, but typically do it less effectively than anything else? Communicate. Virtually every leader with whom I have ever spoken, regardless of the team’s size or maturity, acknowledged the need to improve communication. Here are some reasons to pay attention to your communication: Watson Wyatt Worldwide…
Here is an excerpt from Lee’s book, Leadership Matters. It contains 31 daily insights to inspire extraordinary results. day 4: Coaching At one time, Andrew Carnegie was the wealthiest man in America. He came to America from his native Scotland when he was a small boy, did a variety of odd jobs, and eventually ended…
