Consultants should be used selectively; they should not be considered

as surrogate managers—a substitute for competent corporate managers. They are used effectively however, as a complement to management when the company is facing an inordinately complex situation or assessing unfamiliar opportunities. Consider the value a consultant brings—appropriate...

Everybody has the same amount of time.  The real issue isn’t time…

it’s about commitments. You can’t “manage” time.  It is what it is and does what it does, regardless of what we do.  We can however, manage commitments, promises and our agreements.  Your organizational life is composed of making, managing, modifying, and keeping or...

A common shortcoming of management is the inability or unwillingness to

A frequent mistake by well intentioned CEOs and HR directors is to have managers attend internal or external classroom training.  As the founder and former CEO of Achieve (now part of Achieve Global), I can attest that “just in case” training is a waste of time and money.  A system (such as the above) must be established.  A peak performance...

don't waste time and resources trying to develop non adaptive employees

A significant success factor for supervisors, managers, executives, and CEOs is knowing when and how to fire in a rapidly changing and fiercely competitive world—referred to by futurist David Houle as the shift-age.  Many managers, labor leaders, and government regulators are haunted by industrial-age ghosts.  Unknowingly, they are being influenced...

Most new CEOs set a priority for having clear job descriptions (for

...

Attending to the needs of a dog is challenging.  Why are they considered

Inject productive ritual into our lives:  The caring routine keeps us “out there”, safely experiencing life.  Being there for or with a friend, opens the door to serendipity (what happens while we are busy doing something else).  For example, if you weren’t out walking the dog, you may not have noticed a beautiful sunset or met the new neighbor...

The Western world embraces personal freedom but a growing segment of the

This attitude is creating pawns out of people the constitution empowers to be the masters of Government.  The general population’s ambivalence towards politics finds everybody complaining but few willing to step up and participate in the democratic process.  With civics not being taught in many schools, young adults often grow up knowing little...

My late wife’s last Christmas wish was to share this story and hopefully

 My wife and I have always loved the holiday season, but this year our exposure to hustle & bustle is restricted to watching doctors and dedicated nurses save lives.  There are only five more shopping days to Christmas and I am writing from a thoracic surgery ward.  Between each line, I watch helplessly as my love struggles valiantly to survive...

After 20 years of coaching CEOs from corporations large and small and

in several countries, I believe a differentiating factor in the long term success of busy executives is their ability to stay in touch with the five year old that resides in every adult body.  Responsibilities often burry our inner child under layers of  “shoulds”—...

Robin Hood has been celebrated as a hero since the 12th century. More

Redistribution of wealth, under any name is criminal, immoral, unjust, and plain stupid.  It has never worked, as the rich only have so much that can be stolen.  Wall street occupiers, although busy, seem willing to contribute nothing short of outstretched hands to improve the nation’s economic ills.  Additional wealth  is not being created...