The statue of Silence, a remarkable work of art sculpted in the 1870s

This beautiful and historically unique statue played an important role in the writing of my books about Montreal, Montreal: City of Secrets, which documented the close ties between Montreal and the Confederacy during the Civil War and Savannah, Savannah: Immortal City and the second book Savannah: Brokers, Bankers and Bay Lane provided the most thorough...

We have entered what futurist David Houle calls, in his book of the same

name “The SHIFT-AGE”.  He suggests that the next twenty years will be “a transformation regarded by future historians as one of the most significant periods in human history.”  Implementing new technologies (such as telemedicine) is essential but will be difficult for...

Management is failing to educate workers on the workings and benefits

Example: “if employees were to save $50,000.00 per year by correcting a recurring shipping problem, the saving would go directly to the bottom line.  If their company was retaining 10% of its total revenue (after expenses), that $ 50, 000.00 contribution represents $500,000 that does not have to be sold.  In a tight economy how many jobs might...

It takes imagination, courage, tenacity, and a strong work ethic to conceive

The marketplace is shifting because of global competition and the impact of digital technology—like a wheel within a wheel, so are internal business dynamics.  The age-old challenge of managing growth continues.  It is a challenge that will eventually confront every CEO.  If the management of corporate growth is not dealt with effectively, the...

Observations made during my career as an executive coach suggests that

...

successful implementation of strategic initiatives require cultural alignment

Quality is no longer a competitive advantage.  Today’s priority is to be heard in a “noisy” marketplace. What strategic imperative will set the pace tomorrow?  Whatever it turns out to be, rest assured that  strategic imperatives will continue to change at an ever increasing rate.  Without adjustment,  the capacity or willingness of employees...

structure a business with a scalable model that can accommodate the inevitable

I began my role as senior VP international operations, by reviewing the performance of offshore sites around the world.  Most were profitable, but a few existed only to serve large international clients who demanded  global capacity from their suppliers. The UK office employed a skeleton staff with  expenses cut to the bone.   Five people with...

Aligning a culture to support strategic initiatives such as delivering

on a brand promise, begins with the clarification of shared values—a task that is easier said than done—the critical factor is the word “shared”.  Values are not what organizations claim or wish them to be.  Values are signaled to the world by what a company tolerates. ...

Knowing what to do and doing it are two very different things.  Clearly

the best way to get rich is to make a lot of money; the surest way to cure insomnia is to get more sleep; or the way to reduce weight is to exercise and eat less. Awareness, understanding, knowledge and inspiration are critical to the success of any strategic initiative, but alone...

The world has changed. Cold calling and networking are becoming less relevant

During the latter part of the industrial-age, aligning culture (the collective habits used by a group of people to get things done) in support of TOTAL QUALITY was the key determinant of success—particularly in the manufacturing sector.  In today’s “noisy” and crowded world, inbound marketing has replaced quality the  key success factor—...