“The best laid plans of mice and men” The skepticism of Robert Burns

 Long range planning is at best a waste of time .  Visioning by contrast, has become essential to the process of creating plans that work.  Planning is like being a naval Admiral.  It is serious and control oriented—demanding  commitment and performance.  Visioning by contrast, feels more like being a pirate.  It’s about innovation, imagination...

LEARNING TO FACE THE  TIGERS IN YOUR LIFE IS A PRIMARY LEADERSHIP STRATEGY

When using the Baton Management System, Quick Response Teams meet to come up with ideas for solving specific problems. We us Dr. John Scherer’s STRIPES model. It builds on sage advise from India on what to do should you meet a tiger on the trail.  Sage advice:Run from a tiger and you are dead meet.Standing your ground increases the odds of survival...

The “shift-age” is ushering in fierce competition for market

While beta testing a management system designed to help SMB owners create transferable wealth and wisdom,  I worked with several smaller companies who were offering customers a boutique experience. Many of these owners were reluctant to fully embrace process-discipline. They preferred operating with the flexibility of a jazz band (playing by ear)...

In the shift-age, speed and flexibility are major success factors.  Should

the situation change, time spent developing a detailed strategic plan may be at best a waste of time, and at worst a performance inhibitor.  A less detailed forward thinking process held more frequently may be sufficient to keep people aligned but flexible should the need...

WHAT”S YOUR ENDGAME?  Unfortunately, few business owners have an

 When transfer time arrives, what will their business be worth?   By ignoring end-game options they are acting like they own a job—not the company.  Potential investors or successors will have little interest in acquiring their job.  SMBs shouldn’t wait until it’s too late—they should start preparing for a transfer of the business...

The 20 point drop in the Vistage CEO Confidence Index this year is shocking

My generation grew up with a relative level of stability. We are simply not accustomed to the notion of “economic uncertainty” and we are not very happy about it. As a result, we have the tendency to overreact to stimuli in the form of collective euphoria or collective despair. This emotional response explains the nature of bubbles, as we all race...

training withour ROI is wasteTraining should be the organizations ultimate

signal.  It tells employees what is and is not strategically relevant.  If proposed training is not strategically relevant, DON’T DO IT.  Any training that does not  impact the bottom line is a costly distraction.  Replace “just in case” with “just in time” training...

As an executive coach and organization development consultant, I’ve

A major factor in senior team development is the CEO not allowing direct reports to slip off the hook—always holding them responsible and expecting performance. Holding toes to the fire and resisting the urge to bail out marginal performers makes for strong teams.  It’s not unlike the tough love strategy some parents use to help children understand...

managing both sidesBarry Johnson, author of Polarity Management  identified

11 polarities that great leaders manage well. If you are a leader at any level—or just want to take the lead in your own your life—the following will prove invaluable.  A polarity is a set of poles or positions that appear to be opposites, creating an either/or situation...

“Those choosing to lead in the post industrial age must make a 180°

Transitioning your company from a dependence on personal authority (power, knowledge, and experience) to managing by process-discipline will be challenging because industrial age thinkers typically know—so they will have less compulsion to learn. Without continuous improvement, what your team knows will eventually start holding you back.  To grow...