Starting a group venture on a solid foundation, demands the presence of

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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 late nineties, The Times Mirror Corporation acquired Achieve, a

Achieve was a motivated, values-directed team.  Employees were  aligned to maximize the customers’ total experience.  Times Mirror acquired several other companies at the same time. They made no effort to harmonize the diverse cultures.   Although they were now part of the same corporation, the acquired companies continued to compete with each...

You must be ABSOLUTELY clear about where you want to take people and why

.  Work at developing clarity by interacting with trusted others – before you engage the organization as a whole.  The process of having your answers questioned in advance is enlightening and will broaden your capacity to lead.  Engaging trusted others in deep conversation...

After eliminating work oriented travel, I decided to join a community

group as a volunteer.  Online research identified a local cause that held  personal interest for me and where I felt my experience might be an asset.  The initial phone call was promising—everybody I talked to cared deeply.  Unfortunately,  enthusiasm and caring was all they...

A shift-age reality is the  increasing need to form and disband transient

teams.  there is a recurring joining process appears to be an ingrained part of human nature. Effective group leaders will understand how people go about joining and leaving a group, and become skilled at facilitating the process.  When an effective start up process is...

An inordinate amount of meeting time is spent solving problems.  Even

so, many organizations experience the ‘recurring issue’ syndrome.  Resources get poured into trying to solve what turns out to a symptom, not the root cause.  This frustration confronts decision-makers all the time.  The answer is not working harder at doing more...

During tough economic times, new and less competent CEOs frequently resist

cutting back at the beginning of a downturn. Their rationale for resisting ranges from wishful thinking (things will soon improve) to a misguided attitude of paternalism towards surplus employees ( who have become redundant).  CEOs who cut back ahead of the curve manage...

In a past life I interacted with Tom Peters, of In Search of Excellence

fame, during an Achieve promotion.  He and co author Bob Waterman coined a phrase that stuck.  MBWA (management by wandering around), labeled a desirable behavior for senior executives—to get out of the corner office and spontaneously interact with the folks.  Great idea...