Like most business owners, Dan Martucci’s  struggles with a faltering

economy  left him exhausted at the end of each day.  Usually a positive, charitable, and fun loving father, he realized that if he wasn’t carefu, recession pressure could indirectly impact his family.  He resolved to preserve his home as a safe and comforting sanctuary...

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...

After working their way up the corporate ladder, they find themselves

at the top and are not quite sure how they got there.  Their biggest fear is “being found out”.  What will happen when people discover that they’re just a regular person dealing with the same fears and doubt as everyone else?  Once they make it to the top they realize, “...

Before the age of five, we learn most of what we need to survive.  We

learned the essentials not by listening, but by watching what the adults in our life (the people who had  power over us) were doing.  Prior to developing our verbal skills, we didn’t understand what Mom and Dad were saying, but we discerned much from their tone, body language...

 Blindsided by the North American success of Apple’s I-phone and Google

’s android operating system, RIM (Research in Motion) the creators of Blackberry, are rebooting.  Investors have lost faith in the company that a just a few years ago, invented the smart phone market. To survive and prosper, in spite of fierce shift-age competition, there...

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...

On my way to becoming a naturalized American citizen, I dug into writings

of the Founding Fathers. During extensive deliberations, they tapped the thinking of  Cicero, the wisdom Hebrew tradition, and many well-tested principles ensconced in British common law.  America’s constitution and Bill of rights are inspiring yet disciplined.  They...

In response to a  June 21st blog:  www.BrandingStrategyInsider.com (

My work with Fortune list CEOs on the pragmatic use of values, revealed that bad (unethical) behavior, typically correlates directly with CEO priorities—expressed explicitly or implicitly.  Bad behavior is capable of producing short term gains (an infusion of cash flow), but invariably concludes in long term pain; (the destruction or a reduction...

 Although this post was written for married partners, the rules apply

...