From the category archives:
Davy Crockett, celebrated folk hero, soldier, politician, and” king of the wild frontier” was born 225 years ago today, August 17, 1786. During his fifty years on earth, he served in the militia of Tennessee, represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives, served in the Texas Revolution, and gave his life at the Battle [...]
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Yesterday The St. Louis Business Journal sponsored a program for CFOs to discuss the current decisions in Washington and their impact on individuals and businesses. To make his point, one of the panel members asked audience members to raise their hands if their companies had laid off workers during the recent economy. While those people [...]
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As the old joke goes, a reporter asked a business owner, “How many people work here?” “About half,” he responded. Recent research indicates that estimate might have been too ambitious for today’s companies because many leaders reported that only about 29% of their workfoce shows signs of strong engagement. What do the other two thirds do? [...]
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Recent research indicates that only about 38% of employees use all their allotted vacation time, and it’s not the boss’s fault. Only about 5% of those in the survey said it was. So why don’t people take the time off they’re entitled to? One word—fear. With recent cuts to the labor force, people have developed [...]
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Last week, on the heels of the Anthony Weiner story, the local Fox affiliate asked me to join the anchors to discuss why men in power behave badly. They flashed pictures of John Edwards, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and, as of yesterday, former Congressman Weiner. Initially the questions centered around things like “What were they thinking?” but [...]
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Last year I became eligible for Tricare medical coverage. Good news. I had to actually sign up for the coverage. Bad news. I did all the usual things. I called everyone I could think to call, with no luck. The numbers on the Tricare website were no more helpful, but I called them anyway. No [...]
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Steve Goodman aspired to write the perfect country / western song, “You Don’t Have to Call Me Darling.” He had a clear strategy, but he initially failed in execution because he didn’t seek the voice of the customer. He sent the song to David Allen Coe, who wrote Goodman back that it was not was [...]
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Much of my consulting and coaching work involves industries and functions that must follow the rules—exactly and profoundly. The SEC demands compliance from publicly traded companies; specific industries require adherence to prescribed protocols; and best practices dictate practical approaches. All good. However, overusing a strength creates a weakness. People who operate in regulated industries and [...]
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Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal reported that Wal-Mart is in the midst of the worst U.S. sales slump ever, posting its second straight year of declining sales. How can this happen to America’s behemoth? They misstepped. To jumpstart lethargic growth and counter the rise of competitors, decision makers veered away from the winning-formula mission: “Saving People [...]
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I have been shampooing my hair since I was six. Call them adventurous risk takers, but my parents deemed me competent to solo on this activity and then threw caution to the wind. To my knowledge, no dire consequences to me, the environment, or national security ensued as a result of their decision. Yesterday the [...]
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