It happens in every firm: the core product saturates its main market and top-line growth stagnates. Margins come under pressure next, and unless investments are made to seek new markets, the firm will inevitably decline. It was a lesson I learned well early in my career. I was part of an industrial telecom group that […]
So have you ever been called to an offsite meeting, only to realize that there are some new players in attendance that you haven’t met before? Not only that, they are the new owners of your division? Yes, I have. Have you ever shown up to work and realized that there is a new […]
The frustration was visible, “I just don’t get it,” she said, face flushed and jaw clenched. “We worked nights and weekends for the last 18 months getting this ready. And now not to see any orders in the pipeline? It’s too much.” I had three conversations with executives in the last 10 days – all […]
Every so often you get a clear glimpse into the future, as was the case at the recent On Ramp Manufacturing Conference in Milwaukee. The conference was organized as a unique platform for established firms and startups to come together with 1:1’s, panel sessions and keynotes. The meta takeaway was that large firms are counting […]
I recall teaching my young drivers how to drive a standard shift vehicle. Many of you have been there and can probably relate – matching the engine’s churning to the car’s needs is not easy. Frequently when people are learning, they end up creating lots more power than the car can use and exaggerated clutch […]
I was leading a session for a group last week and going over how to build a strong, impactful, cross-functional team. During this discussion, one of the group members asked why I recommended so strongly that highly-influential internal candidates be sought out. It was one of those questions that triggers a set of scenes in […]
For those of us in the Midwest, summer is a really big deal. And one of the things we look forward to the most? Water skiing. Having been a skier for more than four decades now, I’ve developed my share of experiences. One of these experiences is something that happens nearly every year and […]
It’s always energizing to work with company founders, and a recent gathering of Clean Tech Midwest firms was no exception. I was invited to participate in the event, which hosted more than 20 firms from the Midwest who are in the process of preparing their business plans for both regional and national competition. I shared […]
True Story: Early in my career, the firm I was with had the good fortune of receiving a large windfall tax credit that resulted in both a hiring blitz and an ability to suddenly move forward with a number of programs that had been on the drawing board for a long time. Naturally, while the […]
I was talking with a colleague at a recent summer gathering, and she is seeing the same thing I am: lots of firms that were started by Baby Boomers are being “rolled up” by Private Equity into groups of like companies. In nearly every case, these vibrant, individual firms experience a huge shock to their […]
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