You are the person and for ‘21 you are feeling very accountable: the path of the P&L is on your shoulders. If you are coming into the year with momentum, then congratulations…it’s easier to change the direction of an object that’s in motion. Here’s the insight: that momentum is created along process paths. Those processes […]
A consistent theme I’m hearing from my coaching clients is how much harder it is to “get things done” outside of the transactional with virtual communications. It is a unique time, where without warning or preparation, many of us have been pushed into a 100% virtual space with a sink or swim learning environment. My […]
It’s going to happen in 2021. There will be two paths for firms: diminishing returns or vibrancy. The rising tide will only lift well prepared boats. The danger is that we’re going to be tempted to spend most of our time trying to get “back to normal” – and we’re going to find out that […]
Many insights only become clear on reflection. Reflection needs space to happen, which can only be provided via time (looking into history), distance (looking at Mount Rushmore from miles away), or altitude (the photo above). As a private pilot, I receive the privilege of scanning the countryside as I move across the country, constantly on […]
It’s nearly Fezziwig time – a reference to the beloved Dickens story, A Christmas Carol. Fezziwig was a jovial business owner who was known for throwing warm and family-friendly business parties on Christmas Eve. As we prepare for our own end-of-year celebrations, many of us are being faced with the proverbial fly in the punchbowl […]
Perspective is essential to choosing well. As we put the wraps on 2020, I wanted to offer some insights into some essential truths we’ve rediscovered. My friend and colleague Neely Taminga challenged the TedX community in Minneapolis to think differently about economics this fall. Her challenge was to move our mindset from an “economy of […]
I’ve had a series of calls with key leaders in the last few weeks as they prepare for 2021. The consensus is it’s setting up to be a hybrid year: we’ll still be in COVID limbo, with client firms that are full digital in remote work, manufacturers that have live operations and remote R&D, and […]
In many ways, the phone call stunned me. But I suppose I should have seen it coming – after all, it’s 2020. I was talking to a client and she was relaying to me a profound outcome of their annual succession planning review. Like many firms, they had a “pipeline” that identified those with potential, […]
It’s one of the most interesting moments in our working sessions with Ops and Creative leaders. By looking at their history, we tee up the concept that the creation of new value is the result of combining fresh thinking from both inside and outside the firm. We then show the group how to harvest rich […]
It’s going to be a long day. I’m sitting in a room with my HR support lead. We have a list in front of us. It’s been vetted, approved by legal, and kept confidential by HR. By the end of the day, more than two dozen people will be looking for new work. The hardest […]
