Category: Blog
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Like a Foot in Two Canoes
I am the only person I know who has actually lived the metaphor. I was on vacation with my family years ago, staying at a cottage at a lake in New Hampshire. At the dock, there were two canoes and so, for a moment, I put one foot in one and a second in another.…
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Management is Both Art and Science
I have a lot of respect and admiration for good teachers, for those who can relate to their students, convey information in ways that stick, and leave a lasting impression over time. It always amuses me how often content experts believe they will be good teachers solely because of that content expertise. They massively under…
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Lessons From the Restaurant Industry
I was dining at a restaurant a few nights ago with friends and, during the course of the evening, met the owner and chatted about her experience during the Covid lockdown. She talked about paring down to just three people working there, moving exclusively to take-out, and the various efforts they went through in order…
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Why do some organizations endlessly “spin”?
I certainly don’t want to insult anyone with this week’s post, but I have been reflecting on why organization’s continue to struggle and leadership teams do what some would describe as spinning. It easy to oversimplify here as management challenges can be incredibly complicated and strategic decision making can be rife with considerable risk. That…
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Three questions to jumpstart your turnaround
As a general rule, I don’t recommend “jumpstarting” a major turnaround initiative. Careful planning, goal setting, preparation, and analysis are essential; still, though, I thought I would offer some advice to those who are plotting a critical course change for their organization, particularly if it has been facing a sustained financial decline. In my book,…
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Strategic Planning: The Process is the Product
Many of us have participated in strategic planning initiatives that focused intently on the creation of a physical product. Years back, that was the three ring binder full of tables and graphics and highly detailed task lists outlining exactly who was going to do what and when. The organizers of such efforts likely took a…
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The Defining Characteristics of a True Turnaround
Today’s post was prompted by a recent discussion with a colleague who argued that her organization was “in a constant state of turnaround”. Constant state? Turnaround? Something is not right here, I thought to myself. Upon some further reflection, it occurred to me – based on the numerous turnarounds in which I’ve participated – that…
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The Three Reasons Decisions are Difficult
In last week’s post, I described the fact that making difficult decisions is the essential responsibility of mission driven organization leaders. Sure, sure… you say, but I’ll take it one layer further back. Why are some decisions difficult in the first place? And why does that even matter? Sometimes leadership teams, boards, and individual executives…
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What Exactly is a Mission Driven Organization Anyways?
I know that I throw around the term “mission driven organization” with a seeming reckless abandon. The expression mission driven is too frequently used without context and in a wildly wide range of scenarios… so much so that it has lost its meaning and impact. I myself consult to mission driven organizations and, if pressed,…
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When Optimism Becomes Denial
It’s human nature. More specifically, it’s the leader’s nature… to be upbeat, to see the positive, to look forward and into the future with optimism. This is not a universal truth, but in my experience people tend to gravitate toward those leaders who see the good and who exhibit strong virtues… and so when times…
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