If you want to hunt buffalo, dress like a buffalo
I was talking to a colleague who was lamenting that he was passed over when his company promoted several senior executives to VP. He felt that his responsibilities were as important as theirs and didn’t understand why he wasn’t promoted … Continue reading
Supply Chain Strategies
Supply Chain Strategies: In 2022 we expect many items to be on allocation and/or have delivery dates and quantity to be randomly and suddenly changed. Many items, not just computer chips. During their annual strategic planning meeting, Perfect Plastic outlined their eight-point strategy for … Continue reading
Ten Common Mistakes Companies Make when Recruiting.
1. Focusing on a candidate’s resume rather than on exploring in depth their aptitude, past behaviors, and current attitude. The right candidate can share specific stories illustrating their past behavior that will give you confidence they can quickly overcome challenges … Continue reading
Managing employees and raising children
My wife Mary and I decided to have children in our late twenties, somewhat later than many of our peers. One of the advantages of waiting, however, was the decade of experience we had accumulated in managing independent, unrelated employees. … Continue reading
Water wasn’t invented by a fish
Digital Equipment Corporation didn’t survive the death of the minicomputer. K&E didn’t survive the death of the slide rule. GEISCO didn’t survive the death of mainframe timesharing. Why? One of Marshall McLuhan quotes I love is, “I don’t know who … Continue reading
What business leaders can learn from PhD candidates
I went to graduate school at Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman, Montana. Uncle Sam drafted me into the Army before I could finish my PhD program, but my heart remains a lover of the Big Sky Country. One of … Continue reading
The challenge of changing the status quo
I believe that one of the reasons people resist changing the status quo is because every change creates winners and losers. (See my “Why do people resist change?” blog entry.) This insight is not new; in fact, one of the … Continue reading
Where to look for innovation
At every annul planning meeting with a client company, we have the team take a look at their business from a different perspective, inspired by a current business book or article. This year’s inspiration is Ten Types of Innovation: The Discipline of Building … Continue reading
Is the capital you need hiding in plain sight?
On a recent flight, I was sitting next to a Southwest Airlines pilot and asked him about the “things” on the end of the plane’s wings that weren’t there a few years ago. He told me that the airline was able … Continue reading
Why does he want to be a manager?
“Where do you want to be in five years?” I asked Burt, the grandson of one of my oldest friends. Burt had just graduated college and was in the midst of job hunting. Burt answered: “I’d like to have my … Continue reading