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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Leave a trail of breadcrumbs

My one-time boss and long-time friend Dan was sharing his work experiences at Westinghouse and IBM. Over a dinner of succulent lobster and locally grown corn, he contrasted the two company’s staffing strategies. When Dan was at Westinghouse, they promoted a … Continue reading

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Beware hiring a “Charles Ponzi” to lead your sales or IT team

“How strong is our sales pipeline for next year?” Bob, the CEO of Creative Analytics asked in the annual strategy planning meeting. “Great!” replied Pat, the sales VP. “I’ve got a dozen projects lined up, at least half are a … Continue reading

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