E-bits

Drive Poor Performance with Ineffective Dialogue

16 February 2010 Running your organization with ineffective dialogue gives the same results as running your car without oil; they seize-up! Are you observing the performance degrading implications of ineffective dialogue? They can range from general disengagement and malaise to people being summarily removed from their jobs. Give yourself a […]

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The 6 Affirmations of Successful People

5 January 2010 We will succeed regardless of the economy! Consider the wisdom distilled from people who excel in their career. Careful observation shows a set of affirmations, declarations that these people make through their daily behaviors. 1. I can describe my picture of ‘success.’ 2. I am the institution […]

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When Your Employees Throw You Under the Bus

26 October 2009 The communication company, Comcast, recently upgraded their broadcast capabilities and required customers to contact a Comcast office for conversion equipment. I went to a local office and was surprised to find if full of customers. I dutifully took my number and waited. 30 minutes later the customer […]

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The Price Tag of Loyalty Lost

September 2009 Twenty-six technical people gathered in a room last week with me to discuss how they would seize market opportunities from their competitors. Even in this economy, they knew they have motivated customers with both the funding and legal incentive to bid projects. The meeting was focused, informative, motivational, […]

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Individuals Make a Difference

August 31, 2009 INDIVIDUALS MAKE A DIFFERENCE 23 years ago to the month, I led a labor-management group to a major American motorcycle company to see first-hand collaborative labor relations and just-in-time manufacturing. They were the place to go to see how to fight off foreign competition and be re-made […]

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Inside the Circle but Not at the Table

21 June 2009 Inside the Circle but Not at the Table The challenges of managing Government Cleared work Power hides in many places throughout an organization. In the April edition, the power of personal bias in regulatory experts was explored along with the associated risk to the business. Power also […]

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The Failure of Common Objectives in Multi-Party Work Solutions

27 May 2009 “Results” become non-negotiable for today’s managers. Using the ValueTree™ as our reference point (http://www.myvaluetree.com/TheValueTree.pdf) we see why managers are pushed to drive up earnings while simultaneously driving down invested capital. This leads people to make decisions that optimize their immediate situation while increasing risk to the total […]

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When the Shareholder Becomes the Customer

When the Shareholder Becomes the Customer “Our job is to maximize shareholder return,” I am told at a recent management meeting. This message has been gaining in prominence and momentum within internal corporate communications since the mid-90s. Have you noticed how these words have become management’s manta in the corporate […]

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Personal Bias and Regulations can be a Costly Combination

16 April 2009 Regulations give baseline guidance on how we conduct our affairs. Regulations level the playing field by defining the minimum requirements for everyone involved. Regulations can be the motivating force behind many of our daily behaviors. Reference The ValueTree™ and let’s examine how regulations overlay it. For many […]

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Destroy Value with Ineffective Interpersonal Relations

ISSUE#5 Ineffective interpersonal relations create drag on The ValueTree ™. Two weeks ago I was with a group of executives accountable for a complex, highly engineered product. They are from different countries, different companies and have little interest in interpersonal relations. The boss operated with the assumption that they were […]

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