“I once was lost, but now am found… …was blind, but now I see…” Crafting a killer Vision statement is top priority for most companies where senior leaders paint a picture of the future position of the company.  Most often, elements of the vision and mission statements are combined to represent the organization’s purpose, strategy,…

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Smart business protocol often stagnates in Summer.  Invest a little time in these areas over the 4th of July to insure that you end quarter three of 2013 with a bang.  A surge in productivity, creativity, efficiency and profitability is achievable.  Don’t be tempted to cut expenses but rather focus on the basics that will…

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My mom used to tell me that you are nothing if you don’t have a “good name.” “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” as quoted in William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, in which Juliet argues that the names of things do not matter, only what things “are.” This year, more…

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When I worked at Sonic as a carhop, I once got a “tip” (more like a snarky quip) on a tea stained napkin.  The “tip” stated “get a real job.” What a mean gesture that made me feel rotten. Any job is a “real job,” and that one in particular set the strategic path and business foundation…

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You’ve heard time and time again that success in business decision making requires that we are forward looking and insightful in measurement and analysis in order to make key decisions. We are, in what we call, a measurement culture – where business decisions are driven by measuring, reporting, and managing key strategic and operational metrics. In…

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Everyone has influence—the ability to drive action. Can you quantify influence considering “influence” is qualitative? Klout says you can.   When I first looked up my Klout score, I was both excited and anxious about seeing what my score would be.  I would be lying if I said that I didn’t care if it was…

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Editor at Large of the Chronicle of Higher Education, Jeffrey Selingo, suggests in his recent article, “Colleges Must Prepare for a Buyer’s Market,” several questions that parents and potential students should (will?) be asking when shopping for college, from…”What is the return on investment?” to “How tech-savvy is the institution?” Because of the endless number of substitutes…

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I’m heartbroken and I’m pissed! My dear sweet mother lost her entire life savings this week to what the FBI refers to as “The Grandparent Scam.” Here’s her story… Yesterday morning my mother called me while I was at work at Community Care College.  She frantically told me that Ronnie, my 23 year old son,…

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Align Yourself: Don’t pretend to be something that you are not. Who you are at the office is who you are with the Whole Food’s cashier or your Abby the cat. Demand of yourself congruence between your self-image and your public image. Never fake it and be committed to living the passionate life you were…

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Clear and agreed-upon core values provide guidelines for decision-making, conflict resolution, team engagement, and individual behavior. The origin of our values resonates with the personal values of every single team member and they support the over-arching purpose (mission) of the company Have you ever thought about working for our company or doing business with us? …

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