When I was 13, my best friend and I were nuts about Star Wars. We were determined to be at the very first screening of the sequel Empire Strikes Back at the big 70mm Dolby Equipped theater in nearby Cupertino. We arrived at the theater 4 hours before the first show to get in line…
Take a minute and think back. Was there ever a team you were part of that stands out? Maybe you got great results, or every person on the team felt integral and valued. It could be a work team or a sports team. It could be one you are on now, or you might be…
2021, I want to have a serious conversation about your performance. As you know, we brought you in to replace someone who had severe performance issues. 2020 started off on the wrong foot, then just a few weeks later, their decisions had a major impact on the whole organization. I’m a believer in second chances,…
Last week’s email about “Focus increases Traction” produced this response from one reader: I’m prompted by your email about trying to do too many things at once and how much you can get done when you finally focus with a group that will hold you accountable and help you workshop your ideas. Over the last…
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a creative firm with someone in the role of Sales Manager. Sometimes the owner/founder is playing that role, but at best, he’s a player/coach. When I look outside the creative world, I could make an argument that sales managers are the most undervalued member of a growing company’s…
I spent a summer working as a lifeguard and, I’ve got to tell you, it was a pretty great job! Mostly I would twirl my whistle around my fingers, first one way, then the other. When kids were running, I’d yell at them, “No running on the deck!” The whole summer, I didn’t have to…
”Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life forever.” ~Amy Poehler For the last week, we’ve been talking about risk. We talked about how difficult it will be to make a plan for the rest of 2020, about how we…
I was listening to David Baker and Blair Enns talking on the 2Bobs podcast about the “common traits of success” that they see in firms that they’ve worked with. These are guys who have worked with thousands of creative firms between them, and they are boiling it down to the few indicators that tell them…
On Tuesday we reviewed some reasons why you might want to reopen your office right away, today let’s look at some things to consider if you are not rushing back into the office. Giving folks the option to keep working from home makes room for those who still have challenges with childcare, or who might…
With cities starting to re-open after the COVID pause business owners are asking the question, should I re-open my office? If you are thinking about re-opening your office, you’d better have a good reason! Your company has spent the last two months working at home, and there’s a number of them who are liking it….