What role does benchmarking play in your strategy? I “grew up” in a multiunit retail environment where benchmarking worked wonders as a tool to spread great ideas and fix broken stores, districts and areas. But whether you are focused internally or externally, benchmarking has a dark side. As a problem-solving tool, we examined stores that […]
From the minute we engage with other humans (and even pets!) our parents tell us, “Be nice!” This is intended to be a catchall for don’t hit, scream, cry or make someone else feel bad. “Now look at what you did! Little Lisa is crying! Be nice!” As we get older, we’re rewarded for being […]
A friend recently sent me a video in which someone in the back seat of an airplane filmed the pilot and co-pilot chatting during an approach to landing. The gear-warning horn was blaring so loudly that they had to shout over it to hear each other. The video ends with the sound of metal on […]
There are some great lessons we can pull from these wheeled warriors into the business world. I get very excited each year at the beginning of July because it is the start of the Tour de France, a month long event. Thanks to VCR, then DVD and now DVR and the web, I’ve hardly missed […]
Position your business for success As I write this, it’s finally warm out and the lemonade stands — staffed by budding young entrepreneurs — are starting to pop up. This is a great learning experience for a young lass or lad, but might it also teach us something? On the way home from a recent […]
Are you humming the old Johnny Rivers song? “There’s a man who lives a life of danger. … They’ve given you a number and taken away your name. …” (guitar riff here) Sorry, I’m not talking about that kind of agent, but someone who can be just as dangerous! A good friend owns a firm […]
Years ago, I was part of a team that sequestered itself — at the request of our CEO — to come up with our “vision and strategy” for the company. This was a smart group of executives with good backgrounds and many opinions, all with healthy enough egos. We holed up for two days in […]
Hold people accountable in your organization I recently had coffee with a fraud. He looked good, smelled good, dropped names and used buzzwords like a pro. However, he was a chocolate bunny … sweet on the outside and hollow on the inside. These characters can deflect blame like a superhero deflects bullets. All fluff and […]
When I started flying high-performance aircraft at high altitudes many years ago, my friend and I decided to conduct a test. Above 12,500 feet, you’re required to have oxygen (OK nitpicker pilots … between 12,500 feet and 14,000 feet, you can noodle around for half an hour without it). We took a non-pressurized airplane to […]
I recently came home late from a long day hoping I might be graced with leftovers for dinner. Unfortunately, my wife was gone and frankly, her idea of leftovers is the last half of a bag of popcorn anyway (she comes from a long line of culinary-impaired Irish Catholics). As I pulled a pan out […]