Getting Rid of the Old PeopleAnd the Poor PerformersWhat a room full of executives, a hard-nosed lawyer,$300 million in lost value taught me about howsome companies treat the people who build them. Many years ago I was the head of corporate communications for a company that was quietly grooming itself for sale. We were trimming…

A Power Phrase for Cutting Your Losses —and Why It’s Hardest to Use on People Decades ago I bought a cassette tape package featuring power phrases from a motivational speaker. I honestly don’t remember the speaker’s name, but I sure remember one key message: “That’s all. It’s over.” He shared that he used it on…

I ask many questions when I start working with new clients. One I ask almost every business owner early in our engagement is deceptively simple, and the answer often changes everything. “Of everything your business does, what actually matters most?” Not what you enjoy telling people you do. Not the full catalog of services on…

The marketing communications team was in trouble. The CEO had let the head of the department and the number two person go. A competent, marcom professional early in her career was holding things down on an interim basis. The other team members were all competent and good people. Why were they in trouble? Management. Over…

At some point in our work life, we believe we know our strengths and weaknesses. But do we really understand ourselves from an objective point of view and in a way that we can communicate our qualities effectively to our business associates? I’ve been interested in assessments since I graduated from college and took Myers-Briggs…

My friend, Mark Talaba, died in his sleep on December 23, 2017, from natural causes. He was a tremendously talented person – and I probably don’t know everything about all of his talents. The first thing I can tell you, however, is that much like the way he lived, he did not want anyone making…

Through the years, I have notoriously told my children, “Life is full of big decisions, and this is not one” as they would deliberate what outfit to buy at a store or what item to order from the menu at a restaurant. So it’s somewhat ironic that much of my work as a business coach…