Happy Friday, September starts tomorrow and for most of us in business the month of September is like the start of a new year. It is a great time to get a new sense of purpose, rethink priorities and renew your focus for the coming year. “Focus” means “point of convergence.” I think
Steve Job’s daughter is about to release a memoir called “Small Fry” about what it was like to have him as a father. This was a daughter from a previous relationship and it took many years for him to embrace her into his family. The memoir is quite controversial. She shares many things that are
Happy Friday! At first, I really did shake my head. “A Starbucks drive-through? Seriously?” I’ve had to eat those words (literally) as I have been through—you guessed it—a Starbucks drive-through on hundreds of occasions. Our lives are moving faster and we are all looking for ways to get more done with less time. Speed
“Hi, I’m Joe the dog walker.” What comes to mind when you hear that? For me, four simple words describe in such clarity all the information I need to understand who Joe is from a career perspective. Now, I have to admit a bias: I have a golden retriever and a Bernese
Happy Friday! We’ve all had a comment that is suggested to be a “compliment” when in reality you are being patronized. I heard a great piece of leadership advice from the first female 4 star general, Ann Elizabeth Dunwoody. “You have to recognize those that are your advocates, patronizers and your critics.” I
What do you do if you’re an executive who resigns? You declare yourself a consultant. – Mo Ibrahim According to the Kennedy Information and Industry Intelligence Company, the consulting industry has grown at a 20% rate since the 1980s. The sector is a $118-billion industry. It is six times larger than 10 years ago, employing
Happy Friday! I always find it interesting when employees decide to “work-to-rule”. It’s a smart strategy that unions use as a tool in negotiation. A group of employees following the letter of the law is a powerful message; the system slows right down to a crawl. It’s proof that for the most part,
Happy Tuesday Morning! For the long weekend flew out to Calgary to visit some friends. As I was driving to the airport to meet my family, I spotted at least 30 limos parked in a holding area. The drivers were sitting in their cars, waiting for their turn to pick up passengers at the
Happy Friday! Let’s face it, we’ve all been on both sides of a really tough conversation. Neither party truly wants to be there. However, depending on how you approach issues around performance or substantive elements in an an organization good things can happen. There is a saying, “The truth will set you free.”
Happy Monday Morning! As I drink my coffee from my mug here in Vancouver, I ponder the lessons I learned while exploring Orca’s Island a few years ago. It’s a relatively small island, so I had rented a little moped to explore the different places. I stopped at Olga Pottery a store owned by Jerry Weatherman. His work is