If there is one thing that causes inefficiency in the work place more than any other, I think it may be ripple effect of missed deadlines. Generally, missed deadlines come in two forms. One is the simple passing of a …
As the 2008 Presidential Elections fade from our collective memory, I’d like to ask you to take a look back and think about the voting process. No, not the two years running up to November 4th, how you selected your …
There is an old saying: “When opportunity knocks, answer the door.” But in these volatile times, it is hard to know whether you are looking at an opportunity or not!? One can get whiplash just watching the stock market with …
According to the internet, Woody Allen is responsible for the quote: “90% of Life Is Just Showing Up”. While I’m not sure what the exact percentage should be, I’d argue that it’s no more than one-third. While showing up is …
While I realize that the title of this newsletter might sound counter intuitive, it is a thought worth considering. Fix your small problems first. We all know that many books have been written about prioritization and tackling the A’s before …
With all of the computing power that has been applied to business over the last 30 years, I sometimes wonder if it has produced any better information!? Yes, we have reams of data but there are times when it serves …
It’s A System . . . A business is a system. Much like a mechanical system or the human body, if one part is not working it puts pressure on all the others. If you think about your own business …
As I look back over the last several newsletters that I have written, it occurred to me that my recent focus has been on “details” . . . spending, cost controls, etc. While this is certainly important, I wanted to …
When I walk into a new organization I question every cost that crosses my desk. Why? Because it matters! Every dollar matters and experience has taught me there is a lot of waste out there! Obviously, I question the bigger …
During any given week, I get multiple requests that sound something like this: “Can we spend $2,500 on xyz?” Or, “We need to buy abc and it’s going to cost $12,000.” Well, actually, that last one isn’t technically a request; …
