Don’t confuse running for direction. Don’t confuse process for outcomes. I’ve noticed that a lot of professionals are running faster these days. But, they don’t seem to have a direction. Ask about this and the response is that they’ll get there faster. My silent thought is you don’t know where you’re going, no path will […]
RUNNING FASTER WITH NO PLACE TO GO Read More »
A competitive world has two possibilities for you. You can lose. Or, if you want to win, you can change. – Lester Therow, Management Professor I recently had a client come to me and say: “You do great business. You are very responsive. But …” The but was the client wanted a 20% discount
CONDITION OF BUSINESS Read More »
What does it take to be employable over the long term? We know it’s important to develop marketable skills, which can be learned. What’s becoming increasingly important is what I call survival skills and attitudes, those that last for a lifetime. These personal life and work attitudes may be a sense of humor, adaptability, kindness,
KILLER ATTITUDE OVER APTITUDE Read More »
Our firm – Quality + Engineering – does risk management. I always seem to asking ‘what if?’ My wife thinks that I’m always looking at the down side and even I’m a little paranoid. I tell her I’m a realist and I’ve not medicated and I’ve never been clinically diagnosed as ‘paranoid.’ So, I put
ONLY THE PARANOID SURVIVE Read More »
Many fresh MBAs want to go into management thinking that’s the way to power, perks, and bucks. I don’t want to seem like a Cassandra, but …. There are lots of changes occurring in management. This is great if you’ve got the right emotional maturity and ‘right stuff.’ There are other ways to getting these,
DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT STUFF? Read More »
Manage the opportunities change offers. – Advertisement Where do people go when they’re promoted? Is there even such a thing as a promotional ladder in your company? What do I mean? At a recent tradeshow, I was checking people’s cards and was stunned by the change in job descriptions. More job titles were team,
PROMOTEABILITY RULES Read More »
A number of years ago, I got a degree in math and political science. Big problem. We were going through a recession and I couldn’t get a job. So, I went back to school and got a mechanical engineering degree. During my years as an engineer, I’ve done mechanical, electrical power, quality, software, energy, civil,
Metaphors offer visuals, insights and lessons. Metaphors provide us a vision of what to expect from work. The career ladder is a great visual metaphor. A person started at the bottom and with the right effort climbed each rung. The career ladder told us what the organization, its work, and expectations were for each of us.
YOUR CAREER METAPHOR Read More »
Business is war! – Jack Tramiel, CEO The big change I’ve seen in the last few years is that more executives look at careers and jobs more as war these days. David D’Allessandro wrote a book Career Warfare: 10 Rules for Building a Successful Personal Brand and Fighting to Keep It! Mr. D’Allessandro was
I like these rules of work and life because they are personal. Risks create opportunities in your life and work. Know your risk appetite and how you make decisions. Have a plan and direction before you start. Action spurs more activity from which you can learn. If the direction you’re taking doesn’t work for you,
HUTCHINS’S RULES OF LIFE AND WORK Read More »