The one constant in the business world is that there will always be change. And of course, some types of change are easier to deal with than others.Mergers and acquisitions represent tremendous change for any company, and the stakes couldn't be any higher. In fact, it’s estimated that U.S. company mergers fail more often than marriages.As [...]
Let's review a common scenario for just a moment. You have done your best to prepare for an important presentation you must deliver internally or externally. You’ve created a myriad of PowerPoint slides and have practiced each and every word over and over. The day your scheduled to present, you get in front of the audience [...]
For some people, negotiating is sheer misery. They’re concerned with failing to achieve their goal, or alienating the other party… or both. And yet, negotiation happens every day. Whether we’re selling products or services, purchasing supplies, negotiating salary and job requirements, obtaining internal resources for project support, or even agreeing on household chores.Unfortunately, the negotiation process can [...]
I recently returned from a trip to Dubai, and remain impressed by the continued efforts that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has made to encourage professional excellence in all organizations, and at all levels. What can managers and leaders learn about progressive thinking and excellence from Dubai? Quite a bit! In fact, the UAE Prime Minister [...]
There are a number of factors that can motivate employees to work hard. A good salary, or a competitive benefits package attracts many workers. But it takes a special workplace to keep employees truly engaged and committed — to inspire them to go above and beyond the call of duty to become real superheroes on [...]
In our day-to-day workplace, as in life, we often find ourselves dealing with unresolved issues, confusion and decisions we must make. For most of us, our initial instinct in such situations is to take immediate action in an attempt to resolve the issue. To simply put it behind us, move on and check it off our [...]
Change is a fact of life in the workplace. The trick is that the effective leader should be the one driving the change, rather than following it. As Harry Truman said, “Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.” In recent years, many executives have found themselves reacting [...]
A few weeks ago in this blog we talked about the by-products of fast growth, one of which is the challenge of making sure that new managers have the right skill set to be successful. This is particularly pertinent to companies in Central Texas because Texas employment grew the most of all the ten fastest-growing [...]
As we move into 2015 with plans for success, I am again reminded of the reasons I began my own career, many years ago, in training and professional development. Sharing what we have learned and the challenges we have faced, helps other professionals build awareness and new skills for their own success.Years ago, as a part [...]
When trying to decide on something recently that seemed extremely important, I found myself feeling stuck and frustrated. The problem in trying to make the “right” decision is that we can develop "analysis paralysis." Many times the perceived importance of the decision can feel overwhelming. Some of us may have a hard time simply deciding [...]
