A Second Cup of Coffee
Much has been written and talked about concerning employee engagement, I am reminded that it is often simple gestures that help create a better workplace atmosphere.
A Second Cup of Coffee
Organizational Culture & Improvement
Home Field Advantage: Welcoming Customers and Prospects to Your Facility
Home Field Advantage: Welcoming Customers and Prospects to Your Facility
Some time ago, I visited an underperforming company. Their Chairman of the Board asked me to spend time on a tour of the facility and to provide feedback. Once that was finished, I was asked what I thought. “You failed the mop test”, was my response. The plant...
Making Meetings Matter!
Making Meetings Matter!
Few items raise more concerns (complaints?) than the subject of meetings. Small or large, routine, or ad hoc, brief, or multi-day, meetings in organizations are known to be an unavoidable evil. We can do better. While there are helpful books on the subject (including...
Accountability: Don’t Count on It
Accountability: Don’t Count on It
As a long-time sports fan, I am taken by the number of head football coaches who are shown the door at the end of the season. There are many reasons for this; the most obvious being too many losses as is the case with my team this year (and the year before that,...
The People Paradox
The People Paradox
A recent Wall Street Journal article captures an emerging trend concerning a key management challenge: people. Executives are reviewing their strategies regarding team size, deployment, and overall employee contributions to the organization. Companies like Walmart,...
Back to Basics
Back to Basics
It seems to emerge as a common theme. A business hits a rough patch when nothing they try seems to work. Then, when all the innovating and experimentation is exhausted, a move back to basics ensues. So it is for coffee giant, Starbucks. According to a recent...