I reported recently on the trend toward cutting costs without cutting jobs. BW expands upon that concept focusing on mandatory vacation and voluntary leave. I have recommended that to several clients to consider offering unpaid leave to employees. I think you will be be surprised to learn that there are…
BW reported this week on the accelerating trend toward home offices. Even such office-centric firms as BDO Seidman are finding ways to save money by encouraging home offices - and outfitting at company expense. Capital One - health care companies - and others are cited for recognizing the cost savings…
As usual, Jack and Suzy Welch are on target with their latest BW column, critizing the new Administration for various leadership "shortcomings". The valuable insight for business leaders is that "you gain nothing by showing uncertainty and indecision". In short, get your act together, probe the issues, work them to…
<A recent WSJ story about cost-cutting focuses on measures taken to reduce the costs for current employees to forestall personnel cuts that business leaders fear will hurt their ultimate competitiveness. There are some interesting twists on several ideas. Agilent Technologies tried a novel approach by tying a portion of all…
The Wall Street Journal published a recent article describing new "paycheck marketing" techniques in various consumer goods companies like Pepsico, Heinz, and Kimberly-Clark. In short, it targets promotional activities to periods when consumers are more likely to spend - closer to when they get paid rather than toward the end…
<The WSJ offers an inside look at how open book management and financial transparency have been used as valuable tools to help companies cope with the economic downturn. It may be more challenging to start this now, but the rewards can be plentiful and unexpected. More than anything, it enables…
“This is a nightmare, which will pass away with the morning. For the resources of nature and man’s devices are just as fertile and productive as they ever were. The rate of our progress toward solving the material problems of life is not less rapid. We are as capable as…
Finding Your Inner Courage is another Welchway gem from Business Week. This time, Jack and Suzy Welch focus on us - how do leaders motivate themselves? When times are bleak and business challenges sap much of our energy, how can we renew our own commitment to success and find the…
The NY Times recently published an interview with Bob Seiwert, a senior vice president for the Center for Commercial Lending and Business Banking at the American Bankers Association, a trade group in Washington. Transparency. Full Disclosure. Risk Management. These are a few of the items on his checklist of key…