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 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…
You should read the transcript From Ken Lewis testimony before the Financial Services Committee of the US House of Representatives. It is a reasoned discussion of Bank of America's performance and highlights several key points that we rarely read about: The US taxpayers will receive $2.8 billion in dividends this…
This is a title of a new book previewed by Business Week. It's reportedly as simple to understand as McDonald's menu and recounts some familiar adages. In particular, though, it emphasizes the value of employee recognition. This is an invaluable tool at all times, but particularly now when employees are…
I digress . . . but I've always wanted to draw although I haven't scribbled much past a kindergarten lesson book. When I see this kind of talent, I see a true gift. Take a few minutes to watch this - and think about the perspective and artistry that she…
Fortune magazine recently interviewed Jim Collins, whose popular book, Good to Great, took the business community by storm a few years ago. He talks about the current turbulence and some of the variables uncovered in his research about companies that prevail during difficult times.Being securely moored in powerful values and…
Business Week recently summarized a concept called a "bonus bank". In short, it is an incentive plan in which a significant portion of annual bonuses, perhaps 1/3, is set aside to be paid out over time, 3 years in the BW example, based on the continuing achievement of established benchmarks…
During this extraordinary time of economic turmoil, many of you have confronted the unwelcome task of evaluating employees when layoffs are required. In my conversations with CEO's, I often find that one factor that obscures the clarity of that decision is the loyalty of long-time employees. As a result of…