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From rubber stamp to strategy asset
Do you mine the collective intelligence of your board? In today’s world, corporations are establishing processes that have an emphasis on collective wisdom for competitive advantage. This concept can be actualized at the board level through the board evaluation process. A recent study by PwC foun...
Best of CoBiz: Same old way, bad old way
Most managers don't know what their key people are up to. This lack of understanding results from a failure by the manager to regularly and clearly communicate what is expected, what is to be delivered, by when it should be delivered, and what success looks like. My often used phrase, "clear unamb...
Lessons From Warren
One of the dumbest things I ever did was sell my two shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock many years ago. “Warren Buffett is getting old,” I said to myself, “and he certainly can’t continue this kind of record!” Well, he has!
Board scrutiny: Everybody’s doing it
Today, there is an increased level of acceptance and sophistication in board evaluation. However, the evaluation techniques are still in their infancy. I foresee that this acceptance will continue. You may ask why. My observation is that the driving forces are based in the heightened regulatory en...
Workplace wellness strategies
More businesses are adopting workplace wellness programs to encourage healthy behaviors and reduce costs associated with chronic health problems. For the first time in modern history, however, the workforce is comprised of employees spanning three generations, making a “one size fits all” approach to wellness programs obsolete. The three generations in today’s workforce include Baby […][...]
Best of CoBiz: The business value of culture in a merger
The rules of “making money and making deals” have shape-shifted in an era of greater uncertainty and transparency. There is an increasing expectation of “full disclosure” in every part of our world, customers are more savvy, and employees expect to play a part in decisions that used to be executive territory. The job of leading […]
When key employees go to a competitor
Your executives and top salespeople have access to your most valuable business strategies, sales contacts, growth plans and innovations. What do you do when one (or more) of your key employees leaves to work for a competitor? Without the correct agreements in place to protect your proprietary in...
Passion is the fuel of greatness
In my consulting, I have found one of the distinguishing traits of passionate, high-performing organizations is an obsessive focus by the people in it on both the what and the how of their business. The what in business is the one thing for which the business is known. What product or service diff...
Best of CoBiz: Job of the CEO — Build value
Companies that are led and managed in a superior fashion consistently outperform their competition. Good leadership and management are generally poorly understood by those who lead and manage, but more tragically, they are poorly understood by those who hire, i.e., the boards of directors. Poor se...
Best of CoBiz: Try doing it Apple-style
Remember those first-day-of-school jitters? You were nervous with anticipation and, as a result, probably slept very little wondering where your classes were and what your new teachers were like (stickler for rules or laid-back and fun)? That’s not even considering all the social issues that arise...
Energy: A human resource
As my company focuses on culture and our collective mission and values as a strategic goal for 2015, I decided to bring in the most energetic and enthusiastic speaker and professional I know – Colleen Reilly, President and Founder of Total Well-Being, a wellness company that specializes in creatin...
The business — and the balance
We’re all familiar with the idea of work/life balance. We all know there is a price to be paid for losing oneself at the office or spending too much time (or too little) on our careers – and that there are so many elements involved in finding the ideal balance, if there is such a thing. Inevitably...
