Last month, I visited Breidablik Elementary in Poulsbo to talk to 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders about writing. This is a “split” class where the different grades all mesh together to form one class. Ms. Hendricks is a fabulous teacher and the fact that she can work with such a diverse range of ages is a testament to her skill. That is a business lesson for another month.

The kids were studying creative writing skills and story creation in class. Ms. Hendricks knew my work as a business writer and thought I could bring perspective on how and why I write for business. Let’s just say that by the end of the hour, they had brought me perspective. read more »

Do you remember choosing up teams to play baseball insert your sport) as a kid? Two captains would be “appointed” or “anointed” depending on the social structure of the playground. They were normally the two best players and their leadership role had nothing to do with their ability to lead the team or even pick good players (this is true in many of our adult playgrounds called “the office”). The remaining athletes would be lined up opposite the captains, staring intently at them trying to be the next person selected. The ultimate humiliation was being in the final two, knowing only one would be the infamous last pick. Sounds a little like American Idol, huh? read more »

I just got my first pair of reading glasses. At 47 years old, I think I hung on for about as long as I could. It was either succumbing to getting the glasses or finding longer arms. The former seems easier.

I’ve been challenged in the early stages of getting used to them. Even though my vision is sharper when reading a book on my iPhone or working on the computer, I find that I can get disoriented when moving my head around suddenly, or shifting my eyes. I’m certain as with most things, my eyes and brain will acclimate and I will wonder how I managed without them. It’s a simple matter of training my eyes and “educating” my brain. read more »

Change management is a hot buzzword in business circles today. Everywhere you turn, experts espouse ways to deal with change in the workplace, in the world, and even in your home. CEOs and executives want to learn how to manage change; implore change; beg for change; and even get exact change. Well, I’m here to tell you that you can stop. You don’t need no stinking change.

You read that right. You don’t have to change. You don’t have to know how to manage it or teach it. You can go on forever doing just what you’ve been doing all these years. It’s your life and your business. No change! read more »

The nightmare in Happy Valley last November involving the sexual abuse scandal at Penn State cost legendary football coach Joe Paterno and the University president their jobs. It has severely tarnished reputations; incited riots on campus; will cost others their jobs; initiate civil lawsuits; and most likely hurt the university in recruiting students (both academic and athletic) to its campus. The collateral damage may be devastating to that institution and take years to overcome. read more »

Last month, I collaborated with a fellow consultant based out of Pittsburgh on a teleconference. Rich is an expert on stress management and resiliency in the workplace. I talk about resilience in mitigating and responding to risk. It seemed like a good opportunity to see what kind of synergy we could create. The result was a very well attended and dynamic teleconference; a new piece of intellectual property with an MP3 audio download; and potential for more with booklets and speaking.

In the past year, I’ve collaborated with colleagues to conduct marketing events; speak at conferences and seminars together; host executive breakfasts; and co-publish articles and blogs. read more »

The game of golf presents excellent life lessons.

In last month’s PGA Championship, a young man by the name of Keegan Bradley made history. He became the third player to ever win a major championship in his very first attempt. The bigger news to me however, was his admirable example of resiliency.

The 25-year old rookie was one-stroke back on the 15th hole when he committed the cardinal sin. He chipped his ball in the water and carded a triple-bogey, essentially eliminating him from contention (Note that this is a cardinal sin for the pros, just another day on the course for me). With only three holes to play, he found himself down by 5 strokes. read more »

Decisions made in real time more often than not… are really bad.

When crisis occurs, and it will every year, how you respond to it will ultimately determine your survival. If you’re a small business, you don’t get the cash flow, cash reserves, resources, or human assets that your larger brethren in the corporate world do. A sudden loss of cash flow, ability to operate, or reputation damage can literally kill your business regardless of how much insurance you have. read more »

I like to run. Well, actually that’s not entirely true. I run because it seems to be the best and easiest way for me to get cardio-vascular exercise now that I’ve hit an age where getting hurt playing sports becomes increasingly feasible!

If you’ve ever run any distance, you know that just like a car guzzling fuel, your body guzzles energy. I’ve found that if you keep a pretty steady pace, it’s easy to get into a good rhythm and you’re able to manage your energy level and even increase it, as you get better. read more »