Lessons Found for businesses can truly materialize from unexpected sources. For instance, a valuable Lesson Found on business goals can be gleaned from a podcast contrasting two approaches to teaching (more…)
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Enhancing Conversations in the Board Room & Family Business
Enhancing Conversations in the Board Room & Family Business
I recently was privileged to sit in on a board meeting for a family business. How the board came to a decision on a contentious issue is a Lesson Found for all of us.
The business’s only remaining founding member* started the debate with an impassioned plea (more…)
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Will your plans protect your company from Petering-out?
Will your plans protect your company from Petering-out?
My son and I started watching Game of Thrones; him for the second time and this is my initiation. After GOT’s disastrous season 8, my son asked if I wanted to watch that final season. That is where this Lesson Found begins. (more…)
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Is your successor ready for leadership?
Is your successor ready for leadership?
Greeks elected a new prime minister last week, Kyriakos Mitsotaki, who is also the son of a former prime minister. His ascent as leader of Greece offers a valuable Lesson Found for family businesses.
Mr. Mitsotaki’s election is the culmination of his path into the “family business”. (more…)
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Building Team Cohesion & Achieving Goals One Celebration At A Time
Building Team Cohesion & Achieving Goals One Celebration At A Time
Fourth of July festivities always impress me. We really do know how to celebrate our liberty and our country! This year’s celebration got me thinking about business celebrations. And therein lies this week’s Lesson Found.
I’ve experienced many company parties and celebrations but two stand out in my memory. (more…)
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Is the investment of time sinking your decision making?
Is the investment of time sinking your decision making?
My 20-year old son, Jeremy, and I often discuss various business-related topics. Recently that topic was the “sunk cost fallacy”* which I explained is the mistake of using money and time already sunk into a project as the deciding factor to continue the project. A junior studying computer science, Jeremy immediately compared this to “coding” (aka writing computer code). This relationship between sunk costs and coding is this week’s Lesson Found. (more…)
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Addressing Sibling Conflict in the Business
Addressing Sibling Conflict in the Business
My mother and I recently traveled to visit my sister and her family. Except for the occasional meal out, we stayed in the house, simply being together as family. And we had a wonderful time! On the trip home, I considered the contrast and how stereotypical sibling conflicts burden some family businesses. The source of and ways to mitigate these conflicts are this week’s Lesson Found. (more…)
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A founder’s legacy of integrity for his daughter & their business
A founder’s legacy of integrity for his daughter & their business
This week’s Lesson Found comes from a friend, Debby Abel, who recently wrote a beautiful essay on her family’s business and the legacy of integrity her parents gave her. (more…)
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Aligning Succession Plans with Business Plans
Aligning Succession Plans with Business Plans
A participant at a recent family business workshop was surprised when I said business planning should be part of the succession planning process. This founder’s business had a succession plan but lacked a coordinated plan looking at the future of their business. This founder’s surprise is a Lesson Found for all family businesses. (more…)
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Building a team to turn impossible into possible – and more!
Building a team to turn impossible into possible – and more!
The gravity pull of black holes is so intense it sucks in everything around it – even light. It would then seem impossible to capture a picture of any black hole. But a team of scientist did exactly that. Their efforts offer a Lesson Found in what it takes to create an extremely effective team. (more…)