Strategic Business Group, LLC

Category: Business Communication

Are you a “Leader” or a “Manager”?

I’ve recently found myself in discussions with CEOs and Owners about the difference between being a “leader” versus a “manager”. And that is the subject of today’s Lessons Found.

According to Merriam-Websters, to “lead” is to “guide on a way especially by going in advance; to direct on a course or a direction.” This is in contrast to the definition of “manage”: “to handle or direct with a degree of skill such as to exercise supervisory direction of; to make and keep compliant.” Considering both at their extremes, leadership takes a broad, future-focused (more…)

July 9, 2020
The Millennial Solution

Two weeks ago, I pointed to the perils of taking listening for granted. But what happens if there is a generational schism in how we communicate? That is where this Business Lesson Found begins.

When used in an email, what does an ellipsis, “…”, mean? How you answer reveals your age. Boomers and Gen Xers use ellipses at a sentence’s end to indicate their thoughts trailing off. Millennials interpret ellipses differently. As one millennial put it, “the dot-dot-dot is the height of passive aggressiveness.” (more…)

December 16, 2019
The 2 Sides of Listening

Last week I went to have my blood drawn for my annual physical exam. The results included a Business Lesson Found.

The technician’s first question was if I was there for a “wellness visit”. After a moment to consider whether an “annual physical” is considered a “wellness visit”, I said “yes”. (more…)

December 1, 2019
Time: Your Most Precious Asset

Last week’s ritual of turning our clocks back is a business owner’s dream: We gained an extra hour to accomplish our goals! This bonus hour suggests a Lesson Found.

This annual 25-hour day is not so much of a Lesson Found as a reminder. Time is our most precious asset. There are only 24-hours in the day and 7-days in a week. But how are we using our time and how much of it do we control? (more…)

November 11, 2019
How Kaleidoscopes Can Make Better Leaders

These Lessons Found truly are inspired from expected and unexpected sources. For example, my favorite kaleidoscope inspired this Lesson Found.

I love kaleidoscopes. I even have one in my computer-bag and regularly take “kaleidoscope-breaks”. While this may sound silly, my kaleidoscope-breaks benefit my productivity and results in three key ways: (more…)

November 4, 2019
Owners Don’t Have the Luxury To Simply Resign

Over a 48-hour period last month, CEO’s were falling like mayflies at dusk. There are Lesson Found for owners to glean from these resignations.

The carnage began on September 24^th (more…)

October 14, 2019
Do your employees act like spoiled NFL players?

It’s only week 5 of the football season and already the NFL offers an abundance of Lessons Found for owners. But let’s limit our focus to employee relations.

As of this writing, Jalen Ramsey is still on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ roster. If you’ve followed recent events, you’ll understand the need for the word “still” in the previous sentence. It began two weeks ago when Ramsey and head coach Doug Marrone, openly argued during a game. The next day, Ramsey asked to be traded. Should the Jaguars acquiesce? Ramsey’s “employment” history provides perspective. (more…)

September 30, 2019
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…)

August 26, 2019
Don’t Assume Your Way Past Higher Profits

I was reminded of the alternative definition of “assume” during a recent visit to the hospital with my mother. That definition offers us a Lesson Found on the importance to business owners of looking beyond their assumptions. (more…)

August 13, 2019
Does your voice invigorate your brand?

Speech scientist Rapul Patel remembers watching a little girl and a grown man conversing but only hearing one voice, no matter who was talking. That is where our Lesson Found begins.

The little girl and grown man were both using synthetic voice devices that generated the exact same adult-male voice. Clearly, that voice did not accurately represent the individuality of at least one of the speakers. Situations like this spurred Dr. Patel to found VOCALiD, (more…)

August 4, 2019