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…)
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…)
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…)
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…)
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…)
The “Screech Method” for Resolving Partner Conflicts
Childhood friends Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan co-founded and built Method natural cleaning supplies into a $100 million brand. And, like many family and other partnerships, the path toward success was not always smooth. How the two navigated past conflict is a Lesson Found.
Featured on How I Built This with Guy Raz, the friends/partners discussed their path to success and described, as I refer to it, the “Screech Method” of conflict avoidance. (more…)
What lessons does Brexit offer companies on contingency planning?
By now, we’re all tired of hearing about Brexit. But if you look beyond the political antics, Brexit offers valuable Lessons Found on contingency planning for businesses. Here are a few examples. (more…)
Branding with a Mission: Could your branding last 300 years?
How many pirates can you name? I’ll bet the first (and maybe only) one is Blackbeard. That is a testament to Blackbeard’s genius at branding! The foundation of this genius is Blackbeard’s consistent alignment of his branding with his “company’s” mission. And Blackbeard’s genius offers us all a Lesson Found. (more…)
Management Lessons from Coach Steve Kerr
For the fourth year in row, the NBA finals is a match-up between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. If the Cavs win, it will primarily be due to the super-human strength and talent of LeBron James. However, a Warriors win would further validate the management talents of Coach Steve Kerr.
A recent article in the New York Times focused on how Coach Kerr and the Warriors spend halftime. Looking at these 15 minute routines you begin to see how Kerr’s management style leads to success. (more…)