Family businesses Forever 21 & Nordstrom offer a contrast in management styles. Within this contrast is a Lesson Found for other family businesses. Founded in 1984 by the Chang family, the fast-fashion innovator Forever 21 expanded rapidly in the early 2000s only to file for bankruptcy last month. The cause of this change in fortunes can be traced to the Chang family’s management style.
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 24th
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.
Is your business’s customer service consistently excellent?
Remember 25-years ago when hotel reservations were made by calling an 800-number? I recently reverted back, making a phone call to book my hotel reservation and, in the process, gained a Lesson Found.
Are your goals keeping you on target?
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
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
Establishing Internal Controls Which Enhance Growth
In January, headlines reported the dramatic collapse of QuadrigaCX, Canada’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. The source of QuadrigaCX’s problems provides a vital Lesson Found for owners. Initial reports tied the cause of QuadrigaCX’s collapse to the death of its founder, Gerald Cotten, since he was the sole person who knew the passwords to access cryptocurrencies valued at $136 million. A subsequent audit revealed that a large portion of those funds had been redirected
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.