“Control your own destiny or someone else will.” This quote from Jack Welch, GE’s famed former CEO, is the inspiration for today’s Lesson Found.
I recently came across an article reconsidering the maxim “The Best Predictor of Future Behavior is … Past Behavior”. While the article’s focus is not business oriented, it does offer lessons on the current business environment. (more…)
There are many different ways to react to the disruption from coronavirus and the resulting downturn. My clients have come to recognize it as an opportunity both for their business and for Lessons Found.
We have three choices in the face of a crisis. 1. Give up; 2. Act like nothing has changed; or 3. Adapt. (more…)
It’s Girl Scout Cookie season. And the Girl Scouts’ new alliance to promote their cookies is the source of this week’s Business Lesson Found.
When you indulge in Girl Scout Cookies do you ever think: “This would make a great cake!” The Girl Scouts have teamed with the Food Network to make this a reality. In a new show, Girl Scout Cookie Championship, bakers are challenged to feature the cookies in original baked goods. From a marketing perspective, this show is a great way to extend the Girl Scouts’ reach. (more…)
The sale of the New York Mets was recently scrubbed because of one owner’s compulsion to retain operational control. This is a cautionary Business Lesson Found for owners of both family and non-family businesses.
Hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen offered $2.6 billion to purchase an 80% stake in the struggling Mets. This was welcome news to some in the Wilpon family who have shares in the team but have grown increasingly frustrated with the meager results under the eccentric management style of Mets’ COO Jeff Wilpon. (more…)
I recently heard an economist identify “opportunity costs” as “the most useful idea in economics”. That comment sparked this Business Lesson Found.
According to Investopedia “opportunity costs represent the benefits an individual, investor or business misses out on when choosing one alternative over another.” (more…)
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…)
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…)
The other day, I bit into a pear only to discover it was over-ripe. I kept eating it anyway. This experience led to a Lesson Found on making smart spending decisions. (more…)
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…)
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…)