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Executive Edge: Nicole Singleton
Nicole Singleton last spring was named president and CEO of the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce, heading up an organization that represents 300 companies and 1,000 individuals.
Sinking to expectations: The power of the positive
A tragedy was unfolding at the booth behind me: Waitress: And what can I get for him, Chicken Tenders? Mom: No, he doesn’t like those. Waitress: Hamburger? Mom: Uh, no; he’s a picky eater. Do you have a kid’s quesadilla? Waitress: How about a grilled cheese? It comes with carrots or fries. Mom: No, he […]
Job descriptions versus job agreements
For years, I’ve been encouraging clients to create job agreements rather than job descriptions, but it wasn’t until last week that I fully appreciated the science behind why this simple shift in linguistics makes such a big difference in behavior. Job descriptions are a one-way communication of wh...
When negative feedback is actually positive
“If I see one more article or blog post about how you should never be ‘critical’ or ‘negative’ when giving feedback to an employee or colleague (or, for that matter, your children), I think my head will explode.” This was the opening sentence in a blog in the Harvard Business Review, written by Heidi Grant […]
‘Tis the season: Employers and the flu
So far this season, 42 states reported widespread levels of the illness, and Boston declared a public health emergency on January 10 because of the expanding flu outbreak. Massachusetts reported 18 flu-related deaths by mid-January. Needless to say, employers continue to be hit hard by absences r...
Calendars and budgets: Tools or poison?
“For the farmer the calendar year is indeed much more than a convenient measurement; his production cycle actually runs from harvest to harvest. But to apply the farmer’s unit of economic life to an industrial economy, except as a conventional measurement, cannot be justified; yet we let the calendar year determine our economic thinking about […]
Leaders vs. managers
There’s been an ongoing debate for the past five decades, and I’m not talking about Medicare or why the Chicago Cubs haven’t won a title since 1908. This debate has to do with leaders and managers. In fact, a quick Google search of the phrase, “Leaders vs. Managers” produces more than 15 million results. Clearly, […]
Is it time to fire your customers?
Ever wonder what your customers are saying about you in the market? If their values closely align with yours, there’s nothing to worry about, and you’re sure to benefit from what they say. If their values are different, the impact of what they say is just one of the many reasons it could be time […]
Take a best practice to a next practice
The Balanced Scorecard is a decades-old business alignment tool that has helped companies, non-profit organizations and government entities around the world focus on the most important and appropriate activities to move forward, while driving financial outcomes. At SquareTwo Financial, we recently expanded our balanced scorecard tool – called the PowerCard – so it not only […]
Four great ways to exceed customer expectations
Friendly employees and service, personalized solutions and the ability to easily find information are the top three attributes consumers seek in companies they work with, according to a recent Customer Experience Impact (CEI) Report. While these attributes may seem basic, they are often overlooked. In a recent article in Entrepreneur, Richard Branson explains the paradox […]
Board experiments
Recently, I had a magical moment. I’m a huge believer in distributing the board material a few days in advance, having all the board members comment on it in advance of the meeting, and then having the meeting without going through the board material page by page. No death by endless Powerpoint, n...
Confessions of a micromanager
And now a tale of micromanagement: In the interests of domestic harmony, I washed the dishes and asked Natalie, my 14-year-old, to vacuum the living room. It was comforting to hear the roar and clump as she dragged Ms. Hoover across the sky blue shag. “I’m done, Dad!” she beamed from her toes, arms behind […]
