Business requires people. Some are employees, some are customers, and others are suppliers, members of the community, or investors/shareholders.  The problem is that, for the last 50 years or so, this last group, investors/shareholders, has gotten the lion’s share of the attention. And while this select group is important, a much larger population fills out … Continue reading Service-focused strategy. Is it time to give it a shot?

If we think of AI as a child, then the technologists behind it are terrible parents. It appears they give it free rein to go and do what it does without guardrails. They give it an objective to find an answer without any values or moral training as guidance. What parent—outside of a neglectful or … Continue reading AI needs better parenting

When I ask people, “What is the purpose of business?” The typical response is, “To make money.” To that, I have to ask, “How do you make money?” There’s only one answer. You have to provide value that helps customers. And providing value that helps customers is …service. So, service must come first. It must … Continue reading Stakeholders, Service, and Relationships …THE Keys to Success

When you are reading a book, it’s nice to start a new chapter. It gives you a sense of forward motion. It’s a point where you can appreciate what you’ve learned and get excited for what’s to come.  We’re getting ready to do that on the calendar. While many argue it’s just another day—it is—we … Continue reading A new chapter

It’s that time of year. Time to pause. Take a breath. Look around and appreciate all those people who have contributed to your life.  As my favorite holiday movie (It’s a Wonderful Life) says, “No one is a failure who has friends.” So, take a moment and let someone know they’ve made a difference. Let … Continue reading Pause

Does your business put people first or profit first? Knowing this matters because one is about benefiting something greater than yourself, and the other is not. And when your work benefits something greater than yourself, it matters more than work that is self-serving. People would miss it if it were gone. And I would venture … Continue reading What matters most? Here’s a simple test.

Name one thing you must give to get any return. Simple. A hug. To be hugged, you must hug.  Business is the same. To get (revenue/profit) you must first give (service). This seems to get lost on many businesses where the ongoing money mantra takes center stage. But that’s a problem because money is an … Continue reading You must give to get.

If you are an advocate of or a professional tasked with making business a more human experience, one of the key pieces of advice you will hear is, “You must first get executive buy-in.”  Well, you first need to understand that buy-in is only possible if the executive(s) see the need and want to change; … Continue reading Waking leaders up to reality is sometimes the only way

Happiness. We all want it. We have a whole “self-help” industry built around it. Yet, sadly, many seem to never achieve it.According to research, one of the keys to happiness is satisfaction, the joy that comes from the fulfillment of our wishes or expectations. However, so many times in life, no matter what we achieve, … Continue reading Thanksgiving. A path to happiness.

“I'm not going to change the world. You're not going to change the world. But we can help - we can all help.” -Cristiano Ronaldo Beginning on June 6, 1944, the world would be saved from a madman—not by Churchill, Eisenhower, de Gaulle, or Montgomery; it would be saved by a bunch of men whose … Continue reading You matter!