The message came from Human Resources. There\’s nothing to worry about with the newly announced organizational changes and pending merger, it reassured. The changes will be good for the company and good for the people who work here it coached. I\’ve seen a couple dozen messages like this during my career. In fact, I\’ve even crafted a few. I\’ve been through mergers, acquisitions, downsizings, organizational changes, personal career set-backs and a myriad of new corporate initiatives. And the best lesson I learned from all of them? Stay a player. Granted my tactics for what... Read More

A paperweight sits on my desk, etched in silver the message: Life isn\’t always black and white. It serves as a reminder there are few absolutes at work (or in life). Yet, it would be easier if there were; if good ideas from bad, trustworthy people from non-trustworthy, and right paths from the wrong ones could easily be discerned. I\’ve learned in twenty years in management that increasing one\’s perspective increases the grey, as words like always and never become obsolete for describing most situations and most people. But early in my career, I was convinced there were right... Read More

Most people are looking for the secret to success; the secret to being a millionaire; the secret to winning at working. To help them find it, Amazon.com currently inventories 1,797 books promising success secrets, everything from “Mustang Sallies: Success Secrets of Women Who Refuse to Run With the Herd” to “The 21 Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires.” So, if you\’re one of those looking, I\’ll save you some time. The bottom line is this – there is no secret. There\’s no magical formula to follow; no short-cuts to take or lottery tickets you can purchase. People... Read More

“You ain\’t going nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin\’ a truck.” What if Elvis believed this Grand Ole Opry manager\’s critique after his l954 performance? Or the Beatles listened in 1962 when Decca Recording Company responded, “We don\’t like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out.” What if Rudyard Kipling quit writing when the San Francisco Examiner told him, “I\’m sorry, but you just don\’t know how to use the English language.” Or as a struggling artist, Walt Disney took seriously the words of a prospective... Read More

When we ordered the stained glass window as an accent piece for our home, the artist-proprietor told us he was a bit behind. “So,” he said, “to be on safe side, plan on six months.” That was two years ago. We still don\’t have the window. Each time we call or stop in, he has yet another plausible reason why our project isn\’t done, the appropriate apology and a new promise of a delivery date. What he doesn\’t have is credibility. Wishful promises don\’t cut it in small-town businesses or big-city corporations. It doesn\’t matter what role you\’re... Read More