In Part 1, we reviewed the first 3 of the 15 questions that should be addressed during the “plan for a plan” phase of strategic planning. In this Part 2, we review questions 4-6. 4. What is the Scope of Our Plan? It’s not uncommon for leaders to believe that a long-term plan will somehow …

In Part 1, we reviewed myths 1-5. In this Part 2, we review myths 6-10 Management Consulting Myths. 6. Myth That All Consultants See the Same Problem the Same Way Each consultant brings his or her own particular view, or “lens,” through which they view organizations. Also, each has his or her particular biases and …

Purpose of this Customer Service Blog This blog helps you improve your customer service by providing articles, opinions, commentary and many related resources. The blog is for a general audience, including beginners and those advanced in customer service. The benefits of strong customer service are many, including that it ensures: Clear understanding of your customer’s …

“The Hokey-Pokey of Fundraising” Whether it’s a Corporation, a Foundation, a prospective Major Donor or the recipient of a mass solicitation, they’re not going to write you a check if the process doesn’t satisfy their needs. Getting a Corporation to want to give to a non-profit organization (NPO) is a simple matter of learning, understanding …

Current competency models in the field of Human Resources (HR) share common themes. Among them is the necessity of the HR professional to serve as a credible activist.

I know, you’ve got a great business idea. Everybody says it’s a winner, even your business friends. It’s amazing no one else has thought of it before. You’re feeling you should jump on it right away before someone else gets there first. But you realize you need to do some research before taking the plunge, …

(Much of this blog post was published in April of 2010. This post is republished now with additional information from guest blogger, Alan Hough, whose valuable comments are added later on below.) A common question about Boards is “How many members should we have?” Usually that question spawns a range of answers. For for-profits, some …

In this post, we’ll discuss one of the most important phases in strategic planning – a phase that far too often is forgotten, resulting in plans that sit untouched on shelves. The plan for a plan should be developed by a Planning Committee and should answer 15 important questions — do this before the planners …

In many companies HR does not occupy a seat at the strategic planning table. Who's to blame?

Successful entrepreneurs tend to be frugal. They have to be. They know that money and time is scarce. Too many things to do, too little time. So they focus, prioritize, cut to the bone, do what only needs to be done to get from point A to point E (skipping point B, C and D …