Impact Investing continues to garner a lot of attention, at Davos, at the Clinton Global Initiative, at the G8 Summit, and at social enterprises big and small. But it’s still having little financial impact. For now, big institutional investors are not participating. Until they do, impact investing will remain small.

Most people agree that a rigorous business plan is a good idea. Clearly it’s best to research the market and risks as thoroughly and objectively as possible. In contrast, a “creative” plan, one that involves sketchy research, is unlikely to meet with success. Right? Well, maybe, but perhaps a certain amount of naivety might increase …

Xevach is a director on the board of a government trading enterprise. He also chairs the governance committee. The company has a significant geographic monopoly and owns and operates a vital piece of infrastructure in the industry. One of Xevach’s colleagues on the board, Yolanda, is a former director of a larger, competing, government trading …

Presentations don’t have to be formal, stand-up affairs. Many times we make our case across the table from a client, a boss, or a colleague. It may be tempting to consider these informal presentations as unimportant, but just think about what is riding on them — a major sale or business relationship, a raise or …

Aiming for high productivity during the summer can be difficult when everyone is making plans for vacation and time to visit with family and loved ones. Beyond maintaining productivity in the workplace, it’s hard to keep employees in the office in the summer. In many ways, it takes a team player who is also a …

The Paying of Sweatshop Wages to Disabled by Goodwill Crisis management is required after the media highlights the contrast between the stated mission and reality The revelation that some disabled Goodwill workers make as little as 22 cents an hour while execs regularly rake in as much as $1.1 million annually has created a crisis …

I’ve said many times: I’ve learned more from my failures than from my successes…and I’ve made some whoppers. Goof-ups, missteps, slip-ups and embarrassments are no reason to ring one’s hands and hang one’s head. In fact, our mistakes can be the most powerful teachers we have. The lessons we learn often stick with us for …

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Congressional Hearing on OPM’s Proposed Changes to CFC which was originally scheduled for June 26, 2013 has been postponed. The hearing is tentatively being rescheduled for July 10, 2013 Watch This Space for Updates. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) received more than 800 comments about the proposed changes to the CFC …

Even if you love your work, you can get overwhelmed if it gets out of control. Many of my executive coaching clients set boundaries to help them be more effective in their professional and personal lives. Boundaries are the lines we draw that help define our roles and interactions. Here are some tips for setting …

A great sales letter or sales email has the potential to transform your direct marketing campaign and grow sales if the messaging and target audience are aligned.