Every business has to attract revenues from selling products and services, and every business plan has to describe how that will happen. Trying to figure out how to do that for your business idea? One way to approach that problem is to look at common models other companies have used, and see which ones fit …

Claiming ignorance is not good crisis management As a consumer, how much confidence would you lose in a company if they couldn’t tell you where they picked up 50,000 tons of meat? The Dutch suppliers being questioned in the latest horsemeat development may as well be saying, “hey, we’re either lying to you or horribly …

Figuring out what your people want can feel like an intricate puzzle especially when different employees require different things. However, there are basic things that most employees want from their boss. At a recent workshop, I asked people: “What makes a great boss – someone who can lead and motivate you”? Here’s what they said …

Have you ever worked on a project where you asked “what’s the point”, or felt that you shouldn’t be wasting any more effort on it? I have, and it makes you wonder who is really in control and whether they really understand why a Business Case is essential. I’ll give you an example. Some time …

This posting by: Hank Lewis In a recent exchange of email…. “What’s the standard thought on nonprofit annual employee appeals (a.k.a. asking your employees to donate back to the organization)? Is this standard practice? Is it a good/bad idea?” Like almost everything else in fundraising, there is no “standard” thought about annual employee appeals. There …

View things through your audience’s eyes and gain valuable crisis communications insights It’s become fairly accepted that, when found to be in the wrong, organizations should explain what happened, how they plan to set things right, and how they plan to prevent the same issue from occurring again. One critical factor that’s often missing, however, …

Truly commentary. In a recent comment, I promised that my next blog would focus on talent and performance. Some see talent as something you have or you don’t. I don’t see it quite so black and white. I believe someone can have inherent talent (or a natural ability) and others have to work hard at …

The notion of “scale” gets a great deal of attention in the social enterprise world. It seems to suggest fast growth from taking a successful model to expanded size, locations and social impact, all at warp speed. Social capital, business competitions, even funders often talk about scale as if it were the ultimate goal for …

Many times my executive coaching clients express frustration because others do not meet their expectations. When you set clear agreements at the beginning of a project or new work relationship, you can avoid pitfalls and misunderstandings. Here are some questions to help you set clear agreements in an effective and collaborative “coach approach” manner. What? …

During my career, I have been given a few nuggets of wisdom from people with whom I have made contact. Upon truly understanding their meaning, those words shaped a paradigm shift in my thinking that transformed the way in which I did my work or lived my life. Other pieces of wisdom I heard simply …