The receiving end of communication is all about listening between the lines to understand what people really mean. It’s as true in business as it is in life: It’s more important to hear what people don’t say than what they do say. Easier said than done. The other day I[…] Read On
It’s ridiculously hard to be successful over the long haul. It’s a lot harder if you don’t know the basics. Factors like global competition, channel conflicts and supply-chain issues are tough enough to overcome; you don’t need internal problems to make it even harder. When it comes to running a[…] Read On
We used to use research studies to draw scientific conclusions. Now we use data to draw erroneous conclusions and sell books. Sometimes the BS-busters are the biggest BSers. Yesterday I watched a video of a guy explaining why American millionaires have an average college GPA of 2.9. Something about college[…] Read On
I bet if you ask 10 people how to rate a CEO, you’ll probably get 10 different answers. There really is just one way, though. You rate them the same way you rate athletes, entertainers, doctors, attorneys or anyone else, for that matter. Including yourself. One word: Performance. In the[…] Read On
Sooner or later every retailer faces a dilemma: How to adapt to changing consumer behavior without alienating brand loyalists? Lately, that dilemma has become a Catch-22. Bet you didn’t know that Black Friday deals at Best Buy, Macy’s, Target and Walmart are mostly the same from year to year. Turns out[…] Read On
Friends often ask me why I do what I do. By any measure I had one hell-of-a career. I went out on top. Why bother blogging and consulting? Why not just retire to some pristine island in the pacific, lounge on the beach, write my memoirs and work on the[…] Read On
Wells Fargo’s been my bank ever since I stepped foot in California nearly 30 years ago. That’s about to end. But not for the reasons you might think. I’ve used Wells Fargo for a mortgage, an equity line of credit, personal banking and business banking for decades. While none of[…] Read On