Blog Topics
Looking for something specific? The following topics address a wide range of business needs and challenges.
Cutting the Federal Budget: Can it Really be Done Without Everybody’s Help?
Talk of cutting the Federal budget has been going on for months and will no doubt continue for the foreseeable future. It is interesting to me that the talk has centered, as it usually does, on…
Safety in the News: Why We Are Still "Safe by Accident"
Two recent articles, one in USA Today and another in the Wall Street Journal are once again illustrating unfortunate examples of organizations (and industries) that are at risk for…
Survey Says?
Surveys can uncover a lot, but it’s what you do with that information that counts. While organizations commonly use surveys to gather information and identify opportunities for improvement, very few…
San Francisco Board of Governors and McDonald’s in a Food Fight
The San Francisco Board of Governors recently voted to prohibit McDonald's from selling Happy Meals with a toy unless the contents of the Happy Meal meet certain criteria: it contains less than 600…
Google Follow Up
The following is a comment on my post "What Was Google Thinking?!" My response required more than few words so you'll find it below.
Question
What would be an appropriate model for…
End-of-Year Bonuses; Some Parting Words
As the end-of-year bonus season approaches, remember the words of Thomas Gilbert, who said,
Money is a beautifully honed instrument for recognizing and creating worthy performance. It is the…
What Was Google Thinking!
The headline read “Google Gives All Employees Surprise $1,000 Cash Bonus, 10% Raise.” While I believe that companies should work to pay employees as much as possible, there is a right and wrong way…
Cigarette Warnings: Government Approach is Well Intended But Won’t Change Behavior
Several weeks ago Secretary LaHood unveiled with considerable fanfare, a new attack on smoking where manufacturers will be required to display on the top half of the pack of cigarettes larger, more…
Inspecting Our Way to Safer Food?
The Senate, this week, approved a bill that will require food manufacturers and farmers to use scientific techniques to prevent contaminated food from reaching our dinner tables. It also…
The Unseen Obstacle in Reducing Any Deficit, Government or Otherwise
Everybody seems to have a plan for reducing the deficit. President Obama created a National Commission of Fiscal Responsibility. There is the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Debt Reduction Task…
TSA Brings Problems on Itself
As the Thanksgiving travel begins to increase, so too do the TSA screening stories! If you have been watching TV in the last week, you are probably sick of the "should they – shouldn’t they" conduct…
Things that Drive Me Crazy: Behavioral Economists
What started with Dan Pink’s “Drive” has now compelled me to discuss Things That Drive me Crazy. In this first installment, I challenge “Behavioral Economists” and their lack of expertise in…
A World Without Whistleblowers
Whistleblower. The word often carries with it the stigma of a tattle-tale from childhood. Few children liked those who tattled as they might eventually tell on them. Although there…
Relationships & Safety: Is There a Link?
Does your relationship with your boss or your employees have any effect on how safe the environment is? My colleague, Judy Agnew, writes in her latest article “Why Relationships Matter in…
Oops #13: Mergers, Acquisitions, and Other Forms of Reorganizing
Mergers, acquisitions, and other forms of reorganization have increased dramatically over the last decade, and with increased globalization they will continue into the foreseeable future. However, if…
Don’t Forget the Boss…Or should you?
It’s that time of year again, where someone out there, has declared October 16th as National Boss's Day. Now I’m not saying Bosses shouldn’t be recognized for their efforts (assuming they…
Rewarding Things a Dead Man Can Do
On the face of it, rewarding things a dead man, or woman, can do sounds crazy. But corporations do it every day! Have no accidents, make no errors, and be at your workstation or desk are three of the…
Leadership Debacle at The Tribune Company
Interesting and scary New York Times article on how bad management practices at the top of The Tribune Company have trickled down and poisoned the company’s culture, kept it stuck in …