An Executive Hire Case Study:

She had an amazing, problem-free on-boarding into the new role and the company.   From Day One, she was on a fast-track to be named as a lead candidate for the C-level succession pool.  Excellent hire – right?

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Those of us who are San Franciscans really love it when it involves our much beloved US professional football team, the San Francisco 49′ers. The 49′ers are in the championship hunt this year after a long hiatus, playing for their first conference championship – a step before the Super Bowl and league championship since 1998 against the New York Giants this upcoming Sunday. Better yet, they are being led out of this playoff-less wilderness by their much maligned former #1 draft pick, quarterback Alex Smith. Here’s the cut to the chase; can you come back if you’ve never really left? Does it count if the talent was already there but the way to shape it and bring it out its best performance was all that was missing?               ... Read more

You can lack efficiency and effectiveness in how you communicate. Or you can have both. Here’s how. As background, it always helps to be clear about what you’re trying to communicate. Simply pass on information, or engage in a discussion and check for understanding? Ask for feedback, or do a data dump and run? Great communication starts with ... Read more

There are a number of ways to effectively manage conflict. The approach someone recently used with me (“There are issues; you’re the problem“) is not amongst any of them. Here’s one conflict resolution approach that in my experience works 90+% of the time. ... Read more

Dorothy and Toto Meet the Cowardly Lion When you’re whacking somebody, stepping down to get out, or getting fired yourself, what passes for organizational “truth” makes most... ... Read more

Happy Thanksgiving! For those of us in the United States, this holiday is a uniquely northern American one (our neighbors to the north celebrate the Canadian version earlier in the Fall) and it is my... ... Read more

It’s been a tough few weeks for standards. While the details and allegations aren’t settled, the arc of the scandals involving "Why the Herman Cain Sex Scandal Is Good For America"(http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/rick-newman/2011/11/08/why-the-herman-cain-sex-scandal-is-good-for-america") , "The Penn State Scandal Raises Far Bigger Transparency Issues" ("http://www.forbes.com/sites/sportsmoney/2011/11/08/the-penn-state-scandal-raises-far-bigger-transparency-issues/") "Olympus Admits to Hiding Losses for Two Decades with Acquisition Fees" ("http://www.dailytech.com/Olympus+Admits+to+Hiding+Losses+for+Two+Decades+with+Acquisition+Fees/article23218.htm") and "Jon Corzine resigns as chairman of scandal-hit MF Global" ("http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/nov/04/jon-corzine-quits-mf-global") ... Read more

There are jobs that last a lifetime, and jobs that are over before they really start. In between is the job that has a predictable arc with a start and a finish; you just need to know when it’s... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] ... Read more

Every day you’re open for business – and even when you’re not –  is “showtime” for a firm’s culture. So what happens when something slips, and that great... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] ... Read more

We have never before lived in an age where attention spans have been so short. Have you noticed that on those occasions (very rare for me) where you’re watching live TV, the segments are … maybe … 3 minutes followed by 3-to-5 minutes of 15 or 30-second commercials? And unless those 3 minutes of TV are engaging, our minds have moved on to other things. In an article on leadership for the NY Times, “Finding the Core of a Problem,” CEO of Novartis, Joseph Jimenez, said this … ... Read more