Articles published in 2016

Counting the Cost of a Career

By Jim Langley A business article in the Los Angeles Times caused me to do some research on the new CEO for a major airline. Within six weeks of taking on this position, the top executive had been hospitalized after suffering a serious heart attack. Months later, while on leave of absence, he received a heart transplant. The article stated that not long after his transplant surgery, this CEO had decided to return to work full-time with the long, arduous hours and extensive travel needed to turn the struggling airline around.
Tags:  Career, Priorities

Feeling Bad When We Have It Good

By Jim Mathis More than 20 years ago, the September 14, 1992 issue of Forbes magazine carried an article entitled, “Why Do We Feel So Bad When We Have It So Good?” I kept the issue because there has not been a time since then, or at any time before for that matter, when this has not been the case. For some reason we have a tendency, even at the best of times, to moan and groan about things being or becoming bad.
Tags:  Attitude, Feelings

What Do Others See as Your Identity?

By Robert J. Tamasy From time to time we hear of people taking a break from their jobs, college, even their marriages, to “search for their identity.” As if they might have misplaced it somewhere and are hoping it will turn up at a lost-and-found room somewhere. Such a quest might seem curious at best, foolish at worst. But in reality, our identity does mean a lot – especially in the business and professional world.
Tags:  Identity

Overcoming Employee Discontent

By Rick Boxx Businesses are often so driven by the bottom line – maximizing profits – that they are reluctant to increase payroll costs. Such a strategy might boost profit margins over the short term, but can have a disastrous long-term impact on the people who perform the work to make the company profitable. On numerous occasions I have observed that this overemphasis on the business’s bottom line can cause considerable discontent in lower-paid workers, like we have seen repeatedly in the news as workers speak out and protest in a quest for higher wages. Numerous factors can affect a worker’s sense of contentment on the job, but feeling undercompensated is one of the greatest causes of discontentment.
Tags:  Business, Employees, Leading, Managing, Employee Discontent

Excited about Excellence

by Robert J. Tamasy One of the enjoyable things in life is being the beneficiary of work well done. Recently we have had several craftsmen engaged in improvement projects at our home. These included a bathroom tile specialist, a carpenter, painters, a tree cutting service, and a tree stump grinder. In nearly every case their work was excellent, and I would not hesitate to hire them again if needed.
Tags:  Excellence

Owner or Consultant? Who is Your Provider?

By Jim Lange Some time ago I was thinking about one of my past assignments while serving as a leadership consultant. During this time, I was working with a local company for a couple of days per week, providing leadership and counsel for turning the company around and resolving some serious internal challenges. My role was to develop a game plan to assist the company wherever I felt they needed help, and then provide guidance for implementing that plan.
Tags:  Owner, Consultant, Provider

The 4 ‘C’s of Effective Hiring

By Rick Boxx When employers hire someone, they often reverse the order of what I call the “4 C’s of Hiring”: Character, Calling, Competence, and Chemistry. Many search for those people with a good resume and experience for the position to be filled. Once the list of candidates is narrowed, many select the one they like the best.
Tags:  Hiring, Character, Calling, Competence, Chemistry

Spanning the Generation Gap

By Robert J. Tamasy In recent years it has been my privilege to write several books telling the histories and legacies of multi-generational, family-owned companies. Two of these trace their beginnings to the early 1930s, and today they are transitioning into a fourth generation of family leadership. Their stories are inspiring.
Tags:  Generation Gap, Business, Mission, Values

Who Are You Trying to Please?

By Rick Foster Many products are designed to imitate the real thing. There is plastic decking that looks like real wood, and vinyl flooring that appears to be ceramic tile. We can purchase fake fur or jewelry, phony noses, hairpieces, and other body parts. The purpose behind all of these items is fairly obvious, but what about a canned product called “Spray-on Mud”?
Tags:  Pleasing God, People-pleaser

Advertising: Pleasing Aroma or Bad Odor?

By Rick Boxx

It seems the typical consumer holds a high level of skepticism toward advertising. According to the results of a study published on a marketing website, more than three in every four consumers – over 75 percent – believe most of the claims made in advertisements, regardless of the communications medium utilized, are exaggerated or intentionally misleading.

Tags:  Advertising