Dear Colleague, Paul McCartney, Sheryl Sandberg, Jeff Bezos, and many others in multiple industries are considered top performers. Top performers produce. They add value. They have staying power and they are all talented. But is talent alone enough? Skills, capabilities, and a stellar brain; that should do it, shouldn’t it? But we know better. Everyone […]
Posted by Susan Bixler on January 29, 2016
Dear Colleague, Definition of Company Culture: The combination of values, beliefs, behaviors, personality, and informal rules that guides the company in its day-to-day interactions. Culture is the differentiator and the greatest predictor of continued company success. It starts at the bottom and it starts at the top. Everyone owns it. It’s the air we breathe. […]
Posted by Susan Bixler on January 25, 2016
Dear Colleague, Points of View That Required a Resilient Response “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” Charles Duell, U.S. Commission of Patents, 1899 “Sensible and responsible women do not want to vote.” President Grover Cleveland, 1905 “Guitar music is on the way out.” Decca Records after turning down a group called the Beatles, […]
Posted by Susan Bixler on January 23, 2016
Dear Colleague, The greatest challenge of every business boils down to one thing – attracting the best people available, and then engaging, developing, and retaining them. Through them, services and products are improved, sales goals are achieved, and customers are well served. Creating these companies full of rising stars is one of the most difficult […]
Posted by Susan Bixler on January 22, 2016
Dear Colleague, John Green, the mega-selling author of The Fault in our Stars, recently discovered his very first book, New Year’s Resolution Streamers, while he was cleaning out his office. He wrote and illustrated this 4-page book when he was about 6 years old. His approach was to write New Year’s resolutions for each member […]
Posted by Susan Bixler on January 21, 2016
Dear Colleague, Best-selling author Annie Lamott tells the story of her competition with another pre-school mom in her award winning book Traveling Mercies. Their sons were best friends but the mothers were constantly locked in a competitive battle of who had the better son, and thus was the better mother. On one occasion, the other […]
Posted by Susan Bixler on January 21, 2016
“The one thing all famous authors, world class athletes, business tycoons, singers, actors, and celebrated achievers in any field have in common in that they all began their journeys when they were none of these.” Mike Dooley, author and speaker Dear Colleague, There is more excitement and optimism moving into 2014 than there has been […]
Posted by Susan Bixler on January 21, 2016
Dear Colleague, With budgets tight and time constraints even tighter, day-to-day pressures preoccupy most managers and leaders, so it makes it difficult to appreciate the value of making an effort to solicit feedback from others. Yet, the most successful leaders recognize that they cannot sustain success without receiving feedback and being open to understanding the […]
Posted by Susan Bixler on January 21, 2016
Dear Colleague, Givers and Takers….we have heard those terms since Kindergarten. No doubt our teachers and parents encouraged the giving and warned against the taking. But as we grew up and took jobs, there was more evidence that taking might make more sense. Why not grab all the chips on the table when you can? […]
Posted by Susan Bixler on January 21, 2016
Dear Colleague, It’s hard to step outside of our own skin and self-evaluate. Sometimes we are too hard on ourselves, and other times we just let ourselves off the hook. The ancient Scottish saying still captures it perfectly – O wad some Power the giftie gie us. To see oursels as ithers see us! This […]
Posted by Susan Bixler on January 21, 2016