We used to think that copying others or repeating the same actions because they are institutionally easy or have worked in the past was very non-strategic behavior. Experience has shown us that in some cases it may be the most strategic behavior for particulars firm when it comes to expanding geographically and expanding specialties. How…
An excerpt from Accounting Today’s article by Richard Stanger and Carolyn Carlson, Winning the War for Talent. Many accounting firms have programs that give bonuses to staff for sourcing candidates. In some cases, these programs are highly successful, but in many they are not. What makes the difference? The answer is culture. The firms that…
In many ways, entry level interviews present the greatest challenge. Here are a few reasons: The candidates have little or no work experience on which to base probing questions The interviewer needs to strongly sell the firm to candidates who have limited perspective on different firm cultures The generational difference between interviewer and candidate can…
In many organizations, expectations have moved from “get it done soon” to “get it done now”. This type of environment can cause people to stop asking questions and move right to decision or action. Many times these decisions or actions lead to poor results. And, if questions are asked, many times they are the wrong…
On a recent, gorgeous spring day, I was eating a sandwich for lunch on a park bench when a well-dressed businesswoman sat down next to me. She smiled, acknowledged the great weather and asked what I did. I introduced myself and explained that we are strategic leadership advisers. “Funny,” she then said, “that is exactly…
For a change of pace, I’m going to ask you to engage in a short exercise that I learned on the first day of my coaching training at Columbia University. Look at the following list of words, then read them aloud slowly and clearly letting the impact of each word sink in as you proceed:…
It’s been years since Peter Drucker taught us that culture eats strategy for breakfast. On a more micro level, culture can quickly chew up and spit out even the most talented people who don’t understand and can’t navigate the culture. I saw a great example of this recently. A woman executive I know was hired…
Cultural deficiencies are often the biggest impediments to business success. Peter Drucker put it well when he wrote: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Yet, despite these time-honored words, companies continue to design and launch ambitious strategies without seriously tackling the cultural obstacles to implementation, mostly because they don’t really know where to begin. There are…
In both goal setting and performance evaluations, there is an ongoing debate as to whether to stress exclusively results or some mix of results and competencies. Companies answer this question in different ways. Those that significantly stress competencies strongly believe that the right behaviors matter as much as pure results, whether financially or project focused.…
When it comes to Developing managers the stakes are high. Do it properly and your employees will become engaged and make your customers happy. Do it poorly and your highest potential employees will leave and your customers will suffer. Yet, despite the clear evidence of the benefits of strong, engaging managers, most companies do not…