Does your corporate culture make sense? There was a terrific interview with Evernote founder Phil Libin recently in which he said, in part: We always try to ask whether a particular policy exists because it’s a default piece of corporate stupidity that everyone...
Let's talk about perks and perception. My 5-member condo board voted 2-0, two abstaining, to have a 2-person pilot project to test the process for allowing co-owners to install small washer/dryer machines in their units. Now, a lot of co-owners have been pushing hard...
I listened to the TED talk. I sat through a Webinar on the topic. And, last week, I finally read Drive, a book that's been sitting on my shelf for a while. In Drive, author Daniel Pink examines the research and concludes that business has it all wrong when it comes to...
Years ago, my friend Ellen* confided in me that she wasn't sure whether to accept a promotion because it would put her in the role of supervising her friends. My question to her: If you don't take it, will one of your colleagues snag the job? She accepted the...
No one would call me an introvert. I'm the person who will almost always choose the room where I know no one over the room where everybody knows your name. All that moving around the world growing up made me comfortable talking with strangers. But I also have the...
I met "Shuttle Driver" the last time I stayed at this hotel in Atlanta. His actual name is Ghassan, but you wouldn't know that from the generic business card his employer provided him. Same for the reception desk staff. And Michael, the awesome dude who cajoled me to...
I recently reviewed Beyond Performance. It's an interesting book in which co-authors Scott Keller and Colin Price argue that: “Performance-focused leaders invest heavily in those things that enable targets to be met quarter by quarter, year by year. What they tend to...
Love it, hate it, or deny it exists, personal branding is a hot topic. And it's going to be THE topic today for #sm122, a weekly tweet chat around the business of social media. Join me at 12 noon EST as I host a conversation around personal branding. We'll explore:...
Zappos has nothing on the Corner Parking Lot in Charlottesville, Virginia. Just watch The Parking Lot Movie, a funny, fascinating documentary that debuted at SXSW 2010. It has everything: class-ism, culture, hiring people you trust, empowering your employees,...
Would you fire an employee who badmouthed your business? I had the pleasure of presenting at the Direct Marketing Association of Washington's Social Media Marketing Day. Our panel was charged with talking about best practices. Did you know, for example, that Facebook...