In 1991, when I reported for duty on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), one of the first new vocabulary words I learned was FOD. FOD is a TLA (Three Letter Acronym) used by the U.S. Navy to mean “Foreign Object Damage.” A tiny screw, a missing bolt, a scrap of metal wire, a…
“If your business were an animal, what animal would you be?” A few weeks ago I did an alignment session with an executive team to help them finalize their One Page Business Plans. While the plans were coming together in terms of guiding the business over the next year, I observed some questions and uncertainty…
When I was about ten years old, I lived in Warner Robins, Georgia, where my dad was stationed at the big US Air Force base. My parents signed me up for the base soccer team, which was part of a youth soccer league in the town. There was an ongoing rivalry between the base team…
I’m working with a finance organization to help them create the culture and capacity to be trusted business partners. The organization supports several diverse business units and consists of a VP, directors, managers, and staff. Their vision is to grow well beyond the traditional role of finance to be true partners leading and supporting the…
Last week I interviewed a sales person at one of my clients. I was trying to get a sense for how well the organization is working and to identify the biggest opportunities. After a few minutes of conversation, I asked: What could we do to help you increase sales? The response: Well, I’ve really been…
