This was an interesting article in the WSJ: “Nine Easy Steps to A Better Day at Work”….the one I really liked was the last one: “Replace presenting with reading.” Apparently, at Amazon, there are no dog and pony shows via Powerpoint. You get a discussion document which is read by the group in silence. Then it’s open for discussion.
Lately, I’ve been getting resumes to review. For many of us, it’s been awhile since we’ve had to work on our resume….I find the same things remain true even now….mylessonslearned. Continue reading
So, I recently wrote about expense reductions….which leads to the next question. How do you make sure you’re one of the people who stay? In my career, I’ve found there are 3 categories of people you never get rid of… Continue reading
Expense reduction is a hot topic right now….I find that the pendulum swings back and forth: focus on investment (revenue growth) vs focus on expenses (margin protection). As an ex-COO in Operations, I’ve only known the expense focus side. Growing up in retail financial services where margin was measured in basis points, it was a never-ending focus on expense management. So what lessons did I learn in reducing expenses?
So as you get raises or bonuses, it’s really easy to start increasing your expenses as well. After all, you can afford it. So why not get the bigger apartment, nicer car, more services….. So here’s the thing…. Continue reading
I know, it’s been ages. But I promise you I’ve been working on how to continue the dialogue on Lessons Learned.
One pet project of mine is what I call Personal Profitability….it’s a framework, a mindset, a set of tools (excel spreadsheets) which helped me get to a place where I could get a handle on my financial health. None of it is particularly earthshattering, but I just found a huge gap between saving money and what to do next. And I just sort of stumbled through it: opening an IRA, contributing to a 401k, buying an apartment, working for 25+ years.
Looking back, there were some things I did right. There were also some things I did very wrong (Gordon Gekko was right “first lesson in business is: Don’t get emotional about stock”). So, I’m starting a new chapter about Personal Profitability.
One note…I still think my lessons learned is relevant. Because a big contributor of financial security is the ability to perform at work. The better you perform, the more you’re valued, the more you’re paid, and the more likely you’ll be a valued member of the team.
So stay posted….. GP
Recently someone asked me about executive presence. We’ve all seen examples of people with amazing executive presence…..here are some of the things I’ve observed from people I think have great executive presence….
Continue reading
So as I work on the Personal Profitability Program and speak to more people, a couple of things have emerged which I think are important, but probably difficult to hear. Out of the desire to continue to share lessons learned, I see the following behaviors get in the way….
Continue reading
This is a really great article about performance reviews. The individual writing it talks about what not to do, and what you need to do in order to be a great manager. I’ve always said that the hardest part of my career was managing people….there is nothing harder. Difficult projects? Tough timeframes? Easy. Trying to manage groups of people without losing your mind? Not so easy.
Continue reading
Everyone wants to make life easier….often, experts will tell you that developing good habits are key to making life easier. The definition of a habit according to Webster is “an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary.” Here are random things I’ve heard which I’ve adopted….I find it’s easier to embrace a good habit than try to stop a bad one.
Continue reading