Kimberly wasn’t so sure she wanted to participate in the so-called Collaborate Problem Solving Activity that was on the agenda at the conference she was attending. “I hear they lock you in a room with other people and the group has to solve some kind of puzzle to get out.” “Oh, don’t worry,” someone said. “It’s a lot of ...

You’ve heard it before. Find what you are passionate about and open your own business. Don’t just work at a job. The problem with that message is twofold: (1) what you’re passionate about might not be what you’re good at and (2) what you want might not be what the market wants. Television commercials toss these messages at us regularly, ...

Now that municipal elections in Mississippi are over it’s time for the winning candidates to consider their new roles. Those who are assuming office for the first time will discover that being a mayor or board/council member is quite different from being a candidate. Being a mayor in particular is one of the toughest jobs going.  A mayor does not ...

Do your employees believe in your company or organization’s values? Do they hate to attend staff meetings? These two questions illustrate two issues that are getting a lot of attention these days in human resource circles. And it’s no wonder. According to the Gallup organization, only 23% of U.S. employees strongly agree that they can apply their organization’s values to their ...

  Question: Our business wants to increase sales, but is having a difficult time because there is a lot of competition in our town. A consultant told us that customers did not perceive our business as providing as much value as our competitors. Our prices are already the same or lower. What can we do? A: Value is more than ...

  It’s just about the time of year for graduation speeches. Speakers will pass along sage advice and hoped-for inspiration to graduates who yearn for speech brevity. Many speakers will tell students that they should find their passion and get a job doing what they love. That sounds good, but perhaps the more practical advice would be for students to ...

It’s often been said that employees don’t leave jobs, they leave bosses. With job dissatisfaction so high, and yet so much training on leadership and management, what gives? There sure does seem to be a huge disconnect. Generational differences, technology, no career advancement, the human resources department and the jobs themselves have all been to blame. Perhaps it’s a combination ...

Are you several payments behind on your mortgage and not been able to get any more relief from your lender? The next person you see at your door just might be Frank the Foreclosure Man.  Do not be surprised to discover that Frank is not from your mortgage company. Frank the Foreclosure Man is a composite I made up to ...

Most strategic planning retreats begin with an opening exercise designed to energize the group and get participants to know each other better. The big issues surface later on during the retreat. However, at one recent retreat the opening exercise exposed a major issue facing the organization. The issue: an aging workforce. The exercise: autograph party. Autograph party, also known as ...

With the March 3rd qualifying deadline only a few weeks away, decision time is drawing nigh for those considering running for mayor or other municipal office. To assist in that endeavor, we have put together a list of questions that should be answered by any person considering a run for mayor. The first question is the most important one because it ...