http://www.championorganizations.com Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:04:51 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Ten years ago I heard U.S. Army General and first Gulf War Commander Norman Schwartzkopf speak at a leadership conference. He told us that day that defining leadership was similar to the Supreme Court's definition of obscenity, "I can't define it but I know it when I see it." He ... http://www.championorganizations.com/2009/10/24/champion-leadership-tip-1-leadership-defined/ Often times when I walk into a company for a meeting, whether it be a marketing call on my behalf or a client consulting session I am usually offered a beverage by someone in the company. Sometimes the offer doesn't come until I meet with my party, other times it ... http://www.championorganizations.com/2009/10/16/little-things-make-a-big-difference-in-customer-service/ One of the most mis-understood and mis-construed concepts in all the business world has to be the concept of "mission." There are probably as many different takes on "mission" as there are consultants who facilitate strategic plans. Many times the vision and mission are confused. Other times the mission is two-three ... http://www.championorganizations.com/2009/10/14/forget-about-your-companys-mission/ In Tuesday's Wall St. Journal Pat Lencioni wrote an article proclaiming that many CEOs are "wusses," meaning they are weak when it comes to proactively managing performance. I have one thing to say: ABSOLUTELY! I couldn't agree more. As many of you know my coaching practice began by helping business owners breakthrough the ... http://www.championorganizations.com/2009/10/07/ceos-are-wusses-i-agree-with-pat-lencioni/ Ever notice how communication in the workplace sometimes is confusing or so non-specific that it forces stressful mind-reading scenarios? Well, two client incidents this week reinforced in me the belief that one of the most important keys to creating and maintaining a high morale work environment and company culture is the ... http://www.championorganizations.com/2009/09/16/specific-communication-the-key-to-high-employee-morale/ This morning at a client meeting I was challenged to define a Championship Organization so the company leadership could get a grasp on the concept. That was unusual for me. Usually I'm the one asking the question of the client to get them to focus on what they want to ... http://www.championorganizations.com/2009/09/02/champion-organization-defined-does-yours-stack-up/ Differentiation in the marketplace is key to sustaining long-term business growth and success. How and where to accomplish that market differentiation so that a company gains a competitive advantage is a question I consistently get from my clients. There are three primary areas through which a company can gain a competitive ... http://www.championorganizations.com/2009/08/02/how-a-champion-culture-gives-your-company-a-competitive-advantage/ I don't know about you but the first week back from vacation always takes me a couple of days to get back in the swing of things. This year was no exception despite the fact that this summer's vacation was one of those new fangled "staycations."  It seemed like a ... http://www.championorganizations.com/2009/07/31/staycation-serves-purpose-doesnt-replace-vacation/ I realized yesterday while facilitating a clients' senior leadership team meeting that they were stuck in the old style CYA culture. You know, "Cover Your A##." I asked if they ever went on a construction job site and just gave out praise to the workers and the site supervisor pointing out ... http://www.championorganizations.com/2009/07/14/does-your-company-have-a-cya-culture/ A couple of years ago I hired a new business coach to help me restructure my business and move it in a new direction. The first question out of his mouth before agreeing to take me on as a client was, "what is your business model?" I'm embarrassed to say as ... http://www.championorganizations.com/2009/07/12/patience-persistence-two-drivers-of-sales-success/