Surprise parties can be fun. If the balloon tower featuring your age got cancelled—even better. Surprises in business aren’t so welcome. When the membership director springs a dashboard on you with every indicator trending south, it’s not a good day. Distraction is an invitation for the unexpected. If you’re playing Whack a Mole with details,…

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“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” Simon Sinek A colleague recently referred to the time before the pandemic as “innocent.” That description struck a chord with me. She was talking about how unprepared we were for the dramatic changes we experienced. Our lost innocence isn’t a bad thing. We…

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During 2023, I’ve written extensively about all things tech, from digital transformation to MarCom strategies, and more recently AI. No matter what topic I choose, one idea persists. These electronic miracles are pointless unless they are grounded in strong values, positive emotions, and productive behavior. Human drivers center digital initiatives where they need to be—on…

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Even with a friendly name like “feedback, check-in, or coaching,” a performance evaluation can be uncomfortable, or possibly downright scary.   It’s not surprising if volunteers are reluctant to scrutinize themselves in the mirror. That’s probably why more organizations don’t have a process for evaluating the board of directors, or if they do, that assessment…

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Now that “disruption” is a business catchphrase, is “resilience” an equally common term in your professional vocabulary? It’s a word that deserves a prominent place in every management team’s playbook. A global biological disaster was unique in our current experience. It introduced the idea that disruption is more like a wave than a precipice. A…

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While some businesses are writing their final pandemic chapter, the healthcare and restaurant industries continue to feel the aftershocks of seismic disruption. Nancy MacRae, MS, CEO of the Emergency Nurses Association and Kristine Hillmer, MBA, CAE, and President and CEO of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, are leaders who guided their members through the rubble toward…

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Nordstrom is famous for their return policy. They’ll accept an item that may not even be from their store. For this courtesy, they have gained a die-hard fan base.

Before Netflix was an idea, Nordstrom knew a thing or two about the value of personalized service. Since 1901, the company has been committed to providing a fabulous customer experience by empowering customers and the employees who serve them.

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