Networking Made Simple

As I was preparing a talk for the Washington State Biz Fair this Saturday, I realized that the idea of networking can be intimidating to a lot of people. When the topic of networking comes up generally there are long sighs. It can be people’s … Read more

What Employees Want

There was an interesting section in the Wall Street Journal this weekend about the Top Employers in the US. The section was paid advertising, so I don’t give the rankings much credence as it’s one of those pay to play “awards.” However, there was a … Read more

The Outside Perspective

As we get back to work after the long Labor Day weekend, and a glorious summer, (at least here in Seattle), I got to thinking about why we don’t always see what’s right in front of us. I had two similar conversations with clients this … Read more

Culture Breakers and Culture Makers

Look no further than your daily paper to be reminded of leadership missteps, especially in the form of an offhand comment or email. Recently in The Seattle Times Boeing CEO James McNerney said he won’t retire because “the heart will still be beating, the employees will … Read more

What Makes a Great Sales Executive?

This could be, (and in many ways already has been), a never ending debate, but in my mind, it comes down to a few critical characteristics. First, the person must be a great conversationalist. This means the salesperson, (likely an extrovert), is:   Comfortable engaging … Read more