First, your leadership must establish a vision for your organization… the vision must be compelling!

“The very essence of leadership is you have to have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet” -Father Theodore Hesburgh, the former President of Notre Dame University

May you be the king of your dreams!

Do some people in your organization take actions that don’t support the organization’s vision? What happens if there is no alignment? The challenges to alignment include (1) Power Struggles for Resources, (2) Protecting “Turf”, and of course, (3) “That’s the Way We’ve Always Done It”

Peter Drucker said, "The function of business is to attract and maintain customers."

Based on our experience with all types of organizations, this is true in government and not-for-profit organizations, as well as traditional businesses. We would add the following to this quote: "...to make a profit or to be financially viable or best serve their community".

This month, we attended the 5th Annual Public Performance Measurement and Reporting Conference, sponsored by the Public Performance Measurement and Reporting Network in partnership with the State of New Jersey Department of the Treasury. We found the practice of performance management in government to be alive and well!

If you have been around organizational quality initiatives, you are likely familiar with business process mapping. You may not, however, have ever heard of logic modeling.

This year I have heard several people mention the importance of fostering creativity in our children, expressing concern that our children become less creative as they get older. I have also read the research that cites innovative occupations to be the wealth-creating occupations in a community. So, I am sharing with you the following article by Dr. Ted Prince, which really brought some of this thinking together for me.

I remember my father taking time to teach me the game of Chess when I was a young girl. I so enjoyed his time, but boy, he sure took forever to make a move on that chessboard.

During my holiday, I found great joy in seeing friends at parties and having family over for the holidays.

Most everyone has learned the importance of writing SMART goals, and many of us have realized the benefits of writing goals. As you may recall, SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Sensitive. But, have you considered whether your goals are healthy?

An infamous governor once said "Don't ever put a goal and a date together in the same sentence." For example, the police chief should never publicly state "...we will reduce burglaries by 50 percent in two years..." The reasoning is simple, such pronouncements can be used to hold policy-makers accountable. This type of logic is, unfortunately, a political reality.

Do you have an "It" project that's been lingering around on your "Should Do" list for a couple of months now?

I walk down a street and there's a big hole. I don't see it and fall into it. It's dark and hopeless and it takes me a long time to find my way out. It's not my fault!

No matter the magnitude of the challenge, Dr. Who grins, appears to be enjoying himself, and comes up with an original solution at the last possible minute. What kind of early conditioning would one need to acquire an attitude like this?

Small employers suffer the most when it comes to business fraud.

“If I had my life to live over, I would perhaps have more actual troubles but I'd have fewer imaginary ones." -Don Herold, American humorist, writer and cartoonist

Have you ever found yourself not succeeding at endeavors you know you are quite capable of doing successfully?

I had the pleasure of introducing Dr. Steven Mills at our Rotary Club of Tallahassee meeting on Aug. 17, 2016.

To avoid, “I knew I shouldn’t have done that, but I did it anyway,” it helps to know how long you have to make a decision. How long will the course of action being considered be an option?

It's the time of year again when we look for a special gift for our sweetheart and those special to us.

Style without substance is, unfortunately, a common problem amongst first-time CEOs.