Strategic Discipline Blog

Think of something as simple as brushing your teeth.  It is not something that you ordinarily have to remind yourself to do, is it?

Read More

Topics: employee performance, precision and specificity, The Power of Full Engagement, Strategic Statement of Values

Let's start by reinforcing an important principle:  Will and discipline are far more limited and precious resources than we realize.  They must be called upon very selectively. 

Read More

Topics: employee performance, Execution, The Power of Full Engagement, human behavior performance, Discretionary Effort

Life can be filled with paradoxes.  Many times what we find to be challenging, difficult or extremely stressful can provide us with exactly the understanding and training we need in the future.

Read More

Topics: employee performance, time management, The Power of Full Engagement

Overuse.  In the Power of Full Engagement the authors use an example of a sprinter versus a long distance runner.  The picture here suggests the contrast of someone who is constantly overusing their energy resources versus the person who recovers after short sprints.  Underuse could dramatically show someone who is obese, fails to exercise at all.  Yet the important thing to recognize is the critical balance we must make in using our energy and not using it.  

Read More

Topics: 10Xers, employee performance, time management, performance, Balance, The Power of Full Engagement, stress, Stengel 50

"Time is more value than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time."

Read More

Topics: priorities, time management, performance, precision and specificity

This past week I had the opportunity to speak at length with a prospect that is a big fan of Jim Collins, Good to Great.  His business has been growing, doubling revenues in the past 24 months.  He’s been responsible for several innovations which have resulted in patents for his company.  He’s very aware of the momentum of the flywheel and feels his business is at the point that it’s generating that type of thrust.

Read More

Topics: Good to Great, monthly meetings, Jim Collins, Build up to Breakthrough Flywheel

We would all like to make better decisions.  Would it surprise you to know that how you go about making a decision will have little to do with how your decision turns out? All the time spent agonizing on making the proper choice has little bearing on whether or not it will turnout being the right decision.

Read More

Topics: Decision-Making, Leadership Training, leadership

Too often we get so involved in our business working to get ahead that we forget to celebrate moments of victory.  We don’t take time to reflect on what we accomplish.  We miss moments of renewal, celebration, and recognition.  These are valuable reminders of our success.  These raise morale, help us to pause and reflect on what it takes to achieve.  These are moments to shine the spotlight on people who have gone beyond normal dedication and commitment to achieve remarkable performance.

Read More

Topics: Acute Myeloid Luekemia, Employee Recognition, positive reinforcement, Bone Marrow Transplant, Michelle Wick

Read More

Topics: Discipline, Good to Great, Business Growth, Strategic Discipline, Business Priorities, Business Dashboards, Jim Collins, Businesss Disciplines

As a leader the biggest kick I received was seeing my people succeed.  Years ago while still in the broadcasting field I attended an industry conference in Dallas.  There a former sales person approached me and fawned over the training and experience she’d gained working for me.  She was now a radio station general manager and doing extremely well for a sizeable radio station group in Minnesota.  I was overwhelmed.  I had no idea how well she had done, nor would she attribute much of her success to my contribution.

Read More

Topics: employee engagement, Accountability, weekly meetings, employee performance, Business Dashboards, Build Business Dashboard, productivity