Last month, NewYork Times columnist Paul Krugman wrote about rewarding Wall Street high fliers who not only contribute little social value, but who actually engage in activities which are harmful to the common good.
Two activities Krugman addressed were Goldman Sachs’ practice of high-speed trading (the use of superfast computers to buy or sell stocks [...]
Another aspect of “hardlines” hard choices and actions relates to what to do if you have a difficult manager. I have had my share of them and I wish I knew then what I know now. Although it is often best to leave such situations, many times it is not practical. Perhaps now so more [...]
Here’s another installment from Tom about our coaching work.
I’m an avid golfer. Before the days of digital cameras and email, I had a friend who spent about ten years on and off the PGA tour. He was an excellent golfer, and was always in the top five in driving distance. And even though his knowledge [...]
On the op-ed page of last week’s New York Times, Deborah Warner talked about racial identity in America, and how that identity affects whom we are and what we do.
She made some interesting observations – our racial identity has impacted the recent arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. at the hands of a [...]
Here’s a continuation of Tom’s comments from last week:
Time is a valuable commodity. Before I started coaching, my tendency was to think, “Is this going to give me a commensurate value for the hours I spend? I could be spending those hours working!”
What I learned is that it’s not just about the time I spend [...]
While I can tell you anything you’d like to know about coaching, sometimes it’s more fun and valuable to hear what the client has to say. I’ve decided to start a series of ‘Client Clips,’ where my clients can share some of their stories. Here’s the first, based on the experience of a financial executive [...]
Anonymity equals unaccountability
Noted Yale surgeon and author Sherwin Nuland has written a new book, The Uncertain Art, which challenges the pandemic of unreflective reliance on technology in medicine. Dr. Nuland hopes that the human connection — interaction between doctor and patient — will be restored to its former position as the center of medical practice.
Sometimes [...]
What Transition Executives Need
I recently met a female executive who was offered a major promotion to a senior executive leadership position. This promotion entailed jumping a level over her previous boss and garnering a massive increase in responsibilities. In addition, she would become the first female managing director of this multi-billion dollar international firm. She [...]
Happy 4th and sorry for the delay in posting this week. A surgical procedure seemed to take over my life for a few days.
I want to share the thoughts of a CEO, one of my former clients of a multi-billion dollar financial institution, Mr. Peter Mattoon. Early next week, if not before, I will comment [...]
In a recent op-ed piece, David Brooks cites various research indicating that most CEOs’ success is due to their execution and organizational abilities. These abilities translate into specific skills, such as attention to detail, persistence, efficiency and analytic diligence. Other significant qualities include emotional stability and conscientiousness.
Brooks also states that researchers found that strong [...]