Author: Frederick P. Frederickson
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The Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back
Deconstructing American sayings is admittedly one of my favorite past times. Our Americanized English offers some very colorful sayings which give our dialect a lot of historically referenced character. Often, the more interesting American sayings can also have deep roots in prehistoric Americana. Today’s saying is one that goes back more than 5,000 years. Here… Read more
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Managerial Stacking
Where can you find the best-of-the-best in America today? In the ivory towers of Corporate America? Not anymore. They’re at the gym, of course. And at the gym, it only takes a few seconds to find the best-of-the best-of-the-best within this already elite group. These are the men and women with seemingly super-natural physiques and… Read more
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Hopethetical
Distilled down to its glorious pudding-skin equivalent, a manager’s singular job is to focus his employees on the task at hand. Although illegal now, adderall and methamphetamine were commonly used to help pull an employee’s attention out of the daydreaming darkness and into the light with dilated pupils. Olde time managers often refer to these as… Read more
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Proof of Life
The hardest lessons to learn are often the most important. In business, apathy comes easily and often. True leadership is hard, as are the lessons which separate the managerial wheat from the chaff. Managers who have come this far are no doubt adequate. Maybe even good. But…as a manager:Are you willing to take that extra step… Read more
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Such Sweet Sorrow
Saying goodbye to a trusted colleague and work friend can be a difficult time. It may be the hardest thing most employees will face during their entire working career. Years or even decades of camaraderie somehow get washed away with a few gluten-free cupcakes at 2PM in the break room. You’ve been through challenges together… Read more
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The Death of the 80/20 Rule (part 1)
As I was taking the elevator to the 85th floor yesterday I overheard two CFO-type executives talking about how so-and-so was no longer on the favorable side of the 80/20 rule. “He’s not part of the 20% doing the lion’s share of the work anymore” the younger of the two gentlemen offered. Across the executive… Read more
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The Death of the 80/20 rule (part 2)
In case you missed it, the 80/20 rule is dead and the reasons are simple: Employees started gaming the 80/20 rule and helped make it obsolete. Like disco, it had to go. It failed to track employee accountability and productivity. A lawsuit brought on by the late “Greasy” Pete Shepanski’s estate. Not far in our… Read more
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So this is “goodbye”
One of the exercises each student at the International College of Businessery and Managering is required to complete before graduation is to write a “goodbye” letter. Something heart felt and inspirational. A message a great leader should feel compelled to share with their team upon accepting the inevitable promotion a degree from ICBM brings. We… Read more
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The Truth & Lindbergh’s Baby
The truth is too important to be tethered to just the facts as we know them. Truth is very much like faith, you must see the Divine before it appears. As the story goes: Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. was the child of famous aviator Charles “Lucky Lindy” Lindbergh. “Little Lindy”, as he was called, was… Read more
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100 Years Down the Drain.
Fred and I do most of our writing and blogging in a quiet, removed part of our corporate offices affectionately named ‘The Loft’. Imagine a 1200 square foot singular creative space with admittedly too much Lovesac and not quite enough pendant lighting. The overlapping throw rugs and light jazz gently oozes a calm vibe from… Read more