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Fear and the Sloth
Each year the International College of Businessry and Managering holds a contest to see who can condense the combined wisdom of former GE CEO Jack Welch, turn-around magician “Chainsaw” Al Dunlap, and business scion Carly Fiorino. This year’s winning essay combined the heart and soul of true leadership and motivation into a light-hearted homily. Once…
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The Unbreakable Truth: Iron Does Indeed Sharpen Iron
In a world teeming with sharp opinions and pointed metaphors, there is one adage that stands as unyielding as a freshly forged blade: “Iron sharpens iron.” Buckle up, dear readers, as we embark on a journey, cutting down to the undeniable truth that this proverb, both literal and metaphorical, is no mere clanging of words—it’s…
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Does Iron Sharpen Iron?
While attending a cocktail reception hosted by a local business incubator I overheard the founder of a startup repeat the saying “Iron Sharpens Iron”. This was the third time that week I was presented with the that old trope. Following the theory that once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, but three times is…
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From SLOMO to FOGHO: Unleashing the Power of Enthusiasm
In the dynamic realm of business, the attitudes and approaches of individuals play a crucial role in determining success. Introducing FOGHO, an acronym derived from “Full On, Gung – HO,” which symbolizes an infectious level of enthusiasm and unwavering dedication to the mission. On the flip side, we have SLOMOs, the employees who seem to…
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Inflation or WINflation?!
Economic inflation is running at the highest level in over a generation, but should this concern you as a manager? YES, most definitely. Ignore inflation and you might be ignoring the greatest motivational tool of a lifetime. A typical definition of inflation is when too much money is chasing too few goods causing prices to…
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Quiet-Quitters? It’s Time to Make Some Noise!
Unless you’re a manager that’s been living under a rock for the last year you must have read the headlines about Quiet-Quitting. In a nutshell, Quiet-Quitting is a passive-aggressive attempt by employees to reduce their workload in response to a perceived slight by management. If you pay attention to business media you would think QQ…
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The Kum-By-Yah Factory – Part 1
In answering the question “how do we best cultivate healthy, productive employees?” – it turns out science answered this question for us nearly 80 years ago. Dust off your psychology textbook and open your eyes. On the topic of employee motivation, Abraham Maslow has something important to say, and I suggest you listen closely. Of…
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The Kum-By-Yah Factory – Part 2
Ok – lets recap. Mazlow’s hierarchy can be a useful and didactic tool for helping us reach our personal psychological potential. For personal growth, the pyramid has been a great success. Climb away. Applying the pyramid to business however has yielded a different set of results. In applying it to business: Mazlow tried. Mazlow failed.…
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Message to the C-Suite
Everything you’re doing is great! Every personnel decision you’ve made since you reached the top has been perfect. As long as you have the “C” in front of your title, so will be every decision going forward.* *Note to the reader: At ICBM we occasionally use sarcasm to make a point, but not in this…
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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…