This year, the annual process of informing college-bound students of their federal tuition aid package has been a fiasco due to numerous issues with the redesigned Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form launched by the U.S. Department of Education. If a system is mission critical to the success of an enterprise, run the old system in parallel with the new system until it’s debugged, before ceasing operation of the old system. Not doing so is irresponsible and has far reaching adverse consequences.
Too many ‘chiefs’ strip accountability from people who actually run the business
The use of the chief officer title continues to proliferate to now include chief cloud officer, chief AI officer, chief DEI officer, chief sustainability officer, chief impact officer, chief listening officer and chief knowledge officer. Bestow a chief officer title only when the position is mission critical to the success of the company. The chief officer position, however, must never dilute the accountability of executive line or staff management.
How you communicate with others is a key to your professional success
We communicate with others in the workplace and sell our ideas every day. When communicating verbally or in a PowerPoint presentation, always put yourself in the place of the audience and ask yourself, is my communication effective? Learn how to better communicate. It will differentiate you from your peers and help you advance in your career.
How not to increase shareholder value
Is violating the law and paying fines just the cost of doing business, placing profits above corporate responsibility? No! I like the ethical standard to which Warren Buffett held the employees of Salomon Brothers when he served as interim chairman: “Lose money for the firm, and I will be understanding. Lose a shred of reputation for the firm, and I will be ruthless.”
Employee trust in their leaders is key to building a high performance team
The foundation of every effective organization is trust in that organization’s leadership. An annual Gallup survey indicated that in August 2023, only 23% of employees agreed with the survey question, “I trust the leadership of this organization.” Quoting the Gallup survey, “However, when leaders communicate clearly, lead and support change, and inspire confidence in the future, 95% of employees say they fully trust their leaders.” So, how does a leader engender trust?
What it takes for your company to move from good to great
Achieving greatness is a journey that never ends. Very few organizations ever achieve greatness, even though at times leaders and those who they lead may use that term to describe their organization. As CEO, I would tell our employees never to refer to our company as great. This is for third parties to do, and our response should always be, “Thank you, but we are on a journey, and have a long way to go to achieve greatness.”
Why leaders should encourage out-of-the-box thinking
When searching for a new position, an important element of your value proposition is your ability to solve problems by exercising initiative and creativity and by breaking paradigms—the accepted ways of doing things. Include in your resume how you broke paradigms in previous positions to solve problems. Ensure that this is a focal point during your personal interview. It will differentiate you from others applying for the position.
The next president of Harvard will need to navigate a torturous DEI road
The board of Harvard will be searching for a new president who will need to navigate a difficult torturous DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) road. The most important traits the Harvard board should be looking for in a new president are superb leadership skills, emotional intelligence, and a deep understanding of the polarization that DEI as defined by Harvard is causing. The reputation of Harvard depends on it.
Saxbys teaches college students to be future business leaders
One of the greatest opportunities a college student can be granted is the responsibility to run a business, lead employees and be held accountable for achieving results. On average, college students achieve their first managerial position seven years after graduation. For those who have been Saxbys student cafe executive officers, on average they achieve their first managerial position 12 months after graduation.
Want to be the preferred provider to your market? Follow this road map.
A preferred provider is the business that everyone wants to buy from versus its competition. You differentiate yourself from your competitors. You give your customers or clients a great experience. You treat your employees with respect and as valued assets and help them develop a sense of ownership in what they do.
Don’t micromanage employees. Empower and hold them accountable.
Should policies and practices that make little sense or impede the success of a staff or line unit be challenged? Absolutely! Many employees feel “that’s just the way it is.” Not true. Don’t micromanage—empower employees and hold them accountable for results. Companies that adopt these principles as part of their culture are the ones that will excel.
I-95 rebuild challenges the negative perceptions of Philadelphia
Philadelphians have been known to view their city in terms of limitations and scarcity rather than opportunities and abundance. This negative perception has plagued our city for as long as I can remember. The rebuild of six lanes of I-95 in 12 days demonstrates we are better than that.