Don’t you wish you could hire people like this?
Ken Akerley rose through the ranks through hard work, determination and a caring heart
Author: Ron Bourque
Improving Performance: Learning from those below us
Managers would be wise to pay attention to what their reports have to say
Improving performance: The sacrificial turkey
Do you have too many customers?
Establishing goodwill
Have you noticed some “improvements” make things worse?
What can AI do for me?
It seems everybody is talking about AI (artificial intelligence). Some think it will save us, and others think it will destroy us. I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Has anyone ever wanted to pay you for the wrong answer?
The business world is unforgiving about getting it right
Slide rule
Are math skills really necessary?
Hiding in plain sight
Loss of manufacturing jobs contributed to our housing crisis
Beethoven in the background
How about a little something extra for your customers?
We should be grateful for the benefits of modern life
Communication has never been easier
So why did Stephen Colbert really get canceled?
Bashing conservatives was probably not good for business
Trial and error is a sloppy way to investigate and/or manage
Air India crash theories abound, but the facts have yet to emerge
Do we know what we don’t know?
Targeting solutions requires understanding the underlying problems and their sources
Making the best of a hospital stay
A bit of kindness pays huge dividends
Tariffs won’t fix everything
If we want to remain competitive on a global scale, we need to focus on education
We can’t keep exporting our wealth and our jobs
Tariffs could help reset global trade
A reality check
What they don’t seem to teach you in some schools anymore
Looking for a winning formula?
Reap the rewards of Baldrige-worthy excellence
Losing touch
Brilliance is wasted if we can’t communicate effectively
Brain power
Thinking your way to success
Alone we can do so little
Together we can do so much
More, more, more
We never want to become too expensive
Lesson learned
Limiting the damage, rather than spreading it
Sailing to the bottom in more ways than one
Luxury yacht sinking tale is buried in a sea of conflicting ‘facts’
What ever happened to honesty?
Recommendations have no value when the pump is primed with fakery
Growing your business in inflationary times
Bridge the gap by focusing on customer loyalty
What’s happening to Boeing?
I did some work for Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the late ‘80s. Back then, the Japanese were taking market share in many industries by producing very high-quality products.
A lesson from GE
Well, it seems GE stock is getting back up there, and people think it’s time for a celebration. Really?
Staying out of trouble
I got some challenges on my Feb. 23 article, “Are the Numbers Really That Good?” They disagreed with a closing statement, “Honesty isn’t just the best policy; it’s the only policy for survival.” The challenges were nearly identical: “Sometimes you have to bend the rules to keep everything going.”
Paying for complaints
I’ve written about this several times over the last 20-something years, but it looks like it’s time to do it again. I’ve explained this to several people recently, yet so many others still don’t understand the phenomenon.
Are the numbers really that good?
Depending on what we read or who we listen to, it sounds like everything is great. I was just chatting with someone who was telling me how great his 401(k) is doing.
What have you done lately?
As I write this, Bill Belichick is no longer with the Patriots! After 24 years as their head coach, six Super Bowl titles and numerous successes, the last few years have been rather disappointing.
“Flight Training”
Improves performance regardless of business type
The discordant epidemic
Collaboration is so much better and more productive than fighting
Avoid sourcing, moving operations offshore
Success starts with empowering every member of your team
Oh, for the good old days!
To win your market, reducing value and raising prices won’t bring success
Has anybody ever wanted to pay you for a wrong answer?
Verifying information before making a decision can help you avoid commonplace errors
Your biggest investment
Many businesses say it’s their employees, but do they really treat them as such?
The rewards of delivering value
The name of the game is pleasing as many customers as possible
AI: a blessing or a curse?
Artificial intelligence comes with benefits, but there are warning signs to heed
Taking cybercrime seriously
Major corporations are quick to defend their turf and their brands. Why not online, too?
In search of ‘engagement’
Why have employees become so disillusioned?
Unintended consequences
Are years of corporate offshoring linked to our homelessness crisis?
Creating wealth vs. having fun
Think about the possibilities if we focused on building up manufacturing over building casinos
Sooner is better than later
Why you should get rid of business problems as quickly as possible
Cheaper isn’t always better
When sourcing components from China, the experience can be expensive
Know what you don’t know
Looking for advice and guidance is the only way to do things right
Intentions and consequences
Do well-intended strategies have untoward long-term results?
Miserable air travel
Employees and customers are victims of the focus on a company’s short-term stock price
Another Covid heartbreaker
Despite our best efforts, things don’t always work out
More news from NHBR:
Don’t you wish you could hire people like this?
Ken Akerley rose through the ranks through hard work, determination and a caring heart
Preparation drives long-term business growth
One of the things I enjoy most about working with New Hampshire business owners is hearing what they’re building toward. Whether it’s growth, succession or greater stability, our conversations are almost always about the future.
Preparing for a smooth leadership transition
Succession planning for your business goes beyond naming the next leader. It involves preserving continuity for your employees and customers, as well as supporting the company’s long-term success.
Breaking down barriers
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up the majority of businesses in NH and play a vital role in driving economic growth, innovation and job creation.
5 financial tips to growing your business
Business growth is exciting. A big contract comes through, a new customer relationship takes off or marketing is delivering the results you expected. Financing can be a critical resource to sustain the growth. But from a lender’s perspective, growth financing is about more than momentum. The real question is whether the business can support that growth — and repay the debt that may come with it.
Master Leadership: Managing your energy
A regulated nervous system supports clarity, perspective and intentional action. Leadership effectiveness isn’t only cognitive; it’s embodied.
Hiding in plain sight
Loss of manufacturing jobs contributed to our housing crisis
