It’s a well-know fact that Midwesterners are hard workers. For all of my 25 years in Executive Search we have constantly received requests for candidates from the Midwest, because they “know how to work”, especially in our Construction and Manufacturing divisions. I would agree the work ethic demonstrated by our parents from an early age, the down-home values of honesty and …
Q. Forgive me for being blunt, but I am unsure of any other way to state my challenge: Doesn’t anybody want to work anymore? A. It’s ok, I get the point. We get this question a lot, and unfortunately there is no magic bullet answer. There are indeed people who will work very hard. But there are a lot of cultural aspects …
Q. I know this may be a strange subject, but I am certain I am not alone. I am so frustrated by the number of meetings my company is having. I seriously think we meet to plan more meetings! It is making it impossible to keep up with my other tasks, so I’m having to stay late and come in early …
Q. Our business is super busy these days, but despite the good economy, we’ve had more than our fair share of unique challenges this year. In my opinion, as a long tenured leader, customer expectations has reached an unattainable performance level. It’s almost like they want something that doesn’t exist! While I understand giving great performance, it is to the point …
Q. I am a small business owner. I currently have eight people on my team, all of whom work very hard, day in and day out, to grow the firm. My challenge is this – my competitors, which are all considerably larger than I at this point (I’ve only been in business five years) are continuously stealing my people. They know …
Q. My company has been really focused on culture the past two years and I am happy to report it is working, with one exception. Our top sales performer is a serious problem. His ego is huge, and he is not a team player at all. It is obvious to everyone that he believes he is untouchable and, in some respects, …
Q. I am so sad, one of my most beloved teammates just quietly told me that she has been diagnosed with cancer. The prognosis does not sound good. She’s asked that I keep it quiet for now until she figures out the next steps. I just don’t know what to do or how to help in my role as chief human …
Q. I have a co-worker that overall, I work well with, except for one issue. This gentleman in our office is a “Trump Basher” and makes no bones about sharing his opinion freely whenever there is an opportunity. Honestly, I’m not a fan of President Trump’s personally but I don’t exactly share all his views. I was raised with the …
Q. I’ve been following your column and I’ve been wanting to write in, maybe in an attempt to not feel so alone. I am a senior ranking leader in a respected company. From all outward appearances, I am successful and confident. Here’s my challenge. I’m exhausted, and feel like such a fraud. Most times, I feel completely over my head …
