November 26, 2019

A Simple Process To Improve Any Area Of Your Business

Just before my son was born, my wife and I stocked up on IKEA furniture. I spent an entire weekend constructing bookshelves, toy crates, chairs and dressers. I hated it. I...

by Ian Mathews

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October 29, 2019

How To Use Social Proof To Sell More Of Anything

My son is nine years old and crazy about baseball. I attempted to brainwash him into rooting for my hometown team, the Detroit Tigers. Given the Tigers record the past four...

by Ian Mathews

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October 21, 2019

Manager Behavior Directly Affects The Behaviors Of The Team

Have you ever heard a child say something and immediately recognize where they learned it? Rodney Atkins is a country music singer and songwriter. In 2006, his song “If...

by Ian Mathews

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October 7, 2019

More Feedback Is Not Always Better

A nine-year-old baseball player nervously takes practice swings, watching intently from the on-deck circle. If you are the coach, what do you want him to think about?...

by Ian Mathews

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October 1, 2019

The Reason I Ask Candidates To “Sell Me Something” In An Interview

“Um, this pen comes in multiple colors, and uh . . . ” “I don’t write in multiple colors.” “Oh, I see. Well, this one here . . . it has a...

by Ian Mathews

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September 24, 2019

The Reason Your CEO Does Not Email As Much As You Do

A CEO rarely responds to an email. If they do, the response might be a sentence or two. A reply might say something like “Call me,” “Get on my calendar...

by Ian Mathews

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September 20, 2019

What Kind Of Teammate Are You?

This is my fifth season coaching youth sports. When I get a new group of kids, I find that they break into two groups. The first responds to every bit of coaching with...

by Ian Mathews

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September 12, 2019

How To Reduce Employee Turnover (The Glassdoor Dilemma)

“Damn. That’s gonna leave a mark.” “What?” “Another Glassdoor review and it’s a doozy.” “Print it out and let’s discuss at next week’s leadership...

by Ian Mathews

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September 4, 2019

Yogi Berra And The Case For Management Flexibility

Yogi Berra was a Hall of Fame baseball player on arguably, the greatest baseball team in Major League history. Berra played catcher and was captain of a New York Yankees team...

July 31, 2019

Business Lessons From Michelangelo’s David

Pictures don’t do it justice. A vein is running along the young hero’s neck. The strap of the sling is hidden along David’s back, out of view of the warrior...

by Ian Mathews