Why all this focus on Great by Choice? In a word – Discipline. The triangle to the right illustrates the fundamental elements of Great by Choice and the stories it offers. You’ll notice the  prominent place for what they call “Fanatic Discipline” at the tip of the triangle. Nothing illustrates the impact of discipline more […]

Without a priority, the Whirlwind wins! Each day you face a myriad of tasks involving your “day job.” Everything you do day-to-day robs you from focusing on the really important things that are important but not urgent. The 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower faced this same the dilemma when he was […]

Our last several blogs have discussed the importance of four critical decisions and the role they play in the success of your business. Decisions equal success – and there are four decisions, in growing your business, that you must get right or risk leaving significant revenues, profits, and time on the table. These four decisions […]

Meetings provide a cadence of accountability for your executive team. You should cascade these meetings throughout your organization as well to increase accountability. Did you know that if your business is conducting boring, routine meetings without team members providing their opinions, feedback, that failing to encourage conflict is putting your business in a position of […]

If you’ve been following our blogs on Confessions of thePricing Man: How Price Affects Everything by Hermann Simon you’ve been learning about the huge leverage that pricing can have on your company’s profitability. Simon points out that price setting requires a thorough understanding of two things: how your customers perceive your value the profit level you need to […]

In reading The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller, Jay Papasan, this chapter is the most valuable in my opinion.  Why?  Because it provides solid simple steps on how to take action to achieve your One Thing. Ebenezer Scrooge’s story might have been a footnote in literary history except for this—he […]

Pricing……..Peter Drucker called it the “most neglected area of marketing.” Drucker saw a clear link between pricing and profit and also sensed there is an enormous improvement potential simply by a business pricing it’s products and services right. In Hermann Simon’s Confessions of the Pricing Man: How Price Affects Everything Simon touches on the elements of pricing and […]

Multitasking is a lie. You’re one of the majority who don’t believe this, aren’t you? We fully expect pilots and surgeons to focus on their jobs to the exclusion of everything else. We expect anyone in their position caught doing otherwise, will always be severely taken to task. We accept no arguments and have no […]

This past Wednesday I had the privilege to share the Topgrading Process for a group of business leaders in an Executive Forum meeting in West Des Moines. One of the participants asked a question about the interview process. “Why doesn’t Topgrading ask questions that probe for the person’s attitude?”  You may have read Kids Say the […]

A foundational principal we will teach at our Scaling Up Workshops is the ‘One Thing’. We recommend that when choosing a priority you choose One Thing for the year or your quarter to choose to focus on. It’s based on the principal that less is more. If you want substantiated proof of the power of […]