PinnedFailure to Engage: What venues are missing in the race to connectAnyone who has ever led a zoom call knows the drain of presenting to people who haven’t turned on their cameras. Is it any different for half-filled venues wondering if people are going to return? While it’s easy to assume the struggle is a new one post-pandemic, the reality is…Leadership6 min readLeadership6 min read
PinnedHybrid Event Strategy: the blend of in-person and digital engagementIf your organization gathers people together, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the word “hybrid” in reference to those events more than once. Probably ad nauseum. Over the course of the past year, most organizations have encountered the unique stress that comes with finding new ways to engage people. Trying…Hybrid Event7 min readHybrid Event7 min read
Published in The Startup·PinnedHybrid Events: Who is doing what right now?What happens to events after over a year of being limited to digital connection? What happens to arts venues, classrooms, arenas, stadia, conventions, and plain old conference rooms as people come back? Will it be the same? Doubtful. We’ve all developed new muscle memory when it comes to connecting in…Hybrid Event8 min readHybrid Event8 min read
Published in The Startup·Jan 8, 2021Are you an expert or an innovator? The difference can transform your career.Who are you in your career? And — more importantly — where are you going? Would it surprise you to learn that most career paths are fixed? And that, to create any sort of change, you might need to cultivate entirely different skillsets than the ones usually prescribed? It doesn’t…Innovation7 min readInnovation7 min read
Published in The Startup·Jul 1, 2020Member-onlyHow Smart Leaders Create Engagement in Zoom MeetingsWhat if complaining about Zoom fatigue is missing the point? What if there is a window of opportunity for creating engagement in Zoom meetings that is going to close if we don’t jump through it? Here’s the scenario: Our annual meeting switched from in-person to Zoom to accommodate the quarantine…Leadership9 min readLeadership9 min read
Published in The Startup·Apr 5, 2020Member-onlyYour strategic plan is dead. How scenario mapping can save your professional services firm.Remember that strategic plan you invested in? The one that was supposed to last you for 3 years? Yeah, well that’s out the window now. For professional service firms, recessions and global pandemics can kill your business. And you will need to move with incredible speed to change that. As…Leadership6 min readLeadership6 min read
Published in The Startup·Mar 20, 2020Member-onlyCrisis Management | How to choose adaptive leadership when things are out of controlIn the midst of crisis management, our instinct is to control anything we can control. I find myself majoring in the minor details. My strategic brain shifts to focus to what’s small and actionable. I’m not the only one. I’ve spoken with a wide range of leaders this week. Their…Crisis Management6 min readCrisis Management6 min read
Aug 1, 2019Why you might be trying too hard as a leader (and what I learned that takes the pressure off)Do you feel the pressure of being a leader? Ever lose sleep? Second-guess yourself? Get a migraine? Yeah, me too. After all, a lot of people are depending on us to get this right. The decisions we make have a tangible impact on people’s lives — like how much they…Leadership5 min readLeadership5 min read
Jul 22, 2019When bad culture happens to good leadersWant to improve your company culture? Why don’t you put in a basketball hoop? Institute a no door policy. Upgrade the snacks in the break room. Close at noon on Friday. Create a culture handbook. Appoint a culture director. Put your mission statement up in the lobby. Fill a conference…Leadership4 min readLeadership4 min read
Published in The Startup·Jul 1, 2019Member-onlyWhy entrepreneurs make bad decisionsMy colleague Jeff and I had just shown the numbers to the group sitting in front of us. The graphs on the screen were undeniable. If our client built what they were planning, they would suffer negative cash flow in year three that they could never recover from. Our scenario…Leadership4 min readLeadership4 min read
