It should be no surprise to frequent readers in this forum that the tools needed to improve the accuracy and fidelity of business forecasting are pinned in the tenets of continuous improvement and organizational health. The “ah ha” moment I hope you’ve had is the importance of having strong financial modeling skills embedded in your organization.

The first step on the journey to strengthen the fidelity of our inner eye is to recognize our obligation to learn and continuously improve. Without a strong inner eye, we become rigid, fixed and unyielding. Without a strong inner eye, it is difficult to see ourselves as part of the solution to challenges. We easily fall into the trap of a blame mindset and are easily swayed by strong voices that are not our own.

It’s a common refrain from both employers and employees: “My team is a family,” or “Come work for us, our company has a real family atmosphere.” While typically meant to convey a sense of warmth, belonging, and bonding, I believe the word “family” should exit our business vernacular and be reserved for reference to our core family units.

It was a magic show. A magic show presented during a global pandemic that has killed millions. To help keep everyone safe from the virus and allow the “show to go on,” the organizers instituted a very simple attendance criteria that everyone wear a face covering to limit the spread of airborne particles that contain infectious disease.

This coming Wednesday, November 17th, I have the honor of being recognized by the Kaplan Educational Foundation with their “Stand Up for Diversity” award.

When Nancy Sanchez, Executive Director of KEF called me to ask if I’d accept the award, my initial response was “Certainly… but surely there must be others more deserving than me?”

Stating the obvious, I’m a 58 year old white male from one of the least diverse places in the country. What do I know about diversity?

Let’s continue the conversation on breaking down the components of competency from my muse on October 16th, 2021. In that article we defined the word “competency” as being composed of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and abilities. Here, I want to drill deeper into the difference between knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

This morning, we’re going to continue our conversation around skill portfolios and developing skill inventories within your business. As I’ve looked back on previous posts, I noticed that we’re missing some key set-up logic and definitions.

When I was entering the job market after completing my time as a graduate student at University of Iowa, my mentor, Carl Schweser, asked me a question that has stuck with me ever since.

"Be Good to Yourself" by Journey is one of my favorite songs. The message really resonates with me.

During the construction of the annual budget, we develop highly detailed estimates for capital expenditures, payroll, operating costs, new product development, etc. Then when planning turns to implementation, we often don’t see the results we hoped for because of human capital misalignment - we don’t have the right people in the right roles with the right skill profiles.

In the U.S., Labor Day marks the “unofficial end of summer” and, according to the U.S. Department of Labor website is the “annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers.”

Everyone seems so angry these days. Maybe it’s due to the proliferation of one-way, anonymous communication tools where one can spit vitriol with no consequences or repercussions. Embedded within this anger is a deep feeling that rights and personal freedom have been infringed. Through my lens, it seems as if the concept of “freedom” has somehow been uncoupled from that of citizenship.