Comments for Kevin Kruse Blog http://kevinkruse.com Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:07:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Comment on Five Things CEO’s Do by Tony DaSilva http://kevinkruse.com/five-things-ceos-do/comment-page-1#comment-16 Tony DaSilva Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:07:10 +0000 http://kevinkruse.com/?p=144#comment-16 Oops, I forgot. The rest is just details. Err, is it that the devil's in the details? Or is it what Einstein said: "God is in the details"? I'm sooooooo confused :^) Oops, I forgot. The rest is just details. Err, is it that the devil’s in the details? Or is it what Einstein said: “God is in the details”? I’m sooooooo confused :^)
Tony DaSilva recently posted..Yes I do! No You Don’t!My ComLuv Profile

]]> Comment on Five Things CEO’s Do by Kevin http://kevinkruse.com/five-things-ceos-do/comment-page-1#comment-15 Kevin Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:58:36 +0000 http://kevinkruse.com/?p=144#comment-15 Tony, yep that's it. Just kidding. You are of course correct it's a team, iterative effort. I had just left that implied. CEO should no more be the only person thinking and refining the strategy than she should be the only person recruiting the talent. Those five things are sort of like me saying you need to go through these five cities as you drive from Atlanta to Boston, and I left out the part about needing a car, gas, money etc. Speaking of money, I should have added a 6th thing they should do: watch cash. (And yes they can do that with their CFO, their CFO's team, their outside accountants, etc.) :-) - Kevin Tony, yep that’s it.

Just kidding. You are of course correct it’s a team, iterative effort. I had just left that implied. CEO should no more be the only person thinking and refining the strategy than she should be the only person recruiting the talent. Those five things are sort of like me saying you need to go through these five cities as you drive from Atlanta to Boston, and I left out the part about needing a car, gas, money etc.

Speaking of money, I should have added a 6th thing they should do: watch cash. (And yes they can do that with their CFO, their CFO’s team, their outside accountants, etc.) :-)

- Kevin

]]> Comment on Five Things CEO’s Do by Tony DaSilva http://kevinkruse.com/five-things-ceos-do/comment-page-1#comment-14 Tony DaSilva Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:16:16 +0000 http://kevinkruse.com/?p=144#comment-14 So that's it? One way, top-down, communication from an all seeing, omniscient patriarch? What about iteratively soliciting feedback from at least one, and preferably more, layer below and reshaping your grand plan/strategy/tactics with that feedback before sincerely asking for commitments from those below who will have to get it done? So that’s it? One way, top-down, communication from an all seeing, omniscient patriarch? What about iteratively soliciting feedback from at least one, and preferably more, layer below and reshaping your grand plan/strategy/tactics with that feedback before sincerely asking for commitments from those below who will have to get it done?

]]> Comment on Mantra from Fed Ex by Stephen http://kevinkruse.com/mantra-from-fed-ex/comment-page-1#comment-6 Stephen Tue, 03 Mar 2009 04:53:00 +0000 http://kevinkruse.com/?p=40#comment-6 Maybe time for Fred to come up with a new mantra? Selected morsels from BusinessWeek 12-18-2008 (Christopher Palmieri):<br /><br />"Kinko's is not what it once was, and many customers don't like that a bit. FedEx (FDX) hoped for something very different when it bought the copy king for $2.4 billion in 2004.<br />The FedEx-Kinko's marriage has become a case study in the challenges of meshing disparate corporate cultures. Even as FedEx tries to capitalize on the demise of rival DHL's U.S. delivery business...<br />Since the delivery giant acquired Kinko's, the unit's profits have fallen from more than $100 million in 2004 to $45 million in 2007. Revenue has stagnated at $2 billion. In 2008, FedEx announced an $890 million write-off on the purchase and named the third CEO to head Kinko's in four years." Maybe time for Fred to come up with a new mantra? Selected morsels from BusinessWeek 12-18-2008 (Christopher Palmieri):

“Kinko’s is not what it once was, and many customers don’t like that a bit. FedEx (FDX) hoped for something very different when it bought the copy king for $2.4 billion in 2004.
The FedEx-Kinko’s marriage has become a case study in the challenges of meshing disparate corporate cultures. Even as FedEx tries to capitalize on the demise of rival DHL’s U.S. delivery business…
Since the delivery giant acquired Kinko’s, the unit’s profits have fallen from more than $100 million in 2004 to $45 million in 2007. Revenue has stagnated at $2 billion. In 2008, FedEx announced an $890 million write-off on the purchase and named the third CEO to head Kinko’s in four years.”

]]> Comment on 14 Secrets to Expanding Time by Kevin Kruse http://kevinkruse.com/14-secrets-to-expanding-time/comment-page-1#comment-2 Kevin Kruse Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:16:00 +0000 http://kevinkruse.com/?p=22#comment-2 Adam, I'm trying harder and harder to time block EVERYTHING and enforce some better sleep rules. But deadlines and kids have a way of messing things up! Adam, I’m trying harder and harder to time block EVERYTHING and enforce some better sleep rules. But deadlines and kids have a way of messing things up!

]]> Comment on 14 Secrets to Expanding Time by Adam Bauser http://kevinkruse.com/14-secrets-to-expanding-time/comment-page-1#comment-3 Adam Bauser Wed, 25 Feb 2009 06:35:00 +0000 http://kevinkruse.com/?p=22#comment-3 Thanks for the reminder. I swore I was going to live by these rules when I went out 5 years ago and have been pretty lax about it at times. I still occasionally fall into the old habit of mashing up #12 and #14 to justify late nights at the computer. Thanks for the reminder. I swore I was going to live by these rules when I went out 5 years ago and have been pretty lax about it at times. I still occasionally fall into the old habit of mashing up #12 and #14 to justify late nights at the computer.

]]> Comment on How to Measure the Performance of Managers by Liz Bywater http://kevinkruse.com/how-to-measure-the-performance-of-managers/comment-page-1#comment-4 Liz Bywater Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:05:00 +0000 http://kevinkruse.com/?p=28#comment-4 Kevin, you make some very good points here. When I think about managerial effectiveness, I also think about the ability to inspire and motivate employees' performance and to engage them in reaching the goals and objectives of the organization. Essential skills include the ability to communicate effectively, delegate appropriately, recognize and reward outstanding performance, and foster a culture of openness and collaboration. <br /><br />These 'soft skills' can be tremendously challenging, particularly when managers have been promoted from individual contributor roles but not prepared for their new managerial responsibilities. <br /><br />Thanks for posting this thought-provoking entry.<br /><br />Liz Bywater, PhD<br />President, Bywater Consulting Group<br />Yardley, PA<br />http://www.bywaterconsultinggroup.com Kevin, you make some very good points here. When I think about managerial effectiveness, I also think about the ability to inspire and motivate employees’ performance and to engage them in reaching the goals and objectives of the organization. Essential skills include the ability to communicate effectively, delegate appropriately, recognize and reward outstanding performance, and foster a culture of openness and collaboration.

These ‘soft skills’ can be tremendously challenging, particularly when managers have been promoted from individual contributor roles but not prepared for their new managerial responsibilities.

Thanks for posting this thought-provoking entry.

Liz Bywater, PhD
President, Bywater Consulting Group
Yardley, PA
http://www.bywaterconsultinggroup.com

]]> Comment on How to Measure the Performance of Managers by Liz Bywater http://kevinkruse.com/how-to-measure-the-performance-of-managers/comment-page-1#comment-5 Liz Bywater Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:00:00 +0000 http://kevinkruse.com/?p=28#comment-5 Kevin, you make some very good points here. When I think about managerial effectiveness, I also think about the ability to inspire and motivate employees' performance and to engage them in reaching the goals and objectives of the organization. Essential skills include the ability to communicate effectively, delegate appropriately, recognize and reward outstanding performance, and foster a culture of openness and collaboration. <br /><br />These 'soft skills' can be tremendously challenging, particularly when managers have been promoted from individual contributor roles but not prepared for their new managerial responsibilities. <br /><br />Thanks for posting this thought-provoking entry.<br /><br />Liz Bywater, PhD<br />President, Bywater Consulting Group<br />Yardley, PA<br />http://www.bywaterconsultinggroup.com Kevin, you make some very good points here. When I think about managerial effectiveness, I also think about the ability to inspire and motivate employees’ performance and to engage them in reaching the goals and objectives of the organization. Essential skills include the ability to communicate effectively, delegate appropriately, recognize and reward outstanding performance, and foster a culture of openness and collaboration.

These ‘soft skills’ can be tremendously challenging, particularly when managers have been promoted from individual contributor roles but not prepared for their new managerial responsibilities.

Thanks for posting this thought-provoking entry.

Liz Bywater, PhD
President, Bywater Consulting Group
Yardley, PA
http://www.bywaterconsultinggroup.com

]]> Comment on Woody Allen Beats the Recession by cs http://kevinkruse.com/woody-allen-beats-the-recession/comment-page-1#comment-7 cs Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:21:00 +0000 http://kevinkruse.com/?p=41#comment-7 I am hoping that there is a silver lining to this "recession" and that those that have exploited the peter principle will be found out and let go.. I am hoping that there is a silver lining to this “recession” and that those that have exploited the peter principle will be found out and let go..

]]> Comment on Woody Allen Beats the Recession by Diana http://kevinkruse.com/woody-allen-beats-the-recession/comment-page-1#comment-8 Diana Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:35:00 +0000 http://kevinkruse.com/?p=41#comment-8 So true! I went to Loew's the other day and yes, they were very slow. Maybe the sales woman was bored, or maybe it was just good customer service/store policy, but she asked if she could help me and proceeded to personally escort me around the store to help me find my items. I was in and out of there within 30 minutes and got everything on my list. Home Depot is literally right down the block, but with this kind of service, I won't be going there. So true! I went to Loew’s the other day and yes, they were very slow. Maybe the sales woman was bored, or maybe it was just good customer service/store policy, but she asked if she could help me and proceeded to personally escort me around the store to help me find my items. I was in and out of there within 30 minutes and got everything on my list. Home Depot is literally right down the block, but with this kind of service, I won’t be going there.

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