by Larry Johnson In his classic business book, “Up The Organization,” Avis CEO Robert Townsend described how he toured all the Avis offices where he asked employees what they thought he should do to turn around the company, which at the time was struggling. He noticed that no matter what the quality of their suggestions […]
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Develop Your Young Managers, Japanese Style
by Larry Johnson Assigning a sempai (mentor) to a kohai (mentoree) is a common practice among Japanese companies. A promising young manager, the kohai, is assigned to an older, more experienced manager, the sempai. The sempai is usually outside the kohai’s chain of command and functions much like a “godfather” to him or her. In […]
Create A Gen X Paradise
by Meagan Johnson Genentech is the penultimate Generation X company. It was founded by DNA expert Dr. Herb Boyer and venture capitalist Bob Swanson one night in a bar in 1976. The two men sketched out their dream of a futuristic biotech company on the back of an envelope. Genentech now boasts 11,000 employees and […]
General Motors Co. Flawed Culture Can Kill – Don’t let it Happen to You
Good article, even if he didn’t interview me for my thoughts. But he did. Enjoy.
Leaping Into the Future: How One Company Threw Off the Shackles of the Past To Survive and Thrive
In an interview with Josh Clement, the CEO of Soundview regarding change: We all know that people tend to resist change. He said that he gives credit his own fear and insecurity about doing the right thing in responding to the disastrous situation in 2008. That led him to ask his people for ideas and being willing to listen. He said that it was this transparency and trust that made all the difference. Everyone realized they were all in the same boat and the only way to survive was for them to all pull together.
Building a Corporate Culture of Accountability Means Fair Play For Everyone
At this past Thanksgiving dinner, I chatted with the 27-year-old daughter of some close friends, Kelsey. Kelsey is like a second daughter to me since I’ve known her all her life. She finished college two years ago and is now working in the nonprofit sector as a fundraiser for a large social service agency. When I asked her how things were […]
A Mother and A World Leader Offer Lessons In Forgiveness To Apply At Work
Recently I was involved in a project that was being coordinated by a friend. She was under a lot of pressure managing all the details required to successfully complete her tasks. She had complained in the past that project participants didn’t always respond to her emails and texts in a timely manner. It not only […]
Reinventing Yourself
If you are a Baby Boomer, or old enough to feel like one, check out this article on reinventing your older self by Dorie Clark in the Washington Post Good information to keep us oldies still goodies.
Disneyland Uses Service Hero Stories To Maintain The Magic
While I was working with Disneyland Resort Hotels one summer, I learned about Eric, a maintenance specialist who demonstrated why Disney has such a great reputation for creating magical moments for its guests. Eric was installing a generator into the ground in front of the hotel when a family approached him and asked directions to […]
Meet the Linksters – the post Gen-Y generation
By my daughter Meagan Johnson Businesses today are well aware of the importance of attracting Generation X and Y consumers to develop a younger clientele that will fuel growth into the future. There is another prime target market on the horizon that will soon populate your customer base and employee roster: the Linksters. No, “Linkster” […]