I’m stumped by today’s addiction to measuring everything. It causes two very real business problems. First, not everything can be placed in a neat, soothing numeric box. Second, metrics are easy to finagle. “Whenever reward is tied to measured performance, metric fixation invites gaming,” writes Jerry Z. Muller in The Tyranny of Metrics. Expertise used […]

“A single conversation with a wise men is better than ten years of study” -Chinese Proverb We have all asked a stranger for directions, often without hesitation, but often we hesitate to ask those we know, respect and admire for a bit of advice to advance our life, career and profession. My mentor, Bob, “Pops” […]

Entering the Mayor’s office on January 1, 2015 meant a substantial paradigm shift from a Chamber President trying to influence local, state, and federal government to an elected official trying to see the big picture and balancing a variety of community’s priorities and expectations. Expectations.  That’s a pesky word.  As community leaders, we often deal […]

I spent most of 20 years as chamber CEO.   It was an awesome ride.  Chamber President/CEO…there has never been, nor will ever be, another “job” of its kind in your community. So why does what I am about to say matter?  In my current position I support chamber executives and their organizations.  I have been […]

We wrapped up the final Institute site of 2019 last month. What a year this has been! As we prepare for Institute’s Fall Board Meeting in October in Washington D.C., we would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the experiences of this past Institute year and celebrate the newest 189 Institute graduates. In […]