Here is the reading list. I’ll add the presentation notes after the call. Feel free to leave questions and comments here about this call or to say what you’d like to hear about next month.
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath (Feb 16, 2010)
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath (Jan 2, 2007)
Jump Start Your Business Brain: The Scientific Way To Make More Money by Doug Hall …

Reaching a new growth stage and transitioning from a small to a midsize company is one of the toughest an entrepreneur has to make during the life of a business. Lots of what the entrepreneur has done to succeed so far starts to become ineffective or counterproductive as the business grows. More of the same doesn’t work; a new way of operating is necessary to get to the next level. I’ve been through this with my own companies and many more times with clients. Here are …

People Learn Better When They Also Teach
People who are expected to teach what they’re learning pay more attention and learn more than others without that expectation. When you’re training employees let them know that they will be training their colleagues. Everyone will get more benefits from the education. Instilling the idea that everyone in your company learns and teaches is a powerful culture driver.
Some Points That Make Feedback More Effective
1. Focus on business outcomes, not personalities
2. Address specific behaviours and use examples
3. Discuss the impact …

Maximum Motivation
Evidence from athletic competition shows that teams just slightly behind will try harder and are likely to pull ahead. Similar effects are seen in the animal kingdom and the corporate world. The most motivating goals are not the big lofty ones, rather those that appear close and achievable. By strategically setting smaller goals and deciding when to stop and take stock, the CEO can get the maximum motivation from his of her team.
Saving Knowledge
Many CEOs are aware of their coming brain drain – a …

Without question these are tough economic times for lots of business owners. We’re now in an environment that no one has seen before and no one knows quite how to manage.
Even more than usual, growth comes from constant adaptation. Now is the time to take advantage of the huge opportunity that exists while the market and competition are in a state of flux.
You need a short term approach that doesn’t distract you from your long term strategy and goals and still has an immediate …