Posted by: Ken Moll
I have been blessed with a long and storied career in business. I have found business to be very challenging. And, thank God, I have also found it to be very rewarding.
But, I have also found it to be very lonely at the top. Here’s why: When you are the leader of the organization, sometimes it’s hard to find the right person to talk to.
Let’s say you are a Controller or CFO. An Executive Director. ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Ken Moll
When it comes to making decisions, it’s important to realize that change is multi-dimensional.
In life and in business, we often come to a crossroad or a decision point. We try to weigh the pros and cons – and then, make the best decision possible. And it is here where we pause for caution, as not every decision has its desired consequence or outcome. Or, rather, the decision itself introduces some other unintended consequences. Change is multi-dimensional.
The ability to ...
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This article could have also been titled A False Sense of Security. But hopefully you’ll understand the title selection in a bit.
When I was a kid, I would enjoy an annual pilgrimage to my parent’s home state – Arkansas. I would enjoy my grandmother’s freshly-boiled sweet corn, french fries, fried okra, and all other types of Southern comfort food. But what I didn’t enjoy so much were grandpa’s fresh shot, squirrel and dumplings. I didn’t like ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Ken Moll
I am constantly entertaining the tension between two words: simple and easy. At face value, the two words would appear similar. Synonyms.
But they are not.
As we grow in business and life, these words begin to carry more impact. Easy could mean simple. But simple doesn’t necessarily mean easy.
In actuality, these words couldn’t be more different. In fact, they could be antonyms.
Once upon a time, there was a valiant soldier named Naaman. He was the commander of ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Ken Moll
In the cycle of life, a plateau is called maturity. The cycle of life is this: birth, growth, maturity, decline, and then ….
The business cycle follows this same natural cycle. Start-up, growth, maturity (e.g., a plateau), decline. Left unto itself, your business or organization is likely going to follow that natural progression.
Ask your typical entrepreneur. Start-up is fun. Growth is pretty cool. Plateaus and declines – not so much.
You and your organization are somewhere in the ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Ken Moll
In life and in business, we often notice the symptoms before the causes. Symptoms are by-products. They are not causes. And though symptoms will make you miserable, they are not causational.
Fever is a sign of infection. Where is the infection? Smoke is a sign of fire. What is on fire? Those are the real questions.
In business, a lack of sales is a sign that something is amiss. The lack of sales is a symptom. The inability of an ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Ken Moll
Only God knows. You never know when someone might offer you an unexpected sum to buy your business or organization.
Would you sell it? Would you keep it?
Many moons ago, I learned of someone who was offered an untold amount to buy his business. It was a large sum.
The offer would be passed up. And many years later, the M & A (mergers & acquisitions) market would not be friendly to the industry.
Should the person have sold when he ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Ken Moll
What are your earliest recollections of Thanksgiving?
Many of us may recall the stories of The Mayflower, Plymouth Rock, Pilgrims, and Squanto. That first celebration was in 1621.
Our first president, George Washington, issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789. In 1817, New York became the first state to declare and celebrate Thanksgiving as an official holiday.
But, the United States of America didn’t recognize Thanksgiving as a national holiday until the first celebration in 1863. I have included President Abraham ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Ken Moll
For the past several decades, academicians and business pros have been piling up business terms like crazy.
Here are just some of them: branding, marketing, advertising, promoting, generating leads, nurturing, dealing, prospecting, offering, selling, closing, business development, etc.
And, along with those terms, there are a lot of questions:
Posted by: Ken Moll
If you were to survey college campuses today and ask the student body if it is acceptable to enslave an African American person, I bet no one raises a hand in support of this practice.
Enslaving another human as chattel was rightfully declared illegal in 1865. However, it was practiced in America since its establishment in 1776.
Don’t let the title alarm you. Read on.
Slavery’s defenders were concerned that if slaves were freed, there would be all ...
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