Most of us would agree that pure talent doesn’t always win: The smartest kid in class doesn’t necessarily grow up to be the most successful in business. The athlete with incredible natural ability might not make the big play in a pressure situation. The sales rep with perfectly polished presentation skills might not be the…
Life is full of challenges. Most of us have faced adversity at some point in our lives. And while some of us show strength and resolve during tough times, others melt under the pressure. How do you handle difficult times in your life? The way you respond—and the resulting outcome—is within your control. Based on…
Change is good. And it’s also inevitable. At some point, we’ll all experience some degree of change in our personal and professional lives. But, managing those transitions is something that some of us seem to be better at than others. As a person who has weathered a few transitional storms, here’s what I can share:…
I was recently asked a great interview question: If you could write a book about your life, what would the title be and why? My answer: “I Wish I Hadn’t Said That.” Because, sometimes…I wish I hadn’t said that. Do you ever wish you could take back something you’ve said? Or get the chance for…
There is tremendous power in self-reflection. I’ve found that implementing the practice as part of an annual performance review can be incredibly insightful and productive. Our assessment challenges individuals to not only take stock of their personal performance and best practices, but also to look at their performance through the lens of their customers and co-workers.…
A few years ago, I sat in on a client meeting with one of our sales reps who was meeting with a previous customer to reestablish a connection (and ideally, earn back her business). While I mostly sat back and listened, I did ask the client this question: Can you give me an example of…
Picking up where we left off last week… At Shamrock, our unique corporate culture is borne from the intentional work that we do—and most importantly, the way in which we do that work. Our charge is to help individuals and companies perform at their highest levels. Here’s how we make that happen for each of…
Mission statements. Core values. These are the guiding principles that capture the essence of our businesses, articulating who we are, what we do, and why we do it. But these words on paper are only effective if they translate into everyday action. That action is something we’re deliberate about at Shamrock: We work to align…
When was the last time you used a map instead of GPS? Or an encyclopedia instead of Google? Times have changed. Technology has evolved. But have your business processes kept pace? Many of us have solid business plans. We set goals—but then we revert to old-school processes and practices instead of using efficient, technology-based organizational…
I’m a big believer in the power of planning. It’s that time of year again when many of us look back at our progress over the past 12 months, reassess our path, and develop a plan for making the most of the year ahead. An article in Inc. Magazine by Aha! CEO Brian de Haaff…