Just as Spring training gives rookies an opportunity to show their stuff and ultimately shine their light, so too does being on their first big project give newer employees a chance at sharing the limelight. And that’s just one of many comparisons between baseball and business. Recently, Fast Company interviewed baseball columnist Jeff Angus The…
Each February we celebrate Presidents’ Day as a national holiday that honors two of our country’s greatest presidents: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Both men were great presidents because, despite their vast difference, they shared similar leadership traits that are just as important today — in the private and the public sector — as they…
In any relationship actions often speak louder than words. Sometimes it’s easier to say “I care” than to show you care. For example, losing a customer is always difficult. Sometimes the loss happens through change: a business acquisition, a change in direction, or a change in personnel. That’s why, at Shamrock we follow the rule…
Groundhog Day has passed and groundhogs across the northeast did not see their shadows which, at least in groundhog circles, means an early spring. We may have an early thaw. Speaking of thaws, what can be done to rekindle a customer relationship that, for whatever reason, begins to chill? Like any entrepreneur, I don’t like…
During his three terms as New York’s mayor, Ed Koch was known for asking just about everyone, “How am I doing?” Koch tackled a problem head-on, asking that dreaded question, and expecting an honest answer. He was known to immediately address an issue before it became a major problem. Koch was one of the most…
I like January because it is the beginning of a new year, and even though it’s cold, dark and snowy in northeast Ohio, it’s also a time to look back on the past year and begin a new one with a clean slate and new ideas. Looking back on 2012, I was gifted with a…
Albert Einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I’ll take that one step further and say it’s really insane if you make a mistake and turn around to make the same mistake, again and again. A mistake is only an irreversible error if you don’t…
Change is inevitable, in business and in life. Actually, change in business is good since it’s a reflection on growth and movement, which, I believe, are two things that keep a business vital and poised for sustainability. Since 2010 we at Shamrock have seen lots of change. First, spurred on by a lagging economy, Shamrock,…
Like a marriage, being good at your job takes work. We all experience cycles of happiness and worries about our future at work. But if your worries become fear then you’re held hostage by those fears and before you know it, you’re doing nothing! I believe the biggest fear we have today is the fear…
Continuing the theme of Halloween month and scary business dealings, I’ve been asked about my scariest job or the boss who made my life on the job a really big challenge. My first big job after graduating college was with Moore Business Forms. I worked in sales at Moore for 12 years. I had two…
