Many of us in the business and professional world have oriented our lives to a singular focus – the pursuit of success. But have you ever stopped to seriously consider what success really is? That thought reminds me of the dog that delights in chasing cars. One passes by and there goes the dog in … Read more

Whenever I think about work, I am reminded of a quote from British sculptor Henry Moore: “What is the secret to life? It is to have a task, something you can devote your entire life to, something you bring everything to, every minute of the day for the rest of your life. And the most … Read more

Stress at work – have you ever experienced it? We certainly cannot expect to go through every workday stress-free. We have production schedules, presentation deadlines, budgets, as well as the demands and expectations of our job descriptions. Workplace pressures are unavoidable. However, studies have shown excessive stress on the job can be unhealthy in many … Read more

Sometimes we hear some say, about things they enjoy doing, “That is my calling.” But what is this mysterious thing we sometimes refer to as “calling”? Experience has taught me that calling is that place where our interests, giftedness, and opportunity intersect, the “sweet spot” where we excel. Giftedness and talent are terms often used … Read more

One of the most valuable, yet underappreciated, documents for both hiring and managing people is the job description. Designed for both employer and employee, it describes the duties, responsibilities, and expectations for a particular job so both clearly understand what is expected. Years ago, when I was hired by CBMC to serve as editor and … Read more

Over the course of my life, I have often considered a career in coaching. I have enjoyed helping someone with their golf swing, since I have a good grasp of the fundamentals of the game and play fairly well. I also wondered about coaching baseball – but realized I had been away from the game … Read more

Speaking at our Summit, a conference sponsored by Unconventional Business Network, Terry Looper, author of Sacred Pace, made an interesting observation. He believes that everyone should strive to work in their areas of giftedness 80 percent of the time. We might term this “staying in your lane,” using the traffic metaphor of not frequently changing … Read more

We had a major construction job at my family’s ranch where we have established facilities for serving military veterans who have suffered serious injury – physical, mental, and emotional – in combat. The building required considerable repairs and we needed the work completed as soon as possible. An individual came to discuss the project and … Read more

Scientists tell us the earth spins at a consistent rate, but does it sometimes seem to you that the world is actually spinning faster and faster? As a veteran of decades in the business and professional world, this seems especially true for the realm of communications. One of the greatest changes, of course, is our … Read more

In trying to communicate critical concepts, one of the most effective ways for doing this is through the use of stories. As someone has described it, this amounts to “painting a verbal picture on which to hang an important principle.” Stories that embody ideas we desire to convey make ideas easier to remember. Jesus Christ … Read more

Terry Looper, author of Sacred Pace, was speaking at our organization’s Summit conference. He admitted that early in his business career his desire to please people caused him sometimes to make poor decisions. In his attempt to make others happy, he occasionally would arrive at rash decisions that he would later regret. After experiencing the … Read more

There is a tendency, when circumstances become especially challenging, for many of us to reason that the outcome is solely dependent on us. As one motivational speaker used to say, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me!” However, unless you are an entrepreneur and the only employee in your company, there will always be … Read more