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Author Archives: Dave Berkus
How to make a small problem into a big one.
Allowing small problems to escalate into big ones is simple. Just ignore the signs for long enough and the job is done. It takes far more energy to regularly review the key performance indicators you’ve established for each individual and … Continue reading
Do employees value their options as ownership?
How about employees all the way down the line and through the corporation? How do we align them to the goals and strategies of the enterprise? Obviously for the appropriate individuals, a bonus program aligned to the department’s goals is … Continue reading
Stock options or more cash?
What if employee candidates ask for the moon? In 1981, Herb Cohen wrote and published “You Can Negotiate Anything”, an excellent guide to great negotiating. I’ve read and reread the book a number of times and find myself using the … Continue reading
Would you pay a high achiever more than yourself?
Here’s a case study for yourself: Recently I was asked to review an offer letter for a senior director of business development. The CEO was concerned that he was offering far too much in the form of incentive compensation, with … Continue reading
Be careful about equity and options!
Here is the warning: The execution of equity allocations and of a good incentive program using equity is often mismanaged, damaging the corporate capitalization structure and even affecting the outcome of subsequent investment into the company. … and here is … Continue reading
Why we should fire fast, not last!
Our first reaction to marginal performance. Here is one that takes a real leap for a younger manager or CEO to believe. After hiring someone with all the attendant enthusiasm followed by the training and learning curve, if an employee … Continue reading
Hire as if your survival depends upon it.
Aside from visionary management, this is your most important job. Many of us go through the motions of hiring to fill a position, trying to use our intuition and skills to find the best candidate for the job. Sometimes we … Continue reading
Your fork in the road? Depending upon others.
I guarantee that there comes a time when growing businesses outgrow the original span of control of the entrepreneur. It is a critical period and is a test of the entrepreneur’s desire and ability to delegate. And I found from … Continue reading
Posted in Depending upon others, Growth!
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Are you or your business “time bankrupt?”
Time bankruptcy results from the deliberate over-commitment of core resources. You’d know the symptoms, if not the name. You’re fighting to put out the fires from customer complaints, or incomplete work, or are suffering from an inability to focus upon … Continue reading
Posted in Protecting the business
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A personal story about quality control
So, I tell personal stories to show that we all should look for lessons learned by others. Here’s one that is “on me.” As my enterprise computer software company which produced innovative lodging systems for hotels and resorts grew quickly, … Continue reading
