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“The road to success is uphill, unless your father owns the business.” I think it was 1987. My dad had taped a notecard with this handwritten quote on the dashboard of his new pickup truck. I was too young and naive to understand the meaning(s) inherent to the quote, but it is still a vivid ... Read More
Two Fridays ago, I was in Bend, OR delivering a talk to the Oregon Association of School Business Officials at their summer conference. I was asked to speak about aligning cross-generational communication. I am so thankful for OASBO as I’m not sure I could’ve met a kinder, more welcoming and wholeheartedly supportive group. Side note: ... Read More
I have a good friend who’s been a successful business owner for nearly two decades. Recently, in the span of one week, her most valuable employee resigned, one of her children experienced a medical condition relapse and a major client decided to not renew their contract with her company. That week, everything that could go ... Read More
In 1995, Daniel Goleman published Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Goleman’s research suggested that conventional intelligence, or IQ (intelligence quotient), was too narrow a spectrum to determine an individual’s level of success. IQ sets a foundation, but ignores how a person’s behavioral profile, motivators and life experiences help shape decision making ... Read More
Have you noticed the things that make people great in one area of life often make them miserable in others? Success in one area seems to be tied to failure in another because we go to such extremes to be accepted. If you devote extra hours to a job, you are likely spending less time ... Read More
A few months back, I gave a talk about developing your personal branding to group of executives. A gentleman approached me after the talk and shared a few of his experiences conducting business internationally. After some great back and forth, he finally said, “You know what Michael, most of the executives I do business with… ... Read More
A TED Talk by Paul Tudor Jones II about capitalism and income inequality recently caught my attention. I’ve listened to it multiple times as Jones II message resonates with me deeply because so many highly acclaimed economists are calling for another economic correction in late 2015, early 2016. Our focus on short-term quarterly earnings and ... Read More
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” According to the website Statistic Brain, only 8% of people who make a New Year’s resolution are successful in achieving it. Doesn’t that number strike you as odd? Why do we make resolutions year after ... Read More
The achievement of your life’s intent cannot occur if your days are so full of distractions that you can’t focus on what is meaningful. Instead of letting your schedule schedule you, consciously take the time to schedule your priorities. Many of you may confuse the idea of constraints and the activities you choose to engage ... Read More
Technological changes have been impacting humanity for thousands of years. Although agricultural advancements allowed for population growth and urbanization, industrialization shifted focus away from the creation of sustenance to a primary focus of the development of goods, services and information. A technology-driven society fosters significant changes in the lives of the average man as more ... Read More
In 2007 Jennifer J. Deal, research scientist for the Center for Creative Leadership, wrote a book about the various generations in the workplace and how they were similar. She called the book Retiring the Generation Gap: How Employees Young and Old Can Find Common Ground. She found that all generations are similar in the following ... Read More
I got to thinking about legacy the other day. What am I going to be remembered for? The end of a human’s physical existence on earth is often wrought with grief as friends and family pay their respects and come to grips with life without the departed. But, if you think two or more generations ... Read More
Globalization, changes in technology, and short-term, shareholder focused mindset has made work-life balance nearly obsolete. As much as you say you want to use your PTO, I know you end up working most of your day off and then telling your administrative assistant not to charge you for the PTO. How do I know? I ... Read More
When it comes to professional development, there are multitudes of ways to enhance your skills. Learning from other people, enduring hardships, structured training, off-the-job experiences, and challenging assignments are five impactful ways to prepare you for what’s next. Of the five, working on challenging assignments will be the skill builder that will steepen your learning ... Read More
This is what Seaver Consulting is all about. Working with talented individuals, unlocking their potential, and helping them become indispensable. We live in a society more focused on positive perception than on true character. On fitting the mold, following the herd or keeping up with the Joneses. Being remarkable isn’t about what everyone else is ... Read More
