When I was younger and purchased our first home, I developed a household budget. We had to manage our spending since we had more expenditures such as a home mortgage, insurance, and work clothing. We transitioned from college kids living day-to-day into professional office workers. Our new starter …
Being Quiet
In 2008, I asked my direct reports to work confidentially with Human Resources (HR) to evaluate my leadership. Instead of filling out a written survey, HR interviewed each of my managers, and prepared a composite report that reflected their overriding themes without violating confidentiality. Before …
Days of August
I worked in Europe as an ex-pat for nearly ten years. One of many differences between Europeans and Americans is their vacation or holiday preferences, as the Europeans describe their time off from work or school. Most Europeans take their extended holidays during July and August, then return to …
Criminals Can Apply
One of my early managerial positions was managing US crude supply. I had five supervisors working for me. One of my supervisors administered all US crude oil contracts. It was an important operational job given the large number of contracts and the required legal expertise. When that manager retired …