Managing across the generational divide

Do you have employees you just flat out don’t understand? Consider the manager who was trying to increase retail sales, a small sideline to his core business. He came up with a great plan – or so he thought – to encourage competition within his staff by promising bonuses to the clerk who made the [...]

Who’s running your business?

It’s become a lunchtime ritual at this pricey establishment. Patron: “I’ll have a cappuccino.” Waiter: “Our cappuccino machine is broken.” Patron, who’s heard this story for at least five years, adds a new twist to the dialog: “Oh. OK. I’ll just go to Restaurant X and get my coffee there.” Waiter, getting defensive: “Those espresso [...]