Category Archives: CEO Shoptalk

07/13/23

CEO Shoptalk: Doing The Bloody Work

Other day a CEO who had been a client pre-Pandemic calls me and wants to chat about the difficulties of getting folks back to the office who had been weaned from the office whilst working from home during the Pandemic and post-Pandemic, hardly a novel topic.

As I often do, I explored the basis for what was happening and I asked him about hiring, objective setting, performance appraisal, and compensation. We also discussed “quiet quitting” and its management equivalent: “quiet firing.” Continue reading →

06/29/23

CEO Shoptalk: HIRING >>> Hard Skills, Soft Skills, Experience, Common Sense, Character

Not long ago I was discussing the hiring practices of a mature company I had first met as a startup when I advised its CEO. Early in their existence they had used a decent headhunter, but when they brought it in house, they stubbed their toes over process.

The company has since successfully exited and the story is archived, but there is a discussion around hiring that may be useful.

In our discussion, the CEO was decrying post-Pandemic hiring practices and the pressure to allow folks to work from home or flexible hours. There was a lot of confusion as there was no experience upon which to draw. Continue reading →

05/23/23

CEO Shoptalk: Motivation v Inspiration

One of the current topics in the scrum discussion about leadership in the job environment at the C-suite level is the issue of motivation v inspiration. It is a nuanced discussion and it is tied into our current cultural metamorphosis in the workplace including such things as Work From Home v office work.

What exactly is the difference between motivation and inspiration, Big Red Car?

Continue reading →

04/28/23

CEO Shoptalk: Deferred Compensation

DO NOT TAKE FINANCIAL ADVICE FROM A BIG RED CAR — EVER

With that caveat, I want to urge you to investigate how deferred compensation might be a useful tool around the C Suite as part of a well-designed compensation program offering: compensation, benefits, short term incentive compensation, long term incentive compensation, and “something special.”

Deferred compensation fits into the “something special” category.

Let’s start with the basic understanding that you are a startup founder/CEO — in part, at least — for the money. Deferred compensation is a way to manage your compensation to your personal advantage within the rules as they are written.

There are two types of deferred compensation:

 1. Qualified deferred compensation programs such as the 401(k); and,

 2. Non-qualified deferred compensation programs which are one-off, bespoke arrangements negotiated between the founder/CEO/C Suite denizen and the company. Continue reading →

11/2/22

THE Secret to Success

Sorry for the clickbait title, but a chap called me and wanted my five keys to success for a CEO which got me thinking. He was writing an article and wanted to hear a lot of voices.

I fear I ultimately disappointed the old boy as I did not agree it could be limited to five — I will write about my list shortly. Continue reading →

01/27/22

CEO Shoptalk – Celebrate The Winning Of Small Beginnings

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [John 1:1]

In the beginning of any startup company is the crucible that is the startup world which flows from The Idea and becomes the Vision, Mission, Strategy, Tactics, Objectives, Values, Culture.

Take a breath, a deep breath, exhale.

Then, there is the Pitch Deck, the Go-to-Market Strategy, the proforma, the Business Engine Canvas, the Dollar Weighted Org Charts, etc. etc. etc. There are Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation, and Shareholder Agreements.

This is all before you even begin to think about the prospect of raising money to breathe life into all of the above.

It is a bloody daunting task and I see lots of startup founders slowly drowning in the enormity of it.

Ernest Hemingway reference, The Sun Also Rises:

“How did you go  bankrupt?”

“Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.”

Substitute the word “drown” for “bankrupt” and you get the picture.

Continue reading →