Humes Associates

Can you answer these questions?

lhumes — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:02:56 +0000

Friend and Rollins College Professor Rick Bommelje recently shared four things that every employee wants to know. With his permission, I share them with you here: What am I supposed to do? The fastest way to confuse a workforce is to speak in grandiose, visionary language. People – including you and me – want to [...]

Who do you trust?

lhumes — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:18:00 +0000

Trust is a topic I’ve addressed many times in the past. The reason I like to talk about it is I believe it is the bedrock upon which every successful organization is built. And I believe the way in which we build trust with our customers is critical. Webster’s defines trust as a “confident expectation” [...]

Kicking the can

lhumes — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:42:10 +0000

When the Congressional Super Committee recently failed to reach consensus on major budget cuts, pundits were quick to accuse them of “kicking the can” down the road. An oft-used phrase that basically translates as deferring a decision in favor of a future date. Before you dismiss this malaise as a disease unique to bureaucrats, consider [...]

Do you have a succession plan?

lhumes — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:58:52 +0000

Nov. 23 marks the first anniversary of a car accident that left me hospitalized for the better part of a month. Recovery was slow, but I’m glad to report that I am now almost completely healed. Upon returning home from the hospital last December, our daughter informed me that paying bills and accomplishing other mundane [...]

Holding education accountable

lhumes — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:33:35 +0000

Last Tuesday, Nov. 15, was National Teach-In Day and, as I have for the past several years, I spent the day talking with 7th graders at a nearby middle school. I picked author trivia as a theme for our discussion. I selected about nine celebrated authors for us to talk about, writers like Dickens, Austen, [...]

A memorable lesson on building relationships

lhumes — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 18:30:44 +0000

Growing up in Ohio, we lived in a former apple orchard. As a result, our home was ringed by beautiful old apple trees. The blossoms in spring were beautiful, but the fallen apples in fall my brother and I had to pick up, not so much. One memory I especially savor is the family of [...]

What are your boundaries?

lhumes — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 09:03:24 +0000

I love Seth Godin’s analogy about his dog, Woodie. When they first acquired the pooch, they installed one of those invisible fences to keep him from wandering away. Woodie probably got a shock once or twice from the collar when he attempted to leave the yard. The electronic barrier eventually broke, however, and Woodie was [...]

What if ….

lhumes — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:11:04 +0000

While walking this morning, listening to some of my favorite music on my iPod, I got to thinking about the impact Steve Jobs has had on my life. He changed the way I buy and enjoy music. He enhanced the way I communicate with others. And he made easier the manner in which I interact [...]

Lasting value is in the experience

lhumes — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:14:35 +0000

I accompanied my daughter recently on her quest to purchase a replacement car. She and her mother had visited a Chrysler dealership the day before and had picked out a 2010 Jeep Compass as a possible contender. Upon our return, and after several hours of discussion and haggling, the dealership offered her the car at [...]

What are your organization’s values?

lhumes — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 21:18:44 +0000

A few years ago, Ron Lang was appointed chief executive officer of SunGard Higher Education, a company I have served for more than a decade. In my opinion, Ron possesses many positive characteristics of an effective leader. One thing in particular I found impressive was how, shortly after he assumed his new role, he established [...]