Some of you are probably getting tired of all the new, shiny AI announcements coming out left and right in recent months. This announcement..
Entries by Jessica Wishart
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Go the Second Mile, High-Performance Solutions, Rhythm System Software
One of the many things I get to do in my role here at Rhythm Systems is work with our CEO Patrick Thean to coordinate and run our monthly..
Topics: Effective Meetings
Writing goals for work using SMART goal setting is an essential skill for both personal goals and professional success. If you aren't..
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At Rhythm Systems, we are all about helping companies and teams achieve their dreams and goals.
We have the right systems and skills to..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
As I was scrolling through my social media feeds this week, I noticed a trend that more tech companies are announcing a permanent move to..
Topics: Effective Meetings
Over the holidays, I flew with my kids for the first time in a few years. Honestly, I was really nervous about the whole thing. Hearing all..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Strategy Execution, OKRs
I recently re-read the classic HBR article "Building Your Company's Vision" by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras. Their great examples..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
I’ve just finished reading John Doerr’s book, Measure What Matters: OKRs - The Simple Idea that Drives 10x Growth, and it is full of really..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
Most companies these days are actively striving to engage more employees… and most think of engagement as a willingness to go above and..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Imagine this - over a year ago, I raised my hand after our company's Annual Planning session and volunteered to help with a significant..
Topics: Strategy Execution
How many leaders think about themselves as corporate athletes? How many of us spend time sharpening our saw, as Stephen Covey taught? How..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
As a training and on-boarding expert at Rhythm Systems, I know a lot about KPIs. Recently, I’ve also learned a lot about OKRs. Many of my..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards, OKRs
As a general rule, CEOs need easy access to a few key performance indicators—they need a CEO KPI dashboard that allows them, at a glance,..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards
It is no secret that your people are instrumental to the success of your business. In order to have a great company, you not only have to..
What is a huddle meeting? The daily huddle meeting has been common practice for many companies for ages. No matter your industry..
Topics: Effective Meetings
Many companies I work with have an Annual Plan and some foundational strategic elements, like Core Values, Core Purpose and..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
Often, people think of OKRs as a tool for tech companies. This is not surprising since the goal-setting method was developed and first used..
Topics: OKRs, Non Profits
Measuring the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is vital to the health and success of your business. However, when we onboard new..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards, Strategy Execution
In 2023, having confidence in your ability to achieve your goals is hard. We survey our contacts regularly on how confident they feel about..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards, OKRs
Excited. Ready. Anxious. Eager. Let’s go!
Worried. Tired. Stressed. Done. Overwhelmed.
At the end of a meeting, we usually recommend..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
It may seem daunting to tackle your Strategic Annual Planning session for 2022. With so much uncertainty due to the ongoing pandemic, it..
Meetings. Most executives spend their days in a haze, bouncing from meeting to conference call to another meeting - back to back to back...
Topics: Effective Meetings
Weekly Team Meetings…we’ve all got them. Conventional business wisdom has proclaimed since the beginning of time that the weekly staff..
Topics: Effective Meetings
Often, founders and CEOs of small businesses get their hands dirty and engage in many aspects of the daily running of the business. They..
According to Gallup, only about half of
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
For many companies, the idea of the monthly leadership meeting can feel like a burden in an already overly scheduled calendar. Why is this..
Research shows that our economy is largely being driven by middle-market firms, especially those in the service industries. Key Performance..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards
A while ago, I listened to a podcast where Brené Brown, Simon Sinek, and Adam Grant debated whether the recent phenomenon of "quiet..
When I was in college, one of my professors pulled me aside after class and said, “You have great ideas, but when you present them to the..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning, Accountable Leaders & Teams
As we head into 2022, now is the perfect time to step back and take a hard look at your team's meeting rhythms. Much like your junk drawer..
Topics: Effective Meetings
If you have ever downloaded any tools or other resources on our site, you know that we usually ask you about your Biggest Business..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Strategy Execution
As some teams head back into the office, many are facing a unique challenge for the first time - running a meeting where some team members..
Topics: Effective Meetings
Over the last few years, we've been collecting data from our Rhythm community
- including YPO members, entrepreneurs of the year, and..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Strategy Execution, White Papers
For many team leaders, HR professionals and individual contributors, the performance review process is one of the most dreaded exercises..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards, Effective Meetings, Accountable Leaders & Teams
As a team leader, you own the key results for your team, meaning that you will probably have a handful of KPIs on your list (2-3) that are..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards
As the summer comes to an end and fall looms with more uncertainty, it can be tempting to sit back and see what comes next—but if you..
Got your crystal ball ready for your annual planning session?
No? Hmm… Since you can't confidently see into the future (yet!), you need a..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning, KPIs & Dashboards, Strategy Execution
Effective listening is a key attribute for leaders (and for people in general). If you are a manager, this skill can help you unlock the..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
This time of year, leaves are turning, kids are in school, and many business leaders are spending a great deal of time, energy, and..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
One of the best practices we recommend to all of our clients is rotating facilitation duties for your team’s weekly meeting. There are a..
Topics: Effective Meetings
You can make an argument that your company’s annual planning meeting is the most important thing you do all year. It is where you have your..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
I bet you’re not going into Annual Planning this year thinking, “Gee, I’d really like to have a pretty slow year where our company doesn’t..
As Chris Cosper detailed in a previous post, we have the ability to record 3 types of metrics in our Rhythm cloud based strategy platform:
Many unknowable things can happen between now and the beginning of 2023. One thing we do know is that when next year hits, you will need to..
Alignment can be elusive for even the smallest start-up companies, never mind mid-market companies that have multiple divisions,..
Take a look at your calendar. If you’re like most executives, you’re booked up with meetings weeks in advance. As we all know, meetings can..
Topics: Strategy Execution, Effective Meetings
In his popular book
Atomic Habits, James Clear wisely asserts that we don't rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Strategy Execution
At Rhythm Systems, our CEO, Patrick Thean, is fond of the saying, "The fish rots from the head down." When you are thinking about your..
The best companies are already starting their Annual Strategic Planning process for 2023. They're engaging in pre-planning activities like
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
As a leader, you probably know that it is important to recognize your team members. However, research shows that there is a disconnect in..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
With so much uncertainty and many experts warning we are on the cusp of an economic downturn or possible recession, you may be looking to..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
Using OKRs, or
Objectives and Key Results has become more and more popular as a goal-setting framework. And, it's no surprise! It's an..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
At Rhythm Systems, we believe that having a strong Think Plan Do Rhythm is essential to growing your business with purpose. And, we think..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
Industries are changing rapidly, workplaces are in flux and the future feels uncertain. Taking a more agile approach to strategic planning..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
Many successful mid-market companies have cracked the hiring code. Perhaps you use a hiring method like Topgrading to ensure that you bring..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
According to Gallup, “in their search for new ideas and approaches, organizations could be overlooking one of the most easily executed..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
In order to live our Core Value to Keep Smart, our team does company-wide training each year (in addition to the department-specific..
We are so thrilled to be gathering our Rhythm Community in person in our home headquarters of Charlotte, NC, this May for our annual
..
Topics: Go the Second Mile
For any growing business, ensuring that you have the processes in place to “scale up” your business is very important. Here at Rhythm..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Strategy Execution, Effective Meetings
If you are like many of our clients, you may be considering adjusting travel plans for your team in the midst of the concern surrounding..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
Sounds like a simple concept: Alignment. What makes this so hard to achieve? The fact is, if you are hiring the right people, you will..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Annual & Quarterly Planning, Effective Meetings
At Rhythm Systems, we are so excited to be hosting our annual Breakthrough Conference right here in our hometown! From the beautiful..
We are thrilled to host our Annual Breakthrough Conference once again in Charlotte, NC, May 4th-5th 2022, at the Charlotte Marriott City..
Topics: Increasing Sales, Strategies for Growth, Annual & Quarterly Planning, KPIs & Dashboards, Strategy Execution, Effective Meetings, Accountable Leaders & Teams, Mergers & Acquisitions
In our fast-moving world of innovation and disruption, some leaders may wonder if it is no longer beneficial to hone core competencies over..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
In a former job, I had a manager who called all of his direct reports together to tell us some exciting news! We were embarking on a big..
At this point in the year, many companies are gearing up to plan for the next year as part of their strategic planning process. Before you..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
At Rhythm Systems, I have had the opportunity to work on several exciting cross-functional projects to help our company move forward. I’ve..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
When it comes to goal setting, there are two extremes that come up over and over again. Some companies tend to err on the side of..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Annual & Quarterly Planning, Effective Meetings, goal planning
It sounds so simple. But, I was just discussing scaling up meeting rhythms with one of my colleagues, and she told me that it took her..
While we may not know exactly what's coming in 2022, it's safe to say at this point that
hybrid work is certainly here to stay. While..
If you are a CEO or founder, you’ve likely gotten where you are today because of your ideas - you are probably passionate about your..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Your Brand Promise is the commitment to your customers that really matters to them and differentiates you from your competition. It is one..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
Integrating acquisitions, launching new products, deploying new company-wide systems or processes, shifting your organizational structure,..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning, Accountable Leaders & Teams
“I can’t wait to get out of this meeting to get my real work done!”
“I’m in back to back meetings. I won’t get anything done today!"
..
Topics: Effective Meetings
If you read our blog often, you know that we frequently recommend using a Job Scorecard (often called an employee scorecard)- we find this..
As we begin 2022, there are a lot of questions we just can't answer. We'll continue to experience uncertainty about the ongoing impact of..
If you had told our team of expert facilitators this time last year that they would be doing 90% of their strategic facilitation work..
Managing a remote team is challenging, even in the best of times. In our current environment, it is really tough to keep the team engaged,..
Innovation comes in all shapes and sizes - some big improvements for your business can be born from small, incremental changes that empower..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
Many of us believe in a false dichotomy about negotiations: either you have to be really tough, or you’re a pushover. Recently, our Rhythm..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
It's undeniable the new season has arrived—everything's in bloom, days are getting longer and warmer, and it's time for spring cleaning,..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
If the idea of coming up with a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal (BHAG) for your business seems a bit overwhelming, that's okay. After all, it is..
"How do I become a highly effective manager? To answer that question, let’s climb out of the crevices of the 'day to day' so we can see..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Because Rhythm strategy execution software acts as a framework for pulling together into one single system many improvement initiatives and..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards
In your next weekly team meeting, take a moment to look around. What are you seeing? Are your team members engaged—are they looking at each..
Topics: Effective Meetings
A key piece of your long-term strategy is your 10-25 year visionary stretch goal, what Jim Collins calls your Big Hairy Audacious Goal..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Strategy Execution
Accountability can be a scary word. For many, it sounds punitive - and that’s because most of us associate “accountability” with..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
“Remember that failure is greatness waiting to happen” - Robin Sharma
Even though I know that we all make mistakes, I still hate making..
"The leader of the past was a person who knew how to tell. The leader of the future will be a person who knows how to ask.” - Peter Drucker
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Establishing the right meeting rhythm with your executive team is key. Many executives spend the majority of their days in one meeting or..
Topics: Effective Meetings
For many, it's time to roll out those 2021 plans and kick off some new initiatives to help your company build back or accelerate growth in..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards, Strategy Execution, Accountable Leaders & Teams
We’ve known for a while that an increase in remote work was coming, and the pandemic has accelerated this trend. Many workers are eager to..
This has been a banner year for new podcasts! It seems like there's a new one launched every week. I suspect people who found themselves..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
It may still feel like the middle of winter to some, but you might find that it is time to do some spring-cleaning when it comes to your..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards
In our ever-changing world, one thing we can count on is disruption; there are no shortages of problems to solve, opportunities to chase..
Topics: Strategy Execution
Once you have done the hard work to determine the right BHAG Big Hairy Audacious Goal for your company over the next 10-25 years, now you..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
Sometimes companies talk about "eating their own dog food" or "drinking their own champagne," meaning they use their own product or..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Strategy Execution
The feedback surveys are still rolling in, but I can say without a doubt that our first virtual conference was a success! Our amazing..
Topics: Effective Meetings
Strategy Execution Software can be tricky - it needs to be easy enough for anyone to pick up and use, but powerful enough to get the job..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards, Strategy Execution
Businesses looking to implement goal-setting best practices are often drowning in a sea of acronyms that can be hard to navigate. What’s..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards, OKRs
If your company has hired anyone over the last year, chances are you've had to do at least some of that new hire's onboarding and training..
Think about the last meeting you facilitated... was there a slide deck involved? If so, chances are you (or your admin) spent quite a bit..
With the rise in popularity of hybrid and remote work, staggered schedules or just the increased demand on your team's time, it feels..
As a member of your company’s executive team, you have a lot on your plate. And, particularly in middle market companies, C-suite..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Often, companies work many hours on discovering the right Core Values for their company. Sometimes they even spend top dollar on..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
At Rhythm Systems, we have been helping companies build strategic execution plans for the last 15 years. We've learned a lot in that time,..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning, Strategy Execution, Effective Meetings
For many, our current environment is more distracting than any other time in our work lives. With a pandemic raging, a U.S. election..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
In my career, I've been in some pretty dismal meetings—ones where I struggled to keep my eyes open, ones where I watched the clock in..
Topics: Effective Meetings
Many leaders and team members have found the stay-at-home orders draining—and prolonged weeks of this inherently stressful situation can..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
The "new normal" is here... and for many companies, it involves hybrid work in which some team members work remotely at least part of the..
Topics: Strategy Execution, Effective Meetings, Accountable Leaders & Teams
One of the priorities for our Consulting and Client Services team here at Rhythm Systems this quarter was to nail down Job Scorecards (or..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Getting and staying aligned with your team is a challenge even when you are all in the same office. When everyone is remote or working from..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
When companies are small, it’s not such a challenge to get things done. Maybe you have a meeting (where the whole company attends), you..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Strategy Execution
There are never enough hours in the day. I can't seem to keep up with it all. I'm constantly fighting fires and don't have time to focus..
Many companies are figuring out how to do more with less as a result of the pandemic and ensuing economic hardships. Some are relying more..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning, Accountable Leaders & Teams
Rhythm is one of those tools that works best when everyone uses it, and most new clients worry about system adoption. We've all been..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards, Strategy Execution, Accountable Leaders & Teams
A little peek behind the proverbial curtain for you: I have a digital notebook (I use Evernote) where I capture blog ideas as they come to..
With life returning to normal for many people, lots of us will be traveling or taking much needed vacation time this summer. Whether..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Strategy Execution, goal planning
Think back to the fall when most of you created your plans and goals for the year. There was so much uncertainty - nobody knew how quickly..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
Recent research conducted confirms that podcasts are getting more and more popular, with 26% of people in the US listening at least every..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
One of the many wonderful aspects of the Rhythm software platform and methodology is that it is industry agnostic. It works in healthcare,..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards
I'm not going to lie, I miss being in a room with my team members. Seeing their real, 3-D faces when we talk would be amazing, but, for..
Topics: Effective Meetings
Like many others, I’ve spent the last few weeks working from home which includes splitting up homeschooling and childcare responsibilities..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
We’ve all been there… you call customer support at your cable company or phone service provider and instead of getting help for your..
Topics: Increasing Sales
Many companies are re-tooling and finding the best ways to remain connected and productive in a remote work environment in the work from..
Topics: Strategy Execution, Effective Meetings, Accountable Leaders & Teams
If you read our blog often, you know that we are fans of Topgrading, and we frequently talk about hiring and developing A Players. In a ..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Now that vaccinations are in sight for most of us, many leaders whose companies have been mostly remote for the last year are..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
Why don’t they just do what they are supposed to do?
How is it possible that my people keep letting me down?
I wish they would just hold..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
We've all heard it... "Why doesn't Jane just do what I've asked her to do!?" or "How can I hold Tom accountable?" Chances are, if you lead..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
As we celebrate Valentine's Day this year, are your team members feeling the love? How's your company culture holding up in today's world..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
At Rhythm Systems, we specialize in helping middle market companies achieve their dreams and goals. We believe that we can make a big..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
One of our manufacturing clients came to us originally with a very interesting problem. Everyone on the shop floor was doing a tremendous..
Our team was stuck. We had a CRM (customer relationship management) system that was making our lives painful instead of making it easier to..
Topics: Strategy Execution
As you strategize for the year ahead, there are a lot of unknowns. One thing is certain: keeping and growing your customers has never been..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
Think about the last in-person meeting or conference you attended. Close your eyes and visualize the space. Was there a stage? What was on..
Topics: Effective Meetings
This year, our expert consultants have been recommending a more agile approach to strategic planning; rather than hunkering down for two..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
For over a decade, our consultants have worked with client CEOs to help them exceed industry standards and build great companies. Having..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Annual & Quarterly Planning, Effective Meetings
Over the last few months, my husband and I have been re-watching AMC’s Mad Men, a show we started a long time ago and never finished in the..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
One of the best parts of our annual Breakthrough Conference is getting our Rhythm community together to live our core values of Keep Smart,..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Annual & Quarterly Planning, Accountable Leaders & Teams
Many companies are tempted to power through the end of the year and see what happens. That approach could prove catastrophic for your..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
A recent survey from SHRM found, "Work-related concerns left more than 40 percent of employees feeling hopeless, burned out or exhausted as..
Topics: Effective Meetings
In March, when many teams moved to work from home for the first time, I heard a lot of questions from clients about how to know if their..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Our first-ever virtual Breakthrough Conference is just a few weeks away! Here's a sneak peek so you know what to expect from this..
Topics: Increasing Sales, Strategies for Growth, Annual & Quarterly Planning, KPIs & Dashboards, Strategy Execution, Accountable Leaders & Teams
As we wrap up Q3 and move on to Q4, I’ve had a lot of conversations with clients and my team about the best practices for closing out a..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
I have two small children sleeping quietly (for once) as I write this a little before 6 am. While the COVID-19 crisis has been hard for..
Ever feel stuck working on your BHAG? Like you just can’t get the right words? You know that your BHAG is supposed to be measurable but..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
Like most other companies, we’ve made the decision to pivot our in-person conference to a virtual event. As we were planning for this new..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
Your Quarterly Planning session is arguably the most important day or two out of your next 90 days. You need to emerge from that session..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
Many leaders find personal accountability comes naturally - often, it is a muscle they have strengthened significantly through years of..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Leadership development is a growing concern for middle market companies. Growing your leaders is a challenge - whether you are succession..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Working with middle market CEOs, we are often asked "What is revenue growth strategy?" Driving revenue is the number 1 concern for most..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
Since most of our consultants haven’t traveled to see a client since March, we’ve successfully transitioned their planning sessions from..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
Over the last several months, we’ve seen our clients innovate in amazing ways to survive and thrive during the COVID-19 crisis. We have had..
Topics: Strategy Execution
As head of training at Rhythm Systems, I’ve had a busy year creating all the training content to accompany our latest software release -..
90,000 hours—that’s how long an average person spends at work over the course of a lifetime, according to a study cited in Business Insider.
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
How do you know when it’s time to make an adjustment? You’ve got your quarterly plan, and it just doesn’t seem to be going, well, according..
Topics: Strategy Execution
As the COVID-19 news unfolds and more people are staying in (check out www.cdc.gov/covid-19 for the latest accurate information), some of..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
If you are like me, your inbox is full of COVID-19 response letters from every vendor, doctor, airline, restaurant or business of any kind..
For many managers, leading a remote team is something new. After a few months, you’ve probably worked out many of the technical issues and..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
According to CNBC, since the onset of COVID-19, Zoom use has surged to over 300 million daily participants. Microsoft Teams has more than..
Topics: Effective Meetings
Let’s imagine you are going into your quarterly performance review, armed with all the great results you’ve achieved over the last 90 days...
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
At Rhythm Systems, we’ve been using Zoom for many years as a way to share screens, audio and video with our clients who are all over the..
Topics: Effective Meetings
Whether it is trying to figure out how to do more with less, frantically converting in-person business to a virtual model, working to save..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Your Profit/X (profit per X)or financial engine is one of the components of Jim Collins’ Hedgehog, and one of the three key areas to..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
At Rhythm Systems, some of our team works in the office, but most of us work remotely. As an office worker with the flexibility to work..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Many of our clients whose fiscal year doesn't match the calendar year are about to close the books on another successful year! That means..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
Effective communication is a key leadership trait and one of the 5 Cs of team accountability, and in today’s world, a lot of that..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
My husband used to coach a 3- and 4-year-old soccer team (the “Gorillas”) at our neighborhood YMCA. If you’ve never watched toddlers play..
Recently, AvidXchange, a Charlotte-based fin tech company, announced Series F funding. Their innovative accounts payable platform is..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Annual & Quarterly Planning, Strategy Execution
Did you have a New Year’s Resolution this year? Any new habits you were trying to develop? How are those new habits coming along? We’re a..
In Rhythm software, there are few different lenses to view your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). You can view them in a Scorecard to..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards, Strategy Execution
For many team leaders, it can be hard to keep a pulse on what’s happening in your team, especially if your company has remote workers or..
Focus. Sounds good, right? It may sound easy enough, but I’ve seen over and over again that people, companies and teams with the best of..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Preparation is one of the keys to a successful planning session. One of best things you can do to ensure that you’ll have a solid plan at..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
Let me start by saying that Core Values are unique to each company - they are foundational to your company's culture and should describe..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
When thinking about the most important numbers to measure in your business, most of our clients have no trouble coming up with a list of..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards
All leaders are faced with the realization that when you manage a team, you're not just an individual contributor anymore. The great work..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Our team recently participated in a day and half of training on Crucial Conversations in which we learned and practiced communication..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Maybe you have a brilliant idea for your business - maybe you've come up with something that will revolutionize your company. Maybe it's a
Are you actively working to attract and retain the right customers? Whether you are business to consumer or business to business, there’s..
Topics: Increasing Sales, KPIs & Dashboards
Fall is upon us. School is back in session, the leaves are beginning to turn, the air is crisp, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back at Starbucks…..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
Leadership is complex. There are countless books and decades of research on the topic, and you can work for a whole lifetime and never..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
As I shared in a previous post, I am always looking for the next productivity hack. Going into this quarter, my inbox was full of articles..
Topics: Strategy Execution, Effective Meetings
Our consultants here at Rhythm Systems are always trying to help our clients think about the future of their organizations and plan to..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
At some point, paper tools, spreadsheets, and even simple software solutions are not enough to run your enterprise. When you reach that..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, KPIs & Dashboards, Strategy Execution
When I was in college, I took a course called “The Meaning of Work” and enrolled in a corresponding internship program following the..
In many fast-growing mid-market companies, departments and teams do their work with little time or effort spent communicating with other..
At Rhythm Systems, we teach our clients to grow their businesses with purpose using our Think Plan Do® methodology. We believe the best..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning, Strategy Execution, Accountable Leaders & Teams
As you lead your team through strategic planning, one of the hardest discussions can be around strategy. Sometimes, your team has more..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
For many CEOs and executive leaders, the idea of having a system in place to allow you to see where you are off-track with the company’s..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards, Strategy Execution
This time of year, most people are making big plans - both personally and professionally. Even if you’re not setting lofty goals for..
Topics: Strategy Execution
These days, with all the many choices we have as consumers, customer satisfaction is table stakes. If you don’t satisfy your customer’s..
Topics: Increasing Sales
Despite the myth that doing something for 21 days in a row is all it takes to establish a new habit, according to scientific evidence, it..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
When I say “culture,” some of you probably get that glazed over look; many may think I’ve slipped into meaningless consultant jargon or..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
I recently watched a TED Talk from David Grady called "How to save the world (or at least yourself) from bad meetings." It's hilarious, and..
Topics: Effective Meetings
At Rhythm Systems, we’ve helped hundreds of mid-market companies achieve breakthroughs and get more initiatives done successfully. We've..
Topics: Strategy Execution
As a business leader or entrepreneur, have you reached a point where what used to work just isn’t working anymore? As your company grows,..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
In working with thousands of companies around the world, our consultants have learned that for most companies the weakest link in executing..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards
In January, most of us are thinking about our health and making resolutions to eat better, exercise more, or practice meditation. Taking..
Topics: Strategy Execution
“It’s like Christmas!” Our Head of Consulting, Chris Cosper, practically gushed as our team gathered on the day before our 5th annual ..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Strategy Execution, Accountable Leaders & Teams
Depending on which study you read, somewhere between 50-90% of acquisitions fail to meet their objectives. According to Bain & Company,..
Topics: Mergers & Acquisitions
As a parent with young kids, I read a lot of children’s books (many of the same ones over and over again to the point of having them..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
At Rhythm Systems, our core purpose is helping organizations and individuals achieve their dreams and goals. We have a software platform..
At Rhythm Systems, our core purpose is helping individuals and organizations achieve their dreams and goals. This year, we had the..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Strategy Execution, Accountable Leaders & Teams
If you want to set compelling and achievable goals for yourself, your teams and your company, drop everything and invent a time machine...
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards, Effective Meetings, Accountable Leaders & Teams
I just got back from a user conference, and I was reminded of the amazing level of detail and planning that goes into pulling off an event..
Topics: Strategy Execution
Anyone who has ever had to work in a freezing office, gotten stuck doing a conference call from a busy airport or coffee shop, or sat at a..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
While women have been making huge strides in the workplace, we still have a long way to go before women are well-represented at the highest..
Topics: Strategy Execution
This week in our own Weekly Adjustment Meeting, our consultants were discussing one of our clients that was having a hard time using Rhythm..
Topics: Effective Meetings
One of the best parts about my job is getting to see clients have that "ah-ha" moment in Rhythm - the moment the software and the..
Topics: Strategy Execution
I recently heard Charles Duhigg, author of the best seller The Power of Habit, speak about the science behind his book. It’s really..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
You’ve done all the research. You’ve compiled a spreadsheet full of requirements, Googled until your eyes crossed, talked to sales reps,..
Topics: Strategy Execution
Most leaders intellectually understand the importance of creating an empowered team. They can see the upside of being called upon less..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
This time of year, I start getting a lot of vacation out of office messages. It’s harder to schedule meetings with most clients, and you..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Regardless of what kind of business you are in, your customers pay for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You probably have a strategy for..
Topics: Increasing Sales, Strategies for Growth
"Spectacular keynote speeches, incredibly, relevant, informative breakout sessions. Thank you!"
“Loved the human element of business that..
Topics: Increasing Sales, Strategies for Growth, Annual & Quarterly Planning, KPIs & Dashboards, Strategy Execution, Effective Meetings, Accountable Leaders & Teams, Mergers & Acquisitions
"Ultimately, leadership is the ability to thrive in the ambiguity of paradoxes and opposites.” - Brené Brown, Dare to Lead
I have a yoga..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Think about the last time you wondered about something, or had an argument with your friend or spouse … What did you do? Pull out your..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards
There are lots of tools out there that will take your key performance indicators and show you beautiful KPI charts and graphs. For those of..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards
I recently wrote about how leadership is a balancing act. The more I think about it, life is a balancing act. We are all faced with..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
“I’m so excited to go to work today! I can’t wait to make lots and lots of money for my company so our CEO can take his family on more..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
Why does team accountability matter? Accountability is the foundation for performance, and without performance, you will not see results...
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Traditional business wisdom dictates that you need a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) for your team members when they are not performing..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Of the three
Rockefeller Habits (Meetings, Metrics, and Priorities), the one I most commonly hear clients struggle to implement..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, KPIs & Dashboards
Imagine being born in 1997. You’ve never known a world without smartphones, and you’ve probably never used a paper map for directions,..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Missed deadlines, lost customers, overwhelmed and overworked employees, long nights working with little to show for them… Hopefully, this..
Topics: Strategy Execution
As the CEO or team leader, you probably put a lot of time and energy into preparing for your Annual and Quarterly Planning sessions for..
According to PMI’s 2017 Global Project Management Survey, 1 in 4 strategic initiatives fail. This is not great news for anyone who recently..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning, Accountable Leaders & Teams
Many companies invest a lot of time, energy, and resources in crafting a strategic plan for the year. Unfortunately, many of those Annual..
We have all had weeks where we rush into our weekly meeting and quickly update our status while our team members are sharing good news in..
Topics: Effective Meetings
At Rhythm Systems, we specialize in helping mid-market companies grow with purpose. However, our team is still relatively small. We’re..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
According to an article in Harvard Business Review, "The brutal fact is that about 70% of all change initiatives fail." There are lots of..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Here at Rhythm Systems, we are very blessed to have almost 10,000 blog subscribers, 10+ regular contributors, and many amazing readers who..
Topics: Increasing Sales, Strategies for Growth, Annual & Quarterly Planning, KPIs & Dashboards, Strategy Execution, Effective Meetings, Accountable Leaders & Teams, Mergers & Acquisitions
CEOs are being pulled in a million different directions by several important constituencies. They have to answer to direct reports,..
One of the most exciting product features that we've included in the Rhythm software is the ability to make comments. This feature gives..
What people really love about coming to meetings is how unproductive they are. I don’t know about you but I eagerly check my calendar each..
Topics: Effective Meetings
Most of our successful mid-market clients have no shortage of great ideas. The constraint lies with the time and resources to get it all..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning, Strategy Execution, Effective Meetings, Accountable Leaders & Teams
Think about it - what sets your company apart? Are you poised to quickly enter emerging markets and innovate new products and services that..
CEOs are constantly being pulled in a million directions - they have shareholders, partners, investors, employees, customers, industry..
Where should we go to dinner? What time are you waking up? Where do you want to go on vacation? Are you going to the gym before..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
I like to think of myself as a highly organized and productive person, and I like reading about and experimenting with tips and methods for..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Strategy Execution, Accountable Leaders & Teams
“Having a great idea or being a charismatic visionary leader is ‘time telling’; building a company that can prosper far beyond the presence..
Around this time every year, our clients in Europe take about a month off - and these are serious people with serious companies. Here in..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
According to a recent study from the National Center for the Middle Market and the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, "Nearly four out..
As a leader, your job will inevitably entail having to initiate some tough discussions. If you want to build an accountable team, one of..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
![The Power of Strategic Storytelling to Inspire Results [Video]](https://www.rhythmsystems.com/hubfs/16_RS_For_Blogs/iStock-873620504.jpg)
Storytelling may seem like an old-fashioned tool, today — and it is. That’s exactly what makes it so powerful. Life happens in the..
In their open letter to business leaders, Amy Edmondson (Harvard Business School) and Bror Saxberg (learning engineer at the Chan..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection, will come even more effective action.” - Peter Drucker
..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
At Rhythm Systems, one of our core values is Keep Smart; we are a team of voracious learners. But, it can be difficult to keep up with..
As we head into the end of the year, many leaders are gearing up for more than just Annual Planning and holiday celebrations - many are..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning, Accountable Leaders & Teams
We are rapidly approaching the most wonderful - and busy - time of year. With the holidays and end of year deadlines looming around the..
Topics: Strategy Execution, Effective Meetings, Accountable Leaders & Teams
Your Annual Planning meeting is one of the most important—and expensive—few days for your company every year. How can you be sure to..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
Imagine this - you set out a quarterly plan with your team. Your top priority is to launch a new product. Everyone is excited! You want to..
Creative problem solving is an essential skill in our ever-evolving work world. As more and more technical and analytical aspects of our..
Your annual and quarterly planning sessions are expensive. Let’s do a little exercise:
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
We’ve all been in one of those meetings or corporate retreats where “team building” was on the agenda, Teamworkand everyone cringed...
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Recently, I had the pleasure of spending some time with one of our clients, AvidXchange, doing some in-person Rhythm training. As our..
Topics: Strategy Execution
Those of you familiar with our recommended meeting agendas know that we usually like to start most meetings with all team members sharing..
Topics: Effective Meetings
I recently had the pleasure of hearing Tom Hoff, Gallup's Southeast business development leader, speak on employee engagement. He shared..
According to the recent Deloitte Mid-Market Technology Survey, “Mid-market companies are starting to look beyond immediate needs toward a..
Topics: Strategy Execution
The topic of women in the workplace can be a bit controversial, and sometimes emotional. While there is undoubtedly a pay gap in the..
Topics: Strategy Execution
Bloomberg recently published an article touting the benefits of “Summer Fridays” - “It’s a cheap and easy way to keep employees happy,..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Imagine this: it’s the end of the quarter. Your dashboards are Yellow and Red, you’ve missed key deadlines on important projects, and your..
Topics: Strategy Execution
Earlier this year, we partnered with our friends at VitalSmarts on a webinar about the cost of failing to voice concerns in the workplace...
In a previous job, I used to come into work every day with no clue what I was going to work on. There would be some days where the whole..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
We all have those moments when we feel like there is just never enough time or energy to get it all done. There actually isn’t. It doesn’t..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
Gallup recently released the newest version of the State of the American Workplace Report. If you aren’t familiar with this report, it is..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
After quarterly planning, you walk out with a clear idea of the big things you have to get done this quarter. Knowing your top..
Topics: Strategy Execution
We all have that one annoyingly perfect coworker who keeps an empty inbox (ah-hem, Tiffany). And, we're ashamed by the 43 unread messages..
Topics: Strategy Execution
Here we are - the beginning of a new year. Chances are, you invested the time and resources into an annual planning session. What do you..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
I will never forget this moment. I leave work a few minutes early to rush to daycare and pick up my then 13-month-old daughter to take her..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
In a recent post, Cindy outlined the shocking statistics on workplace silence that we learned in a recent webinar we co-hosted with..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
At Rhythm Systems, we are huge fans of a simple tool called the Job Scorecard. It can be used in so many extremely valuable ways to help..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Employee engagement can be a tough nut to crack. Even if you think that everyone is contributing at high levels, the research says that..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
At our Breakthrough Conference this year, our head of products, Ryan Walcott, presented a breakout session called “The Secret to Getting It..
Topics: Strategy Execution
Let’s face it - it is scary how bad some workplace experiences can be. The Wells Fargo scandal in the news lately has reminded me of what..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Have you ever pushed yourself to achieve a goal that you thought was too lofty? How did it feel? In 2012, Daniel Markowitz wrote an HBR..
Our team recently participated in a Covey training which involved taking a self-assessment to see how we were doing on each of the 7 Habits..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
I used to think I was busy, and then I had a baby and realized that I didn’t know the meaning of the word. Since starting daycare in..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Hopefully, you work for a company that cares about your career development and offers opportunities for you to grow and advance. But, the..
These days, it can be hard to avoid news stories about the summer Olympics - whether people are talking about the Zika virus in Rio,..
We’ve recently hired a new team member at Rhythm Systems. And, I’m thrilled! As Patrick says, when you have a new team member, you have a..
Metrics are key to understanding your company’s health. Most businesses have some key performance indicators (KPIs) that they’re tracking...
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards
In researching productivity tips for this blog, I had a revelation… I’ve read it all before. I have blogged on this topic in the past, and..
Ineffective meetings waste more than your precious time - they also hit your company’s bottom line. In fact, there’s a Meeting Calc app..
Topics: Effective Meetings
If you've ever downloaded any of our tools or guides from our website, you know that we ask for your "Biggest Business Challenge" when you..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
If you regularly follow our blog, you know we believe in using Red-Yellow-Green® status criteria as a critical element of creating a plan..
Several months ago, I watched an online course entitled “Creativity and Personal Mastery” presented by author and speaker Srikumar Rao...
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
According to a study by VitalSmarts, a whopping 93% of people report having at least one coworker who doesn’t pull his or her own weight...
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
This is going to be a great year! You spent two full days working hard, envisioning the year you want, having the tough conversations,..
As we were preparing to release the new Rhythm High Performance Teams features to our clients, I have been doing a lot of thinking about..
Good morning! Time to get to work. You walk into your office, get your cup of coffee, sit down, fire up the computer and start your morning..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Millions of employees around the world are feeling disengaged, depressed and dissatisfied with work. This isn’t a new problem, and there..
Meetings - most of us dread them, and for good reason. According to the Wall Street Journal, executives spend about one third of their work..
Topics: Effective Meetings
I recently watched a webinar in which Liz Wiseman, author of Multipliers and Rookie Smarts, discussed leadership and social influence. In..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Those of you who are familiar with our Rhythm methodology know that we teach that establishing clear and specific success criteria for KPIs..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards, Strategy Execution
As part of my personal Keep Smart rhythm, I recently watched a few installments of a webinar series on influence and motivation (the Joseph..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
In a previous post, I outlined the business case for spending that week at the beach or in the mountains guilt-free this summer...
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
With July 4th just around the corner, now’s the time many Americans are heading out for summer vacations. However, not all of us take..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Recently, my colleague Tiffany wrote a post about Characteristics of Well-Written Priorities. Her post got me thinking that many of us..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
If you have ever downloaded any tools or other resources on our site, you know that we usually ask you about your Biggest Business..
Topics: Strategy Execution
We are about a week away from the end of the quarter, and you can see the finish line for your 13-week race™! At this time, there are..
If you have ever downloaded any tools or other resources on our site, you know that we usually ask you about your Biggest Business..
How many of us have ever been to a conference or read a new business book and felt like - "I want to do that!” But, you have no idea where..
Topics: Strategy Execution
I recently had the opportunity to attend the 2015 Quest for Excellence Conference in Baltimore, MD, where the Baldrige National Quality..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
If you have ever downloaded any tools or other resources on our site, you know that we usually ask you about your Biggest Business..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, KPIs & Dashboards, Strategy Execution
"No matter how much you’ve achieved, no matter how far you’ve gone, no matter how much power you’ve garnered, you are vulnerable to..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Strategy Execution
As human beings, we all experience stress and anxiety; some stress can actually be a healthy thing. It can stretch us to grow and change...
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
“The executives who ignited the transformations from good to great did not first figure out where to drive the bus and then get people to..
Have you noticed that everyone is always so busy? You hear it all the time - the most common answer I hear to “How are you?” is “I'm so..
For their book Great By Choice, Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen did some very interesting research on the impact that luck has on making..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Strategy Execution
Not all companies and not all leaders want to be enduring and great. In our modern economy, many companies are what Jim Collins calls “..
In his research for Good to Great, one of the patterns Jim Collins discovered was that the great companies all started the path to..
Last quarter alone, our team of business growth coaches traveled to see 27 different clients in various states across the US (and even a..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Getting started with tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) can be daunting for many of our new Rhythm clients. But, in fact, most of..
Topics: KPIs & Dashboards
I recently heard Rory Vaden, author of Procrastinate on Purpose, speak at the Secret Service Summit in Cleveland. Rory shared a unique..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
Because of my Masters degree in counseling, I am all too familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. So, I was intrigued by a recent ..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
I recently attended the 2014 Secret Service Summit all about how to create a customer experience that is so valuable that price becomes..
Topics: Increasing Sales, Strategies for Growth, Accountable Leaders & Teams
In one of our recent weekly Keep Smart company meetings, we had certified Topgrading coach, Jenny Rodriguez-Vargas, talk to our team about..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
The elements of your core strategy (your Core Purpose, Core Values, and Core Customer) are foundational for your success. If you don’t..
Topics: Increasing Sales, Strategies for Growth
In their webcast last week, coaches Chris Cosper and Cathy McCullough shared the most common reason that CEOs fail to have successful..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
“If you neglect any one of the four parts of the whole person [Body, Heart, Mind, Spirit], you turn a person into a thing. A thing lacks..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Since Rhythm is a great tool for companies that are geographically dispersed, we work with a number of companies that have many different..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Our team recently participated in a training on Covey’s 7 Habits for Managers. While most of the content was familiar, it is always good to..
I recently watched a webinar with Joseph Grenny and Marshall Goldsmith titled “Level Up: Influence to Get You From Here to There,” and I..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning, Accountable Leaders & Teams
For new clients getting started with Rhythm, one of the most difficult things to master is establishing new habits for execution and..
Topics: Strategy Execution, Effective Meetings
The benefit of having a weekly meeting rhythm that follows a disciplined agenda every week is that your team will have highly effective..
Topics: Effective Meetings
I recently read the book Give and Take by Adam Grant after hearing him speak at the Fortune Leadership Summit in May. Grant is a Wharton..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
If your company is like ours, then you are heading into a few months with lots of travel and vacation time by different team members at..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
I am lucky enough to have attended the 2014 Fortune Leadership Summit in Orlando with our team. I always enjoy the face time with our..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
In her upcoming book, How the World Sees You, Sally Hogshead turns her attention from her expertise in advertising and writing tag lines..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
Imagine for a moment what your company might look like if everyone who worked there - from the contract or seasonal workers to the..
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
For most entrepreneurs, the problem is not a lack of ideas. In fact, we’ve found that most of our clients have too many great ideas. So..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
You’ve invested the time and energy to come up with a solid plan for the quarter. You looked at data and forecasts and insights from the..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning, KPIs & Dashboards, Strategy Execution
We are all busy people, especially CEOs and founders of growth companies. With the fast paced lives we lead, it can be nearly impossible..
Topics: Strategies for Growth, Strategy Execution
This time of year, we are all inundated with New Year’s resolution talk - people are committing to everything from losing weight and..
If you are bogged down in the day to day operational responsibilities of your job, it might be hard to see how your long term strategy is..
Topics: Strategies for Growth
I recently read Dr. Mark Goulston's book Just Listen after hearing him speak at the Growth Summit in Las Vegas. The cornerstone of Dr...
Topics: Accountable Leaders & Teams
As you are planning for next year, you are probably also thinking about your organization’s needs as you grow and possibly budgeting to..
As we dive head-first into Annual Planning season, I was helping to review our Do-It-Yourself materials that we provide for Rhythm clients..
Topics: Annual & Quarterly Planning
If you have been using our Rhythm methodology for quarterly planning, you probably have come up with a solid plan complete with SMART..
Anyone who has dialed into a meeting virtually knows that it is not always as enjoyable or productive an experience as compared to being..
Topics: Strategy Execution, Effective Meetings
Here at Rhythm Systems, one of our core values is "Keep Smart." Because we try to practice what we preach and live our core values, our..
I was reflecting back on the Fortune Leadership Summit in Orlando, Florida that I recently attended. One of the speakers that resonated..
Topics: Strategy Execution
We're coming to the end of the quarter; now's the time when people start to panic about those Reds and Yellows on their Rhythm dashboard...
Topics: Effective Meetings
At the Fortune Growth Summit in Phoenix this past October, the speakers raised several interesting questions that I am reflecting on now..
Topics: Strategy Execution