Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Walter Simson
Senior Season
Oops! It looks like AdBlock or a similar tool has prevented this page from loading. Please disable the plugin for all Hudl.com pages and refresh your browser. 14 views | 3:54 | Nov 23, 2022
Senior Mid-Season Highlights
Oops! It looks like AdBlock or a similar tool has prevented this page from loading. Please disable the plugin for all Hudl.com pages and refresh your browser. 6 views | 2:46 | Sep 27, 2022
Barbara Goleman Referee Scrimmage
Oops! It looks like AdBlock or a similar tool has prevented this page from loading. Please disable the plugin for all Hudl.com pages and refresh your browser. 47 views | 0:50 | May 08, 2022
Walter Simson, CTP
Main content starts below.
Want to Make Better Leaders? Give Them These 3 Kinds of LEGO Kits (Seriously)
Some of us have a strange hobby: management. Believe me, it makes for riveting family vacations. So one recent weekend I went for a long walk with my friend Frank. His humility impels him to decline further identification, although I will say that he runs a very successful manufacturing company. We turned to--what else?--factories, and Frank provided me one of the best lessons on site management I've ever heard.
Feeling Burned Out as a Leader? Do This to Rediscover Your Purpose
Fifteen men and women are chatting before class begins. The professor takes a pair of Tibetan bells-- brass discs about the size of a silver dollar--and strikes them together. As the sound dies away, the students sit, eyes closed, for ten meditative breaths. Then work begins. The class discusses a surprising topic for such a successful and enterprising bunch. It's mental chatter--our constant inner dialogue that sometimes turns to harsh self judgment.
What You Can Learn From Two Kids and a Few Robots Who Are Killing It In The Midwest
Managers at RB Royal Industries, an old brass company in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, first noticed it as a people problem. Newer factory workers kept quitting because their work was worse than boring. First, they'd place a little brass tube into a fixture, wait for the machine to bend it. After a few seconds, take the tube out and drop it into a bin. It was excruciating work for workers in Wisconsin's hot manufacturing economy. These folks have a lot of options.
You Say Your Team Is Bad, But It's Probably You. Here's How You'll Know
Imagine you run a ski-jump school. You are at the top of the mountain and watch skier one cross the threshold and make a beautiful jump. Then skier two jumps--also beautiful. Then a guy in shorts and sandals runs by you and rolls down the hill. "You idiot," you cry. "You are a disgrace!" But is it true? Is the guy in flip-flops really trying to do a bad job? After all, it's your school...Have you taught him the value of the proper equipment, of physical training? Does he know how to launch or land?
Wisconsin's Sizzling Economy Created A Crippling Labor Shortage. A Team Of Productivity Experts Will Solve It
I have a thing for Wisconsin. If I'm not exactly in love with the state, I've been a pretty heavy flirt. Especially with its cultural mainstays: Madison's hockey team, rye cocktails and a comedy ode to the snowmobile suit. And a couple of weeks ago my old flame announced the best economic development news I have heard anywhere. No, not the Foxconn initiative--where, in exchange for state tax incentives, a Chinese manufacturer will open a flat-panel plant.
This Super-Backup Goalie Makes Saves Under Pressure
The Chicago Blackhawks were playing their backup goalie in Thursday night's game against the Winnipeg Jets. They were ahead comfortably, 6-2 when that goalie had to be relieved with 14 minutes left in the period. They needed a backup for a backup, which is kind of like super-secret probation. It may have happened before, but it doesn't sound good. Enter Scott Foster, a mild-mannered accountant from Oak Park, Illinois. Well, maybe not that mild-mannered.
This Well Organized Scam Has Tech Companies Firmly In Its Sights
At an industrial conference last week, the talk was of a new and unwanted guest at the tech party: scam artists. In two separate conversations with people who have been caught off guard, the headline is this: there is a talented gang of bad guys out there. And they make it their full-time job to get hired as high-priced sales talent--then under-perform for months, until the frustrated manager fires them. Only after months of no-show performance and travel expense.
Try a Tiny Change to This Essential Practice and Up Your Game
It is a strange fact of business life that we need health to accomplish our outsized goals, but often sacrifice the sources of wellness--like meals and sleep--to achieve those ends. Putting it another way, we are not very good at managing our present as we journey toward someday. But if we give in to every faddish health prescription--meditation, exercise, mindfulness and journaling--we crowd out available time. Is there a middle way?
Warren Buffett's No. 1 Standard for Business Success Provides a Critical Clue for Your Own Prosperity
Warren Buffett famously writes his own shareholder letter, which has cemented his reputation as a folksy writer as well as the premiere long-term investor. For example, he famously said, "You only learn who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out." Now, this was in 2004 and the subject was the instability of the derivatives market. At that time, the derivatives tide was at an all time ebb, leaving some previously-covered institutions showing their ugly bits.
This New Financial Reality Feels Good--But Provides Plenty of Fuel for the Next Lending Crisis
Here's a market signal that is hard to see from Wall Street. That is, turnaround--the practice of helping companies to preserve their access to capital during a period of financial wobble--is so unnecessary that you might call it dead. The evidence is found in a couple of rarified nooks and crannies of the financial system. First, look at the booming operations of direct lending hedge funds.
Take Your Company Into Huge Growth Mode With This Simple Team Technique
I once helped manage a company that was in huge growth mode--meaning a ten-fold revenue increase in about 3 years. How do you get those numbers? First, from advantages that I had nothing to do with. Like an amazing product that brought real advantages to a growing life-sciences market. Second, a great sales team. That meant demand for the product was baked in. Third, we had an indescribable advantage. And that was: luck. It happened when a crushing customer order bumped into a new product rollout.
Experts Say 'Nothing To See Here' in Stock Market Fall?-But This Important Sector Just Felt a Stab of Fear
The decline in the US stock market, and the resulting aftertaste of price volatility over three days last week has been attributed in large measure to technical issues in a derivative market. Specifically, volatility in the VIX--ironically, a volatility index--spilled over into equities. And not just in the US, but world-wide. But we saw little effect in the bond market or other asset classes, such as gold.
This Mom's Response to a #MeToo Moment Is a Model of Emotional Intelligence
This weekend's New York Times Crossword included this clue: "PEPE _ _ _ _ _." The spoiler, for those who did not spend their wasted youth watching Warner Bros. cartoons, is "LEPEW." This is a reference to a cartoon lover-boy-skunk who falls for a beautiful female cat. (She had a white stripe accidentally painted down her back.) Her beauty is all he needs to relentlessly and obsessively pursue her.
This Almost Silly Trick Will Mobilize Work Teams for Measurable Results
In truth, the manufacturing company's service team was not acting much like a team. The factory manager was unhappy with customer service, the shipping manager was unhappy with the factory guys. Customer service had gripes with systems, the remote people were not responding, and everyone was mad at the the night shift. Willingly enter into an exercise in profitability improvement? That was about the last thing these folks wanted to do.
Fire The CEO Who Is Stuck In The Day to Day. Even If The CEO is You
The CEO of a fast-moving advertising company had always seemed energized. She would meet with each member of the team for a few minutes each day and carefully provide guidance. She was on hand to handle any tricky situation. She offered to get on the phone to negotiate with balky vendors and to cover for folks who were out sick. She had given herself a punch list of daily tasks, like checking deliveries and reviewing the social media accounts. But as the company grew, she started to wear down.
Has The Tax Bill Hurt Your Home's Value? This Handy Calculator Will (Ouch!) Tell
In November, a cute house went for sale down the street. A 3-bedroom, 1-1/2 bath farmhouse in a college town and within walking distance to everything. The listing was asking $595,000. Aside from the observation that the houses in this neck of the woods are expensive, what can we say about this listing? Well, in November the seller expected to receive $595,000. In January, that expectation is almost certainly lower. How much? It could see a reduction in value of over $50,000.
Why Lower Corporate Taxes Won't Create New Jobs
Public radio carried a story about the then-pending tax bill, quoting a chicken producer who lauded its expected benefits. He said that any reductions in taxes would increase his income and permit him to pay debt down faster. This fellow allowed that he would then take out a new loan to build facilities, buy equipment and increase jobs. Mr. Nosy asks I am normally not this nosy, but since this is a public bet on private investment, I have a follow-on question.
This Difficult Technique Helps You Understand Your Company's Critical Next Steps
Sometimes, to achieve dramatic improvement in a company, I'll ask the team to do something difficult: consider ways to make the company fail. That's right, fail. We gather in one room, take a look at a problem, then spend an agreed amount of time to work quietly and alone in listing ways to make that problem worse. This is actually a confidence-building exercise, in a sense.
3 Ways to Make 2018's Minimum Wage Increases Work for You
In 2018, 20 states will be increasing their mandated minimum wage. Washington and California will both increase by 50 cents, to $11.50 and $11.00 respectively. But it is the cities that have taken the lead on minimum wage increases, according to the National Employment Law Project. Washington, New York and several cities in California will join Seattle and Sea-Tac, Washington at $15. And more are coming. What to do? To answer that, let's examine what not to do.
The 1 Thing You Must Do to Prevent a Weinstein From Happening to Your Company
The recent revelations of sexually tinged activity in industry, politics and the media have ranged from verbal abuse to sexual assault. But at the worst end of the spectrum was a weirdly vibrant and heretofore secret subculture of sexual abuse. Harvey Weinstein personifies this, in that he held immense power which he used to further his own twisted needs.
This Pop-Up Entrepreneur Is Saving 10,000 Christmases in Puerto Rico
Kevin Donnelly is a guy from Long Island who has been contemplating what to do with his life. A one-time entrepreneur, he is now thinking about a possible career change. So I have been duly pitching him in the the joys and sorrows of advice-giving. Our holy orders need more good guys. Smart, soulful, and with tons of business experience, Kevin and I were close to getting together in a couple of engagements. Then hurricane Maria happened in Puerto Rico.
Forget Vacations. For Really Deep Relaxation, Try This Instead
If you haven't taken time off in a while, you probably see the signs of wear. Lack of concentration. A bit of fatigue. At the same time, more stress accompanies the familiar and leaden routine. When we feel worn down, most people say "I need a vacation." And a vacation is tempting.
Surprise! Why The Tax Bill Means the End of the Red States
There's a lot to dislike about the twin tax legislation snaking through the snakes in Congress. Taking away the $250 Educator Tax Credit when teachers buy their own supplies is perhaps the best example of the flintiness of the donor class. After all, that money has to fund a break for billion heirs! The kids in most billionaire families aren't job creators as much as headache makers, but the little darlings need a tax break and so the teachers must pay.
Need Financial Advice? Consider Asking a Millennial (Seriously) | Inc. Arabia
Generation Y is focused on their financial future. As any think-piece can tell you, Millennials have been subjected to a variety of negative stereotypes over the last few years, especially as more of us have entered the workforce. Many have fought back against these negative stereotypes and the seemingly out-of-touch individuals who believe them. As a Millennial myself, it’s tough to sit back and watch some of the commentary about our generation.
Smart Tech Investments Are Key To Transforming MENA's F&B Industry | Inc. Arabia
London Business School's Gulf Association experts say that the global food tech market is expected to grow over $250.43 billion by 2022. Smart technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics are fast becoming the key driving force behind the transformation of the regional Food & Beverage (F&B) industry, according to London Business School’s (LBS) Gulf Association experts.
Venture Capital Is No Longer Just For The SIlicon Valley Set | Inc. Arabia
A corporate venture program can provide a valuable window into the future Ever since the Netscape IPO in 1995, venture capital has taken on an almost mystical quality. The idea of investors in khakis backing a few kids in a garage to rival the world’s largest corporations has far more romantic appeal than fat-cat bankers chomping away at cigars in stuffy boardrooms. Before long, corporate America wanted in on the action, with mixed results.
Dubizzle Buys Up Two Dubai-based Firms To Its Boost Property Business | Inc. Arabia
Dubizzle has bought two Dubai-based companies—Masterkey, a software platform set up in 2004, and Airlist, which connects real estate professionals. Ankush is a journalist hailing from India, who has edited and written for publications in his home country, the UAE, US, and UK. Previously the editor of Gulf Business in Dubai and of Entrepreneur in India, Ankush is a keen student of economics, a follower of Manchester United since 1996 and a disciple of Archer.
The 1 Thing You Need to Do to Make Your Freelance Business Wildly Successful | Inc. Arabia
Accountability is the prize for all executives. Here's how to create your own. Shortly after I started in the holy pursuit of advice-giving, I was lucky enough to meet a man, Jeff, who had been out on his own for some time. He offered to provide some consulting tips over coffee. I arrived a bit early to find my friend in conference with another man. Both studied a pair of manila folders on the table in front of them.
The 1 Thing You Need to Do to Make Your Freelance Business Wildly Successful
Shortly after I started in the holy pursuit of advice-giving, I was lucky enough to meet a man, Jeff, who had been out on his own for some time. He offered to provide some consulting tips over coffee. I arrived a bit early to find my friend in conference with another man. Both studied a pair of manila folders on the table in front of them. At the conclusion of their meeting, the two men agreed on a couple of next steps, noted these in their folders and shook hands.
This Simple Trick Tears Your Employees Away From Their Smartphone Screens
When I meet entrepreneurs to talk about what concerns them in business, often I get an embarrassed reply. Company leaders want to be talking strategy, teamwork and culture, but they are always drawn to this compelling topic: "Cell phone use. It appears my people are always using their phone." Talking with their doctor, their mother, the babysitter and the odd mechanic. And when folks aren't talking, they are texting. Or using other screens.
Why This Ancient Leadership Practice Is Suddenly All the Rage
The Founding Fathers of the American revolution are commonly thought of as stoics, in the sense that they were uncomplaining, long-suffering--and effective at achieving their goal. George Washington, for example, did not relish his position as head of the Continental Army, and to many his attitude of service and humility directly lead to military victory. John Adams, the political theorist, saw his service as necessary even as he withstood the absence of his brilliant and affectionate wife.
Korea Rumors Got You Spooked? Here's the 1 Danger Indicator You Can Consult Daily
For some folks in business, there is a disconnect between the apparent drum-beat to war on the Korean Peninsula, and the placid reactions from the business community in the US. To understand why this is, I asked a longtime Korea hand for some perspective. But before I give you his perspective, let me offer a bit of mine.
I Lost Touch With Friends--Until I Discovered This Secret Weapon
I listened with some concern to a podcast titled "Middle Aged Men Need More Friends." It turns out that social isolation, in even small bites, can be as dangerous to men's long-term health as smoking or obesity. Even Alzheimer's disease occurs more often in men who are socially isolated. it made me think: Socially isolated? I certainly had the kind of life that checked the boxes, viz: Family obligations. For years, it seemed as if I was a cog in a well-oiled youth hockey machine.
Everything Amazon Announced on Its Surprise Hardware Event | Inc. Arabia
It’s been a while since we’ve seen so many products announced at one time from any company. Amazon announced a slew of new products on Wednesday, including new Echo devicesthat house Amazon’s smart voice-activated assistant Alexa, as well as some nifty new features. Business Insider‘s Matt Weinberger got some hands-on time with all the new devices, which replace and refresh some older Echo models while also adding brand-new members to the Echo family.
The 1 Employee Benefit You Must Implement To Win The Talent War | Inc. Arabia
Research shows that building a comprehensive professional learning and development process is key to the longterm success and viability of your organization. An advanced college or graduate school degree used to be a major asset, but the realities of today’s fast changing business climate require a staff with deep skills and ability in rapid learning and continuous development.
What Will Amazon's HQ2 Actually Do? | Inc. Arabia
One thing--create a circus. But is this really the way states should be attracting business? On September 7, Amazon formally announced that it would entertain offers from municipalities to create a second headquarters somewhere in North America. The conditions were that the location had to have a population of a million or more and a good airport.
What Will Amazon's HQ2 Actually Do?
On September 7, Amazon formally announced that it would entertain offers from municipalities to create a second headquarters somewhere in North America. The conditions were that the location had to have a population of a million or more and a good airport. Amazingly, terms and conditions for this contest are found on the Amazon home page, along with the usual buttons for "wish list" and "cart." Predictably, the municipalities are buying it.
Like That (*Snap*) This CEO Banished Abusive Company Culture
This year has been full of terrible news on the toxic company-culture front. It started with an ex-Uber employee named Susan Fowler, who detailed allegations against CEO Travis Kalanick, and the abusive culture he epitomized. After some corroborating accounts and not-incidental descriptions of other possible ethical violations, he was fired. Then this weekend, Social Finance, Inc.
Is Your CFO Any Good? This 4-Point Checklist Will Tell
I have met my share of lousy chief financial officers. Like the sportswear executive who didn't know the various products' margins--and then invested heavily in the losers. Or the manufacturing lady who spent a lot of time complaining about the bank's interest rate, but couldn't close the books on time. Or the guy who resists doing budgets. Why had their managers not thrown them the hell out? Maybe because the managers just didn't know what makes a good CFO.
The 100% Sure Way (Okay, 95%) to Secure a Loan for Your Company
Believe it or not, the world of banking is a fashion business. Sometimes it's fashionable for the banks to give loans, sometimes it's not. The state of fashion usually depends on the health the economy and the mood of the regulators. When times are tough, it's typically hard to get a loan. And what's the fashion now? Lets just say it's too-too Jimmy Choo.
These Are the Leadership Books You Need to Read, Says a Former NATO Commander
Retired Admiral Jim Stavridis seems to be everywhere this summer. The former commander of NATO-Europe and current Dean of Tufts University's Fletcher School--one of the world's great institutions for the study of international relations--has just published two books. The latest is on the history and tactics of sea power, which followed another book we'll talk about in a minute. They both got nice reviews and invitations for the author to speak on the topic.
Confessions of a Book Fiend
After he gave a talk the other day, I commended an advertising entrepreneur for paying people to read on the job. And then he asked me a surprising question. How many books have you read? I did some math, and gave the likely figure. Could be ten thousand. Two to four books per week, times 52 weeks, times 55 years. And I'm adding to it that sum at 100 to 200 books per year. I figure 6,000 is a conservative figure, but its more probably over ten thousand. How is this possible?
Your Startup Has People Problems? Play The "No Blame" Game
A friend of mine has started up a sweet technology company all by himself. He's launched a few projects and soon expects serious university and corporate collaborations. In a sign of imminent success, he recently hired an engineer to write the grants. Except it is not working that way. The engineer, a young man who comes from a prestigious background, is all over the place. Literally.
What HBO's 'Silicon Valley' Gets Hilariously Wrong
Nobody can mistake HBO's comic farce "Silicon Valley" for real life. At least, I hope not. The premise is that some marvelously vapid coders have an idea that will make them instant millionaires. The characters may have tech skills. But their lack of life skills--like, say, finding a place to sleep--threatens to derail them before market competition does. So they crash in a Brady-bunch California ranch in exchange for granting their blowhard of a landlord a share of the business.
This Simple Travel Mantra Might Help Your Next Flight
So this week we made a big deal of a man who was pulled off an airplane by his boots. Lucky him. The rest of the passengers get pushed ON kicking and screaming. People hate being squished, bothered and bewildered. Me, I've come to accept it. Why? Well, I found my mantra. It permits me to travel in planes, trains and automobiles with absolute calm. "Mantra?" you say. Yes! A phrase that captures negative feelings about unfortunate travel, and redirects them to positive ones.
When Your Company Causes You Distress, Aim for This--And Fast
Ah, the entrepreneurial life! Where so many of us have found fulfillment, friendship and material gain. What a deal. Except...What if your business is causing you pain? I'm not talking about being too busy or feeling under-staffed. These are problems that can be fixed by getting the right coach, board and organization. I'm talking about when you are hindered from doing your job by a painful, personal discussion. Or by verbal abuse. By disrespect-- or worse.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Walter
Contact Walter, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack