I read an article about Starbucks in Sunday’s paper. Starbucks has been struggling lately. Last week they showed a 7% drop in global same-store sales referencing “a pronounced traffic decline”. The evolution or more aptly de-evolution of the Starbucks experience has coffee customers looking elsewhere to feed their caffeine addiction. A new CEO, Brian Niccol, …
Gratitude Challenge – house guests
By Merry Mary Pineapples in general have been showcased as a symbol of hospitality. Supposedly in the South when a guest arrived their bedroom would have posts with pineapples etched on them. Should a guest overstay their welcome, they would find those posts removed as a subtle hint that it was time to move on. I have no …
Gratitude Challenge – birthdays
By Merry Mary Hopefully an easy challenge for you. Up to a certain age (probably mid 20s), upcoming birthdays are greatly anticipated with excitement. And then the day arrives with great fanfare – cake, ice cream, balloons, flowers, gifts, cards, maybe even a party. With great joy we announce to the world another successful turn around the sun! …
Controlling your controllables on a project
By Merry Mary If you’ve ever been singed by a ‘bad’ implementation (of an expanded software project, a RMIS implementation, a home renovation), you tend to approach new projects with a sense of trepidation and dread. Today I will walk through the steps I take to try to avoid a project meltdown. I call it ‘how you can …