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David Porter Advisors

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Leadership

A case for the non-obvious hire

A case for the non-obvious hire

Early in my career, I was searching for a hands-on IT pro to support a migration from a single desktop to a fully-networked, SAP-enabled location. The HR director led the search, and we interviewed several candidates. We had a difference of opinion on the final two. He wanted the candidate

Creating value with less noise

Creating value with less noise

Lately, I’ve noticed more cars with after-market upgrades that make them significantly noisier, but little else. A similar thing happens at work when extroverts drown out introverts in meetings. In Texas, all hat and no cattle describes things and people that generate significant noise without creating much value in

Tame the tough discussion

Tame the tough discussion

A CEO once asked me, “Is there anything you are afraid of?” My quick reply, “Not at work.” As I recall, he just shook his head. Upon reflection, my response was an unintended exaggeration. The reality is that I’ve had my share of fears at work, but having difficult

Create organizations where people stay

Create organizations where people stay

Copyright: photonphoto / 123RF Stock Photo According to the Gallup Daily U.S. Employee Engagement tracker (Gallup), U.S. employees engaged in their work was about 28% in January 2014 and 32% in August 2017. The inverse, employees less engaged, stood at 72% and 68%, respectively. There are dozens of studies

The power of getting in the way

The power of getting in the way

I am a tireless proponent of getting in the way. As kids, getting in the way led to admonishment from parents or older siblings. As adults, getting in the way creates our universe of opportunities. In our careers, getting in the way shows up in many places. 1. Bringing up

Build a stronger team after your mistakes

Build a stronger team after your mistakes

Situation A CEO focuses his growth strategy on acquisitions. Over time, some deals bear fruit while others fall short of expectations. For a while, he only shares his regret over the low-performing acquisitions with his closest aides. In time, caution subsides and, he begins to share his beliefs with more

There's power in team certainty

There's power in team certainty

While most of us enjoy the challenge of learning and growth, our need for certainty and stability informs our daily routines. The reason we sit at the same desk in school or the same chair for a weekly meeting is that it allows us to compartmentalize and shift our attention