Sometimes you have great days, and sometimes you have GREAT days. April 22, 2006, was one of those. That’s the day I spent with about 150 other Home Depot associates building a playground at War Memorial Park in Pass Christian, MS, following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. It was part of a larger effort by [...]

I didn’t see it coming. When I left my job after 17 years with GE, I assumed my career with the company was over. Four years later, I was given the biggest break of my career and invited to return. Here’s the story: I made the choice to leave GE in 1988 with a heavy [...]

Back when he was a teen, my son advised me to buy stock in Apple. He was no stock market whiz kid, though, so I didn't heed his advice. Big mistake on my part, but if there's one thing I know about taking advice, it's that the person giving it matters. Not that good advice [...]

The building – on stilts, no less – overlooks a beautiful Caribbean lagoon. Office hours and dress code are at each employee’s discretion. Food and drink are available on demand. There’s a life coach, and a meditation room. It all sounds so appealing … until the alarm clock goes off. Back to reality! Oddly enough, [...]

I recently received a “defect” notification regarding my automobile.  My initial response was negative – another problem with the auto industry! – until I realized this recall notice had nothing to do with safety, or even performance. Instead, the company that manufactured my car wanted to replace my seat covering. Yes, I suppose there technically [...]

In this series, professionals describe what numbers govern their happiness. Write your own #MyMetric post here. Success for me has never been about the money, or the moves up the corporate ladder. Are those some of the benefits of hard work, more than a dozen geographic moves, continuous global travel, and great people supporting me on the team?  [...]

In this series, professionals debate the state – and future – of their industry. Read more here, then write your own #MyIndustry post. It’s not an easy time to be in energy. And, actually, it’s not an easy time to be in industry in general — although there are a few bright spots. As a businessman for 45 [...]

In this series of posts, professionals reveal their best antidotes to work stress. Read the posts here, and then write your own (use #OutsideWork in the piece). I was introduced to the idea of work-life balance when I met with my new human resources representative in Cleveland, Ohio. This was back in the late ‘70s, and I had just [...]

In this series, professionals describe the skills they’re building this year. Read the stories here, then write your own (use #SkillsGap in the body of your post). My social media skills – OK, occasionally even my digital technology skills in general –  are lacking. There, I’ve said it. While I wasn’t exactly brought kicking and screaming into the digital age, [...]