Though faced with the realities of dramatic economic change, the reconfiguration of the business landscape, and globalization, U.S. companies continue to go down the wrong path. Former U.S. Treasury Department official Michael Jacobs calls it "business myopia."

It may be argued that "enhancing shareholder value" drives the myopic vision of publicly-traded companies, but "shareholder demand" is perhaps more accurate. In privately held companies, myopic thinking results from a desire to increase market share or simply beat last month's figures.

OWNERSHIP ISSUES AND COMPENSATION by Carol Hammes During the past several months we have been addressing methods for compensating agency staff, managers, and salespeople. How should...

OWNERSHIP OF A PRODUCER'S BOOK: A BETTER WAY by Larry Morrison and Gary Jacobson Some agencies choose to offer key producers an 'ownership' interest in the producer's b...

Are you trying to figure out how much to pay your producers by asking, 'What's the agency down the street paying?' Beware!

PAYROLL DEDUCTION-THE BENEFIT by Charles Robinson The marketing of insurance in the workplace, allowing employees to pay for the policies by automatic paycheck deductions, is not new. I...

PERPETUATION OR SUCCESSION? by Al Diamond Planning for succession can be highly rewarding if you have the right people behind you. It can be downright dangerous if you dont. Al Diamond...

PERSONALITY TYPES: THE HIGH-S PROFILE by Steve Anderson The high-steadiness (high-S) person is generally amiable, easy-going, and relaxed. Steady people may be perceived as low-key, undem...

Do customers really want more personal service? The answer may seem obvious, but is it? It's true that there are plenty of complaints-many of them justified-about shopping in stores where sales and service personnel are in short supply and the workers lack training, courtesy, and a desire to be helpful. But is all this a plea for bringing back old-fashioned personal service? It may seem so, but what's actually happening is quite different and far more significant.

An organized service contact program can build client relationships, ensure accurate protection for clients, and facilitate...

During recent months, I've been asked to do a number of workshops on team building. These principles cover the basics.