What Do You Need More, a Coach or a Thought Partner?
Every significant dip in business has one thing in common. The leaders who push through have someone to think with. A CEO thought partner is someone who sits with the...
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The Blog
Take the Work Seriously. Stop Taking Yourself So Seriously
You’re deep into a strategy planning session. The leadership team is working through something hard. Real decisions with real stakes, and that means real disagreement. Someone says something completely ridiculous,...
You Have a Sales Problem: Sales Hunting vs. Sales Farming
Almost every business I work with struggles with revenue growth. Not because they have a bad product or a weak team, but because they’ve never been clear about which sales...
Client Risk Assessment: How To Analyze Your B2B Portfolio
A company lost their biggest client recently. Not because of anything they did wrong — the client just pulled back. That one loss tanked their year. Their pipeline, staffing, and...
From the Wall to the Culture: What Happens After Every Great Business Framework Gives You the Tool
You spent a full day with your leadership team building your core values. You’ve got five of them. They’re on the wall. They’re in the employee handbook. Your onboarding deck...
A Simple Client Retention Strategy: Five Questions to Ask Your Best Clients
Your best clients are the quietest ones. Nothing’s on fire. The relationship runs itself. Which means you’ve probably stopped selling them on why you’re worth it because you assume it’s...
Professional Services Financial Reporting: Metrics Your Finance Leader Should Be Tracking
Professional services financial reporting starts where the operational reporting ends. The PS leader runs the weekly stoplight. Green, yellow, red. Five minutes by exception. That’s the operational view — what’s...
Professional Services Project Reporting: The Dashboard That Prevents Projects from Failing
A $30M professional services company had no consistent project reporting process to know which projects were healthy and which ones were bleeding out — until the damage was already done....
How to Actually Govern an Employee-Owned Business
Enormous energy goes into setting up an ESOP. The structure, the legal framework, the transaction itself — all of it gets attention, celebration, and professional fees. Then the deal closes....
What Does Great Leadership Actually Look Like in Your Organization?
Most companies have their core values locked in. The behaviors that go with them are defined, rolled out, maybe even posted on the wall. That work matters. But here’s what...
Why “Meets Expectations” Isn’t Enough for Effective Leadership
I was recently working with the leadership team of a $50M+ company. One of the executives had B-players in three of four seats on his team. The division was underperforming....
Business Performance Indicators: KPIs for Building a Great Business
A Momentum Framework Field Guide for Mid-Market CEOs Most KPI sheets are bloated, measuring everything and clarifying nothing. The Momentum Framework goes beyond that to provide the structural spine of a great mid-market business. It outlines...
Scaling Leadership: Reducing Bottleneck in Your Growing Business
Most CEOs don’t complain about being busy. They usually say it with a shrug, sometimes even with a little pride. Busy means you care. Busy means you’re involved. Busy means the company still needs...
The Quarterly Goal Lie: Why Doing More Is Killing Your Execution
A predictable thing happens when a leadership team starts running on a real quarterly cadence. At first, it feels great. There is motion everywhere. Rocks defined. Meetings humming. Everyone reporting progress and...
The CEO’s Guide to the Financial Numbers That Actually Matter
This post exists because of a conversation I had this week. Different company. Different industry. Same outcome. Profit was down last year. Not catastrophic — just disappointing. Enough to raise...
Strategic Financial Analysis: Lessons From A $10M Professional Services Company
This $10M professional services company should have been printing money. Enterprise clients, steady demand, and billing rates that were completely normal for their market. Instead, profit was thin. Not “we’re choosing to...
SMART Goals vs. FAST Goals (And Why Businesses Need Both)
Everyone knows SMART goals. Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Relevant. Time-bound. Your MBA taught you this. Every goal-setting article regurgitates it. It’s become so standard that teams think checking those boxes means they’ve done the work. ...
How to Create a Company Dashboard That Moves the Needle
Metrics don’t drive behavior. Visibility does. A fast-growing cybersecurity company (we’ll call them “CySure”) cut their dashboard from 15 metrics to 6, spotted a revenue shortfall early, and turned the quarter around—closing $861K...
The Momentum Framework: The Business Operating System That Actually Works
Every mid-market CEO I work with has the same tension: They want to build a great business. But they’re stuck in the chaos of growth. The team is busy. Meetings fill the...
How Great Teams Actually Get Sh*t Done (Quarter After Quarter)
Execution isn’t magic. It’s a system. And the best leadership teams don’t treat it like a New Year’s resolution. They treat it like a discipline—one they build, protect, and repeat every quarter. Execution Is a...
Is Hiring A Business Coach Worth It? The ROI of Strategic Business Coaching (For CEOs and Leadership Teams)
Many leaders ask the wrong question when considering strategic business coaching. They ask “How much does coaching cost?” when they should be asking “What’s this worth to my business?“ When...
When Functional Accountability Fails
Functional accountability looks incredible on paper. One person owns Marketing. Another owns Sales. Finance has a clear leader. Operations run smoothly. Everyone knows their lane, decisions get made fast, and...
How to Get Started with Strategic Planning (Without Wasting Everyone’s Time)
Strategic planning isn’t about making a pretty slide deck — it’s how you build a better business. Without disciplined execution, even the best strategy dies in a binder (SPOTS: Strategic...
Working Lunch – How to Assess Your Team (and What Comes Next)
Every leader knows the saying: get the right people on the bus, in the right seats — and the wrong people off the bus. Easy to say, brutally hard to...
AI 101 for CEOs | How CEOs Should Be Using GPT
We’ve been working with a CEO who’s wrestling with a deceptively simple problem: How do we evolve pricing to reduce friction, attract more buyers — without breaking revenue stability? ...
What the Best CEOs Know (That Many Learn Too Late)
Most CEOs didn’t set out to be CEOs. They were builders. Technical experts. Operators. Entrepreneurs. They grew something good and suddenly found themselves responsible for everything. At first, that works....
STOP Being a Chief Everything Officer and Become a Real CEO
Imagine waking up and realizing you’re holding your business back. This is the truth that the leader of every growing business needs to face at some point. While the business...
Why Your Strategic Plans Keep Failing | Linking Strategy to Execution
There’s a very good reason why Incrementa doesn’t offer one-off strategy sessions: In most businesses, they’re a waste of time. You spend two days offsite, build a beautiful slide deck,...
The Execution Trifecta: Rocks, Scorecards, and Weekly Meetings
TL;DR: Most businesses don’t fail because of strategy—they fail because they don’t follow through. If you’re serious about execution, there are three tools that, when used together, become the heartbeat...
Elements of a Strategic Plan Mission. Vision. Purpose. BHAG
TL;DR: Most strategic plans kick off with a tangle of lofty statements — mission, vision, purpose, just cause, maybe even a BHAG if someone’s read Jim Collins. Ask your team...
Is My Business Failing? How to Save a Dying Business
Your business might look fine on the outside. Solid revenue, talented team, plans in place. But if it feels lifeless, disconnected, or like no one really cares anymore, it could...
The Soul and DNA of a Business: Why They’re So Important
Some companies feel alive. You walk in and you just know. There’s a buzz. People give a damn. Problems don’t linger, they get solved. Everyone’s rowing in the same direction...
Why AI Will Never Replace Great Coaching | AI and Coaching
Recently, a business leader half-joked with me: “Mike, with ChatGPT, do we even need coaches anymore?” OUCH. I get where they were coming from. Today, AI can do some amazing...
Guide to Business Process Flow: The Secret to Execution and Accountability
A few quarters ago, I sat down with a leadership team that was completely frustrated. “We’re missing our delivery targets for widgets. Again,” the CEO said. “We’ve hired more people,...
What to Do When the Quarter Goes Off the Rails: How to Re-Strategize Fast
I was on a 1:1 coaching call with a CEO I’ve worked with for a while. They’re sharp. Seasoned. Leading a strong business with a solid leadership team. But this...
6 Free Culture Building Activities for 2025
Most companies talk about culture as if it’s a slogan or a slide deck. Core values get printed on office walls or shared in onboarding, and then… forgotten. But here’s...
Working Lunch – Strategic Foundations, Clarity, and a Little AI Magic
You’ve got a great business. But can you explain what makes it great? Most small business owners struggle to put words to their strategy, their edge, or even who they...
Working Lunch – How to Fire Your Bob
We’ve all hired a Bob. You know the type. Shows up late. Creates drama. Doesn’t follow policies. Is terrible at their job. And somehow… still sticks around. If you’re holding...
Stop Being Busy. Start Getting Stuff Done [FREE TOOL]
Let’s be honest — most of us are busy all week. But when Friday hits, we’re left wondering: Did I actually accomplish what matters most? That’s where the Weekly Action...
How to Actually Create Accountability in Your Organization (Without Being a Jerk About It)
Let’s be real—when most people hear “accountability,” they think of awkward conversations, people getting called out, and a whole lot of finger pointing. But real accountability isn’t about being harsh—it’s...
Working Lunch – How to Level Up Your Company Culture (For Free!)
Every business leader wants to create a strong company culture, but how do you do it? Create core values and a fancy purpose statement? (Hint: Nope). In this practical workshop...
Failure of Strategic Planning | Why Most Fail Without Execution
Many businesses invest time and money into strategic planning, only to find that months later, little has changed. The plan ends up sitting on a shelf, collecting dust, while day-to-day...
The Four Pillars of Sustainable Business Growth
Every great business is built on a strong foundation. Without the right structure, companies struggle with execution, growth, and long-term sustainability. They get stuck fighting fires, unable to scale, and...
Leadership and Execution | How to Make sure Your Team Crushes!
How Do I Ensure My Team Consistently Executes Our Priorities? You’ve set clear priorities. The leadership team is aligned. But when it comes to execution, things stall. Deadlines slip. Initiatives...
Traditional Planning vs. Modern Business Strategy
For decades, traditional strategic planning has been the gold standard for businesses looking to establish long-term direction. Annual offsite retreats, vision statements, and multi-year plans have shaped how leadership teams...
Working Lunch Session – Pick 5: How to Drive Sales with Focus & Action
It’s time to engage your sales engine. In this interactive workshop for consultants, SMB owners and accidental sales leaders, you’ll learn how to systematically drive sales execution, stay accountable and...
What’s the Best Business Operating System? EOS or Scaling Up
“You don’t rise to the levels of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.” – James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. Most business leaders know we need...
How to Conduct Risk Assessment & Create a Risk Register
When you hear about a “risk assessment,” you might picture a giant boardroom table and stacks of paperwork at some multi-billion-dollar corporation. After all, the whole name “enterprise risk assessment”...
Working Lunch Session – How to CRUSH Your Goals with The 13-Week Plan
Business leaders, professionals, anyone tired of procrastination, this one’s for you! Are you tired of setting goals that never seem to go anywhere? Creating rocks each quarter, only to be...
Secrets to Dealing With Uncertainty in Business in 2025
We’ve all been through a tough ride these past few years. The pandemic didn’t just change the way we work; it altered the entire business landscape—and not in a subtle...
UPDATE: SOLD OUT! Leadership Book Club: Atomic Habits
UPDATE: We are currently at capacity! Subscribe to the Incrementa newsletter to snag a seat at our next event. New year, new you! Are you ready to upgrade your habits?...
AI Business Coach: Transform AI into Your Personal Mentor
Last spring I sat down with a group of my peers to discuss AI and its impact in the world of business coaching. More than half the room was terrified,...
Best Ways to Improve Company Culture in 2025
Recently I was working with a new client and asked about their existing core values. They proudly pulled out a set of “core values” designed by their marketing firm. And...
Accountability Coach | Don’t Fall For Bulls@!t
Imagine this for a second: you’re the captain of your football team. Every time you line up, at the end of the field you see the endzone. This is your...
Mini-Book Review: The 12 Week Year by Brian P Moran
If you want to get better at execution and crush your goals, you need to read this book. I’m talking about the 12-Week Year by Brian P Moran. This books...
How to be an AMAZING CEO, Accountability vs Responsibilities
CEOs come from all walks of life. Some start as amazing salespeople . Others come from engineering backgrounds. Some have even worked their way up from the warehouse floor over...
Six Key Questions Every Business Needs to Answer [Updated 2024]
If you’re looking to build a healthy, scalable business, the first thing you need to do is create clarity. Patrick Lencioni’s book The Advantage is a great primer on developing...
How to Create Big Goals to Inspire Your Team [Updated 2025]
Ever wondered how to get your team to rally around a common goal and be incredibly motivated to work towards it? The secret lies in choosing the right goal and...
How to Conduct a Board of Directors Meeting
Ever walked out of a board meeting thinking, “Well, that could have been an email”? You’re not alone. Many CEOs and executives feel their board meetings are less about strategic...
Ultimate Guide to Strategic Planning and Execution in Business
Picture this. A a smart, driven, no-nonsense business owner who built her company from the ground up. One of her peers told her that at her stage of growth, she...
Leading and Lagging Indicators | Employee KPI by Department
Imagine sitting down in the cockpit of a 747. There’s hundreds of gauges and readouts in front of you. Some show you where you’re going, others, how the plane is...
How to Create a Scorecard | Employee Performance Optimization
Imagine you’re building a house. You don’t start with the roof or even the walls. You begin with the foundation. The same goes for your business, especially when it comes...
The Benefits of Outsourcing for Small Businesses | Do THIS First
The benefits of outsourcing for small businesses can be amazing. In fact, 37% of all small businesses are outsourcing at least one business process. As an entrepreneur or small business...
Small Business Coaching | My $1,000,000 Mistake!
I started my first IT business years ago. I knew what I was doing. I was good at it, and that’s why I saw some initial success. I wasn’t making...
Cash Flow Consultant | The Secret to Sustainable Growth
Greg owns a construction business in Seattle, built from the ground up with sweat, late nights, and a whole lot of coffee. Despite the steady stream of projects and increasing...
EOS Implementer Vs Coach | Which is Right For Your Business?
Roger is a business consultant who has seen some success over the years. He started his career working in the IT department of several companies. He helped implement technology and...
How to Stop Micromanaging and Start Empowering | 10X Growth
Roger is a tech genius who’s created some amazing software applications and solutions for some big-name clients over his career. A few years back he decided to start his own...
[2024] How to Scale a Construction Business
Eight years ago, Dave embarked on what would soon become the adventure of a lifetime. With nothing but his trusty tools in the back of his Ford F150, he set...
How to Build a High Performing Team (Leave Stragglers Behind)
Most leaders and managers spend almost all of their team development time focused on the wrong people. Bob, the CEO of Onramp, had to learn this the hard way… He...
How to Scale a Consulting Business to 7 Figures
Bob looked around the room at his leadership team. Here they were, 3 years into their EOS journey. They have an a-player leadership team who consistently completes their rocks. They...
How to Become a Legendary Chief Storytelling Officer
For thousands of years, people have gathered to tell, and hear, stories. They learn about heroes and villains. To connect and feel the struggles as they’ve overcome. Learn lessons from...
How to Scale A Business For Growth [Viral Method]
Ever think about how to scale a business for growth? Most people associate growth with more revenue and cost reduction to improve profit margins. If this is your line of...
Best Company BHAG Examples | Why You NEED to Have One
Imagine the biggest, wildest dream you’ve ever had for your business. Now multiply that by a hundred, throw in a dash of audacity, and you’ve got yourself a BHAG. These...
Finding Your Purpose In Business | Write a Killer Core Purpose
What do you think your purpose in business is? To make money? To turn a profit? If that’s your purpose, it’s a pretty lousy one. Finding your purpose in business...
Leadership Book Club: The Six Types of Working Genius
For so many leaders, we end up doing way too much that we’re not naturally good at. Each and every one of us has genius within, but how do we...
How to Discover Your Zone of Genius
Imagine two different business owners. They’re both busy building and growing their businesses and focused on key clients and the most interesting opportunities in the sales pipeline. One is very...
How to Stop Being an Answer-Dispenser and Improve Productivity
As a business leader, the question of how to improve productivity is something that’s probably often on your mind. There’s a simple yet powerful way that you can free up...
Business Strategy: How Do You Know When You’re Winning?
It’s one thing to come up with a great business idea. But it’s another to develop an effective business strategy that will help you hit your goals. If you’ve ever...
The Annual Business Review: Questions Every Leader Should Reflect On
No matter what kind of year you’ve had, one of the most valuable things you can do is strategically look back, learn from it, and use the results to spring...
How to Run Quarterly Planning Meetings That Drive Your Business Forward
In the olden days, a leadership team would get together every three years and develop a strategic plan. This monolithic process doesn’t cut it in the modern world. By the...
Leadership Book Club: Who Not How
If you’re like most leaders we work with, you have big goals you want to achieve. Some of them are so big, they leave you questioning yourself and asking “How...
How to Get Back at the Helm: A Leadership Turnaround Story
*Disclaimer: Names and important details in this story about how to be a great leader have been changed to protect the innocent and the guilty. All the characters are fictional,...
How to Run a Town Hall Meeting That Inspires Your Team
One of the most important things you can do as a business leader is to inspire your team with your vision for the future of the organization, and then engage...
Discover Your WHY.OS
When we’re working with a business, we always start with its WHY – its Core Purpose. It’s so important that it’s one of the first exercises we do with every...
How to Steer Your Business Through an Economic Downturn
There are times that business owners absolutely dread. I’m not talking about corporate year-end, tax time, or other minor pain-in-the-butt things like that. I’m talking about the bigger and sometimes...
Creating an Epic Customer Experience
If you want incredibly loyal customers for life (and who doesn’t?), there are a couple of things you need to do. The first is to deliver the value that you...
3 Steps to Free Up Time to Grow Your Business
After reading last month’s article on how to spend more time on business tasks that really matter, I’m sure you’re inspired to take control of your calendar and block off...
9 Must-Read Leadership Books to Level Up Your Business
As a business owner with a voracious appetite for learning, I have read countless leadership books about all things business strategy and management. The best leaders I run into as...
Leadership Book Club: Who: The A Method for Hiring
“I’m happy hiring good enough team members.” – Said no great business leader. Ever. Yet so many leaders have no idea how to attract and recruit top talent. Have HR...
Impact Mapping: One of the Best Ways to Motivate Employees
Great businesses start with a purpose. Helping each member of your team understand how the impact they create is linked to your purpose is one of the best ways to...
“Help, We’re Too Busy!”: Going Beyond Time Management to Focus on Business Projects That Matter
Have you ever found yourself marvelling at how busy you are with day-to-day operations in your business? Or maybe you’re too darn busy to even notice how busy you are!...
Stop Wasting Golden Networking Opportunities: Why a Company-Wide Elevator Pitch is a Must and How to Craft Yours
Are you guilty of wasting golden networking opportunities? If you don’t have a fine-tuned elevator pitch for your company, the answer is probably yes! Luckily, there’s an easy solution. Whether...
Want to Drive Business Productivity? Make Time for Quarterly Rocks
Let’s say you’ve finished your annual planning session. You’ve developed your strategic priorities, worked on your culture, and designed the execution plan for this quarter to drive business productivity for...
How to Recognize Core Values in Real Time
A few weeks ago I starting an Annual Planning Session for a client. I reached into my backpack and pulled out a large bag of candy. For those of you...
Level Up Your Team: How to Assess Performance and Drive Employee Development
Do you shudder at the mention of an employee performance review? I do. We’ve all heard about how important it is to do them. And we’ve probably all experienced how...
A One-Word Mindset Hack
I was in a boardroom full of project managers discussing the challenges around managing construction projects. At some point, we were discussing key performance indicators – always a contentious subject,...
Show Me the Money! How to Improve Your Cash Conversion Cycle
Have you ever imagined yourself rolling around on a bed full of money? For entrepreneurs, an even sexier version of that fantasy is having all that cash available to spend...
Accountability vs. Responsibility: How to Multiply Employee Potential Instead of Squandering It
In most organizations, when trying to create clarity for employees, the first thing that business owners want to do is to write job descriptions that go into great detail about...
Leadership Book Club: Turn This Ship Around
Imagine being given command of a nuclear submarine. What an outstanding opportunity! Now make it a submarine that you know nothing about, and has the worst record in the Navy....
Scale Your Business by Scaling Up Your Leadership
When you start your business, you’re the center of everything. As it grows, you hire some people to help you out. As the business grows, the number of helpers you...
Strategy vs. Strategy Execution: Which is More Important?
A couple of years ago, I was contacted by a large business looking for a business strategy consultant to help them with strategic planning. One of the first things out...
Why Cash Flow is the Key to Business Growth
For any business, cash is the fuel for growth. If you run out of cash, it’s not like Monopoly. You don’t get to pass Go; you don’t get to collect...
How Business Owners Can Tap into the Power of Peers
For many business owners, building your business is a lonely journey. You may not be able to talk to your staff about the challenges you’re encountering with the business, and...
Say Sayonara to Vision and Mission Statements and Do This Instead
In traditional strategic planning, you always start with a vision and a mission. The vision is a lofty goal you’re looking to accomplish, while the mission is supposed to describe...
How to Run Valuable Weekly Meetings That Don’t Suck
Let’s face it – no one likes meetings. But done right, running a weekly meeting with your team can help drive accountability and results. And when that happens, everyone wins....
4 Ways to Create a Culture of Accountability in Your Business
Accountability. It’s a word that gets thrown around a lot in the business world. It’s always surprising the number of people who aren’t quite able to articulate what accountability means....
5 Mistakes Leaders Make When Creating Goals for Their Strategic Plan
There are common traps that business leaders fall into in setting the goals for their strategic plans. Every single client I have worked with as a business strategy consultant runs...
What is Business Strategy?
If you had to come up with a definition of strategy without looking it up, chances are you’d define it as something along the lines of the moves you need...
What to Do When You Graduate from Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)
If you’ve implemented EOS within your business, you’ve built a great foundation for success…but graduating from EOS doesn’t mean that it’s time to sit back and relax. On the contrary,...
The Pros and Cons of a Business Coach vs a Business Consultant…and Why it Matters
For several years, I was a strategic consultant helping clients transform their businesses. Far too often I would go in and introduce changes and improvements to make the business grow...
Growth Accelerator for Small Business
I’m really excited to formally launch the Growth Accelerator for small business. While I love working with mid-sized businesses, this program is a passion play. Like many of you, I’ve...
Learning Community: How to Develop Level 5 Leaders in your Business
A GOOD TO GREAT® EVENT – HOW TO DEVELOP LEVEL 5 LEADERS In partnership with the Growth Faculty, we are delighted to offer you $50 discount to A Good to Great® Event with...
Building High Performance Teams with Patrick Lencioni
HOW TO PURPOSE-BUILD TEAMS AND BOOST PERFORMANCE TO SUCCEED IN A POST-PANDEMIC ENVIRONMENT The trend of businesses relying on great teamwork to create a high-performance culture was accelerated by the global...
How to create a vivid 3-year vision for your business (that you can actually achieve)
I was recently speaking with a business owner about the future of his business. When asked, she told me (confidently), that they would be a $30 million dollar business with...
The power of small incremental improvements
What if you could make a 1% improvement this quarter? How would that impact your business? If you applied it to revenue, a $10mm annual revenue business makes an extra...
How to systematize your business
If you want to scale your business, no matter its size, one of the most important things you can do is to systematize it. I don’t mean you need to...
Learning Community: Turning the Flywheel with Jim Collins
CREATE MOMENTUM FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH In partnership with Growth Faculty, we are delighted to offer you $50 discount to Turning the Flywheel, a 2.5-hour live and interactive virtual event with Jim Collins. Align your...
Learning Community: Impact Players by Liz Wiseman
Join us as Liz Wiseman author of New York Times bestseller Multipliers, discusses her new book: IMPACT PLAYERS: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact (due...
How to Handle the Brilliant (but Toxic) Jerk
Putting up with brilliant jerks is one of worst things you can do for your organization. We have all known several of them: they’re amazing at their job, but they...
Learning Community: How to multiply the genius and productivity of your team
What’s the difference between a leader that gets 200% productivity and another who gets less than 50%? One is a multiplier, the other a diminisher. We’re doing something really special...
How to Get the Right People in the Right Seats
Stardate 41153.7. We’re on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. The bridge crew efficiently works away at their functions. When a crisis emerges, they’re seamless at solving the problem. If...
How to Hire the Right People
Filling a position is like taking a multiple choice exam. If you don’t study and prepare, you are likely to get some of the answers correct just from guessing. The...
Learning Community: Culture in Strategy with David Friedman
How strong would you say your culture is? Is it enough to handle all the challenges we’re going through? COVID? Back to work? What about the great resignation? Join us,...
Why ‘Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast’ is WRONG
At a talk earlier this year, Jim Collins opened by informing us that Peter Drucker was wrong. I’m sure thousands of HR/Culture people had a heart attack on the spot....
How to Create the Right Core Values for your Business
A few years ago I was called into a large business that was having problems with its culture. While waiting for my meeting I noticed a beautifully framed set of...
Building an Inclusive and Diverse Culture
Building an inclusive and diverse culture is vital, and more simple than you think It’s time to rebuild. Your business just survived a global pandemic and you’re rebuilding for an...
Learning Community Book Club: Never Split the Difference
We don’t negotiate with terrorists. (Yes, my young girls would be considered terrorists, and I lose constantly) We don’t negotiate with terrorists. (Yes, my young girls would be considered terrorists,...
How to Create a Strong Corporate Culture
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” – Peter Drucker Your culture defines who you are as a company. If you want to build a great company, attract (and retain) rockstar employees,...
What is a Business Coach (And why every CEO should have one)
It’s lonely being a CEO. You’re juggling the demands of your company, family and personal life, all while trying to maintain some semblance of sanity. You’re constantly pulled in 1000...
How to Create a Book Club in Your Business
One often overlooked element of a strong culture is that people learn and grow together. This is especially important at a small business, where the team is often involved in...
How Do You Define a Great Life
‘Living a great life is doing what you love with the people you love.’ – Jim Collins The Jim Collins quote above is a deceptively simple statement, but undeniably impactful....
How to Eat an Elephant
How Do You Eat An Elephant? Have you ever had a task list so massive that you simply didn’t know where to start? The overwhelm paralyzes you from getting any...
The Importance of Disciplined Execution
29% I was recently at a client’s quarterly planning session, leading them through their review of the last quarter. It was rather shocking. They had lots of wins, several misses...
Learning Community Recap: The Advice Trap
The Advice Trap by Michael Bungay Stanier is a personal favorite of mine. When I first read it last year my mind reeled – it was so easy to read,...
Learning Community Book Club: BE (Beyond Entrepreneurship) 2.0
30 years ago Jim Collins began a journey to discover what made great businesses. Along the way, he wrote a number of books that line shelves of leadership and business...
Developing a Giving Mindset
We get by with a little help from our friends. Many hands make light work. A community is like a ship in which everyone must be prepared to take the...
Dave Cavan has found his perfect role in industry
It has been said that luck is the intersection of preparedness and opportunity. An opportunity has come my way recently providing one of those intersections that I’ve been preparing for...
Learning Community Book Club: The Advice Trap
How would your life change if your team didn’t look to you for all the answers? Wouldn’t it be nice? Last year I read Michael Bungay Stanier’s “The Advice Trap”,...
Learning Community Recap: Limitless by Jim Kwik.
In January, our learning communities met to share lessons learned from Limitless by Jim Kwik. We picked this as our first book as it lays a fantastic foundation for our...
January #WisdomWednesday Roundup
Each week, I write a quick hit of “wisdom” on Wednesdays and post it to linkedin. I admit, I *LOVE* the short form, low maintenance writing style. Have your idea,...
Learning Community: Learn from Jim Collins – The Roadmap to Greatness
Align your leadership team with the most significant thought leader of our time. As a part of the Incrementa Learning Community, you can save $50 on tickets. See best-selling author...
Important Work or Busy Work? Leaders Should Focus on Growth.
Every leader has important work and busy work to do. Important work is made up of the items that push you and the business forward. It should take you out...
Clutch Rates Incrementa Top 15 Business Consultants of 2020
The Incrementa Family is proud to be named one of Clutch’s top 15 Business Consultants in 2020. Our team is excited to be recognized for providing our clients the tools...
Executive Leadership Opportunity: Gravitas Impact Global Leadership Summit
A healthy and successful 2021 is on the top of everyone’s wish list this new year. Renewing your commitment to learning and growing is a concrete way to start making...
How a part-time CFO can help you level up
An often-overlooked role in smaller businesses, a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) could make the difference in meeting your goals in the coming year. A company needs all manner of money...
Shannon Pearson’s new role in Industry
As they say, the only thing that is constant is change. (Actually, it was Heraclitus who said that). I want to share that I’ve decided to make a significant change. It’s a...
Organizational charts mean nothing if roles aren’t defined
It’s not uncommon for companies to have organizational charts. But here’s the catch: organizational charts mean nothing if roles aren’t defined. The illusion of power Most people ask for an...
19 questions to jumpstart your strategic COVID-19 review
So much has happened in 2020. Your first strategic planning session of 2021 should include a deep discussion about the lessons learned over the past year, how COVID-19 has shaped...
It’s time to reframe strategic planning
You know your company can and should be doing more. There are opportunities out there. Goals to achieve. You need a strategy. But could the entire idea of creating a...
Understanding anger and overcoming it
A red face, increased heart rate, tense expression, vocal tone changes—we’ve all seen it, experienced it, done it. Anger is a relatable emotion. However, just because we can relate to...
Dealing with negative self-talk
“I am such an idiot” “I can’t do it” “I’m not good enough” Several of the leaders I’ve been working with have issues with negative self-talk. At first it was...
The importance of taking time off
If you’re like most folks, taking time off from work hasn’t been a priority in 2020. Perhaps you had to postpone a trip, and decided to work through your scheduled...
The League of Superhero Service Providers: Nov 2!
Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of businesses? The League of Superhero Service Providers … Join us on Monday, November 2nd, for our latest awesome networking event. Get...
Why IT strategy is vital for business growth
Special thanks to guest author, Mark Olsson of MacGregor-Olsson Consulting Just about every business today relies on information technology (IT). In fact, most rely on IT to the extent that...
7 tips for freelancers navigating pandemic pricing pressures
Special thanks to guest author, Kirsten Anderson, Integrate Play Solutions If budgets have been cut back recently, should we lower our prices? If clients are scarcer now, should we adjust our pricing? If...
Communication 101: the importance of reframing
I recently took a course in mediation. What an eye opener. Watching my instructor masterfully manage a conversation in a way that I’ve never seen made me abundantly aware of the skill it takes to guide...
Preparing for the second wave: how to create a COVID-19 contingency plan
With little doubt about a second wave of COVID-19 hitting us in the fall, there’s no time like the present to start preparing. Use this window to reflect on the...
3 ways to manage anger at work
There are at least 27 distinct human emotions. We’re dynamic beings who are meant to feel, even challenging and not so nice emotions. The common emotion I support clients with working through is also one of...
Fun & conversation: the secret sauce of connected remote teams
Special thanks to guest author, Kirsten Anderson, Integrate Play Solutions It felt like a bucket of ice water had been thrown in my face, waking me up to the grim reality of the...
Online Workshop: Shift to Thrive Fall 2020
It’s time to Shift to Thrive We believe there is a better way for business owners to achieve their goals. A way that doesn’t involve creating a thick strategic plan...
How to create a culture of accountability
Accountability is defined by the Oxford Canadian Dictionary as being “the state of being accountable, liable, or answerable.” What does that look like in a business? Doing what you say...
In crisis, cash is king: how best to manage it
Special thanks to guest author, Brant Friesen, CPA, CA, Performance Management Director, Rise Advisors Managing your company’s cash position is critical. Running out of cash can spell immediate disaster for...
Mini book review: The Advice Trap by Michael Bungay Stanier
The Advice Trap is the follow up to The Coaching Habit, my favourite book on transforming your leadership through being more of a coach. Like The Coaching Habit, this book is fast...
What I wish I knew when I started my entrepreneurial journey, part three
Our third and final in the series of what I wish I’d known when I started my entrepreneurial journey wraps with advice on using your resources, creating clarity early and...
What I wish I knew when I started my entrepreneurial journey, part two
If you missed last week’s post, the first in our series of entrepreneurship advice, no sweat—it’s here. But don’t let that stop you from diving in! Enjoy part two in...
What I wish I knew when I started my entrepreneurial journey, part one
What better day of the week (#TBT!) to roll out a three part series featuring advice from successful entrepreneurs on what you wish they’d known when they started their entrepreneurial...
How to: managing cyber-risk in your organization
Special thanks to guest author, Dominic Vogel Many small and midsize organizations are stuck in mid-1990s thinking. Not about their business strategy per se but specifically that they think that...
Speed dating for consultants and service providers: June 24!
As many of you know, the family at Incrementa runs a LOT of events for our community. It’s fantastic getting so many opportunity to connect, learn and grow together. Our...
The future of sales in a post COVID-19 world
153 days ago, on January 1, 2020, we couldn’t have imagined this. All of this. A global pandemic like we’ve never lived through. And yet, here we are, in a...
Why there’s no better time to give and receive than during a crisis
It’s not unusual to have had, or still have, a scarcity mindset. The COVID-19 pandemic is an experience unlike any other in our lifetime. But instead of asking yourself what...
Getting back on track: Your COVID-19 Agile Growth Checklist
“Move forward, even if the plan isn’t 100%” – Mike Knapp Sometimes, good enough is good enough. We’re all figuring this out together and it’s not uncommon to feel the...
Webinar Series: Navigating the COVID-19 Crisis Week 3 – Thrive!
Survive, Adapt, Thrive A webinar series for navigating the COVID-19 crisis The crisis of our generation is here. Its impact is creating chaos in every community and business. According to...
Q&A: Learning from your customers during a global pandemic
Sales team strategies and plans continue to evolve amid COVID-19 but one truth remains: there’s no better time to truly connect with your customers. Connection looks different, quite literally, through a screen, but it’s not...
Manage change like a champion by leaning into your corporate values
Change management is no stranger to me. Ideally, change is managed in a controlled environment with all variables considered. This ensures change is sustainable and effective. But in times like...
Webinar Series: Navigating the COVID-19 Crisis Week 2 – Adapt!
Survive, Adapt, Thrive A webinar series for navigating the COVID-19 crisis The crisis of our generation is here. Its impact is creating chaos in every community and business. According to...
Volunteer to help fight COVID-19
Special thanks to guest author, Stacey Cerniuk of Annex Consulting Introducing Annex Helps Annex Helps connects volunteers with front-line organizations that desperately need assistance. And we need you’re help. Specifically,...
Webinar Series: Navigating the COVID-19 Crisis Week 1 – SURVIVE!
Survive, Adapt, Thrive A webinar series for navigating the COVID-19 crisis The crisis of our generation is here. Its impact is creating chaos in every community and business. According to...
36 tools, tips and resources to get you started as a facilitator
There comes a time in almost everyone’s career where they have to take a big step—run their first meeting, training program or brainstorming session. As a strategy and execution coach,...
For your viewing pleasure: business resources readily available on Incrementa’s YouTube channel
It’s never going to win a Golden Globe, or even be binge-worthy like your favorite Netflix show, but Incrementa’s YouTube channel is here! The Incrementa family is regularly posting bite-sized...
Your people: the first and last line of cyber security defence
Special thanks to guest author, Michael Argast Your team members are the most important investment you can make in cyber security. All the fancy firewalls, advanced malware detection, threat intelligence...
How and why you need to double down on communications
With everything that’s happening this crisis—the remote work, social isolation, and roller coaster for your business, it’s vital that we double down on communications and connection with our team. This...
4 ways to reduce overwhelm
In these uncertain times, I’m hearing the stress in people’s voices as they crack over the phone and it shows in their faces over video chat. We’re in uncharted waters...
COVID-19 support resources
We’re in the worst crisis the world has seen more than a generation. The mass spread of COVID-19 is impacting everything and when we emerge from this the world will...
The importance of leading with empathy through a pandemic
Being in conversation with many business owners and employees over the last few days I believe there is one thing we all share on some level: uncertainty. Some are uncertain...
How to plan for pandemics, disasters and the zombie apocalypse
For many of us, this is our first experience at a pandemic, and we (and our businesses) are not prepared. We’re having to learn as we go. That’s okay-nobody is...
Where to find the most valuable business networking in the Fraser Valley
Please note that this event has been postponed due to COVID-19. We’ll provide updates as we’re able. The Fraser Valley Breakfast Club. Heard the phrase? If yes, we know you’re...
How to leverage employee and customer feedback
If you’re looking to make your business great, it’s important to build a process to gather feedback from your two most important stakeholder groups: your employees and your customers. Employee...
Take advantage of free money: why applying for business grants should be your number one priority
Special thanks to guest author, Stephanie Sang Highly likely conversation heard and had by our very own Grant Angel, Stephanie: “Grants aren’t a priority right now.” – Business owner “Might...
How to ensure your strategic business goals align with your cyber security measures: Mike Knapp on Cyber Monday
Our very own Mike Knapp was recently featured on Cyber Monday, a Conversations That Matter podcast all about keeping safe and staying diligent online. As written by the show’s hosts, “Mike...
Incrementa’s Lower Mainland events look ahead January-June 2020
Please note that these events have been postponed due to COVID-19. We’ll provide updates as we’re able. With January behind us and a new decade officially underway, we’re gearing up for...
Presentation problems: 3 ways to take back the room when on stage
Back in the fall, I was asked to speak at a full day conference in Vancouver. Little did I know that the speaking engagement would have me in both a...
What an annual planning session looks like
The team at Incrementa (un)consulting recently had our annual planning session. Early with our clients, we go through a lot of material, getting a first pass on many key elements...
Should I become a consultant?
For the last 20 years, I’ve “lived the life”. I’ve been self-employed as a consultant. I charge ridonculous rates to tell people what they already know, spend my afternoons having coffee...
3 ways to keep top talent & reduce turnover: how to highlight career opportunities and hold onto human capital
Special thanks to guest author, Sofia Arisheh It can be a tough market attracting the best talent to our organizations, but it’s a whole new ball game trying to retain...
How to make 2020 your decade
2020 is here. It’s more than a new year, it’s a new decade. An opportunity to boldly set forth and make it your decade. Where do you start? With a...
The Fraser Valley Breakfast Club 2020: Creating true teamwork & trust
Join us for our third round of the Fraser Valley Breakfast Club! Incrementa (un)consulting and Upskill Consulting collaborate to bring the Fraser Valley Breakfast Club to life bi-monthly helping to...
Year in review: your top 5 favourite Incrementa (un)consulting blogs
With the year closing out, we’re recapping our top blogs, as voted by you. Here’s the content that you visited the most. 1. Introducing Incrementa (un)consulting Together, we celebrated the launch...
Top 5 questions asked (and answered) when selling a business
Special thanks to guest author, Axel Christiansen “They’re ready to retire, or to move on to a new challenge, but those who come to us to sell their businesses aren’t...
Mini book review: The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
In April of 2019 I had the opportunity to see Simon Sinek speak about his upcoming book. I’d heard Sinek speak a handful of times before so found myself tuning...
How to be okay with doing the right thing when it doesn’t feel so right
We’ve all faced a tough decision—the one where you know the right thing to do won’t come easy. Termination Demotion. Delivered less than stellar feedback. No instead of yes. Tough...
How do I make time for important tasks? Creating space in your schedule to move the needle on top priorities
When I started my first business, I was very busy. Busy serving customers and busy putting out fires. I was in heaven. But with all this busyness came a major...
What is the Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Incentive Program (SR&ED) and how can I take advantage of it?
Special thanks to guest author, Bikram Johal What is SR&ED? The Government of Canada’s Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Incentive Program (SR&ED or SRED) is a tax incentive program...
Accelerating business growth with technology
Originally published by my coaching organization, Gravitas Impact. A system of success “At its core, a fully functioning business is basically a set of systems and processes.” – John Jantsch,...
A mile a minute: business lessons learned from my coach during a day at the racetrack
My name’s Mike, and I’m a car guy. A while back I had the privilege of taking my car for two days of track racing. The experience was intense, and...
Book review: Growth IQ: Get Smarter About The Choices That Will Make Or Break Your Business by Tiffani Bova
Here at Incrementa, we share a book a quarter. Each of us chooses one book, we read it, then share our thoughts. I chose Tiffani Bova’s, Growth IQ: Get Smarter...
What in the world is a BHAG and why do I need one? Crafting your big, hairy, audacious goal
Strategic planning is all about looking to the future. During the process, we focus on three time horizons: 1 year – What you’re doing execution planning for 3-5 years from present day – What you’re developing your...
Mini book review: Switch: How to change things when change is hard by Chip and Dan Heath
Managing change is one of the most important things we can do as leaders. Change is a hairy problem. People don’t like change, even if it’s good for them. It’s...
Is intuition the little known path to success or is it a telltale sign of weak leadership?
Special thanks to guest author, Pascale Hansen “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and...
Addicted to content? 3 tips to make it even more valuable with automated sharing
I admit it. I’m an addict. I’m utterly addicted to… content. It’s not Reddit that I’m addicted to either. It’s business content. I’m constantly reading, learning and finding ways to...
Stressed out by your coworker? Three tried & true secrets to settling workplace tension
We’ve all been there. Tension comes in many shapes and sizes, and can be so thick, you could cut it with a knife. A disagreement with a coworker that started...
How to hold productive one on one meetings
One on one meetings (1:1s) are one of the most important tools in your leadership toolbox. These meetings are the ultimate opportunity to set a clear shared vision and expectations,...
How to: motivating teams, maintaining results and managing emotional stress in the workplace
Emotional stress. It’s not part of work but it doesn’t disappear when the work day starts. So how should leaders manage teams with varying life experiences and stress levels while...
What causes chronic procrastination and can there be an upside to it?
Special thanks to guest author, Pascale Hansen “Hard work often pays off after some time. Procrastination pays off immediately”. There are several definitions of procrastination, however I’ll use the neutral...
Mini book review: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
I recently found myself making an unexpected road trip. Little did I know, the 6+ hours of driving would reward me so richly. As always, my road trips are spent...
Exit this way: sell your business with confidence
You’ve dedicated years of your life to building a successful business. Now, the time’s come to sell. Most entrepreneurs have never sold a company so the process can be unfamiliar,...
Speed dating for service providers event recap
Networking is one of the realities of business. It’s all about meeting new people and finding opportunities to provide service and be of value. Over time, conversations can lead to...
Ask Incrementa (almost) anything
Our brand promise is (un)consulting—providing you, and your team, the tools, knowledge and support needed to make your impact. To do this, we take the role of teachers, coaches, and...
Incrementa’s UNO: white water rafting event recap and a lesson on team alignment
Last week the Incrementa team brought together 20+ of our clients and strategic partners for an impactful lesson in team alignment. We value the incredible people our events bring together and the shared...
How does workplace conflict benefit teams, innovation and the bottom line?
It’s one of those easier said than done ideologies, but taking steps toward embracing healthy, resolute workplace conflict has been proven to create empowered, long-term employees, inspire innovation and improve...
How do I solve my cash flow problems? Invoices, both sides of the coin
When it comes to getting paid and paying up, are you a bully, victim or both? Today, a big customer finally paid his invoice—three weeks late! One of the biggest headaches that small...
Banish SPOTS forever! How to create a strategy & execution plan that works
Join Mike Knapp as he hosts Banish SPOTS forever! How to create a strategy & execution plan that works, an event hosted by The How-to Group. In it to win...
Three strategic planning myths we’re busting
A few weeks ago, we told you about the parts of a strategic plan. This week, we’re sharing three strategic planning myths—and we’re busting them. Strategic planning. It’s defining a direction...
Why bother with respect in the workplace? 3 ways to change perspective for greater respect among the team
Respect. Why bother?! I bet that got your attention. I’ve experienced a number of work environments—ranging from weak to intolerable, from crisp white collar to shades of blue. My passion...
Can you define the four parts of a strategic plan?
Ask a room full of business owners about their experience around strategic planning and you’re sure to hear some sad stories and more than a few nondescript chuckles. A company decides it...
Corporate eulogy: what would your business be remembered for?
2020 is looming and for your business, it’s not looking good. Your doors are closing for (insert heart wrenching reason here) and it’s last call. What would those near you—your...
Introducing Incrementa (un)consulting
When we started Incrementa just over 4 years ago, we knew we were building something different. Over the years, it became very clear that we weren’t just building different; we...
Book review: They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan
With a core value of, “learn, grow & apply”, the Incrementa team gathers for a quarterly book review. The team’s made up of avid readers so the decision to read...
Welcome Dave Cavan, Growth Strategist
With 2019 comes a new face to the Incrementa Team, Dave Cavan. We’ve known Dave for years, through is time with Syspro Canada. We knew he’d be a great fit...
Looking to add to your conference wish list? Read our EntreLeadership Summit 2019 recap & review
If you’re not learning, you’re not leading. This message was repeated by just about every speaker over the course of the EntreLeadership Summit earlier this spring and it’s something I...
SMarketing: sales + marketing event recap
Incrementa’s latest Breakfast Club event, Smarketing, took place on April 9. The event gathered nearly 30 people in downtown Vancouver for a morning of fine food, sales and marketing tips...
Incrementa Breakfast Club: SMarketing
April 9, 2019 7:30 am to 9:30 am Incrementa Breakfast Club: SMARKETING The art (and science) of transforming your company through unleashing the growth you’ve always envisioned April 9th 2019,...
Incrementa live: unleash the untapped power of brand and culture
September 25, 2018 7:30 am to 9:30 am Brand should not be a marketing exercise. Done right, it’s the strategic definition of who your business is and why it exists....
World password day
You probably know there’s a national cheeseburger day (Sept 18), talk like pirate day (ARRRR! Sept 19) and national donut day (June 1) – but did you know about World...
Increase your productivity with focus time
There are several universal rules for people: death, taxes, and that “busyness” will fill every available minute. Email, Slack, social media, unproductive meetings all contribute to that busyness. With all...
3 steps to reducing overwhelm
This is a guest blog post by Todd Kane, President of Evolved. It seems like there’s never a shortage of things to do. How though, can you organize the endless...
Leadership lessons from unexpected places
Some of the best leadership lessons I have been lucky enough to receive have come from the most unexpected places. My children and my pets. From my kids, I have...
Look deeper to find your next A players
We all want a team of A Players working for us. You know, the kind that drives the business forward, improves your culture, and are the picture of your next...
4 steps to managing conflict
Posted on December 19, 2017 by Shannon Pearson. | Leadership, People. Picture this…. Employee (raised voice): “There is STILL favoritism from certain managers to certain employees. You said you were...
Dragons, accountability and corporate culture
“When you first got here we thought you were a dragon! That you were going to destroy us!” This is one of the best comments I’ve ever received from a...
Achieve business success with focused Fridays
We all have a massive to-do list inside us that never gets done. Important things. Strategies, processes and methodologies, new products, templates. Projects that could change our business success. When...
The role of emotions in business
We’ve all heard a version of it. Don’t have emotions in business. While many consider it a best practice, I would like to offer an alternative thought… Emotions in business...
The secret ingredient to create trust in the workplace
At work, we depend on one another to be consistent and dependable. Both are very important attributes to building trust in the workplace. But what about when a person is...
Another brick in the wall: my thoughts on integrity
For many years, I was a banker. I worked in many locations, carrying out many roles, in areas of high trust and integrity. Although it shouldn’t, when a scandal in...
A disengaged culture: 5 things that will create it
I have not met a leader in business who has purposely created a disengaged culture or workforce, but I have met many who have created one without realizing it. The...
The goals of IT strategy
Traditionally, IT has been seen as a cost center. An area that companies dump money into and receive no measurable results. What if I told you it doesn’t have to...