Business Coaching

  Dr. Rick Franza, Dean of the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, he talks about how internships benefit students and businesses. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: I know that internships play an important part in education at the College of Business. What is their purpose of them? Rick: We require all of our graduates to have a four-credit internship of at least 120 hours, but typically most students end up working more than

No less an authority than Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban lists salesmanship, creativity, tenacity, and passion at the top of his must-have list of traits to be successful. While most business owners would agree, entrepreneurs and even established small businesses sometimes need professional guidance to cement their success. That’s what Rhodes-Porter Business Development and Management Company offers. Cynthia Rhodes grew up in a military family and has a background in logistics, and project management for construction and real estate. Ralph Porter was a combat Marine with credentials in agribusiness logistics.

It is important to be aware of bad news and, more importantly, to take steps to deal with it. However, recognizing, celebrating, and enjoying the good news should be part of everyone’s life’s journey. A favorite expression in our family is “Don’t postpone joy.” Here is the good news list from far and wide. The strength of the dollar. For the first time in 20 years, the dollar is worth as much as the Euro (the only other important currency in the world). This news is mostly positive. It indicates

There are 11 “C’s” which I believe help define extraordinary leadership. They are Compassion, Creativity, Confidence, Consistency, Consideration, Courage, Charity, Competence, Communication, Courtesy, and Collaboration. Leaders who follow the eleven C’s make our world a better place. You may wish to grade yourself in each category. I would like to highlight five extraordinary leaders in Augusta who embody the eleven C’s: Shell Berry, Randy Hatcher, Kim Evans, Clint Bryant, and Jeff Annis. Compassion. Medal of Honor and Carnegie Medal recipients can be our guide. In many cases, these people acted

  Dr. Rick Franza, Dean of the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, he talks about the disparity in college enrollment between women and men and the value of the trades. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: A statistic I saw recently was startling – the ratio of women to men in college is around 60-40. What is happening to the young men? Rick: That’s true in business schools as well and it’s been going

I may be one of the few folks in our area who watched, on live TV, the McCarthy, Nixon, and Trump hearings. There are some interesting comparisons between and among these powerful political leaders and their close advisors. As a cadet at West Point, I watched the McCarthy hearings in 1953. I was in the hospital and a black and white TV was at the far end of my ward. Twenty years later, I watched intently many of the 1973 Watergate hearings. Within the past couple of weeks, the January

  Dr. Rick Franza, Dean of the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, he talks about the benefits of mentors. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: In some of our past conversations, you’ve mentioned the idea of mentoring. How do you define that? Rick: Someone who mentors provides advice to navigate careers, to not make the same mistakes, to provide some to the experiences they’ve had. It’s kind of an advisory role. People try to

In the 4th edition of the book Rules and Tools for Leaders, there is a chapter that describes the opportunities and challenges of the electronic workspace. Here are a few examples that may be helpful. Batching Batch your activities. Reserve one hour each morning and two hours each afternoon to focus totally on electronic and telephone interactions. Let your colleagues, clients, and friends know that you will be available electronically from 10 to 11 and from 3 to 5. Also, let them know that you will not be available electronically for the rest