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 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

For two marvelous years, I had the pleasure of being the top planner in the Air Force. The learning experience was extraordinary. Helping the military as well as corporations, churches, and non-profits with long-range planning have been great fun. Here are a few techniques that can be used in any organization, for-profit or nonprofit, large or small. Never make any important decision without considering the long-term implications. Here are a few examples. When Saint Paul’s church decided to complete the upper rooms, it was decided to make them very attractive.

Perry M. Smith, Jr. is a teacher, speaker, TV, and radio commentator and best-selling author, and executive producer of four videos. Hundreds of millions of television viewers worldwide came to know him during the 1991 Persian Gulf War for his more than 100 appearances as a military analyst on network television.  Smith served for 30 years in the U. S. Air Force. He commanded the F-15 fighter wing at Bitburg, Germany where he provided leadership to 4000 personnel. Later, he served as the top Air Force planner and as the commandant

  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 recruiting good employees and the importance of retaining them. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: It seems everyone these days is looking for employees. What’s going on? Rick: We’ve always had a good relationship with the local community but we’ve never had so many businesses, both small and large, be as proactive with us because they’re so in need

  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 one of the important aspects of running a business, the second of a two-part series. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: Last week we talked about how to operate the front of your business, which involves customer interaction. You left us with a teaser that this week we’d explore the back of the store, which requires more expertise. Explain