Management

  • 18 Ways That You Can Be Better at Communication in the Workplace

    No Comments

    “I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I’m not sure you realize that what...

    Read more
    0

  • Workplace Diversity and The Path to Greatness

    No Comments

    Genetics science tells us that life itself thrives via diversity. Your company does too. Like a species, mankind has...

    Read more
    0
  • mergers and acqusitions

    M&A, Growth and Strategy

    No Comments

    Some companies can’t seem to grow organically. This may be due to market maturity, shifting market realities, or even...

    Read more
    0

  • Tech Cycle Survival

    No Comments

    When I launched my semiconductor company, I was betting my family’s entire future on a widely cyclical industry. I...

    Read more
    0

  • Why So Many Tech Companies Are Having Difficulty Surviving After Five Years

    No Comments

    FitBit, one of the high-flying consumer tech startups, priced their IPO at $20. Today it is trading for less...

    Read more
    0
  • Personal brand

    Your Personal Brand

    No Comments

    Iago knew of what he spoke of when saying, “Good name in man and woman, dear my lord, Is...

    Read more
    0

  • Rusty Golden Handcuffs

    No Comments

    The history of American slavery notes that some slaves reluctantly accepted their shackles, knowing that their harsh life at...

    Read more
    0

  • Your Problem Employee is The Dysfunctional-Functional Employee

    No Comments

    One of the biggest mistakes that I made while running my company Micrel for 37 years was to hang...

    Read more
    0

  • Picking your first Board of Directors

    No Comments

    Congratulations! You have grown your business to the point that you need a board of directors (BOD). The good...

    Read more
    0

  • Debt: the toothsome tiger

    No Comments

    Cheap money is like cheap food. It tempts some people to overeat. Money has never been cheaper. Some nations,...

    Read more
    0

  • The Advice to Follow … Or Not

    No Comments

    “You shouldn’t work for anyone.” That odd advice came from my boss over 40 years ago. It was insightful,...

    Read more
    0

  • Cash and Your Kingdom

    No Comments

    No company ever failed when it had cash in the bank. This simple rule evades too many executives, from...

    Read more
    0

  • Episode 13: The unintended consequences of misguided policies

    No Comments

    http://toughthingsfirst.com/wp-content/uploads/Episode-13-The-unintended-consequences-of-misguided-policies.mp3Policies. Nobody likes to write them. Some employees refuse to live by them. But Silicon Valley’s longest serving CEO...

    Read more
    0
  • Tough Things First Podcast

    Tough Things First Podcast Launches

    No Comments

    The Tough Things First Podcast launched today. As if I were not busy enough. Several people have told me...

    Read more
    0

  • The key to hiring the best employees

    No Comments

    Micrel had the lowest employee turnover rate in the American semiconductor industry, and the highest rate of boomerang (returning)...

    Read more
    0