It has been famously said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Take a second to think about that. The people you spend time with can lift you up or bring you down. We all need other...
Trust is one of those things we don’t think much about until it’s gone. We notice it when a leader breaks a promise, a colleague undermines us, or a relationship begins to fray. Suddenly, something that felt like a given requires tremendous energy to...
Co-authored with Ann Quinn of Quinn Strategy Group Summer is vacation season and it’s time to turn on your OOO message. Along with checking your flights and packing your suitcase, there’s something else you have to do: figure out who will handle things while you’re...
“I’m too busy to meet with my team.” We hear it all the time, and on one level, it might even make sense. Leaders have significant responsibilities. The higher you go, the more complex the work becomes. There are decisions to make, problems to...
Most leadership teams don’t have a clear strategy for how they spend their time together. Meetings fill the calendar, but they aren’t always effective. Over time, they start to serve the calendar more than the work that needs to be done. This is why...
As organizations navigate an environment defined by constant change, leaders are being asked to answer a familiar set of questions: How do we chart a strategic course amid uncertainty? What strengths have we built that will help us go the distance? How do we...
By Margaret Wilson, Tandem Partners & Ann Quinn, Quinn Strategy Group Sometimes succession is truly a surprise. Other times it only feels like one. The difference matters, because what you do next and what you should have done before are not the same. There are moments...
Has anyone complained to you recently about a lack of communication in your organization? Are you hearing that people feel like they don’t know what’s going on? Maybe you’ve even privately thought this to yourself. Or maybe you decided to conduct an employee survey...
At the beginning of the year, we often promise ourselves that this year we’ll finally get our time under control. We set priorities, refine our systems, and rework our calendars. We hope that with better planning, we’ll get more done and feel less stressed....
First it was one client. Then another. And another. Over the last six months, several CEOs have told me about employees who left and later returned, one even calling it “The Comeback Club.” What first seemed like isolated stories is apparently part of a...
Succession planning often grabs headlines with dramatic CEO exits at major brands – like the recent shake-ups at Disney or the bold ownership handoff at Patagonia, where founder Yvon Chouinard made Earth the company’s only shareholder. But you don’t have to be running a...
Entrepreneurial energy isn’t just for startups. Whether you lead a mission-driven nonprofit or a multigenerational family enterprise, keeping that spark alive is essential, especially in times of uncertainty and transition. In our work with leaders, we’re hearing a common question: How do we stay...
As we celebrate July 4th, a symbol of our collective independence, it’s a great time to reflect on freedom as an ideal that we experience in highly personal ways. One framework to explore how we view freedom is the Enneagram, a tool for understanding...
Succession is no longer just a possibility – a wave of leadership transitions is already underway. According to recent data, nearly 40% of family businesses expect a leadership transition in the next five years, yet only a fraction of them have started planning for...
As winter comes to an end, it’s a great time to clear out the cobwebs and invite fresh air into your business. Just as dust and dirt are a natural byproduct of living in our homes, clutter comes with normal business operations. Over time,...
The willow that bends to the tempest often escapes better than the oak which resists it. – Albert Schweitzer, physician, philosopher, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Change is a constant, and the ability to navigate uncertainty has never been more valuable. Some leaders and organizations adapt...
By Margaret Wilson, Tandem Partners & Ann Quinn, Quinn Strategy Group It has been suggested that many family business problems stem from the inherent conflict between the distinct, yet overlapping parts of the family business system. Each part of the family business system – business,...
Every transition marks both an ending and a beginning. Whether it’s stepping into a leadership role, passing the torch to the next generation, or navigating the complexities of ownership transfer, transitions invite us to pause, reassess, and recalibrate. But they also come with unique challenges:...
When facing leadership transitions – whether in a family business, a non-profit organization, or any other type of enterprise – one of the most pressing questions is: Can this team take the helm? This isn’t just about managing day-to-day operations; it’s about whether the...
As summer begins to fade and the crisp air of autumn settles in, we find ourselves in a season of transition. Daily rhythms shift as kids go back to school, families adjust to new routines, and businesses begin planning for the final quarter of...
Having just celebrated Independence Day, a time when we reflect on the values of freedom and democracy, it’s worth considering how these principles apply to our workplaces. In a world where the pace of business keeps accelerating, balancing freedom and authority within a team...
In recent years, much has been written about leadership and the importance of playing to our strengths. While this is certainly essential, the reality is that other people more often pay attention to our bad habits than they do to our good deeds. In...
Recently, news reached us of a local family-owned company’s closure after 70 years in business. While the specifics behind their decision are unknown, it served as a reminder that at some point in their life cycle, all family businesses come to a crossroads and...
In organizational psychology, few concepts have garnered as much attention and debate as the Peter Principle. Coined over 50 years ago by Laurence J. Peter, this principle highlights the tendency for individuals to be promoted to positions beyond their level of competence, leading to...
Resilience is one of those buzzwords that seems to be everywhere the last few years. And for good reason. In a crisis, resilient organizations don’t just survive – they rebound quickly and come out stronger and more prepared for the next challenge. Some of...
As we reflect on the past few years, it’s apparent that we’ve navigated through what was a life-changing experience on a worldwide scale. The pandemic, a defining moment in our lives, taught us resilience, adaptability, and the importance of proactive leadership. Now, as we...
The people practices that brought your organization to where it is today, may not be enough to propel you forward into the future. That’s certainly true of succession strategy, where the traditional approach of preparing people for specific roles is like trying to use...
Leadership is often tested in the face of persistent challenges. Picture this: a sudden cash flow issue, the unexpected departure of a key team member, a critical hiccup in quality control – any of these can jolt an organization out of its regular routine....
If you find yourself racing toward the end of the year like a runner to the finish line, you're not alone. At work, the last quarter of the year can be busier than all the other months combined. At home, the holidays are approaching...
By Margaret Wilson, Tandem Partners & Ann Quinn, Quinn Strategy Group There are times in every organization’s lifecycle when everything hums along without a bump in the road. At moments like this, it can be tempting to take your eye off strategy and simply enjoy...
By Margaret Wilson, Tandem Partners & Ann Quinn, Quinn Strategy Group In a world marked by constant flux and the unforeseen, the ability to adapt is important to individuals and organizations alike. If we’ve learned anything over the last few years, it’s that the readiness...
Did you know that by 2026, Fortune 500 companies – the iconic list of largest companies in the U.S. by revenue – are projected to maintain their status for an average of only 14 years? That duration is less than half what it was...
By Margaret Wilson, Tandem Partners & Ann Quinn, Quinn Strategy Group It’s no secret that winning organizations have both a clear strategy and a cohesive team (what we call a People Strategy). After all, fast-paced organizations operating in dynamic environments know that building team cohesion...
By Margaret Wilson, Tandem Partners & Ann Quinn, Quinn Strategy Group As advisors to leaders and teams, we’re often asked, “Can people be taught to think strategically?” Our answer is an unequivocal “Yes.” While some people are born with a predisposition to thinking long term...
As the echoes of fireworks and festivities subside, we reflect on the significance of July 4th and the ideals it represents – freedom, unity, and the pursuit of a better future. Today’s leaders can draw inspiration from the independent thinking that led to the...
Like many of you, members of our team belong to professions that require us to be licensed to practice. So every year, we engage in continuing education, just like our friends who are social workers, engineers, estheticians, and architects. We do it to comply...
As the final season of the hit series “Succession” unfolds, fans of the Roy family’s power struggles will be glued to their sets. While the show may be an overly dramatic portrayal of a family enterprise, it serves as a reminder that the critical...
Raise your hand if you love turning the clocks back in November and hate springing forward in March. Yeah, us too. That one lost hour can be so disorienting. And it’s not as if you didn’t already have enough on your mind and your...
By Margaret Wilson, Tandem Partners & Ann Quinn, Quinn Strategy Group We’re well into the new year now and the economy continues to give out mixed signals. Growth has slowed, but half a million jobs were added last month. Inflation is high but consumers are...
Years ago there was a popular game show called What’s My Line?, in which blindfolded celebrity panelists played “20 Questions” to determine a mystery guest’s occupation. In many companies, there’s a similar guessing game going on: “Whose job is that?” “How did that decision...
Running an early stage business often poses the classic “can’t see the forest for the trees” dilemma. You’re so focused on the next project, the next sale or the next new hire that you may not see the larger picture of where your business...
Recently, Margaret Wilson appeared on Java with Jim Ries, Director of Business Development at Offit | Kurman to discuss the origin of Tandem Partners and its dedication to helping families, owners and businesses in transition....
Employee burnout is real. And while it’s not new, during COVID it got worse. During the last two years, compounding pressures including hybrid work and high turnover have impacted the stress that employees feel, their ability to do their work, and whether they’ll look...
Like many of you, we belong to professions that require us to be licensed or certified to practice. Every year, Tandem Partners coaches and consultants engage in continuing education, just like our friends who are social workers, engineers, estheticians, and architects. We do it...
By Margaret Wilson & Ann Quinn | As the world emerges from the global pandemic and many people resume their normal activities, organizational leaders are faced with new questions...
How we as business leaders deal with our most pressing concerns about driving growth, developing leaders, managing change, and so many other issues, depends largely on whether we’re able to see old problems in new ways. That’s certainly true in a family enterprise, where...
Last month’s news that Jeff Bezos was stepping down as Amazon’s CEO put succession planning in the headlines. But you don’t have to be the third biggest company in the world to be concerned about succession. Every day, hundreds of business leaders wrestle with...
Four Principles for Preventing Culture Shock - Almost 20 years ago, America Online agreed to purchase Time Warner for $165 billion in what would be the biggest merger in history. People still talk about it today – not just because it was big, but because...
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For families in business, success is not just measured in fiscal years, but over generations. Yet often, leaders are so focused on the day-to-day that they aren’t able to step back and focus on the issues that impact long-term sustainability. We help leadership teams assess where they are now, where they’re trying to go and how they’re going to get there. Our expertise in the areas of organizational strategy, structure, process and performance is a unique feature of our work, and integral to our transition management approach.
When it comes to developing leaders and teams, one size does not fit all. Your business is unique, and has specific strategies and capabilities that drive it forward. We help you identify and develop the specific leadership competencies that make you who you are as an organization and who you’d like to be. We work with leadership teams on the real issues they’re facing now, helping them to see more, be more, do more and lead more effectively, together.
Most leaders accept that at some time in the future, their time at the helm will end and the business will be given into the care of the next leader. However, just thinking about the transition can be daunting and overwhelming for the senior leader. If that weren’t enough, most owners experience their own succession just once. Tandem Partners provides the experience and professional guidance needed to move through the strategic, operational and interpersonal issues that are all a part of transition.
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