Wealth Management

Voted #6 on Top 100 Family Business influencer on Wealth, Legacy, Finance and Investments: Jacoline Loewen My Amazon Authors' page Twitter:@ jacolineloewen Linkedin: Jacoline Loewen Profile

November 9, 2012

November 8, 2012

Is excellence a habit?

Excellence is not an act but a habit and all the companies in the world are not having great sense to excellence. 
Take an example of Google, who born and brought up with the idea of Innovation, Excellence and Inverted Leadership.
Hence forth, they achieved a product and results in the last 14 years which most of the companies can't even think up as goals. Companies need to do more to encourage the dreams of entrepreneurs, not just the drudgery of corporations.


Jacoline Loewen   See Jacoline on BNN, The Pitch  Author of Money Magnet Director, Crosbie Co.
Crosbie & Co.
150 King Street West
Toronto, ON
M5H 1J9
416 362 7726

November 7, 2012

What is the cure for organizational paralysis?

As dull as it is, that old addage "leadership begins at the top" is still true. Many Executives who, when faced with what appears to be an obvious decision that will benefit the company, simply can't pull the trigger. What is the big stumbling block?
Fear of looking bad? 
Wondering if "the Board" will ask why it wasn't done sooner? 
Fear of screwing up? Who knows the reason; but, with indecisive or reluctant leadership, the organization eventually takes on the same personality - filtering down through middle management to each employee. Ask around and you'll likely find that people know what should be done; but, no one takes action. Find a cure for this "organizational paralysis" and we can make a lot of good things happen!

Jacoline Loewen   See Jacoline on BNN, The Pitch
Crosbie & Co.
150 King Street West
Toronto, ON
M5H 1J9
416 362 7726

Why are companies reluctant to consider new ideas that could save their companies millions of dollars? Is it the risk of looking bad for not having found these ideas before or is it complacency?

Here are my initial thoughts, but we will run with this theme this week - CFOs and their Risk Appetite: 
  1. Fear...the fear of looking bad. If any decision maker or an individual who can influence the decision perceives any personal risk he/she will kill it. The culture of the organization and the relationship between the decision maker and his/her boss/peers can definitely come into play here. 
  2. Complacency...without any incentive to change, why do anything new/different? 
  3. And arrogance...I am the smartest guy/gal in the room and anything I have not thought of isn't worth my time. At the group level, we are the smartest/best in the business so we are already doing things the best. You get the idea...
Jacoline Loewen 416 662 1930 Author of Money Magnet

Jacoline Loewen   See Jacoline on BNN, The Pitch  Author of Money Magnet Director, Crosbie Co.
Crosbie & Co.
150 King Street West
Toronto, ON
M5H 1J9
416 362 7726

November 5, 2012

How can CFOs lengthen the average tenure of 18 months?


Many lower-level employees constantly make recommendations to improve the business -- and that is how they get promoted. Some people make recommendations, but these suggestions fall on deaf or antagonistic ears. 

How to get the benefits? 

To keep away from a general management textbook shelf, I think the bigger issue is the fact that we train people in sales, accounting, software development, and other vertical skills -- and we under-train in horizontal change methods, technologies, training and techniques. Most change, in the "millions" category require changes across organizational line, require changes in IT systems, and require a project management skill-set within a repeatable change methodology or system. 

We are Business Transformation professionals at Crosbie and Company, and "change" is our business. Until companies put "continuous change" at the forefront of everyday behavior, and train their employees in change (we call it Transformation), it will remain a hit or miss activity. 

CFOs need to be outspoken advocates for Business Transformation, or they will be doomed to a 18 month tenure as investors will keep searching for leaders to get them into the top quartile of industry performance.


See Jacoline Loewen on BNN, The Pitch

Jacoline Loewen, Director,   See Jacoline on BNN, The Pitch  Author of Money Magnet Director, Crosbie Co.
Crosbie & Co.
150 King Street West
Toronto, ON
M5H 1J9
416 362 7726