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Evaluations, development: Two ‘musts’ that drive leader performance

Is it possible for a company to not achieve key goals while most if not all of those in leadership receive a positive yearly evaluation? I have seen this happen over the years. It brings up some questions: How can it be that there is such a disconnect between a leader’s evaluation and their actual performance? And why aren’t leaders moving the needle on organizational goals? The answer typically comes down to one of two issues (and often both).  One, the company’s evaluation system may be off. Two, there is a lack of investment in providing skill development to those in a ...

MAGA’s greatest crisis

MAGA faces its greatest crisis since Donald Trump came down the golden escalator in 2015. The credibility of the president is sorely tested by his “big beautiful bill,” but it is endangered by the Jeffrey Epstein affair. On the surface, it seems a minor incident, but so was the “third-rate burglary” known as Watergate in its earlier stages. As with Watergate, it came out of a campaign charge that suggested Epstein was tied to the “deep state”. Remember that the break-in at the Watergate was due to a mistaken belief that Democrats were dealing with the North Vietnamese. ...

Making the grade

I’ve occasionally talked in this space about being a college dropout. In the past I used to qualify that statement as being a “proud” college dropout, though as I prepare to turn 43 on Friday, I’m not sure how proud of that I am of that anymore. I went to St. Marys Elementary School, Pleasants County Middle School, St. Marys High School and graduated from North Pleasants Christian School in 2000. I took a year off to decide my higher education options. I had thought about going to Marshall University at Huntington, but I just wasn’t ready to stray too far from St. Marys. ...

U.S. support for Israel remains strong

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and first lady Sara Netanyahu hosted a high-profile diplomatic reception Wednesday evening at the historic Blair House in Washington, D.C. The event, titled “A Reception in Appreciation of the Enduring Bond Between the United States and Israel,” was convened to honor the strategic, moral and longstanding partnership between the United States and Israel. Before the prime minister spoke, I asked him whether he was concerned that the United States was heading in the same direction as Europe, where antisemitism has risen as a result of ...

Gender gap

The gender gap, we’re informed by some of the best polling analysts in the business, is bigger than ever. Ever, in this case, means since the election of 1980, when men were more willing than women to vote for Ronald Reagan and oust Jimmy Carter. That spurred political journalists to emit multiple articles examining just exactly what was on women’s minds and probing their different and presumably superior opinions. The assumption was that the gender gap was costing Republicans votes. Being of a contrary disposition, in October 1982, I wrote an opinion article titled (paraphrasing ...

Strangely joyless

Despite the narrow victory with the passage of the “big beautiful bill,” the Republican party seems strangely joyless. You have to hand it to Donald Trump; he did a superb job in holding the GOP’s feet to the fire. However, the contradictions within the party remain evident and may ultimately undermine the founding principles of the Republicans. For MAGA, it was a mixed bag; they got the money for the border and ICE. A few tax cuts were provided for the working and middle classes. However, these are not permanent cuts; the revenue deductions for the wealthy persist for longer ...