Archive for the ‘A Better Way?’ Category
20 January 2019
Cost Efficient: Most startup CEO’s in high-growth mode would love having a COO, but they don’t want the long-term addition to payroll. My just-finished Interim COO gig at Greentown Labs shows how the short-term expense of an InterimCOO might be the way to go.
2-Week Audit: After completing a two-week “audit” of the existing Greentown operation last April, the CEO asked me to join as interim COO just weeks before the grand opening of the Global Center for Cleantech Innovation. Greentown had just tripled in size making it the largest cleantech incubator in the US.
People and Processes: With Greentown in high-growth mode, I helped the team implement numerous Process / Efficiency improvements to maximize revenue across nearly 100k square feet of space. We strengthened the team by hiring a VP of Operations, a Facility Coordinator, a Wet Lab Technician, a Wet Lab Manager, among other roles.
New Revenue Sources: And I helped the team strategize a plan for increasing revenue from Programs in 2019.
Complement CEO: Whether interim or long term, it is important that the skills of a COO complement those of the CEO, as detailed in this blog post, 9 Reasons Why Your Startup Needs a Mysterious, Unsung Hero..
What I Do: I am a professional interim CEO or COO. Since 2000 I have completed 25 interim roles in the US and abroad, from pure startups to companies with $25 million in revenue. Often starting with a two-week audit, I am an agent of change, helping companies get started, restarted, or grow to the next level. LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/DesmondPieri
Posted in A Better Way?, CEO Coach, Change Agent, COO, Des Pieri, Desmond Pieri, Greentown Labs, Hiring COO, Interim, Interim CEO, Interim COO, Interim Management | Leave a Comment »
26 April 2018
If what Alexander Graham Bell invented in 1876 was email – and if the technology invented 95 years later was the telephone – the immediacy of a telephone call would have been seen as an improvement over the delayed back-and-forth communication of email.
Most of us either misuse email ourselves, or we get buried in emails sent by others who misuse email. And many of us hoped that implementing Slack would solve the email problem, but it hasn’t Until all of our suppliers and customers also use Slack — and untill we know when to use Slack and when not to — we still have a need to make email efficient. And we need to use Slack efficiently!
Here’s a collection of 22 tips on how to make email — and Slack — efficient. I contend that, if each of us followed all 22 tips, we’d… (more…)
Posted in A Better Way?, Alexander Graham Bell, Asana, Change Agent, Des Pieri, Desmond Pieri, Email, Email Jail, Slack, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
13 March 2018
Most startup CEO’s would love a COO but can’t afford it. So they do the work themselves, even though “COO work” is not what they love. My just-finished Interim COO gig at Workbar is a perfect example of where the short-term expense of an Interim COO might be the way to go.
Workbar is Boston’s original coworking space and has a hub-and-spoke network of 20 locations, each with a unique “four-neighborhood” design. As interim COO, I revamped the management team of this 30-person company, implementing processes to get the company organized, focused, and in sync. As a team, we migrated the company so it can sustain rapid growth in Greater Boston and beyond.
Whether interim or long term, it is important that the skills of a COO complement those of the CEO, as detailed in 9 Reasons Why Your Startup Needs a Mysterious, Unsung Hero..
What I Do: I am a professional interim CEO or COO. Since 2000 I have completed over 20 interim roles in the US and abroad, from pure startups to companies with $25 million in revenue. I am an agent of change, helping companies get started, restarted, or grow to the next level. LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/DesmondPieri
Posted in A Better Way?, Change Agent, COO, Des Pieri, Desmond Pieri, Founding CEO, Good CEO, Interim, Interim CEO, Interim COO, Interim Management, The Gig Economy, Uncategorized, Workbar | 3 Comments »
4 March 2018
Chapter Four of Diane Mulcahy’s book, “The Gig Economy” is a must-read for anyone who needs to network – whether you’re part of the gig economy, or you’re someone in a long-term job looking for prospects. We all know the importance of our networks, but many people hate networking.
In 15 pages, Mulcahy’s, “Connect Without Networking” chapter gives step-by-step instructions on how to network in a far more effective way; a way that is more satisfying for everyone.
Some of the key points:
1. Weak vs. Strong Ties: It’s your weak network – acquaintances, not friends – that will be most important. Your weak ties will result in far more new opportunities, whether you are looking for a new gig, or for prospects for your current company.
2. Inbound Connecting: Do you dread the typical networking events with a room full of strangers and a glass of bad wine? Mulcahy tells you how to skip those events and instead apply the digital marketing approach of (more…)
Posted in A Better Way?, Amazon, Change Agent, Desmond Pieri, Diane Mulcahy, Hate Networking, Inbound Connecting, Networking, Outbound Connecting, The Gig Economy | Leave a Comment »
9 October 2010
Answer: When they focus on efficiency, not time.
I advise young founding CEOs, either in my role as interim COO or as a “CEO Coach.” A common issue they raise is their frustration with an employee who does not work incredibly long hours. I struggled with this until I recalled that, when I was their age, I felt the same way! I’ve been managing since I was 23 and, for about a decade, I too was impressed with an employee who worked the longest hours.
But then I hired Chris Pooley and he taught me that (more…)
Posted in A Better Way?, CEO Coach, Chris Pooley, Founding CEO, Interim, Interim CEO, Interim COO, long hours, Startups, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
22 November 2009
This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my first boss, Tom Poole, who died a year ago. A quiet, unassuming Down Maine’r, as a young man Tom left the Pine Tree State first to fight for our country and then to make his mark on the business world. In his retirement, he returned each summer to his cottage in northern Maine.
Tom taught me four lessons — about hiring, making unpopular decisions, buying a cottage (in Maine!), and taking vacations — that have had an immeasurable impact on my life and, by association, the lives of many around me. Each lesson has its own story which, (more…)
Posted in A Better Way?, Burroughs, Cottage, Des Pieri, Desmond Pieri, First Boss, Greenville Maine, Hiring, Maine, Summer Vacation, Thanksgiving, Tom Poole, Vacation Time | 6 Comments »
27 May 2009
David Brooks’ NY Times Op-Ed piece, “In Praise of Dullness” provides data from numerous studies as to what does – and does not – make a good CEO. He reports that traits that are NOT associated with being an effective CEO include many things that seem counterintuitive, including: strong people skills, being a good listener, a good team builder, an enthusiastic colleague, a great communicator. He contends that warm, flexible, team-oriented and empathetic people are less likely to thrive as CEOs.
Rather Brooks reports that organized, dogged, anal-retentive, and slightly boring people are more likely to thrive as CEOs! Studies show that traits which correlate well with CEO success include emotional stability and conscientiousness; being dependable, making plans, and following through on those plans. He concludes with, “The CEOs that are most likely to succeed are (more…)
Posted in A Better Way?, David Brooks, Des Pieri, Desmond Pieri, Good CEO, Interim, Interim Management, NY Times, Steve Blank, Steven Gary Blank | 1 Comment »
11 May 2009
We have an important potential client visiting tomorrow so I’ve lassoed the troops and we just cleaned the office. One of the younger guys asked, “Des, this company will be buying our technology, not our office space. So tell me again why we’re cleaning the office before they arrive.” To which one of the other guys said, “Tell them your story Des.” Here goes.
My first job out of school was working for a large computer company. A few years into the gig, I had an assignment on the New England District staff, one of five guys working for the District manager who managed two dozen Branches.
One of our tasks was for the District Manager and his staff to go to each branch once a year and do an all-day review of everything: sales forecasts, accounts receivable, quality of service, installations, inventory etc. The first time I did one of these reviews, when we arrived at the office, I headed straight for the conference room for the presentations to begin.
But the boss said, “No, Des, we start in the back room at the loading dock, (more…)
Posted in A Better Way?, Des Pieri, Desmond Pieri | 3 Comments »
23 March 2009
This past weekend was our third trip to Pittsburgh. We fall in love with the city every time. Fellow Bostonians, here are six reasons to consider Pittsburgh for your next weekend getaway.
- Cheap, easy flights. Plan ahead and the 1 hour 10 minute flight can be had for $55.
- Cheap, luxurious hotels. The historic Renaissance Hotel in the center of town is offering weekend rooms at $100 a night. Walk across the river and catch a Pirates game at beautiful PNC Park where standing room tickets are only $8 and the food is great though, as The Onion reports, the baseball could be better. Or visit one of the four Carnegie museums, including the seven story Andy Warhol Museum.
- Cheap, easy driving. A rental car for the weekend can be had for $90 all-in, and parking in city center is only $5 a day. And the last mile of the 20 mile drive from the airport is stunning, causing the NY Times to say (more…)
Posted in A Better Way?, Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie Museums, Church Brew Works, Only city in America with an entrance, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Pirates, PNC Park, Renaissance Hotel, Shenley Park, The Onion, The Strip District | Leave a Comment »
8 October 2007
In an earlier post I related how the Irish enjoy three-day holiday weekends so much better than we Americans. In America, if you’re involved in retail – either as a retailer or as a customer – these weekends are not a holiday.
When I described the Irish way to a friend, he suggested I try to change America one family at a time. So we started with our family – a retail-free weekend spent with family and friends. Very enjoyable. Give it a try come Veterans Day this November.
Posted in 5. A Few Blogs I Like, A Better Way?, Bank Holiday Weekend, Change Agent, Holiday, Ireland, Irish, Life in Ireland, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
Cost Efficient: Most startup CEO’s in high-growth mode would love having a COO, but they don’t want the long-term addition to payroll. My just-finished Interim COO gig at Greentown Labs shows how the short-term expense of an InterimCOO might be the way to go.
Change Agent 