“I want to develop great new products.”

“I want our customers to love our products and love doing business with us.” Read further >

I’ve been blessed with several wonderful mentors in my professional life, including legendary tax expert, author and instructor, Sid Kess, and retired CCH Editorial Vice-President and former boss, Jim Rooney. But the person who has made the greatest impression on me is a 79-year old plumber from South Chicago. A child of the Great Depression and an orphan by the time he was age 11, this self-made man overcame tremendous obstacles in his life to become a master plumber, a father of six children, and a great role model for me and countless other people. This special person is my Dad, John Gornick. Read further >

While big breakthroughs and transformative innovations with new products and services are always hoped for, incremental improvements and enhancements implemented over time do add up and can make a big difference in product/service quality, sales success, increased retention, and customer loyalty. Read further >

I’m in the learning solutions business. I manage our webinar business here at CCH Tax and Accounting in the U.S. and I work closely with our team responsible for the CCH Learning Center and other CCH professional development products and services. In my piece of the business, we’re now doing three web sessions a week and I have the great fortune to be able to listen and learn from some of the top thought leaders in the tax and accounting profession about matters of great interest and need for our customers. What I have come to appreciate is that the best learning comes not from a separate encapsulated event or discussions about rules in a vacuum – but rather from a specific context and a point in time that is very real to the learner and which can be immediately applied. Read further >

Having problems finding a solution to a problem? Feeling a bit adrift and need some clarity of direction or perhaps a new direction? You may actually know the answers or have a solution – but, for some reason, a door is closed in your mind that prevents you from seeing it. That’s where questions can help. Sometimes asking yourself different questions can help unlock closed doors in your thinking. Read further >

Where do you get your ideas, think your greatest thoughts, conjure up innovative solutions to problems, get inspired? Read further >

Sometimes it’s best to just start over. I originally intended to write about some innovative ways to grow a business or solve a problem. But I caught myself jotting down things like disintermediation and product line extension and I had to stop. I lost sight of what I was trying to say. After pinching my cheeks and getting a fresh cup of coffee, I decided to switch gears and talk about the power of using stories to create stronger connections, understanding and impact – and the value of eliminating vague and abstract language. First, the language… Read further >

Some days, the pace and extent of change we face feels absolutely daunting. We’re bombarded with new technologies, new business models, new rules and requirements, new ways to connect and communicate, new competition, new processes. Nothing seems to stay the same for very long anymore – and everything seems to get more and more complicated all the time. Read further >

In my estimation, the old acronym and approach K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple Stupid has never been more important. This holds true for processes, communications, presentations, and more. Why? Read further >