Are you aware that many employees view decision-making processes in their organizations as painfully flawed and excruciatingly slow? Join co-CEOs Terri Long and Jeremy Eden in this enlightening episode of The Elephant in the Boardroom, where they tackle the pressing issue of effective decision-making in corporate America. With a wealth of experience in enhancing corporate governance, Long and Eden delve into the intricate dynamics of decision-making within Fortune 1000 executives' teams, highlighting how broken corporate boards often struggle with leadership challenges that hinder progress.

This episode is packed with actionable insights derived from a compelling case study that showcases a CEO and their executive team successfully making nearly 3000 decisions in a remarkably short timeframe, resulting in substantial profit increases. Discover how identifying 'easy decisions'—those straightforward, fact-based choices that enjoy broad support—can revolutionize your organization’s decision-making process. Long and Eden emphasize the significance of establishing a decision-making pipeline that allows these easy decisions to flow seamlessly, thereby avoiding the bottlenecks created by complex or contentious issues that can stall progress.

Moreover, the hosts advocate for fostering a culture of curiosity and fact-based discussions within teams to enhance organizational effectiveness and drive business wins. By embracing these principles, leaders can transform their approach to corporate decision-making, paving the way for better business strategy discussions and effective change management. The conversation also touches on the vital role of executive coaching in navigating leadership challenges and improving corporate culture.

As the episode unfolds, Long and Eden provide anti-consulting insights that challenge conventional business practices critique, urging CEOs to actively engage in these processes. They stress that the commitment to effective decision-making is not just a corporate strategy but a vital component of organizational change that can lead to significant success. Don't miss this opportunity to gain leadership insights that could redefine your approach to decision-making and propel your organization toward a brighter future.

Tune in to The Elephant in the Boardroom for a thought-provoking discussion that promises to challenge your perceptions and equip you with the tools needed to navigate the complexities of decision-making in today's fast-paced business environment. #decisionmaking #fortune1000 #executives #effective #businesspodcast #businessdecisions

(00:00) Intro

(00:35) Improving CEO Decision Making

(06:35) Identifying and Making Easy Decisions

(08:17) Streamlining Profitable Business Decisions

(11:41) Fostering Curiosity and Fact-Based Discussions

Employee motivation challenges affect every workplace, and this episode tackles how even leaders struggle with maintaining their drive. Co-CEOs Terri Long and Jeremy Eden share honest insights about their own motivation struggles while providing proven strategies that work when traditional approaches fail.

The conversation begins with Terri's candid admission about feeling unmotivated due to personal distractions, proving motivation isn't just about workplace factors. This sets the stage for practical solutions that acknowledge motivation naturally fluctuates rather than promoting unrealistic "always-on" expectations.

You'll discover how exercise boosts motivation, with a crucial twist: it must be enjoyable. Physical movement, regardless of initial enthusiasm, creates endorphins that restore energy and focus. The episode also explores purpose clarity through the "cathedral builders" parable, showing how understanding your contribution to a larger mission dramatically impacts motivation.

Learning something new emerges as a powerful antidote to workplace stagnation. The hosts recommend breaking routine by spending time in different departments or pursuing personal learning. These small changes combat the boredom that often masquerades as lack of motivation.

Strategic use of PTO receives significant attention, with examples illustrating how forced breaks often restore productivity better than pushing through exhaustion. The reward system discussion provides practical frameworks for self-motivation, like setting specific completion deadlines tied to enjoyable activities.

Accountability partnerships offer external motivation when internal drive falters. Having someone expect progress reports creates natural deadlines and social pressure that supports goal completion.

For managers seeking to enhance team motivation, the episode outlines three critical strategies:

1. Providing clear paths to raises with specific performance metrics
2. Expressing genuine appreciation using "I appreciate you" rather than "I appreciate it"
3. Celebrating wins through recognition events that reinforce the value of hard work

The discussion concludes with volunteering as an unexpected motivation booster. Research shows that helping others improves personal mood and energy levels more effectively than receiving help.

Throughout the episode, Terri and Jeremy maintain their blend of humor and practical wisdom, acknowledging that motivation fluctuates while providing actionable solutions. Their combined decades of Fortune 500 experience inform every recommendation, ensuring strategies are tested in real corporate environments.

This episode serves anyone feeling stuck in motivation ruts, whether you're an individual contributor or a manager responsible for team engagement. The strategies require no budget approvals—just a willingness to implement small shifts that compound into significant results.

Subscribe to "The Elephant in the Boardroom" for more contrarian business insights that challenge conventional wisdom and provide practical solutions for real workplace challenges. #employeemotivation #leadership #motivation #businesspodcast

Time management failures devastate executive productivity and business results more than any other workplace challenge. Most leaders waste 40% of their valuable time responding to urgent but unimportant distractions—email notifications, last-minute requests, and meaningless meetings. In this essential episode, Harvest Earnings co-CEOs Terri Long and Jeremy Eden reveal how the Eisenhower Time Matrix can revolutionize your time management approach and dramatically increase your focus on high-impact activities.

Discover the four-quadrant system that transforms how successful executives prioritize their daily work. The Eisenhower Time Matrix divides all tasks into four categories: important and urgent, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. Most professionals excel at handling important and urgent tasks because they have no choice—these demands create immediate consequences. However, the real productivity killer lies in spending excessive time on urgent but unimportant activities while neglecting important but not urgent work that drives long-term business success.

Learn practical strategies to escape the urgent trap that sabotages executive effectiveness. Terri and Jeremy share real-world examples of how email addiction, unnecessary meetings, and administrative busywork consume precious hours that should be invested in strategic thinking, relationship building, and skill development. They present a powerful case study where one sales organization increased actual selling time from 40% to 60% by eliminating non-essential activities—equivalent to expanding their sales force by 50% without additional hiring costs.

Master the art of creating artificial urgency for important but not urgent priorities. The hosts explain why the upper-right quadrant of the matrix—important but not urgent—receives the least attention despite containing the most valuable growth opportunities. They provide actionable techniques for establishing personal deadlines, accountability partnerships, and reward systems that make long-term important work feel more immediate and compelling.

Transform your organizational culture by identifying and eliminating institutional time wasters. Beyond personal time management, this episode addresses how companies inadvertently impose urgent but unimportant work on their employees through poorly designed processes, excessive reporting requirements, and inefficient communication systems. Leaders will learn to audit their team's time allocation and create systems that protect high-value work from constant interruption.

Implement proven frameworks for determining what truly deserves your attention. The discussion includes specific methods for evaluating which activities genuinely qualify as important versus those that merely feel urgent. This clarity enables executives to make confident decisions about where to invest their limited time and energy for maximum business impact.

Based on decades of Fortune 1000 consulting experience and billions in client value creation, Terri Long and Jeremy Eden provide the definitive guide to executive time management and productivity optimization. #timemanagement #smartleaders #productivity #businesspodcast

Decision making inconsistency plagues corporate boardrooms across America, where executives apply rigorous analytical standards to routine purchases while making multi-million dollar strategic investments based on gut instinct alone. This fundamental inconsistency creates massive blind spots that cost organizations millions in missed opportunities, failed projects, and wasted resources.

In this revealing episode of "The Elephant in the Boardroom," co-CEOs Terri Long and Jeremy Eden expose the hidden patterns of inconsistent decision-making that undermine even the most successful companies. You'll discover why organizations demand extensive justification for hiring a single employee but implement across-the-board layoffs without strategic analysis, and how this inconsistency reflects deeper organizational dysfunction.

The hosts reveal the "lamppost problem"—how managers avoid measuring uncertain outcomes simply because measurement systems aren't readily available, defaulting to expensive consultants and intuition-based choices instead of developing better analytical frameworks. Through real-world examples from Fortune 1000 companies, you'll learn to identify when your organization treats gambling decisions as certainties and how to establish consistent measurement standards across all business functions.

Key insights include practical strategies for demanding measurable outcomes from vendors and consultants, techniques for identifying which decisions require analytical rigor versus acceptable uncertainty, and frameworks for holding teams accountable to consistent decision-making standards. Terri and Jeremy share specific approaches for pushing back on unmeasurable consultant recommendations and forcing productive dialogue about expected outcomes before major investments.

You'll also discover how to implement the "measurement accountability test"—requiring anyone requesting resources to articulate exactly what will be measured, who will measure it, and what happens if expected results don't materialize. This simple framework eliminates the false certainty that leads to poor capital allocation and strategic missteps.

Drawing from their combined decades of operational excellence experience at companies like H.J. Heinz, PNC Financial, and McKinsey & Company, the hosts provide actionable tools for establishing fact-based decision cultures while recognizing when calculated risks are appropriate. Whether you're evaluating office renovations, technology investments, or organizational restructuring, these insights will help you apply consistent analytical standards that protect shareholder value and drive sustainable growth.

Perfect for executives, board members, and senior managers seeking to eliminate the unconscious biases that create expensive blind spots in corporate decision-making processes. #decisionmaking #corporateleaders #businesschoices #business #leadership #businesspodcast

Business decision making failures plague most organizations, trapping executives in analysis paralysis and demanding precise numbers that delay critical decisions. In this episode of "The Elephant in the Boardroom," co-CEOs Terri Long and Jeremy Eden reveal why being "roughly right" delivers better results than being "precisely wrong" in effective business decision making.

You'll discover how flawed decision-making processes paralyze organizations and prevent them from capitalizing on opportunities. Through compelling real-world examples, Terri and Jeremy demonstrate how companies can transform their approach to strategic planning, operational efficiency, and change management by embracing roughly accurate analysis over perfectionist number-crunching.

The episode features powerful insights from John Maynard Keynes' famous principle that "it's better to be roughly right than precisely wrong," showing how this philosophy revolutionizes corporate strategy and employee engagement. You'll learn about stage-gating techniques that help leadership teams prioritize initiatives without getting bogged down in unnecessary details, plus discover how back-of-envelope estimating can quickly filter hundreds of potential projects down to the most promising opportunities.

Terri and Jeremy share fascinating case studies illustrating common decision-making pitfalls, including a manufacturing company where 30 factories stopped generating improvement ideas because of an inappropriately high 55% IRR requirement that was meant for only one facility being sold. This story perfectly demonstrates Mark Twain's observation that "it ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble, it's what you know for sure that just ain't so."

The hosts also explore how fear of change often blinds executives to the equal or greater risks of maintaining the status quo. They discuss practical change management strategies and share examples of leaders who successfully overcame resistance to transformation, including a utility CEO who turned regulatory constraints into negotiation advantages and a printing company that discovered an engineer's cost-saving innovation that had been hidden in plain sight for years.

One of the most powerful concepts discussed is the former HP CEO's insight: "If only HP knew what HP knows, we'd be three times more productive." This principle underlies everything Harvest Earnings does differently from traditional management consulting. Rather than bringing in external solutions, they help organizations tap into the vast knowledge and expertise that already exists within their workforce but remains underutilized.

The episode includes entertaining anecdotes and quotations that illustrate these principles, from Steven Wright's humorous observation about buying batteries to the practical implications of not getting what you pay for in vendor contracts. These stories reinforce how common-sense approaches to problem-solving often yield extraordinary results when applied systematically.

Whether you're a C-suite executive, middle manager, or team leader, this episode provides actionable frameworks for improving decision-making processes, reducing analysis paralysis, and unlocking the hidden potential within your organization. You'll learn how to create environments where employees feel empowered to share knowledge and propose solutions, leading to measurable improvements in productivity, cost reduction, and operational excellence.

Based on decades of operational excellence experience with Fortune 1000 companies and over $5 billion in client value creation, Terri and Jeremy offer proven strategies for transforming organizational culture and achieving sustainable competitive advantages through better business decision making. #businessdecisionmaking #business #leadership #decisionmaking #businesspodcast #leadershippodcast

Emotions in business decisions are the hidden force behind billions in failed acquisitions, misguided hiring choices, and strategic blunders that executives refuse to acknowledge. In this eye-opening episode of "The Elephant in the Boardroom," co-CEOs Terri Long and Jeremy Eden expose the uncomfortable truth about how workplace emotions systematically undermine corporate performance.

Most executives believe their decisions stem from rational analysis, but research reveals a startling reality. Emotions drive everything from daily operational choices to major strategic initiatives, often with devastating consequences. The hosts share compelling examples from their 25+ years of operational excellence consulting, including Tony O'Reilly's emotionally-driven acquisition spree at H.J. Heinz, where the Irish CEO's personal attachment to homeland companies led to illogical diversification moves that made zero business sense.

Drawing from Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman's groundbreaking behavioral economics research, the episode explores a shocking study of Israeli judges making prisoner probation decisions. The research revealed that identical cases received dramatically different outcomes based solely on timing relative to meals, demonstrating how blood sugar levels and mood states unconsciously influence critical life-changing decisions. If trained judges can be swayed by being "hangry," imagine how emotions affect your organization's daily operations.

The conversation delves into the pervasive impact of unconscious bias in corporate hiring and promotion decisions. Long and Eden reveal how executives consistently rationalize emotional preferences as "objective capability assessments," leading to homogeneous leadership teams that lack diversity. They reference the famous symphony audition study where blind auditions behind curtains revealed that women and minorities were far more talented musicians than previously "measured."

However, emotions in business decisions aren't entirely negative. The hosts explore how fear of failure paralyzes organizations, preventing timely decisions that could generate significant value. Recognition, appreciation, and emotional engagement drive employee loyalty and performance in ways that pure logic cannot achieve. The key is acknowledging these emotional undercurrents rather than pretending they don't exist.

Long shares a powerful personal story about workplace emotions, describing how her anger over unfair bonus allocation led to tears in her boss's office—ultimately resulting in a reversed decision that rewarded deserving team members. This anecdote illustrates the complex gender dynamics surrounding emotional expression in professional settings.

The episode challenges the classic "it's business, not personal" mentality, arguing that passionate commitment to purpose and values often drives the most admirable business outcomes. Eden references "You've Got Mail" to illustrate how personal passion created more meaningful value than purely transactional approaches.

Listeners will discover practical frameworks for recognizing emotional triggers in decision-making processes, understanding how timing and unconscious preferences influence choices, and creating systems that harness positive emotions while mitigating negative bias effects.

Based on decades of experience transforming operational performance at companies like PNC Financial and generating over $5 billion in earnings improvements, Long and Eden offer battle-tested insights for leaders ready to confront the emotional elephant in their boardroom. #emotions #businessemotions #businessdecisions #companysuccess #bottomline #businesspodcast

Most leadership communication fails because teams systematically hide problems from executives. The uncomfortable truth is that CEOs rarely get the whole truth from their organizations, creating dangerous blind spots that can destroy company value overnight. This epidemic of being "economical with the truth" undermines decision-making at every level and costs businesses millions in missed opportunities and preventable disasters.

You'll discover the psychology behind why employees fear speaking truth to power and learn practical frameworks for transforming workplace communication culture. Terri Long and Jeremy Eden share shocking real client stories, including a major inventory scandal that went unreported for years, costing millions in regulatory violations and financial restatements. They reveal how leadership communication breakdowns led to a CEO discovering a program he thought he'd canceled three years earlier was still running—burning cash and resources. Get proven early warning systems that Fortune 500 companies use to prevent costly surprises and build transparent communication channels that actually work.

Learn from the battle-tested experience of Harvest Earnings co-CEOs Terri Long and Jeremy Eden, who have spent 25+ years improving executive communication and operational excellence at Fortune 1000 companies. Their client transformations have generated over $5 billion in measurable improvements by fixing fundamental leadership communication problems that most consultants never address. This episode provides actionable strategies you can implement immediately to create a culture where honest feedback flows upward without fear of retaliation.

The hosts share specific questioning techniques that uncover hidden problems before they become crises. Instead of asking "How's it going?" leaders learn to ask "What issues are you facing?" and "What makes it difficult for you to do your job?" These simple shifts in communication approach can reveal critical information that traditional management methods miss completely. You'll also learn why positive workplace mantras like "It's a great day at our company" actually discourage honest feedback and how to replace them with practices that invite transparency.

Discover the fascinating story of a Hilton Hotels CEO who thought his properties were pristine because staff frantically prepared for his visits—replacing minibar contents with premium brands and painting hallways overnight. This expensive theater masked real operational issues that cost the company significant revenue. Learn how to build early warning systems into your organization's DNA, preventing these costly communication failures from undermining business performance and strategic decision-making.

Get practical tools for building organizational cultures where speaking truth to power becomes the norm rather than the exception. The episode includes specific advice for both leaders who want better information and employees who struggle with when and how to deliver difficult news to management. You'll understand why employees often exaggerate the negative consequences of honest communication and how leaders can systematically eliminate these psychological barriers to create transparent workplace environments. #communication #leadershipcommunication #communicationbreakdown #teambuilding #businesspodcast #leadershippodcast

Remote work policy decisions are destroying company culture and driving top performers to quit. Most executives implement back-to-office mandates for three hidden reasons that backfire spectacularly while missing proven hybrid work strategies that actually boost productivity and employee retention rates.

You'll discover why Amazon's five-day office requirement could trigger an exodus of their best talent, the real motivations behind return-to-office policies that executives won't admit publicly, and specific hybrid work frameworks that Fortune 500 companies use to maximize in-person collaboration benefits. We share practical solutions for workplace loneliness, employee engagement strategies, and remote work productivity techniques that combine the best of office culture with work-from-home flexibility for optimal business results.

This episode reveals the three elephant-in-the-boardroom reasons companies force employees back to the office that have nothing to do with productivity or culture. The first involves disguised layoffs where companies hope remote work policy changes will trigger voluntary resignations to avoid paying severance costs. The second stems from generational resentment—executives believe younger employees should endure the same office restrictions they experienced decades ago. The third driver is senior leadership's personal need for social validation and ego reinforcement that comes from in-person workplace interactions.

We explore why zero-day work-from-home arrangements harm employee development, particularly for younger professionals who miss crucial mentoring opportunities and informal learning experiences. You'll learn specific strategies for implementing effective hybrid work schedules that require teams to coordinate office days, creating meaningful collaboration opportunities rather than isolated desk work. Our discussion covers practical solutions for workplace loneliness, the importance of structured team lunches and informal bonding activities, and how to optimize office facilities for hybrid work success.

The conversation includes real-world examples of communication differences between video conferencing and face-to-face interactions, demonstrating why certain business relationships and trust-building activities require physical presence. We examine how overhearing workplace conversations contributes to professional development and why random office attendance schedules undermine collaboration benefits. Smart remote work policy implementation requires coordinated team schedules, proper facility planning, and clear objectives for in-person time.

From Terri Long and Jeremy Eden, co-CEOs of Harvest Earnings with 25+ years leading operational transformations at Fortune 1000 companies including major financial institutions and manufacturing organizations. Our proven methodologies have delivered over $5 billion in client earnings improvements through strategic workplace optimization and employee engagement initiatives. #remotework #hybridwork #talentmanagement #businesspodcast

Professional networking within your comfort zone is killing your career growth and organizational success. Most executives rely on the same small circle of trusted colleagues, completely missing the untapped bench strength sitting right under their noses. In this episode of "The Elephant in the Boardroom," co-CEOs Terri Long and Jeremy Eden expose why senior leaders consistently underestimate their team's capabilities and reveal proven professional networking strategies that unlock hidden opportunities within any organization.

You'll discover practical workplace relationship-building techniques that Fortune 1000 executives use to identify overlooked talent and create unexpected career advancement opportunities. We share real case studies from our consulting experience, including the CEO who transformed his leadership approach by eating lunch with different employees, and how casual professional networking led to finding apartments, job opportunities, and valuable business partnerships. Learn specific frameworks for expanding your network beyond your inner circle, including actionable strategies for overcoming work-from-home networking limitations and maintaining meaningful business connections in today's increasingly remote work environment.

This episode challenges conventional professional networking wisdom and provides concrete methods for building authentic workplace relationships that benefit both individual career development and overall organizational performance. Whether you're climbing the corporate ladder, leading a team, or looking to maximize your professional network impact, these insights will fundamentally change how you approach business relationships and talent development initiatives. Discover why the most successful executives actively cultivate relationships across all organizational levels, not just within their established peer groups.

The conversation explores real-world examples of how expanding your professional networking circle creates unexpected opportunities and reveals hidden organizational talent. From finding housing through casual business connections to identifying high-potential employees who were previously overlooked, Terri and Jeremy demonstrate how strategic relationship building extends far beyond traditional networking events and LinkedIn connections. Learn why ghosting and poor relationship maintenance are destroying professional opportunities and how to maintain authentic connections that provide mutual value over time.

Based on decades of consulting with companies like PNC Financial and other major corporations, Terri and Jeremy share proven relationship-building strategies that create lasting professional value and organizational impact. #networking #professionalnetworking #talent #businesspodcast

Dealing with narcissists at work is one of the most challenging situations any professional will face, yet most leaders lack the tools to navigate these toxic dynamics effectively. Most workplace dysfunction stems from unrecognized narcissistic behavior that destroys teams, derails careers, and creates hostile work environments. In this episode of "The Elephant in the Boardroom," co-CEOs Terri Long and Jeremy Eden reveal why traditional management approaches fail when dealing with narcissists at work and share battle-tested strategies from their decades of executive consulting experience.

You'll discover the nine diagnostic traits of narcissistic personality disorder from the DSM that every leader should recognize: grandiose sense of self-importance, preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, sense of entitlement, exploitative behavior, lack of empathy, envy, arrogance, self-superiority, and need for excessive admiration. Understanding these warning signs is crucial for dealing with narcissists at work because early recognition can save your sanity, protect your team, and preserve your career trajectory.

Learn practical techniques for managing narcissistic bosses without triggering explosive confrontations that can derail projects and damage relationships. Discover how to reframe feedback and communication to prevent workplace narcissist meltdowns, why public confrontation always backfires with narcissistic personalities, and when complete disengagement becomes the only viable option for your mental health and professional survival. We share specific examples of how to present ideas to narcissistic leaders by focusing on their personal benefits rather than organizational outcomes.

Explore why narcissistic leadership creates toxic work environments that drive away top talent and undermine team collaboration. You'll understand how narcissistic manipulation tactics work in corporate settings—from taking credit for others' achievements to exploiting team members for personal advancement. Learn to recognize the paradox that narcissistic behavior often stems from deep insecurity and lack of confidence, making traditional confrontational approaches counterproductive and potentially dangerous to your career.

We discuss the critical importance of not taking narcissistic behavior personally, even when you're the direct target of their manipulation or verbal attacks. Discover stress management techniques for surviving narcissistic work environments, including building support networks and finding appropriate outlets for venting frustrations. Learn why documentation becomes essential when working with narcissistic colleagues and how to protect yourself legally and professionally.

The episode covers the special challenges of having narcissistic team members reporting to you and why removing them from the organization becomes an ethical obligation to protect other employees. We explore how narcissistic individuals cannot accept criticism or feedback, making performance management nearly impossible through conventional methods. You'll understand why attempting to transfer narcissistic employees to other departments simply spreads the toxicity rather than solving the underlying problem.

Based on real case studies from Fortune 1000 companies where narcissistic executives created widespread organizational damage before being removed. Drawing from 25+ years of executive leadership experience across multiple industries and consulting engagements with companies struggling with toxic leadership dynamics. Subscribe to "The Elephant in the Boardroom" for more contrarian leadership insights that challenge conventional corporate wisdom and provide practical solutions for complex workplace challenges that most business schools never teach. #narcissist #workplace #leadership #businesspodcast