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Brian Sheets

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CEO, Skyron Systems Inc.

138 points

Senior executive with over 35 years of strategic and tactical experience in operations and engineering assignments in renewable energy, LCD, telecom, medical devices, and semiconductors.

Adept in developing and initiating new projects in complex operating environments involving multi-functional groups.

Specialties ...

Senior executive with over 35 years of strategic and tactical experience in operations and engineering assignments in renewable energy, LCD, telecom, medical devices, and semiconductors.

Adept in developing and initiating new projects in complex operating environments involving multi-functional groups.

Specialties: Strategic partnerships, transforming strategic mandates into tactical initiatives, business process re-engineering to enhance organzational performance, business ethics.

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May 16, 2012

Brian Sheets and 2 other people answered this question

How do you prepare for future fights?

You are asking a question for which there is no one right answer, only subjective opinions. So, here’s mine.
Back during Vietnam, we were trained to expect the unexpected, to have contingency plans in place for the most likely scenarios we would come across in ... more

General Management

Human Resources

May 16, 2012

Brian Sheets and 5 other people answered this question

If I was over payed on my bonus am I required to pay it back?

I agree with Jeff in that there are some questions to be asked. If the company has a policy regarding erroneous payments or one related to honesty/ethical conduct, you may find yourself running afoul if you keep the money. But, in my opinion, the primary ... more

Human Resources

May 9, 2012

Brian Sheets answered this question

What the is role of the corporate executive board?

While this can differ from company to company, I have found the board to be an excellent tool for feedback and strategy development.
From the standpoint of feedback, the company’s leadership team needs a non-team “sounding board” to validate ideas and provide critique to programs ... more

Human Resources

Board of Directors

Executive Board

April 26, 2012

Brian Sheets and 7 other people answered this question at this roundtable

Social Media and Content Marketing For Business Q&A [4/24 @ 11 am]

How do you get CEO and C-Suite to not just buy-in to social content, but participate?

You have asked an insightful question, Alan.
Back in 2006, a study revealed that the percentage of new CEOs over age 50 in Fortune 500 companies had increased from 64% to 69% over the preceding 12 months. Since we are all a product of our ... more

Content Marketing

Feb. 29, 2012

Brian Sheets and 5 other people answered this question at this roundtable

#TChat Radio: Employee Super Powers: Is There an Assessment For That? [2/22 @ 4 pm]

Can we spend too much time assessing rather than just getting on with the job?

An interesting question. In the military, standing still is not considered progress unless such action is predicated upon another unit achieving some intermittent goal necessary for your unit to take action. In the civilian sector, work for the sake of doing work is not necessarily ... more

General Management

Human Resources

Company Culture

Employee Engagement

Feb. 15, 2012

Brian Sheets and 2 other people answered this question at this roundtable

ERP – Priming Your Business to Deliver Value From Strategy to Operations [2/15 @ 1 pm]

How do you assess operational gaps and key business process requirements?

Catherine:
While gap can refer to the delta between planned vs. actual, it could also be used to describe the delta between the mandates issued by the board/senior management vs. the firm’s existing processes which may be inadequate to support the mandates.
It is not ... more

Enterprise Software

Feb. 12, 2012

Brian Sheets and 11 other people answered this question

How should senior executives be spending their time? Where do they have the greatest impact?

Excellent question, Dave.
As I reflect over my years in business, I can offer a response from two points of view. Years ago as a “frontline” person (to use Liz Cosline’s nomenclature), there was always some level of trepidation when senior management came to visit ... more

Sales Management

Jan. 29, 2012

Brian Sheets and 6 other people answered this question

What is your least favorite piece of technology?

Thank Mike. I may have had an advantage in that I was the head of the operations division and half of the company worked for me. That said, I believe it was the results we achieved collectively that reinforced the change with senior management. more

Information Technology

Servers and Storage

Jan. 23, 2012

Brian Sheets and 18 other people answered this question

What steps do you take to build trust in a team?

Belldon: Good points. I agree with you contention that “most individuals want to do their best, want to be more productive, need to be valued . . .” and did not intend to imply that trust can not be built within a team environment.
Rather, ... more

Jan. 16, 2012

Brian Sheets answered this question

Angel funding vs. Venture Capital. What are the benefits and drawbacks?

Catherine:
The industry standard is that they are both part of the long-term, traditional funding process. There are some companies that go straight to VC’s for funding, others that go directly to the pink-sheets, and some boot-strap with bank loans or internal financing. However, most ... more

Venture Capital

Jan. 16, 2012

Brian Sheets answered this question

How can CIOs and CFOs work more closely together?

Lauren:
The obvious answer would be yes, if for no other reason than to ensure there is effective cross-functional communication occurring within the organization.
Maybe a better re-wording of your question should be “What are some ways that CIO’s and CFO’s can work more effectively ... more

Information Technology

Dec. 30, 2011

Brian Sheets and 1 other person answered this question

What is the best way to get acquainted with the site and its features?

Scott: I would recommend your software engineers develop a dedicated page on focus.com that explains the workings of the Focus website. Like others, I have found it dificult at times to find out information about how the site works, features, navigation, etc. Having to search ... more

Information Technology

Dec. 28, 2011

Brian Sheets and 14 other people answered this question

What are 3 pieces of advice or traits to help a manager become a leader?

Excellent response. I might add the following addendum to each of Chad's comments.
1. Develop a code of personal ethics that are easily observed by others. My personal mantra is “legal, moral, and ethical” and I make it a point of ensuring those with whom ... more

Human Resources

Management Training

Dec. 28, 2011

Brian Sheets and 17 other people answered this question

How can you work with your employees to embrace change?

Great responses. I would also like to emphasize the need for honesty on the part of the company for the reasons behind the change. Treat the employees as senior management would like to be treated. In the past, this notion may have been thought of ... more

General Management

Human Resources

Change Management

Company Culture

Oct. 21, 2011

Brian Sheets answered this question

What are the key steps in building an ethical organization? Is this important in today's companies?

As you may be aware, there have been a myriad of books written on the topic of ethics – religious – social – business – personal – professional – medical – legal – etc. In the 1960’s, Joseph Fletcher developed the theory of “situational ethics” ... more

Human Resources

Oct. 21, 2011

Brian Sheets is now following Brian Phelps and 2 other people

Oct. 21, 2011

Brian Sheets and 6 other people answered this question

Is succession planning only for executives only?

I would agree with those above that highlight the need for a company to focus on those roles within the organization whose vacancy would cause a substantive impact to the company. While much is said about C-level positions, I would venture the premise that they ... more

General Management

Human Resources

Oct. 21, 2011

Brian Sheets and 2 other people answered this question

What qualities make a good leader?

Linda and Terrence have provided some good responses. I would add the following: There are as many styles of leadership as there devotees who claim theirs is the best. Patton is hailed as a great leader due to his accomplishments on the battlefield in WWII, ... more

General Management

Human Resources

Oct. 19, 2011

Brian Sheets and 1 other person answered this question

How should I develop a friendly relationship with my staff?

First of all, there is a difference between a friendly work environment and being friends with your subordinates. In deference to the myriad of books that have been written on management and leadership, a couple of thoughts. In the military, the primary focus is on ... more

General Management

Human Resources

Employee Relations

Oct. 19, 2011

Brian Sheets and 1 other person answered this question

What are your tips for instilling a proper sense of urgency in your employees?

An interesting question with a multitude of implications, but here are a couple of thoughts. First, ensure your folks know what your (business) value set is relative to supporting business goals. If you’re the CEO, this is easy because the two should be the same. ... more

General Management

Human Resources

Sense of Urgency

Talent Management

Oct. 13, 2011

Brian Sheets and 4 other people answered this question

What skills do project managers need to stay ahead of the game?

For a good number of people, the world of project management circulates around their MS Project computer program (or like technology). Truly successful project managers identify the interdependencies between functional groups and build relationships with decision-makers in those groups, so as to affect a holistic ... more

Human Resources

Information Technology

Career Development

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Business Process Re-engineering (BPR)

General Management

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