Socrates Says

In the United States we have a challenging economic situation. GDP grew at an annual rate of 2.1% in quarter 1 of 2026, slowing to 1.5% in quarter 2. Inflation (CPI) in July was down a little to 3.4%, still way above the fed’s target of 2.0%, leaving people to worry about upcoming federal funds […]

A Paper by Mark Fitzsimmons Managing Director, 360 Degrees Management Consulting The Meeting Looked Good Many of us have attended a meeting like this. Sales reports a strong month. Operations says productivity has improved. Finance confirms that costs are under control. Customer service reports that most cases were closed within target. The slides contain data, […]

In many capital goods companies, employees receive basic training when they are hired. They are shown how to do the job, told they will become faster and make fewer mistakes with experience, and then left largely on their own. Over time, employees often develop shortcuts that make the job easier for them but do not […]

Learning Without Scars began in the early 2000s as the successor to Quest Learning Centers, which we founded in 1994. In 2015, we closed the California company and formed Learning Without Scars LLC in Hawaii. My use of computer-based training grew out of the consulting business I started in Canada in 1980. After moving to […]

John Dowling joins a Candid Conversation on dealership management and why many equipment dealerships appear busy yet remain unprofitable. He explains the thinking behind his new book, “What’s Really Holding Your Dealership Back,” and why he uses a practical, how-to style that owners and general managers can apply right away. His central point is clear: […]

Busy does not mean profitable, and “we sold a ton” does not pay the bills. Our Candid Conversation this week digs into this typical Capital Goods dealer/distributor. We are joined by John Dowling, author of Service by the Boxes, to unpack why so many equipment dealerships grind through full shop schedules, nonstop parts traffic, and […]