Articles by Arar Han

Most turnarounds follow a basic playbook. Load up with debt. Cut overhead. Narrow the offering. Squeeze suppliers. Raise prices. Acquire competitors. Exit. Arar Han begins with a premise: What is working well? What do customers love? (What do they hate?) How can things be better? Since founding Sabot Family Companies in 2016 with Shayne Fitz-Coy,...

Article written by Arar Han on Fast Company It’s hard to do well, and it’s time-consuming, but the 360 feedback process cannot be beaten when it comes to providing a broad spectrum of real feedback to your employees about how they show up to their managers, peers, and subordinates. In a recent experience, I delivered...

Article written by Arar Han on Entrepreneur I like hiring entry-level people for the companies I manage. We select them to be willing, high-achieving and modest people. Then, we provide continuous coaching and feedback to train them into excellent junior managers. After that, we monitor their progress and promote them as appropriate. It takes time to make...

Article written by Arar Han on Inc Early in my career, I worked as the special assistant to the CEO of a top U.S. public corporation. A pioneer in his field, I admired the CEO in many ways: he was a serial entrepreneur with a chain of inspiring wins; he spoke crisply and confidently to...

Article written by Arar Han on Inc. Managing an unresponsive employee in a virtual organization isn’t easy, especially when employees are working in different time zones and countries. As co-CEOs of a virtual organization, my partner and I often grappled with these issues. Here’s a fictionalized account of a real-life management situation we faced and...

The digital nomad revolution is in full swing, and talented Americans can be found all over the world. They tend to be college educated, with a variety of skills, including global travel, and often have a dose of worldly practicality that makes them easy to work with. How do you find the ones who are...

Article written by Arar Han on Forbes When my father dropped me off at college, one of the first pieces of advice he gave me was: Become friends with your professors. When I got my first job, he was similarly terse: Try to become indispensable. This is a lesson I’d encourage all new college graduates...

My daughter Edy is beautiful. At the tender age of two she would already turn heads, charming everyone with her twinkling eyes and bright, teasing smile. She was a skinny little thing, buck-toothed, pigeon-toed, bow-legged, extra everything. Now she is four, with a long and leggy form reminiscent of supermodels as young girls. Her eyes...

I’m a graduate of one of the toughest MBA programs to get into. It might still be the most selective program out there. Of course I didn’t know whether or not I’d get in when I applied. I just put together the best application I could. In a sense, that application process started a long...

Among the many ride hailing apps in Korea is one I like in particular. It runs newer vans and sedans, and has a reputation for vetting and retaining well-mannered drivers. Even among the stiff competition that is everything K, it stands out. I always look there first for our airport rides, and I associate the...