With every interaction and transaction, a business gives customers a good, neutral or bad feeling. The last two have no place in a thriving operation. The first is a requisite of happiness and success. Undoubtedly you’ve engaged businesses that left you wishing you’d never walked through their doors. It might have been the poor customer […]
For any business to become a lasting success, it must satisfy customer wants and needs. Understanding what they truly want and then fulfilling their needs leads to ongoing satisfaction. In return, they’ll not only come back for more, but also tell others about their wonderful experiences doing business with you. One of the biggest differences […]
Entrepreneurs start businesses to create greater freedom, wealth and happiness — to exert more control over their destiny. They dream of achieving professional, personal and financial success and independence and, as a result, travel, relax, give back and simply enjoy their lives. For many entrepreneurs, these aspirations remain a dream because they lack the mindset, […]
If you’re like most people, you’ve worked for a variety of business owners and managers. A few probably stand out in your mind as people you enjoyed working for, while others created an unpleasant work environment. It’s just as likely there’s no doubt in your mind about the type of person for which you’d rather […]
Poor communication presents the largest obstacle to any successful relationship, and it all begins with listening. Not truly listening to others and ineffective communication are often at the heart of dysfunctional businesses, disgruntled team members, unsatisfied clients, failed marriages, disassociation with loved ones, frustration and anger, to name only a few. Stephen Covey — the […]
As a business owner, you face two options: You can create a job for yourself or truly lead your company. There’s a distinct difference. In the first scenario, you’re doing daily tasks that could easily be handled by other managers or team members — tasks that take away your precious time to be the visionary, […]
You’ve likely heard the saying, “Hire for skills and fire for attitude.” Simply put, this means bad attitudes far outweigh the skills people bring to their positions. Failing to take corrective action puts companies at risk. The typical business has a number of skilled team members, many with decent and even great attitudes. They come […]
Business owners and managers sometimes feel as though they’re held hostage by one or more team members who play key roles in the business. Owners and managers believe these individuals possess sensitive information and perform vital functions. Letting them go or, in fact, taking any action that might upset them would leave the company in […]
Internal barriers or blockages to business success come in many forms: ineffective hiring practices, bad management, poor on-boarding and training, lack of teamwork, a negative culture and team members whose lack of desire and negative attitudes prevent them from performing at consistently high levels. There are also less-than-effective systems and procedures, poor customer service, inconsistent […]
The effective and efficient flow of information is critical to consistently meeting and exceeding the wants and needs of customers, foreseeing challenges and overcoming obstacles. The smooth flow of information also is essential to the production and timely delivery of high-quality goods and services. When communication is limited or even impossible because of personality conflicts, […]