The typical entrepreneur is driven, task-oriented and focused on accomplishing great goals. These characteristics are highly useful in creating a successful business, but also could get in the way of a pleasant and happy life if they’re not kept in balance. Many business owners never stop working or take a break from their revenue-producing activities. […]
Today, businesses throughout our community, across the nation and around the world conduct operations, serve customers, generate revenues and earn profits … or not. Tomorrow, these same companies, and their teams of professional and loyal workers, will do it all over again. There is, however, a real difference between simply going through the motions and […]
The difference between creating raving fans out of your customers or not is getting the multitude of the basics — the little things — right on a consistent basis. Just a moment of reflection on your own experiences will reveal your favorite businesses — the ones you frequent often and tell others about with great […]
Did you know that 68 percent of the population lacks effective organizational skills? How about you? Is your desk a mess? Can you find your way through your office? Does your filing system need reorganization? Are important projects, tasks and customer followups falling through the cracks? Do you simply avoid all the clutter because you […]
Personality conflicts between team members are often the primary reason for a lack of collaboration within any given business or organization. These conflicts have a direct effect on business operations and almost always contribute to a decline in efficiency, productivity, retention, business growth and bottom-line profits. The degree to which your team doesn’t work together […]
Your business is only as strong as the individuals within it. Operational success is greatly enhanced when team members are taught and continually encouraged to use the power of their own minds rather than becoming dependent upon you — or others — for answers. There’s a tendency among business owners and managers to simply give […]
The election has come and gone. President Barack Obama has been re-elected and, as a nation, we face challenging decisions in reducing the deficit while still investing in our shared future. For the leadership of any company, the basic principles that allow all companies to thrive remain the same. Austerity measures will be put in […]
The typical business has a number of skilled team members, many with decent attitudes. These individuals come to work, perform their jobs to a satisfactory level or above and contribute to the work environment in mostly positive ways. But what about those team members who, even though they have the skills to do their job, […]
With every transaction and interaction, a business gives its customers — and the team members who serve them — a good, neutral or bad feeling. The last two have no place in a thriving company, while the first is a necessary component to success. Surely you can recall those experiences as a consumer that left […]
Chances are, you’ve worked for a variety of different people in your life. Certainly, some clearly stand out in your mind as people you enjoyed working for, while others seemed to suck all the pleasure out of the experience. There’s probably no doubt about the type of person you’d rather work for, and why. There’s […]