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Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Category Archives: Entrepreneurship
You Make Two Types of Decisions
The principle function of leadership is making decisions. Whether you own a business or direct the work of others, your employees come to you with issues they can’t solve themselves. There are two types of decisions. One is easy; you just know something that … Continue Reading
The Meritocracy of Ownership
A few weeks ago, we hosted the 17th annual awards dinner for our members in The Alternative Board of San Antonio. It’s fun to recognize people for their achievements. Each of our 14 Boards votes for the most valuable and the most … Continue Reading
The Migration from Service to Knowledge
As I have pointed out frequently in this space, the Baby Boomers’ entry into entrepreneurial business moved the core of the American economy from products to services. (see www.theboomerbust.com) Multiple dynamics created the shift. Boomers were degreed at four times the … Continue Reading
Measurement Isn’t Necessarily Management
“You manage what you measure” is axiomatic in business ownership. “Employees respect what you inspect.” Understanding performance and productivity by comparing it against past performance, industry norms or internal benchmarks is useful, but measuring something doesn’t mean that you are … Continue Reading
The Tyranny of The Bad Customer
“The customer is always right,” or at least that’s what most business owners profess to their employees. We post it for all to see. “Customer satisfaction is job one.” “Our boss is the customer.” The most important person in our … Continue Reading
“We’ll Just Agree to Disagree”
A CEO was having a discussion with one of his top executives a few weeks ago. He felt strongly that the executive needed to take a certain course of action as soon as possible. The Vice President explained that the … Continue Reading
After the Goal
Why do employees have to “rest” after accomplishing a goal? When most human accomplishment required manual labor, taking time to recuperate after a final push, whether it was harvesting a crop or completing a building, was a natural way to physically recharge before starting another project. Today, most … Continue Reading
What is Mentoring?
In a recent meeting of one of our groups in The Alternative Board®, the business owners discussed mentoring. One member, a partner in a large professional firm, has been tasked with mentoring a partner in training. He asked what the … Continue Reading
When is a Bonus Not a Bonus?
We refer to many different types of payments to employees as bonuses. They range from very modest amounts paid for specific activities to substantial components of a worker’s total compensation package. Merriam-Webster defines “bonus” as “money or an equivalent given … Continue Reading
Who Owns the Portal?
We are 30 years into the computer revolution, which I am arbitrarily marking as beginning in the mid-1980’s, when Apple II and IBM compatible (286) computers began to show up on the desks of people who weren’t in the “computer room.” … Continue Reading
Wrestling with Ethics
The head of a rep firm approaches the owner of a small manufacturing company for whom they sell. One of his salespeople has an opportunity for a huge order with a multinational company, but the purchasing manager has indicated that the … Continue Reading