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Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Category Archives: Leadership
Is It All About the Money?
If you have more than ten employees, and an outside observer (like me) asks them confidentially to say in one word what their boss cares about the most, what do you think they will answer? We’d like to think that answer … Continue Reading
An Army of One
Hollywood has done an excellent job of defining what it takes to be an action hero. George Smiley, the grey civil servant of John Le Carre’s spy novels, is a protagonist, but not a hero. Heroes are cast in a distinct … Continue Reading
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Leadership
Tagged business ownership, entrepreneurship, leadership, small business advice
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Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder (Not!)
When you are in love, separation from your loved one is painful. The longer you are separated, the more you want to be together. The saying is attributed to Thomas Haynes Bayly, a popular (but fairly light weight) writer of … Continue Reading
Posted in Leadership, Managing Employees, Sales
Tagged business ownership, employees, leadership
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Are Mistakes Good?
“Experience is a dear teacher, but only a fool will learn from no other.” Benjamin Franklin Business owners learn a lot from their experiences. As a friend says, “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.” … Continue Reading
Employees aren’t Partners
Many of my clients are recovering from the recession. They are running lean, and have restored their profitability, even if at lower revenues than prior to 2008. Those that had to reduce or freeze employee compensation are seeking ways to … Continue Reading
Turning Plans into Realities
We’ve discussed some simple steps to getting started on your annual business plan. (see previous post: The Seven Questions of Simple Planning). Once you have the questions answered, you can begin moving towards the actions that transform your plans into … Continue Reading
The Seven Questions of Simple Planning
The Creation In the beginning was the plan And it sprang from the assumptions And the assumptions were without form So the plan was void of substance And darkness fell upon the face of the workers And the workers … Continue Reading
Getting Smart about SMART
It is approaching 2012, and (hopefully) most of us are finalizing our plans for the upcoming year. In our groups of The Alternative Board, we are asking each member to state their sales and revenue objectives. We all know that … Continue Reading
Posted in Leadership, Strategy and Planning
Tagged business ownership, leadership, management
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When is a Bonus not a Bonus?
“And yet, you don’t think me ill-used, when I pay a day’s wages for no work.” That statement by Ebenezer Scrooge to Bob Cratchett in 1843 recognized the then relatively new custom of letting wage-earners have a day off for … Continue Reading
Posted in Incentives, Leadership, Managing Employees
Tagged business ownership, employee performance, employees
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You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
This past week I’ve been interviewing prospective participants for our new “Noise Reduction System®” training which was created by Larry Linne. It focuses on teaching Second-In-Command (SIC) managers (anyone who answers directly to the owner, the First-In-Command or FIC) how to … Continue Reading
Posted in Leadership, Managing Employees
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