-
Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Tag Archives: entrepreneurship
Hunters and Farmers
Several times monthly, I interview entrepreneurs who are considering membership in The Alternative Board® as a means to improve their business. Part of the process is asking each one what his or her core skills are – the things that … Continue Reading
I Guess I are One…Finally!
I just read Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Outliers.” Like The Tipping Point and Blink before it, he gives a very readable and fresh insight into things you thought you knew, or kind of thought you knew but never really applied logic to, … Continue Reading
A Goal isn’t a Finish Line
I was going over some productivity numbers with a long term client. “Remember when our goal for this was 2000 man hours?” he said. “Now we are below 1200, and closing in on 1100, and with greater volume!” Everywhere we … Continue Reading
Do you understand where this is going? Two
Between 1997 and 2009 I had one client audited by the Department of Labor for Wage and Hour compliance. In the last 90 days I’ve had two. The first had an auditor who brought along a trainee. The second brought … Continue Reading
They bite the hand that feeds them
On Friday a local columnist in the San Antonio Express News, Rhonda Templeton, wrote about a recent survey of employees lying on the job. I quote: ” Bending the truth is a long time tradition in U.S. workplaces- as the … Continue Reading
Another small business owner defrauded
I’ll be in Denver, sharpening my saw all weekend at the semi-annual conference of The Alternative Board®, so I’m posting early this week. I had an evening call from a client last night. He recently discovered fraud in a small … Continue Reading
Stoplight 360
I recently saw a fast and easy way to rate your employees that makes the high performers and low performers stand out in a way that can’t be ignored. It uses Stop light Methodology: a red-yellow-green marking system. The advantage … Continue Reading
The influence of one man
I promised to return with the true story of the difference one man can make. If Sam knew that I was talking about him in my blog he’d be embarrassed. Recognition isn’t his thing. In fairness to Sam, I’m not … Continue Reading
Leadership
There was an interesting report on National Public Radio earlier this week about Haiti. I tried to link it here, but I couldn’t find it in the hundreds of archived earthquake stories. If someone locates it, please let me know so I … Continue Reading
Posted in John's Opinions, Leadership
Tagged business ownership, entrepreneurship, leadership, small business advice
Leave a comment
A different way of thinking
I’ve just returned from a much needed quiet period in Merida, Mexico. Actually, the locals call it by the state’s name, Yucatan, and usually refer to Mexico the way Hawaiians refer to the mainland. The highlight of an otherwise uneventful … Continue Reading
The Ghost of Ebenezer
Last week three of my clients implemented staff reductions. All three are financially healthy service companies, but they had far more capacity than they had work to fill it. In a service company, of course, capacity means people. Naturally there … Continue Reading
Gifts are not incentives, and incentives shouldn’t be gifts
I knew a couple who owned a company with about 20 employees who had what may be the worst incentive distribution plan I’ve ever seen. The company gave out large holiday bonuses every year at the company party, which was … Continue Reading