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Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Tag Archives: management
Leaner and Meaner (Part 4): Beating the Big Guys
If your small business depends on excellent employees, how can you attract and retain them against the resources of larger corporations? In our previous installments of this Leaner and Meaner series, we’ve talked about how the pressures of running a business today … Continue Reading
Leaner and Meaner (Part 3): Investing in Employees
Employees are free agents. As a business owner you wouldn’t sell your customers at a loss because in past years you made a profit. Neither should we expect employees to get better at their jobs without expecting compensation commensurate with their current … Continue Reading
Leaner and Meaner (Part 2): Retaining Good Employees
Last week we discussed the post-recession challenges that face business owners, and the economic and demographic shifts that mean we need to run our companies better than we ever have before. Between 2008 and 2010 many business owners faced a task they had … Continue Reading
2013 Planning: Try Starting with “Who”
For many years, I’ve begun each annum with my clients by helping them answer the Seven Questions, some simple keys to basic planning for the year. This year the questions have been picked up by my friend Jim Blasingame at the … Continue Reading
Year End Bonuses: Incentive or Entitlement?
It’s time for our annual discussion of the Holiday bonus.I pine for the days of my spiritual ancestor Ebenezer, who was offended at the expectation that he would pay Cratchit a whole day’s wages without receiving any work in return. One year … Continue Reading
Employee Confidentiality: Circles Within Circles
The father of a friend, a rancher in South Texas, conveys confidential information by preceding it with the following caution. “Now I’m going to tell you a secret, and you have to swear not to tell another soul. And when … Continue Reading
Management and Teachers: Accountability Requires Authority
In Chicago, the city and the teachers’ union are approaching an agreement. Interestingly, neither side said that the strike was over wages. (According to NPR, the average teacher makes just over $76,000 a year, and will receive a raise of … Continue Reading
Posted in Incentives, John's Opinions, Managing Employees
Tagged employee performance, management, politics
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Employ People; Don’t Adopt Them
I cringe when a business owner tells me “Our company is just like a family.” I have a family, and thankfully my business is nothing like them. Family members have the right to unconditional love. They can make mistakes (and … Continue Reading
Posted in John's Opinions, Managing Employees
Tagged business ownership, employee performance, employees, management
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More than a Feeling
This is the story of two business owners. It is true. It is real-time. Both stories occurred last week, and I was present in both conversations. The first story is one of disaster. A restaurant owner I work with was … Continue Reading
Unlimited Time Off From Your Business
The second “rule” on our downloadable poster “Your Rights and Obligations as a Business Owner” is: “You have the right to unlimited time off with pay.” followed by the corollary obligation; “You have an unlimited obligation to customers. Business deadlines … Continue Reading
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Managing Employees
Tagged business ownership, employees, leadership, management, small business advice
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Where’s Waldo?
An old New Yorker cartoon depicts two men walking down the streets of Manhattan. “The think I like most about being the Boss is that you get to make your own hours.” one says. “Yes,” the other replies, “as long … Continue Reading
Posted in Business Perspectives, John's Opinions, Leadership, Managing Employees
Tagged business ownership, employees, management
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Left Behind
As business owners, most of us understand that the people who help us get our company to one level may not be the folks who can get it to the next. A great salesman may not be your next sales … Continue Reading
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Planning
Tagged financial, management, sales management, small business advice
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