Business Management
WHEN YOU GET KNOCKED DOWN
Covid-19 has hit us in a way that was scarcely imaginable. It also has humbled us to know how little control we have over our businesses and in life. You’ve been knocked down by this situation. You are not alone. Step 1: Get Up. Don’t lay there overanalyzing what hit you. If you don’t get…
Read MoreWORKING WITH FAMILY
On the topic of working with family, I thought I’d publish an excerpt from Elephant Tale – Mostly True Stories About Entrepreneurs, a book I wrote a few years ago. Each chapter in Elephant Tales tells a story about an experience I had in real life, with the people turned into animals to protect the…
Read MoreMY HEAD EXPLODES!
There is a conversation that happens all too often when I speak with business owners that makes my head explode! It goes something like this. I’m usually speaking with an owner who is struggling with getting something done for the betterment of their business. The business owner says, “I tell them what to do. But…
Read MorePATIENCE IS NOT A MUSCLE
I was speaking with a colleague who was lamenting her issues with patience. She felt herself either caught the victim of being too patient or losing opportunities by not being patient enough. She wanted to know how to develop more patience and use it more productively. I told her the key thing to understand is…
Read MoreCREATE RELATIONSHIPS THAT MOVE YOUR BUSINESS
I know someone I only hear from when they want something. They might want a recommendation. Or they want to borrow something. Or they need a special favor. Yet when I reach out to them, I seldom get a response. And when I do get a reply it is much delayed, or someone else contacts…
Read MoreDO YOU GROOM YOUR LEADERS OR JUST PROMOTE THEM?
“It was her turn,” said the CEO. I had asked the CEO how a specific member of their leadership team was promoted to that position. I’ve heard other answers like, “They’ve been with me a long time.” “I trust them. She is very loyal.” “He needed to make more money.” “My [family member] needed a…
Read MoreHOW TO HAVE MORE FUN AND MAKE MORE MONEY – PART 3
The steps to having more fun and making more money are aligning your business’ purpose with your personal purpose, creating business goals that fulfill the purpose with strong execution and surrounding yourself with people who support your purpose and who have the ability to accomplish the goals. People are important. The “right” people are often…
Read MoreHOW TO HAVE MORE FUN AND MAKE MORE MONEY – PART 2
The first step to having more fun and making more money is to align your business’ purpose with your personal purpose. The second step is to create and execute business goals that progress the business’s purpose. This might sound easy, but it’s not. And more important, it’s not common. According to research done by the…
Read MoreCAN YOU PICTURE YOUR BONSAI TREE?
The original Karate Kid movie was released in 1984, a coming of age story of Daniel, a young man, whose mentor and best friend is an elderly Japanese maintenance man, Mr. Miyagi. The movie is an excellent blend of teen angst, Asian wisdom, and martial arts. One of my favorite scenes is when Mr. Miyagi…
Read MoreTHE ELEPHANT AND THE DEER (an Elephant Tales story)
As the Elephant’s company continued to grow, he noticed his team of ants struggle to keep up with the volume of work. The ants worked hard, and he hired new ones as fast as possible, but the higher volumes and faster turnarounds seemed beyond the ants’ skill and experience. The Elephant decided to hire a…
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