Thinking “outside the box” is a popular idea in the business world today. People and organizations are told to think outside the box to stimulate creativity when they need to solve problems, streamline production, establish a new product, or develop a new process. And it’s true that unconventional thinking often sparks creativity and innovation. But…
Business: The $20,000 phone call When a business receives a phone call, who answers? When a new prospect or customer arrives at your business, how are they treated? Your marketing has finally paid off, all your hard work starts to materialize, something you did created action, and now it is time to turn that prospect…
Leadership involves introducing change, but what is a leader to do when faced with ubiquitous resistance? Resistance to change manifests itself in many ways, from foot-dragging and inertia to petty sabotage to outright rebellions. The best tool for leaders of change is an understanding of the predictable, universal sources of resistance. Once the source has…
What are you measuring in your business? According to Peter Drucker, and the experience of all my clients, “what gets measured, gets managed”. If you are not achieving the results you want in your life, organization or business ask yourself, “What exactly are we measuring?”. Maybe you are measuring nothing at all. Our clients will…
A job that is completely stress-free doesn’t exist. With deadlines to meet, people to please, standards to uphold, and new markets to enter, your job will always present challenges and circumstances that force you out of a state of perpetual complacency. Stress shouldn’t necessarily be perceived as a bad thing; it is what motivates you…
CULTURE OF LEADERSHIP RITUALS. I like the “cult” in culture. The best companies like Dell, Google, Southwest Airlines, Apple and Wal-Mart, have something in common with cults. They have unique rituals like 7 am team huddles or Friday afternoon pizza parties to promote team bonding. Rituals shape culture and keep it special. CELEBRATION. John Abele,…
A Business Coach Engages in Provocative Conversations. A great Business Coach hears what the client is saying and not saying, questions what you hear, by asking the right questions, pressing for clarity, and by sharing what you know and how you feel, provocative conversations can occur within minutes, not months. Let’s have a conversation! Kent…
One of the things I enjoy about watching a good basketball game is the commentator’s use of statistics. I’m amazed by the wide range of statistics used and the conclusions drawn in the commentator’s analysis of the game. Statistics, in many ways, really tell the story of how the game was won or lost. In…
As a Business Coach, often business owners ask if it’s true that 80% of new business may fail within the first 5 years. And what of those that still exist after the first 5 years? What is the main reason for these failures? Most importantly, what is the secret of a successful business? It’s not…
Technology in sport today has become increasingly sophisticated and enables monitoring of individual and team performance to levels unheard of even 10 years ago. Basic scorekeeping is taken for granted and we now see an instant array of data available for immediate analysis and magic eyes to challenge the decisions of human scorekeepers, umpires and…
Did you know that, relative to size, the strongest muscle in the body is the tongue? Business Lesson to be Learned: Always exercise good judgement when giving this muscle a workout!
How important are your roots? At the Watson Lake Sign Post Forest in Canada’s Yukon Territory you can see over 70,000 hometown signs planted by people from all over the world! Business Lesson to be Learned: Even if you never go back, it’s important to acknowledge from whence you came!
And what is ‘Where there’s muck there’s brass’ all about? For hundreds of years in the UK, money has been referred to as ‘brass’. ‘Muck’ implies some form of dirt or manure. Most often, there are people willing to pay to have dirty jobs done for them. Business Lesson to be Learned: Don’t be afraid…
Who said: ‘Work Smarter…Not Harder’? This phrase has been attributed to Allan F. Mogensen, the creator of ‘Work Simplification’. And what is Work Simplification, you ask: “the organized use of common sense by everyone involved to find easier and better ways of doing work” Business Lesson to be Learned: Keep an open mind and listen…
In Greek mythology, Goddess Athena used an owl as her emblem. With its focused, silent gaze, the owl gives the appearance of deep thought and knowledge. Actually… The owl’s brain is quite small, relatively speaking, and its unrelenting stare comes from the owl’s inability to move its eyes. Owls can, however, turn their heads completely…
“A person’s success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.” ― Timothy Ferriss Who is making you uncomfortable? Who looks you in the eye and says, “given your skills, you could do better…” “You have enough leverage to really make a difference.” “What…
Attention Business Owners: COACHING It’s Not just for GOLF! Let’s talk about the development of your golf game. Your game has likely improved over time through the advice of others: the buddies at men’s night and the friends from work. Maybe you’ve read magazines or watched an instructional video you bought on the Shopping Channel. But what if…
You can double the power of your business communications simply by stating your primary message earlier. When business writing is bad, it’s usually: Complicated Confusing Vague Unconvincing A straightforward thesis stated early in the copy will solve these common problems. Let your readers know exactly what you’re talking about and why they should keep reading.…