Firing someone is hard -- but getting fired is always harder. Don't make it worse by putting your foot in your mouth.
Letting an employee go can be a stressful and even painful experience. Possibly that’s why making the firing process as easy as possible—for the boss—is something of a cottage industry.
That’s too bad, because while terminating an employee is hard for you, getting fired is way harder for the employee.
So forget about your feelings. Whenever you have to fire an employee you must protect your business from a legal aspect.
After that, your only goal is to treat the employee as compassionately and respectfully as possible.
Your feelings are irrelevant.
Which is why you should never say any of the following:
1. "Look, this is really hard for me." Who cares if it’s hard for you? The employee certainly doesn’t. Any time you talk about how difficult the situation is for you the employee thinks, "Oh yeah? What about me? How hard do you think this is on me?" If you feel bad—and you will—talk through your feelings later with someone else.
And also never say, “Look, I’m not sure how to say this…” You’re sure what to say. You’re just uncomfortable saying it.
Never even hint that the employee should somehow feel your pain; that’s just selfish.
2. "We've decided we need to make a change." You're not an NBA team firing an unsuccessful coach. And you're not holding a press conference either. Skip the platitudes. If you've done your job right the employee already knows why he's being fired.
State the reason for your action as clearly and concisely as possible. Or just say, "Mark, I have to let you go."
3. "We will work out some of the details later." For the employee, getting fired is both the end and the start of another process: Collecting personal items, returning company property, learning about benefits status, etc.
It's your job to know how all that works—ahead of time. Getting fired is bad enough; sitting in limbo while you figure out the next steps is humiliating for an employee who wants nothing more than to leave. Never make an employee wait to meet with others who are part of the process. Once you let them go, the employee is on their time, not yours.
4. "You just aren't cutting it compared to Mary." Never compare the fired employee to someone else as justification. Employees should be fired because they fail to meet standards, targets, or behavioral expectations.
Plus, drawing comparisons between employees makes it possible for what should be an objective decision to veer into the “personality zone.” That’s a conversational black hole you will struggle to escape.
5. "Okay, let’s talk about that. Here’s why..." Most employees sit quietly, but a few will want to argue. Never let yourself be dragged into a back-and-forth discussion. Just say, "Mark, we can talk about this as long as you like, but you should understand that nothing we discuss will change the decision." Arguments almost always make the employee feel worse.
Be professional, be empathetic, and stick to the facts. Don't feel the need to respond if an employee starts to vent.
Just listen—that’s the least you can do. And the most you can do.
6. "You’ve been a solid employee but we simply have to cut staffing." If you truly are downsizing, leave performance out and just say so.
But if you're not actually downsizing, and you're hiding behind that excuse so the conversation is easier for you, then you do the employee a disservice—and you open your business up to potential problems, especially if you later hire someone to fill the open slot.
Never play games to try to protect the employee's feelings—or, worse, to protect your own. Just be straightforward.
7. "We both know you aren't happy here, so down the road you’ll be glad." Whether or not the employee will someday be glad you let them go is not for you to judge. Employees can’t find a silver lining in the fired cloud, at least not at first. Let them find their own glimmers of possibility.
8. "I need to walk you to the door." I worked for a company where the policy was to immediately escort terminated employees out of the building.
An employee you fire is not a criminal. Don’t put them through a walk of shame. Just set simple parameters. Say, "Mark, go ahead and gather up your personal belongings and I'll meet you back here in 10 minutes."
If Mark doesn't come back, go get him. He won't argue.
9. "We have decided to let you go." The word "we" is appropriate in almost every setting, but not this one.
Say, "I." At this moment, you are the company (even if, in fact, you’re just an employee.) Take responsibility.
10. "If there is anything I can do for you, just let me know." Like what? Write a glowing letter of recommendation? Call your connections and put in a good word for him? (Of course, if you are laying off good employees due to lack of work you should do anything you can to help them land on their feet.)
Absolutely say, "If you have any questions about benefits, final paychecks, or other details, call me. I'll make sure you get the answers you need." But never offer to do things you can't do. You might feel a little better because you made an offer, but the employee won't.
Remember, when you fire an employee it's all about the employee, not about you—and especially not about what makes you feel better.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-10-worst-things-to-say-when-you-fire-an-employee.html
3/20/12
The Best Way to Fire an Employee
These tips won't make it any easier on the employee (or you) but they will make the process go as smoothly as it can.
Recently I wrote about things you should never say when you fire an employee. A few people emailed to say, in essence, "Great, but what should I say and do when I fire an employee?
Fair enough.
Here's how to make a bad situation better—or at least as "better" as it can possibly be—when you have to fire an employee for cause:
Be certain.
Seems obvious, right? Not always: The heat of the moment can cause you to make a snap decision that is neither correct nor fair.
Even if you have a zero-tolerance policy for certain behaviors, take a few minutes to make sure the employee's action truly falls within the parameters of that policy. When you're mad (or really disappointed) it's easy to think, "That's it... she has to go," and unintentionally forget about guidelines and precedents. While you can bring an employee back on after you make a mistake, no one will ever forget what happened.
Especially the employee.
Don’t be Hansel or Gretel.
Except where zero-tolerance policy violations are concerned, firing an employee should always be the last step in a relatively formal and structured process: Identify sub-par performance, provide additional training or resources, set targets and time lines for performance improvement, follow up when progress is lacking—and document each step in writing.
Documentation not only protects your business, it also helps ensure the employee was given every chance to succeed. You—and the employee—deserve more than a trail of bread crumbs.
If you don't have a paper trail, don't be tempted to go back and re-create one. Start now and follow the process. Remember, it's not the employee's fault if you haven't done your job.
Get every duck in every row ahead of time.
How will the employee return company property and collect personal items? What happens to his benefits? When will he receive his last paycheck?
If you don't know the answers, you need to. The time between when you say, "You're fired," and when the employee actually leaves the building is awkward for everyone. Make things easier by knowing every detail in the process so it goes as smoothly as possible.
And if you need to bring in other people, like an HR staffer to talk about benefits, line them up so they will be available immediately. Never make an employee you just fired sit and wait.
Get a witness.
While not absolutely essential, having someone else in the room eliminates the risk of the employee later claiming you said things you did not. At the same time, a witness makes an awkward situation even more awkward. The employee might feel the second person is in the room simply to provide protection or backup if he gets angry.
That's a little insulting... but in the end your job is to protect your company, so bring in a witness. Safe in this case is better than sorry.
Know what you will say.
Unsure? Try this: "Mary, I'm sorry, but we have to let you go."
That's it.
If you've done your job correctly and followed your process there won’t be a reason to explain why. Mary already knows why.
Why keep it so simple? No matter how many people you have fired before, you'll still feel uncomfortable so you'll be tempted to talk. A lot.
Don't. The less you say the more dignity the employee retains. Stick to the point and be professional. And don't feel bad for not mincing words—at this point the employee has almost no interest in hearing you spout platitudes anyway.
Never argue.
Most people who get fired are fairly quiet. Some get mad. Some argue and then get mad.
No matter what the reaction, don't let yourself get sucked into an argument. If you're certain about your decision and have the documentation to back it up, there is no argument. Just say, "Mary, I'll be happy to talk about this as long as you wish, but you should understand that nothing we say will change the decision."
Arguing about or discussing the fairness of your decision almost always makes the employee feel worse and it could open you up to legal issues if you speak without thinking.
By all means let the employee vent, but stay away from arguments or debates.
Don't offer to help when you can't.
If you are firing an employee for cause there are very few ways you can help them get another job. (If you are laying them off due to a lack of work, obviously there are a number of ways you might be able to help.)
So don't toss out well-meaning platitudes like, "If there's anything I can do, just let me know..." There almost never is. And in those rare circumstances where you can help, be specific about what you can do or may be willing to do.
Otherwise, just wrap things up by saying, "Even though this did not work out, I wish you the best." Shake hands and let the person leave.
Then accept that you'll feel terrible, no matter how much the employee deserved to be let go. Feeling terrible about playing a role in changing someone's life for the worse is something you will never get used to.
Nor should you.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/how-to-fire-an-employee.html
Recently I wrote about things you should never say when you fire an employee. A few people emailed to say, in essence, "Great, but what should I say and do when I fire an employee?
Fair enough.
Here's how to make a bad situation better—or at least as "better" as it can possibly be—when you have to fire an employee for cause:
Be certain.
Seems obvious, right? Not always: The heat of the moment can cause you to make a snap decision that is neither correct nor fair.
Even if you have a zero-tolerance policy for certain behaviors, take a few minutes to make sure the employee's action truly falls within the parameters of that policy. When you're mad (or really disappointed) it's easy to think, "That's it... she has to go," and unintentionally forget about guidelines and precedents. While you can bring an employee back on after you make a mistake, no one will ever forget what happened.
Especially the employee.
Don’t be Hansel or Gretel.
Except where zero-tolerance policy violations are concerned, firing an employee should always be the last step in a relatively formal and structured process: Identify sub-par performance, provide additional training or resources, set targets and time lines for performance improvement, follow up when progress is lacking—and document each step in writing.
Documentation not only protects your business, it also helps ensure the employee was given every chance to succeed. You—and the employee—deserve more than a trail of bread crumbs.
If you don't have a paper trail, don't be tempted to go back and re-create one. Start now and follow the process. Remember, it's not the employee's fault if you haven't done your job.
Get every duck in every row ahead of time.
How will the employee return company property and collect personal items? What happens to his benefits? When will he receive his last paycheck?
If you don't know the answers, you need to. The time between when you say, "You're fired," and when the employee actually leaves the building is awkward for everyone. Make things easier by knowing every detail in the process so it goes as smoothly as possible.
And if you need to bring in other people, like an HR staffer to talk about benefits, line them up so they will be available immediately. Never make an employee you just fired sit and wait.
Get a witness.
While not absolutely essential, having someone else in the room eliminates the risk of the employee later claiming you said things you did not. At the same time, a witness makes an awkward situation even more awkward. The employee might feel the second person is in the room simply to provide protection or backup if he gets angry.
That's a little insulting... but in the end your job is to protect your company, so bring in a witness. Safe in this case is better than sorry.
Know what you will say.
Unsure? Try this: "Mary, I'm sorry, but we have to let you go."
That's it.
If you've done your job correctly and followed your process there won’t be a reason to explain why. Mary already knows why.
Why keep it so simple? No matter how many people you have fired before, you'll still feel uncomfortable so you'll be tempted to talk. A lot.
Don't. The less you say the more dignity the employee retains. Stick to the point and be professional. And don't feel bad for not mincing words—at this point the employee has almost no interest in hearing you spout platitudes anyway.
Never argue.
Most people who get fired are fairly quiet. Some get mad. Some argue and then get mad.
No matter what the reaction, don't let yourself get sucked into an argument. If you're certain about your decision and have the documentation to back it up, there is no argument. Just say, "Mary, I'll be happy to talk about this as long as you wish, but you should understand that nothing we say will change the decision."
Arguing about or discussing the fairness of your decision almost always makes the employee feel worse and it could open you up to legal issues if you speak without thinking.
By all means let the employee vent, but stay away from arguments or debates.
Don't offer to help when you can't.
If you are firing an employee for cause there are very few ways you can help them get another job. (If you are laying them off due to a lack of work, obviously there are a number of ways you might be able to help.)
So don't toss out well-meaning platitudes like, "If there's anything I can do, just let me know..." There almost never is. And in those rare circumstances where you can help, be specific about what you can do or may be willing to do.
Otherwise, just wrap things up by saying, "Even though this did not work out, I wish you the best." Shake hands and let the person leave.
Then accept that you'll feel terrible, no matter how much the employee deserved to be let go. Feeling terrible about playing a role in changing someone's life for the worse is something you will never get used to.
Nor should you.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/how-to-fire-an-employee.html
3/15/12
Change Table Structure in SQl Server 2008
We recently upgraded to SQL 2008R2 and everything has gone well. Until I tried to create a new field in a table and also when I tried to modify a field type. I kept getting the following error:
An option in SSMS "prevent saving changes that require the table to be recreated" is the culprit
Therefore, go to the following to correct.
Saving Changes is Not Permitted.The Changes you Have Made require the following tables to be dropped and re-created.you have either made changes to a table that can't be re-created or enabled the option prevent saving changes that require the table to be re-created.Rather quickly I found the following solution while searching the internet. Therefore I wanted to share the solution.
An option in SSMS "prevent saving changes that require the table to be recreated" is the culprit
Therefore, go to the following to correct.
Tools - Options - Designers - Table and Database Designers and de-select "prevent saving changes that require the table to be recreated"
3/7/12
4 Rules For an Effective "Thank You"
They are the two most powerful words a leader can use. Don't waste them.
A university professor began reflecting on the people who had a positive impact on his life. In particular he remembered a schoolteacher who had gone out of her way to instill in him a love of poetry. He hadn’t seen or spoken to her in many years, but he located her address and sent her a letter of thanks. A short time later, he received this reply:
My dear Willie, I cannot tell you how much your note meant to me. I am in my eighties, living alone in a small room, cooking my own meals, lonely, and, like the last leaf of autumn, lingering behind. You will be interested to know that I taught school for 50 years and yours is the first note of appreciation I ever received. It came on a blue-cold morning, and it cheered me as nothing has in many years.
The teacher’s note brought the professor to tears – and then he began searching for others who’d shaped his life, just to say thanks.
If only more people held onto gratitude the way they hold a grudge!
None of us got to where we are alone. Whether the assistance we received was obvious or subtle, acknowledging someone’s help is a big part of understanding the importance of saying thank you.
Retailing giant Sam Walton wrote ten rules for success, and the Walmart founder didn’t mince words when it came to being thankful. The fifth of Walton’s rules is “Appreciate everything your associates do for the business.”
I wish I could convince every business owner to adopt that attitude. If you have hired well and provided the necessary tools that allow your staff to perform their jobs, and they have achieved accordingly, the next logical step is acknowledgement of their efforts.
The cost of praising someone is nil – but every psychological study shows the payoff is huge. Employees want to be seen as competent, hardworking members of the team. You want satisfied, motivated, and productive staff members. What better motivator than thanking employees for their contributions to the company’s success?
How to best praise effectively? Try these four ideas.
All links along the chain are essential to your success. It’s so easy to ignore the person who delivers office supplies, the techie who unfroze your computer, or the customer who referred you to a great new account. Big mistake. They all deserve acknowledgement, especially if you want to preserve the relationship.
http://www.inc.com/harvey-mackay/4-rules-for-an-effective-thank-you.html
A university professor began reflecting on the people who had a positive impact on his life. In particular he remembered a schoolteacher who had gone out of her way to instill in him a love of poetry. He hadn’t seen or spoken to her in many years, but he located her address and sent her a letter of thanks. A short time later, he received this reply:
My dear Willie, I cannot tell you how much your note meant to me. I am in my eighties, living alone in a small room, cooking my own meals, lonely, and, like the last leaf of autumn, lingering behind. You will be interested to know that I taught school for 50 years and yours is the first note of appreciation I ever received. It came on a blue-cold morning, and it cheered me as nothing has in many years.
The teacher’s note brought the professor to tears – and then he began searching for others who’d shaped his life, just to say thanks.
If only more people held onto gratitude the way they hold a grudge!
None of us got to where we are alone. Whether the assistance we received was obvious or subtle, acknowledging someone’s help is a big part of understanding the importance of saying thank you.
Retailing giant Sam Walton wrote ten rules for success, and the Walmart founder didn’t mince words when it came to being thankful. The fifth of Walton’s rules is “Appreciate everything your associates do for the business.”
I wish I could convince every business owner to adopt that attitude. If you have hired well and provided the necessary tools that allow your staff to perform their jobs, and they have achieved accordingly, the next logical step is acknowledgement of their efforts.
The cost of praising someone is nil – but every psychological study shows the payoff is huge. Employees want to be seen as competent, hardworking members of the team. You want satisfied, motivated, and productive staff members. What better motivator than thanking employees for their contributions to the company’s success?
How to best praise effectively? Try these four ideas.
- Be sincere. Give praise only where it is due.
- Give public praise. The goal is to encourage employees to keep up the good work, while simultaneously encouraging others to put out greater effort. Praising in public raises general morale.
- Be specific in your praise. Identify exactly what the employee worked on and what he or she accomplished. Don’t just say, “Well done, Maggie.” If the employee feels the praise isn’t genuine, it could have a negative effect.
- Provide some lasting recognition. Consider a letter in the employee’s file or a simple celebration for the department that overcame a tough challenge. Appreciation is not a one-shot event. It needs to be ongoing.
All links along the chain are essential to your success. It’s so easy to ignore the person who delivers office supplies, the techie who unfroze your computer, or the customer who referred you to a great new account. Big mistake. They all deserve acknowledgement, especially if you want to preserve the relationship.
http://www.inc.com/harvey-mackay/4-rules-for-an-effective-thank-you.html
3/5/12
3 Beliefs That Create Success
To a large extent, your belief system determines your success. See which beliefs to cherish--& which you should avoid.
What you believe about yourself determines your level of success. If you want to be successful, incorporate the following beliefs into your daily way of thinking:
1. “I am confident.” If you believe in yourself, you tend to see problems and challenges as speed bumps rather than roadblocks, and have certainty that you’ll eventually succeed.
2. “I am committed.” If, in your heart of hearts, you are absolutely determined to succeed, you’ll find that motivation emerges naturally from that commitment.
3. “I am in control.” If you view yourself as the captain of your destiny rather than a pawn of fate, you’ll have the motivation to continue moving forward–even when the going gets a bit rough.
How to Create Failure
On the other hand, if you want to be a failure, incorporate these three very different beliefs into your daily way of thinking:
1. “Nobody believes in me.” Some people define themselves based upon how they suspect their boss, their co-workers, their relatives and friends see them. Convinced that people think poorly of them, such people suffer from low self-esteem and lack of confidence. If you had a big project that needed handling: Would you trust someone who didn't even trust himself?
2. "I am probably going to fail.” Some people believe that failure is so unpleasant that it must be avoided at all costs. Because of this, they avoid all situations where failure is a risk. But any meaningful endeavor entails risk–so such people seldom (if ever) accomplish anything significant.
3. “Fate controls destiny, so why try?” Some people believe that their status in life and potential as a human being is determined at birth or by the circumstances of their lives. Believing this allows them to deflect the blame for failures onto things over which they have no control, thereby lessening the pain. But it also gives them an excuse to remain on the sidelines, avoiding real attempts at success.
Changing Your Beliefs
You've probably noticed that these two belief systems are in direct opposition to each other. Most people actually fall somewhere between these two poles.
The trick is to slide your own beliefs towards the pole that creates success, rather than the pole that creates failure.
http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/three-beliefs-that-create-success.html
What you believe about yourself determines your level of success. If you want to be successful, incorporate the following beliefs into your daily way of thinking:
1. “I am confident.” If you believe in yourself, you tend to see problems and challenges as speed bumps rather than roadblocks, and have certainty that you’ll eventually succeed.
2. “I am committed.” If, in your heart of hearts, you are absolutely determined to succeed, you’ll find that motivation emerges naturally from that commitment.
3. “I am in control.” If you view yourself as the captain of your destiny rather than a pawn of fate, you’ll have the motivation to continue moving forward–even when the going gets a bit rough.
How to Create Failure
On the other hand, if you want to be a failure, incorporate these three very different beliefs into your daily way of thinking:
1. “Nobody believes in me.” Some people define themselves based upon how they suspect their boss, their co-workers, their relatives and friends see them. Convinced that people think poorly of them, such people suffer from low self-esteem and lack of confidence. If you had a big project that needed handling: Would you trust someone who didn't even trust himself?
2. "I am probably going to fail.” Some people believe that failure is so unpleasant that it must be avoided at all costs. Because of this, they avoid all situations where failure is a risk. But any meaningful endeavor entails risk–so such people seldom (if ever) accomplish anything significant.
3. “Fate controls destiny, so why try?” Some people believe that their status in life and potential as a human being is determined at birth or by the circumstances of their lives. Believing this allows them to deflect the blame for failures onto things over which they have no control, thereby lessening the pain. But it also gives them an excuse to remain on the sidelines, avoiding real attempts at success.
Changing Your Beliefs
You've probably noticed that these two belief systems are in direct opposition to each other. Most people actually fall somewhere between these two poles.
The trick is to slide your own beliefs towards the pole that creates success, rather than the pole that creates failure.
http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/three-beliefs-that-create-success.html
Cheap Ways to Make an Old Computer New Again
Sprucing up the office computers is a lot more affordable than replacing them.
Your PC is a year or two old. It takes forever to boot. It runs slower. And you’re running out of disk space.
Time to buy a new one, right?
Nope. The problem isn’t your computer—the problem is what you’ve allowed to happen to your computer.
According to Chris Cope, the founder and CEO of SlimWare Utilities, a company that provides a suite of products to clean, repair, update, and optimize personal computers, removing optional applications and unnecessary start-up items can increase boot speed by over 40 percent—and free up a ton of hard drive space.
So I asked Cope for simple ways to dramatically increase the performance of any PC.
We'll start by pretending—since the same advice applies to an old computer—that you just bought a new computer and want to get off to the right start:
What to remove: New computers come with a variety of pre-installed programs. Many run at start-up and stay running in the background. Applications you probably don’t need include games, programs that provide support and documentation, online shopping applications, a browser (or two) you’ll never use, games, and some antivirus software.
Go to Control Panel –> Add or Remove Programs and remove what you don’t need. Or use SlimWare’s SlimComputer; it’s free.
Keep in mind most pre-installed antivirus programs are the result of an arrangement between the computer manufacturer and the antivirus provider. Since you need antivirus protection, first determine if the installed program is one you already own, since many subscription-based applications can be transferred.
If you don't own antivirus software and don't want to pay, there are several good free antivirus programs. Microsoft Security Essentials is one, and AVG and Avast are also very popular.
“Decide which antivirus software you’ll use,” Cope says, “and make sure you uninstall any you won’t use, including, if you’re not going to pay for it when the trial runs out, whatever came pre-installed. A lot of people have two or more antivirus programs installed, and leaving two running is a leading cause of lockups, blue screens, and other problems.”
What to update: Always keep Windows updated. Go to Start –> Programs –> Windows Update and turn on automatic updates.
Then update your installed drivers; some have bugs that have been fixed. If you don’t know how to find and update your drivers, try SlimDrivers, SlimWare’s free driver maintenance and update utility.
Then update Adobe Acrobat (or Reader) and Java. “Adobe and Java are two programs that, if not updated, create significant risk of infection,” Cope says. “When a security flaw is found, they update their software and announce the reasons for the update. If you don't install the update, that’s a little like telling criminals how to break into your house. Always keep those two programs updated.”
What to install: Then install any programs, like Office, that you plan to use if not already installed.
“Just don’t install ‘maybe’ programs,” Cope says. “You won’t remember to uninstall them.”
Then once your computer is cleaned up, updated, and antivirus protection is in place, use imaging or back-up software to create an optimized back-up. Norton Ghost is one popular product. That way if something happens later you can easily restore your computer.
Now let’s look at how to improve the performance of an older computer.
What to clean up: Start with files. “Computers that haven’t been cleaned in about a year,” Cope says, “typically have about 10 gig of data files: history files, log files, temp files, recently stored files, etc. That makes your hard driver work harder and perform slower.”
One way to clean up old files is through Start –> Accessories –> System Tools –> Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter. Or you can use SlimWare’s SlimCleaner, a tool that uses community-sourced feedback to clean and optimize PCs.
Then focus on removing unused applications and programs. You may have installed a program by accident or downloaded a program you stopped using and never removed. Check out all your applications and make sure they’re still relevant and necessary.
Then check out your browser. Over time you probably installed a number of plugins, toolbars, and extensions that not only slow down your browser but also clutter your screen—and make you more vulnerable to viruses, especially if you don’t keep them all updated. Remove what you don’t need (which, if you’re like me, is about 80 percent of what you’ve installed.)
What to add: “Once your computer is clean,” Cope says, “the best way to further boost performance is by adding RAM.”
In most cases you can double the amount of RAM on your computer for $100 or so. (I tripled the RAM on my old computer for about $130.)
How it turned out: I decided to test Cope’s advice on a computer in my office that’s at least eight years old. (Hey, it's a great conversation starter.)
I’m reasonably computer savvy so I started by removing programs and drivers manually. That got old really fast so I tried SlimWare’s free tools: First I ran SlimComputer, then SlimDrivers, then SlimCleaner.
They're easy to use, and they work. I found a lot of stuff I didn’t know was on the computer. And it was cool to see what the SlimWare community says about specific programs and applications. In some cases I took the crowd’s advice, in others I didn’t, but either way I learned a lot.
So what were my results? I freed up 33 gig of hard drive space. I removed 17 programs, including four that ran at start-up. Even before I added RAM the computer booted up in less than half the time, applications like Photoshop started up about 20 percent faster, and memory-intensive functions within Photoshop also ran a lot faster.
Performance improved even more after I added RAM.
Time to buy a new computer? Nope.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/free-ways-to-clean-up-pcs.html
Your PC is a year or two old. It takes forever to boot. It runs slower. And you’re running out of disk space.
Time to buy a new one, right?
Nope. The problem isn’t your computer—the problem is what you’ve allowed to happen to your computer.
According to Chris Cope, the founder and CEO of SlimWare Utilities, a company that provides a suite of products to clean, repair, update, and optimize personal computers, removing optional applications and unnecessary start-up items can increase boot speed by over 40 percent—and free up a ton of hard drive space.
So I asked Cope for simple ways to dramatically increase the performance of any PC.
We'll start by pretending—since the same advice applies to an old computer—that you just bought a new computer and want to get off to the right start:
What to remove: New computers come with a variety of pre-installed programs. Many run at start-up and stay running in the background. Applications you probably don’t need include games, programs that provide support and documentation, online shopping applications, a browser (or two) you’ll never use, games, and some antivirus software.
Go to Control Panel –> Add or Remove Programs and remove what you don’t need. Or use SlimWare’s SlimComputer; it’s free.
Keep in mind most pre-installed antivirus programs are the result of an arrangement between the computer manufacturer and the antivirus provider. Since you need antivirus protection, first determine if the installed program is one you already own, since many subscription-based applications can be transferred.
If you don't own antivirus software and don't want to pay, there are several good free antivirus programs. Microsoft Security Essentials is one, and AVG and Avast are also very popular.
“Decide which antivirus software you’ll use,” Cope says, “and make sure you uninstall any you won’t use, including, if you’re not going to pay for it when the trial runs out, whatever came pre-installed. A lot of people have two or more antivirus programs installed, and leaving two running is a leading cause of lockups, blue screens, and other problems.”
What to update: Always keep Windows updated. Go to Start –> Programs –> Windows Update and turn on automatic updates.
Then update your installed drivers; some have bugs that have been fixed. If you don’t know how to find and update your drivers, try SlimDrivers, SlimWare’s free driver maintenance and update utility.
Then update Adobe Acrobat (or Reader) and Java. “Adobe and Java are two programs that, if not updated, create significant risk of infection,” Cope says. “When a security flaw is found, they update their software and announce the reasons for the update. If you don't install the update, that’s a little like telling criminals how to break into your house. Always keep those two programs updated.”
What to install: Then install any programs, like Office, that you plan to use if not already installed.
“Just don’t install ‘maybe’ programs,” Cope says. “You won’t remember to uninstall them.”
Then once your computer is cleaned up, updated, and antivirus protection is in place, use imaging or back-up software to create an optimized back-up. Norton Ghost is one popular product. That way if something happens later you can easily restore your computer.
Now let’s look at how to improve the performance of an older computer.
What to clean up: Start with files. “Computers that haven’t been cleaned in about a year,” Cope says, “typically have about 10 gig of data files: history files, log files, temp files, recently stored files, etc. That makes your hard driver work harder and perform slower.”
One way to clean up old files is through Start –> Accessories –> System Tools –> Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter. Or you can use SlimWare’s SlimCleaner, a tool that uses community-sourced feedback to clean and optimize PCs.
Then focus on removing unused applications and programs. You may have installed a program by accident or downloaded a program you stopped using and never removed. Check out all your applications and make sure they’re still relevant and necessary.
Then check out your browser. Over time you probably installed a number of plugins, toolbars, and extensions that not only slow down your browser but also clutter your screen—and make you more vulnerable to viruses, especially if you don’t keep them all updated. Remove what you don’t need (which, if you’re like me, is about 80 percent of what you’ve installed.)
What to add: “Once your computer is clean,” Cope says, “the best way to further boost performance is by adding RAM.”
In most cases you can double the amount of RAM on your computer for $100 or so. (I tripled the RAM on my old computer for about $130.)
How it turned out: I decided to test Cope’s advice on a computer in my office that’s at least eight years old. (Hey, it's a great conversation starter.)
I’m reasonably computer savvy so I started by removing programs and drivers manually. That got old really fast so I tried SlimWare’s free tools: First I ran SlimComputer, then SlimDrivers, then SlimCleaner.
They're easy to use, and they work. I found a lot of stuff I didn’t know was on the computer. And it was cool to see what the SlimWare community says about specific programs and applications. In some cases I took the crowd’s advice, in others I didn’t, but either way I learned a lot.
So what were my results? I freed up 33 gig of hard drive space. I removed 17 programs, including four that ran at start-up. Even before I added RAM the computer booted up in less than half the time, applications like Photoshop started up about 20 percent faster, and memory-intensive functions within Photoshop also ran a lot faster.
Performance improved even more after I added RAM.
Time to buy a new computer? Nope.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/free-ways-to-clean-up-pcs.html
The 5 Qualities of Remarkable Bosses
Consistently do these five things and the results you want from your employees--and your business--will follow.
Remarkable bosses aren’t great on paper. Great bosses are remarkable based on their actions.
Results are everything—but not the results you might think.
Consistently do these five things and everything else follows. You and your business benefit greatly.
More importantly, so do your employees.
1. Develop every employee. Sure, you can put your primary focus on reaching targets, achieving results, and accomplishing concrete goals—but do that and you put your leadership cart before your achievement horse.
Without great employees, no amount of focus on goals and targets will ever pay off. Employees can only achieve what they are capable of achieving, so it’s your job to help all your employees be more capable so they—and your business—can achieve more.
It's your job to provide the training, mentoring, and opportunities your employees need and deserve. When you do, you transform the relatively boring process of reviewing results and tracking performance into something a lot more meaningful for your employees: Progress, improvement, and personal achievement.
So don’t worry about reaching performance goals. Spend the bulk of your time developing the skills of your employees and achieving goals will be a natural outcome.
Plus it’s a lot more fun.
2. Deal with problems immediately. Nothing kills team morale more quickly than problems that don't get addressed. Interpersonal squabbles, performance issues, feuds between departments... all negatively impact employee motivation and enthusiasm.
And they're distracting, because small problems never go away. Small problems always fester and grow into bigger problems. Plus, when you ignore a problem your employees immediately lose respect for you, and without respect, you can't lead.
Never hope a problem will magically go away, or that someone else will deal with it. Deal with every issue head-on, no matter how small.
3. Rescue your worst employee. Almost every business has at least one employee who has fallen out of grace: Publicly failed to complete a task, lost his cool in a meeting, or just can’t seem to keep up. Over time that employee comes to be seen by his peers—and by you—as a weak link.
While that employee may desperately want to “rehabilitate” himself, it's almost impossible. The weight of team disapproval is too heavy for one person to move.
But it’s not too heavy for you.
Before you remove your weak link from the chain, put your full effort into trying to rescue that person instead. Say, "John, I know you've been struggling but I also know you're trying. Let's find ways together that can get you where you need to be." Express confidence. Be reassuring. Most of all, tell him you'll be there every step of the way.
Don't relax your standards. Just step up the mentoring and coaching you provide.
If that seems like too much work for too little potential outcome, think of it this way. Your remarkable employees don’t need a lot of your time; they’re remarkable because they already have these qualities. If you’re lucky, you can get a few percentage points of extra performance from them. But a struggling employee has tons of upside; rescue him and you make a tremendous difference.
Granted, sometimes it won't work out. When it doesn't, don't worry about it. The effort is its own reward.
And occasionally an employee will succeed—and you will have made a tremendous difference in a person's professional and personal life.
Can’t beat that.
4. Serve others, not yourself. You can get away with being selfish or self-serving once or twice... but that's it.
Never say or do anything that in any way puts you in the spotlight, however briefly. Never congratulate employees and digress for a few moments to discuss what you did.
If it should go without saying, don't say it. Your glory should always be reflected, never direct.
When employees excel, you and your business excel. When your team succeeds, you and your business succeed. When you rescue a struggling employee and they become remarkable, remember they should be congratulated, not you.
You were just doing your job the way a remarkable boss should.
When you consistently act as if you are less important than your employees—and when you never ask employees to do something you don’t do—everyone knows how important you really are.
5. Always remember where you came from. See an autograph seeker blown off by a famous athlete and you might think, “If I was in a similar position I would never do that.”
Oops. Actually, you do. To some of your employees, especially new employees, you are at least slightly famous. You’re in charge. You’re the boss.
That's why an employee who wants to talk about something that seems inconsequential may just want to spend a few moments with you.
When that happens, you have a choice. You can blow the employee off... or you can see the moment for its true importance: A chance to inspire, reassure, motivate, and even give someone hope for greater things in their life. The higher you rise the greater the impact you can make—and the greater your responsibility to make that impact.
In the eyes of his or her employees, a remarkable boss is a star.
Remember where you came from, and be gracious with your stardom.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-5-qualities-of-remarkable-bosses.html
Remarkable bosses aren’t great on paper. Great bosses are remarkable based on their actions.
Results are everything—but not the results you might think.
Consistently do these five things and everything else follows. You and your business benefit greatly.
More importantly, so do your employees.
1. Develop every employee. Sure, you can put your primary focus on reaching targets, achieving results, and accomplishing concrete goals—but do that and you put your leadership cart before your achievement horse.
Without great employees, no amount of focus on goals and targets will ever pay off. Employees can only achieve what they are capable of achieving, so it’s your job to help all your employees be more capable so they—and your business—can achieve more.
It's your job to provide the training, mentoring, and opportunities your employees need and deserve. When you do, you transform the relatively boring process of reviewing results and tracking performance into something a lot more meaningful for your employees: Progress, improvement, and personal achievement.
So don’t worry about reaching performance goals. Spend the bulk of your time developing the skills of your employees and achieving goals will be a natural outcome.
Plus it’s a lot more fun.
2. Deal with problems immediately. Nothing kills team morale more quickly than problems that don't get addressed. Interpersonal squabbles, performance issues, feuds between departments... all negatively impact employee motivation and enthusiasm.
And they're distracting, because small problems never go away. Small problems always fester and grow into bigger problems. Plus, when you ignore a problem your employees immediately lose respect for you, and without respect, you can't lead.
Never hope a problem will magically go away, or that someone else will deal with it. Deal with every issue head-on, no matter how small.
3. Rescue your worst employee. Almost every business has at least one employee who has fallen out of grace: Publicly failed to complete a task, lost his cool in a meeting, or just can’t seem to keep up. Over time that employee comes to be seen by his peers—and by you—as a weak link.
While that employee may desperately want to “rehabilitate” himself, it's almost impossible. The weight of team disapproval is too heavy for one person to move.
But it’s not too heavy for you.
Before you remove your weak link from the chain, put your full effort into trying to rescue that person instead. Say, "John, I know you've been struggling but I also know you're trying. Let's find ways together that can get you where you need to be." Express confidence. Be reassuring. Most of all, tell him you'll be there every step of the way.
Don't relax your standards. Just step up the mentoring and coaching you provide.
If that seems like too much work for too little potential outcome, think of it this way. Your remarkable employees don’t need a lot of your time; they’re remarkable because they already have these qualities. If you’re lucky, you can get a few percentage points of extra performance from them. But a struggling employee has tons of upside; rescue him and you make a tremendous difference.
Granted, sometimes it won't work out. When it doesn't, don't worry about it. The effort is its own reward.
And occasionally an employee will succeed—and you will have made a tremendous difference in a person's professional and personal life.
Can’t beat that.
4. Serve others, not yourself. You can get away with being selfish or self-serving once or twice... but that's it.
Never say or do anything that in any way puts you in the spotlight, however briefly. Never congratulate employees and digress for a few moments to discuss what you did.
If it should go without saying, don't say it. Your glory should always be reflected, never direct.
When employees excel, you and your business excel. When your team succeeds, you and your business succeed. When you rescue a struggling employee and they become remarkable, remember they should be congratulated, not you.
You were just doing your job the way a remarkable boss should.
When you consistently act as if you are less important than your employees—and when you never ask employees to do something you don’t do—everyone knows how important you really are.
5. Always remember where you came from. See an autograph seeker blown off by a famous athlete and you might think, “If I was in a similar position I would never do that.”
Oops. Actually, you do. To some of your employees, especially new employees, you are at least slightly famous. You’re in charge. You’re the boss.
That's why an employee who wants to talk about something that seems inconsequential may just want to spend a few moments with you.
When that happens, you have a choice. You can blow the employee off... or you can see the moment for its true importance: A chance to inspire, reassure, motivate, and even give someone hope for greater things in their life. The higher you rise the greater the impact you can make—and the greater your responsibility to make that impact.
In the eyes of his or her employees, a remarkable boss is a star.
Remember where you came from, and be gracious with your stardom.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-5-qualities-of-remarkable-bosses.html
How (and When) to Give Advice
Great leaders reserve their advice for the people and situations in which it will do the most good. And they never forget one key secret.
One afternoon when American League baseball umpire Bill Guthrie was working behind the plate, the catcher of the visiting team repeatedly protested his calls. Guthrie endured this for three innings. But in the fourth inning when the catcher started to complain again, Guthrie stopped him.
“Son,” he said gently, “you've been a big help to me calling balls and strikes, and I appreciate it. But I think I've got the hang of it now. So I'm going to ask you to go to the clubhouse and show them how to take a shower.”
There is a time to provide advice and offer an opinion, and there is a time not to. Don’t be too quick to offer unsolicited advice. It certainly will not endear you to people. You have to be judicious in doling out advice, and it’s generally better to wait for people to ask.
Before you advise, breathe
Over the years I have been asked for business advice, career advice, public speaking advice, writing advice, travel advice, fundraising advice, and advice on topics I’ve never even heard of. Each time, I take a deep breath and hope what I have to offer will be helpful and pertinent.
Before you respond to a request for advice, heed habit five in Stephen Covey’s classic, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”
To my mind, Covey means this: When you have the strong urge to make someone understand your point of view, step back and think before you speak. Why? Because you need to ask yourself what kind of situation you are commenting on. Has your opinion been requested? Do you have the experience or authority to offer help?
If you give advice, will it be appreciated, or rejected out of hand? If the other person truly is seeking help in solving a concrete problem, then advice might be appreciated. If not, you should consider that the other person might merely be looking for someone to listen to his problem. In this case advice is not usually appropriate or desired by the other party. This is a skill that is learned over time: determining the best response to another’s needs.
The golden rule of giving advice
And never forget, the real secret of giving advice is this: Once you’ve given it, don’t concern yourself with whether it is followed or not, and refrain from saying “I told you so.” When advice is freely given, the receiver is free to use it as he or she sees fit.
The bottom line is to be picky about when you give advice, and to whom you give it. If you think your words may make you responsible for undesirable results beyond your control, think twice before you speak. If you know the person is asking for your insights just to be polite or politically correct, don’t feel obligated.
And as you are choosing your words and who will benefit from them, keep this in mind: The best way to succeed in life is to act on the advice you give to others. If you wouldn’t follow your own advice, don’t offer it.
http://www.inc.com/harvey-mackay/how-and-when-to-give-advice.html
One afternoon when American League baseball umpire Bill Guthrie was working behind the plate, the catcher of the visiting team repeatedly protested his calls. Guthrie endured this for three innings. But in the fourth inning when the catcher started to complain again, Guthrie stopped him.
“Son,” he said gently, “you've been a big help to me calling balls and strikes, and I appreciate it. But I think I've got the hang of it now. So I'm going to ask you to go to the clubhouse and show them how to take a shower.”
There is a time to provide advice and offer an opinion, and there is a time not to. Don’t be too quick to offer unsolicited advice. It certainly will not endear you to people. You have to be judicious in doling out advice, and it’s generally better to wait for people to ask.
Before you advise, breathe
Over the years I have been asked for business advice, career advice, public speaking advice, writing advice, travel advice, fundraising advice, and advice on topics I’ve never even heard of. Each time, I take a deep breath and hope what I have to offer will be helpful and pertinent.
Before you respond to a request for advice, heed habit five in Stephen Covey’s classic, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”
To my mind, Covey means this: When you have the strong urge to make someone understand your point of view, step back and think before you speak. Why? Because you need to ask yourself what kind of situation you are commenting on. Has your opinion been requested? Do you have the experience or authority to offer help?
If you give advice, will it be appreciated, or rejected out of hand? If the other person truly is seeking help in solving a concrete problem, then advice might be appreciated. If not, you should consider that the other person might merely be looking for someone to listen to his problem. In this case advice is not usually appropriate or desired by the other party. This is a skill that is learned over time: determining the best response to another’s needs.
The golden rule of giving advice
And never forget, the real secret of giving advice is this: Once you’ve given it, don’t concern yourself with whether it is followed or not, and refrain from saying “I told you so.” When advice is freely given, the receiver is free to use it as he or she sees fit.
The bottom line is to be picky about when you give advice, and to whom you give it. If you think your words may make you responsible for undesirable results beyond your control, think twice before you speak. If you know the person is asking for your insights just to be polite or politically correct, don’t feel obligated.
And as you are choosing your words and who will benefit from them, keep this in mind: The best way to succeed in life is to act on the advice you give to others. If you wouldn’t follow your own advice, don’t offer it.
http://www.inc.com/harvey-mackay/how-and-when-to-give-advice.html
3/1/12
Top 5 Myths About Selling
Conventional 'wisdom' about selling is frequently dead wrong. Here's a reality check.
The business world is full of conventional wisdom that gets passed from office to office. Sometimes that so-called wisdom is, well ... unwise. (And occasionally it's really stupid.)
Here are the five dumbest beliefs that people have about "how to sell":
1. The Customer Is Always Right
This myth has been repeated so many times that many people think it's a law of nature. In fact, though, customers are frequently unreasonable and overly demanding. A big part of selling is educating such customers so that they have more realistic expectations. This means telling the customer he's wrong when he actually is.
2. Customers Know What They Want
In fact, customers frequently often have bizarre ideas about what they want and need–and, consequently, about what they ought to buy. Don't cater to these whims. It's up to you, as a responsible seller, to figure out what’s actually needed and provide your best opinion about how to satisfy that need.
3. Every Prospect Is a Potential Sale
If you think that everyone is a customer, you'll end up pursuing fictional opportunities. (This is called "chasing garbage trucks, not Brinks trucks.") If you're selling something, your No. 1 job is to eliminate prospects that don’t have enough money to buy your offering or don't have enough need to justify the purchase. That will let you focus on your actual prospective customers.
4. You Should Never Take 'No' for an Answer
When prospects have all sorts of objections to buying, you're probably wasting your time trying to sell to them. Sales opportunities are like buses; another one comes along every 15 minutes. Don’t obsess on any one deal–and always remember that if you hear "no" more than once, it means "no."
5. The Best Salespeople Are Extroverts
Many (even most) of today's sales situations are best suited for people who are a little bit introverted, and better at listening than talking. In fact, some of the best and most effective sales training programs available today are based on listening techniques originally developed for psychologists and counselors–who aren't known for being extroverted.
http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/top-5-myths-about-selling.html
The business world is full of conventional wisdom that gets passed from office to office. Sometimes that so-called wisdom is, well ... unwise. (And occasionally it's really stupid.)
Here are the five dumbest beliefs that people have about "how to sell":
1. The Customer Is Always Right
This myth has been repeated so many times that many people think it's a law of nature. In fact, though, customers are frequently unreasonable and overly demanding. A big part of selling is educating such customers so that they have more realistic expectations. This means telling the customer he's wrong when he actually is.
2. Customers Know What They Want
In fact, customers frequently often have bizarre ideas about what they want and need–and, consequently, about what they ought to buy. Don't cater to these whims. It's up to you, as a responsible seller, to figure out what’s actually needed and provide your best opinion about how to satisfy that need.
3. Every Prospect Is a Potential Sale
If you think that everyone is a customer, you'll end up pursuing fictional opportunities. (This is called "chasing garbage trucks, not Brinks trucks.") If you're selling something, your No. 1 job is to eliminate prospects that don’t have enough money to buy your offering or don't have enough need to justify the purchase. That will let you focus on your actual prospective customers.
4. You Should Never Take 'No' for an Answer
When prospects have all sorts of objections to buying, you're probably wasting your time trying to sell to them. Sales opportunities are like buses; another one comes along every 15 minutes. Don’t obsess on any one deal–and always remember that if you hear "no" more than once, it means "no."
5. The Best Salespeople Are Extroverts
Many (even most) of today's sales situations are best suited for people who are a little bit introverted, and better at listening than talking. In fact, some of the best and most effective sales training programs available today are based on listening techniques originally developed for psychologists and counselors–who aren't known for being extroverted.
http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/top-5-myths-about-selling.html
8 Guaranteed Ways to Drive Customers Away
If your long-term customers are leaving--and not coming back--you're probably making one of these mistakes.
Your most profitable customers are almost always long-term customers. Don’t lose them by making any of the following mistakes:
1. Change too many players. It’s tempting to assume long-term customers love your brand. More often than not they love your employees.
Customers don’t buy from companies. They buy from people—your people.
Since relationships are the lifeblood of a small business, don't rotate salespeople, customer service reps, or key contacts unless you have to. Do everything possible to protect and foster the relationships your employees forge. Employees are rarely interchangeable where strong business relationships with customers are concerned.
2. Treat new and existing customers too differently. Offering discounts or incentives to land new customers is often necessary, but existing customers can quickly resent the fact their loyalty is not rewarded.
Think hard about the carrots you offer new customers and make sure you “reward” existing customers just as much—if not more. Never forget that while new customers create an immediate top-line impact, sales to existing customers typically result in a bigger impact on your bottom line.
3. Focus too heavily on price. Being the low-cost provider is a definite competitive advantage.
Good luck maintaining that advantage. Somewhere, someone is planning to steal your customers through lower prices.
Your goal is to provide the best value. Value is an advantage you can maintain through a combination of price, schedule, service, and relationships. If your marketing focuses mostly on price you'll train customers to constantly look for a lower price, both from you and your competition.
Spend at least as much time finding ways to increase value as you do finding ways to lower costs and prices.
4. Push too hard to grow same-customer revenue. Trying to sell more to existing customers is smart, but don't do so blindly. First know what each customer needs and only then try to meet those needs. Never suggest a product or service a customer doesn't need.
And never ask, “Is there anything else we could do for you?” unless you already know the answer and are ready to provide a great solution.
Otherwise you're just pushing, and customers hate being pushed.
5. Accept high employee turnover. While high turnover is a fact of life in a few industries, in most cases employees leave because they aren't treated well.
So do customers.
Unless systems truly drive your business, you can’t expect to have long-term customers unless you first have long-term employees. If turnover is high, find ways to fix it. Otherwise customer turnover will always be high, too.
6. Forget what keeps the lights on. Every business has principal products or services that form the foundation of the business. Every business also has key customers that form a foundation.
Over time key products and services—and key customers—can get taken for granted while newer, sexier, higher profile initiatives get all the focus.
Make a list of the customers you can't afford to lose. Then list what those customers buy. That list is the foundation of your business.
Never forget what keeps your lights on.
7. Reward the wrong employee behaviors. This happens most often in sales, like when commission rates are much higher for new customers than existing customers. If that's the case and I'm a salesman, why should I work to maintain existing accounts when I get paid a lot more to find new ones? That approach only works if your systems ensure someone else takes over the responsibility for forging great relationships with existing customers.
Think about the incentives you provide and goals you set for your employees, and make sure they encourage the outcomes you really want.
8. Make problem resolution painful. Policies and guidelines are great for ensuring that employees comply, but a customer with a problem doesn't care about your policies. She just wants her problem fixed.
Let employees use complaint-resolution policies as guidelines rather than rules. Give employees the freedom to make judgment calls.
Resolving a customer problem or complaint can help your business establish an even stronger customer relationship when you give employees the freedom to make that happen.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/8-reasons-why-youre-losing-customers.html
Your most profitable customers are almost always long-term customers. Don’t lose them by making any of the following mistakes:
1. Change too many players. It’s tempting to assume long-term customers love your brand. More often than not they love your employees.
Customers don’t buy from companies. They buy from people—your people.
Since relationships are the lifeblood of a small business, don't rotate salespeople, customer service reps, or key contacts unless you have to. Do everything possible to protect and foster the relationships your employees forge. Employees are rarely interchangeable where strong business relationships with customers are concerned.
2. Treat new and existing customers too differently. Offering discounts or incentives to land new customers is often necessary, but existing customers can quickly resent the fact their loyalty is not rewarded.
Think hard about the carrots you offer new customers and make sure you “reward” existing customers just as much—if not more. Never forget that while new customers create an immediate top-line impact, sales to existing customers typically result in a bigger impact on your bottom line.
3. Focus too heavily on price. Being the low-cost provider is a definite competitive advantage.
Good luck maintaining that advantage. Somewhere, someone is planning to steal your customers through lower prices.
Your goal is to provide the best value. Value is an advantage you can maintain through a combination of price, schedule, service, and relationships. If your marketing focuses mostly on price you'll train customers to constantly look for a lower price, both from you and your competition.
Spend at least as much time finding ways to increase value as you do finding ways to lower costs and prices.
4. Push too hard to grow same-customer revenue. Trying to sell more to existing customers is smart, but don't do so blindly. First know what each customer needs and only then try to meet those needs. Never suggest a product or service a customer doesn't need.
And never ask, “Is there anything else we could do for you?” unless you already know the answer and are ready to provide a great solution.
Otherwise you're just pushing, and customers hate being pushed.
5. Accept high employee turnover. While high turnover is a fact of life in a few industries, in most cases employees leave because they aren't treated well.
So do customers.
Unless systems truly drive your business, you can’t expect to have long-term customers unless you first have long-term employees. If turnover is high, find ways to fix it. Otherwise customer turnover will always be high, too.
6. Forget what keeps the lights on. Every business has principal products or services that form the foundation of the business. Every business also has key customers that form a foundation.
Over time key products and services—and key customers—can get taken for granted while newer, sexier, higher profile initiatives get all the focus.
Make a list of the customers you can't afford to lose. Then list what those customers buy. That list is the foundation of your business.
Never forget what keeps your lights on.
7. Reward the wrong employee behaviors. This happens most often in sales, like when commission rates are much higher for new customers than existing customers. If that's the case and I'm a salesman, why should I work to maintain existing accounts when I get paid a lot more to find new ones? That approach only works if your systems ensure someone else takes over the responsibility for forging great relationships with existing customers.
Think about the incentives you provide and goals you set for your employees, and make sure they encourage the outcomes you really want.
8. Make problem resolution painful. Policies and guidelines are great for ensuring that employees comply, but a customer with a problem doesn't care about your policies. She just wants her problem fixed.
Let employees use complaint-resolution policies as guidelines rather than rules. Give employees the freedom to make judgment calls.
Resolving a customer problem or complaint can help your business establish an even stronger customer relationship when you give employees the freedom to make that happen.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/8-reasons-why-youre-losing-customers.html
2/29/12
5 Questions Every Customer Asks
All customers ask the same questions--of themselves & of you--in
this exact order. If you want to sell more, be prepared to answer them.
Whenever confronted with somebody who wants to sell them something, all customers ask five questions, in this order. If the answer to all of them is not a resounding "yes," a sale is not going to take place.
1. Do I want to do business with this person?
Within two seconds after you meet a customer, that customer has probably decided whether he is willing to buy from you. That's why first impressions, your appearance and your initial greeting are so important. Sometimes you have no control over the answer to this question, because the customer may have arbitrary rules that run to your disadvantage. (For example, I once didn't buy a suit because the sales clerk reminded me of my ex-wife's boyfriend. Not his fault, but there you are.) Still: Make sure you're controlling as many variables as you can.
2. Do I want to do business with the firm this person represents?
There are two possible scenarios.
Through the conversation with the customer, you will discover needs (and requirements) that match your offering. The biggest mistake at this stage is being too pushy. Remember the truism: "Customers like buying things, but hate to be sold things." Finding out that the customer does not need what you've got is just as big a victory as discovering the need.
4. Does the price and value meet my expectations?
The customer has recognized the need, but is assessing whether or not what you're selling is affordable–and, if affordable, worth the money. This entails weighing that need against the panoply of other demands that are vying for attention and money. The customer may want (or have) competitive information that puts the price of your offering into context.
5. Is this the right time to buy?
A customer can be completely ready to buy and yet still feel that it's not the right time. She may believe that holding out will result in a discount, or that another product will come along that makes your current offering obsolete. It's this last question, and its potential to block a sale, that causes companies to offer "limited time offers."
Order Matters
What's important about these questions isn't so much that the customer asks them, but that they're asked in that exact order. If you answer them in the wrong order, you'll end up making the sale less likely.
For example, suppose you open a conversation with a new customer by saying: "This is a limited time offer!" In most cases, the customer will either shrug or simply become annoyed, because the customer has not yet decided whether he wants to do business with you, or whether he wants what you're offering anyway.
http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/5-questions-every-customer-asks.html
Whenever confronted with somebody who wants to sell them something, all customers ask five questions, in this order. If the answer to all of them is not a resounding "yes," a sale is not going to take place.
1. Do I want to do business with this person?
Within two seconds after you meet a customer, that customer has probably decided whether he is willing to buy from you. That's why first impressions, your appearance and your initial greeting are so important. Sometimes you have no control over the answer to this question, because the customer may have arbitrary rules that run to your disadvantage. (For example, I once didn't buy a suit because the sales clerk reminded me of my ex-wife's boyfriend. Not his fault, but there you are.) Still: Make sure you're controlling as many variables as you can.
2. Do I want to do business with the firm this person represents?
There are two possible scenarios.
- If the customer is not yet familiar with your firm, it's up to you to position it correctly.
- If the customer is familiar with your firm, then you've either got a good reputation (in which case you've got a leg up), a bad reputation (you've got to start with damage control) or a mediocre reputation–in which case, you're back to positioning your firm to your advantage.
Through the conversation with the customer, you will discover needs (and requirements) that match your offering. The biggest mistake at this stage is being too pushy. Remember the truism: "Customers like buying things, but hate to be sold things." Finding out that the customer does not need what you've got is just as big a victory as discovering the need.
4. Does the price and value meet my expectations?
The customer has recognized the need, but is assessing whether or not what you're selling is affordable–and, if affordable, worth the money. This entails weighing that need against the panoply of other demands that are vying for attention and money. The customer may want (or have) competitive information that puts the price of your offering into context.
5. Is this the right time to buy?
A customer can be completely ready to buy and yet still feel that it's not the right time. She may believe that holding out will result in a discount, or that another product will come along that makes your current offering obsolete. It's this last question, and its potential to block a sale, that causes companies to offer "limited time offers."
Order Matters
What's important about these questions isn't so much that the customer asks them, but that they're asked in that exact order. If you answer them in the wrong order, you'll end up making the sale less likely.
For example, suppose you open a conversation with a new customer by saying: "This is a limited time offer!" In most cases, the customer will either shrug or simply become annoyed, because the customer has not yet decided whether he wants to do business with you, or whether he wants what you're offering anyway.
http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/5-questions-every-customer-asks.html
Caution: Your Business Is Not Irreplaceable
It is easier than ever for your customers to find your competitors. Make sure they do not need to.
For anyone who has read any of my articles in the past you may pick up on a distinct theme. As with many writers I draw inspiration from my life experiences and how those experiences shape my views on business, customer service and the like. So without further adieu, what happened today?
At The Trademark Company we have created a great place to work. Happy hours. Trips to local sporting events. Other corporate events. One of these traditions is that no one should work on their Birthday, or at least not a full day. So whenever we have a birthday in the office the tradition is the birthday boy or girl comes in, checks their messages, yadda yadda yadda, we have lunch, a sugar bomb cake and send them on their way to enjoy the rest of the day off.
So today it fell on me to get the cake. I know that our birthday girl loves ice cream cake so I planned on picking one up for her just before the lunch. No worries, I thought, the ice cream store that makes the best ice cream cakes is two blocks away. I’ll just swing up at 11:30 a.m., just before the lunch, and grab one of their delectable morsels. Okay, so I waited till the last minute. My bad.
When I got to the store I pulled on the handle. The door would not open. Like all people faced with a door that will not open I curiously looked at the seam between the door and the frame to see if the lock was engaged. To my surprise it was. Hmmmm, I thought, why is the door locked in the middle of the day? Looking inside I could see the employees standing around. Some working on cleaning counter tops, some just chatting away. I stepped back looking for an hours of operation sign. There it was, posted clear as day: Winter Hours, M-F, 12 p.m-6 p.m. Ahhh, I thought realizing I would soon be on the way to forage for another place that makes ice cream cakes.
But to my good fortunate, or so I thought, an employee came to the door. It was now 11:45 a.m. Awesome. He is going to let me in early so I can buy a cake. To my chagrin, however, he just looked at me from the other side of the window and shrugged his shoulders as if to say “Sorry bud, we’re closed.” Got that from the sign, thanks. But since I figured I was here, he was there, I was one twist of a wrist on a latch lock from achieving my objective. So I decided to sweeten the deal. I opened my wallet and pulled out a bundle of twenties. As a married man with children it is not often I actually have cash in my wallet. But today was my day!
I subtly waived the green at the employee through the window pointing to the display case which held $50 to $75 cakes. This would be a good sale to start the day for a store that averages $4 to $5 per cone. The employee approached the door. My victory was assured. Capitalism had triumphed and in a few minutes I would be bringing back an awesome chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cake that would be the best sugar bomb we had had in the office in months.
As he stepped forward, however, he shrugged again, pointing to the sign with the hours of operation, and smirked as he walked away to chat with his other employees. Foiled! Commerce and the temptation of an above-average sale had not been enough.
Undaunted, I stuffed my twenties back into my wallet, drove to my local grocery store, and purchased a wonderful Carvel Ice Cream cake. Thank you Carvel! Always great. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
So how do I twist this morning’s mini-adventure into a business lesson you can use in your business?
1. Your Business is Not Irreplaceable
We have a saying around here that has guided us since day one: answer the phone or someone else will. What does this mean? Quite simply that you must recognize that if you do not answer the proverbial phone your competitors will. With the rise of the Internet and information as a whole now, more than ever, your prospective consumers have choices. Within a few keystrokes on their iPhone they can locate competing services that, if yours are not available, they can use to replace you. Recognizing this you must answer your phone. You must open your store. You must be prepared to offer them what they need when they need it. If not, you’re just a couple of keystrokes away from being a memory.
How do I know? Let’s look at this morning’s example. Where did I get my ice cream cake? From the place I wanted to buy it from? Or the place I could buy it from? Answer the phone! Make the sale.
2. Go Above and Beyond
Many of you may be skeptics. Many may blame me for going out at the last minute to secure our sugar bomb. You all would be right. But at the end of the day I had money and a need to purchase and that is all that should matter when we are talking about a transaction for goods and services. What kept the original store from a good transaction? Simple. A failure to go above and beyond. Specifically, turning a latch and letting a customer in a scant 10 minutes before opening.
Around here every interviewee is given a series of questions to illicit how they would respond to these types of scenarios. The scenario typically begins with an ordinary customer calling in during normal work hours. If that customer states they can only complete the order if you can call them back at 6:00 p.m. what do you do? What if your normal workday ends at 5:00 p.m.? What if you had a dinner planned with a friend at 6:00 p.m.? What happens if you had tickets to the 2012-2013 National Championship Football Game matching the Florida Gators against USC? What would you do? You get the point. Around here we want only people who will go above and beyond or figure out ways to do so.
If one of our employees would have been working the ice cream cake store this morning I would have been stunned if they did not open the door. But let’s assume, just for argument’s sake, some strange requirement like insurance coverage, fumigation, etc. precluded them from unlatching the door. There were a hundred other ways to handle this. For instance, unlatch the door, politely state we do not open for a few more minutes, but if you know what you would like I can have it ready when we open. They could have offered me a discount. Offered to take down my credit card information and have it delivered (recall, there were several of them just standing around holding the floor in place). Anything but what they did would have been better.
In short, even if they were closed and I was admittedly early they still could have gone above and beyond. They didn’t. In return, they lost a sale and I was reminded how easy it is to get one of the competitor’s products. Did I mention how good the Carvel cake was? By the way, it was half the price of the other place that wouldn’t sell me their cake. Think I’m going back?
http://www.inc.com/matthew-swyers/why-your-customers-will-leave-for-your-competition.html
For anyone who has read any of my articles in the past you may pick up on a distinct theme. As with many writers I draw inspiration from my life experiences and how those experiences shape my views on business, customer service and the like. So without further adieu, what happened today?
At The Trademark Company we have created a great place to work. Happy hours. Trips to local sporting events. Other corporate events. One of these traditions is that no one should work on their Birthday, or at least not a full day. So whenever we have a birthday in the office the tradition is the birthday boy or girl comes in, checks their messages, yadda yadda yadda, we have lunch, a sugar bomb cake and send them on their way to enjoy the rest of the day off.
So today it fell on me to get the cake. I know that our birthday girl loves ice cream cake so I planned on picking one up for her just before the lunch. No worries, I thought, the ice cream store that makes the best ice cream cakes is two blocks away. I’ll just swing up at 11:30 a.m., just before the lunch, and grab one of their delectable morsels. Okay, so I waited till the last minute. My bad.
When I got to the store I pulled on the handle. The door would not open. Like all people faced with a door that will not open I curiously looked at the seam between the door and the frame to see if the lock was engaged. To my surprise it was. Hmmmm, I thought, why is the door locked in the middle of the day? Looking inside I could see the employees standing around. Some working on cleaning counter tops, some just chatting away. I stepped back looking for an hours of operation sign. There it was, posted clear as day: Winter Hours, M-F, 12 p.m-6 p.m. Ahhh, I thought realizing I would soon be on the way to forage for another place that makes ice cream cakes.
But to my good fortunate, or so I thought, an employee came to the door. It was now 11:45 a.m. Awesome. He is going to let me in early so I can buy a cake. To my chagrin, however, he just looked at me from the other side of the window and shrugged his shoulders as if to say “Sorry bud, we’re closed.” Got that from the sign, thanks. But since I figured I was here, he was there, I was one twist of a wrist on a latch lock from achieving my objective. So I decided to sweeten the deal. I opened my wallet and pulled out a bundle of twenties. As a married man with children it is not often I actually have cash in my wallet. But today was my day!
I subtly waived the green at the employee through the window pointing to the display case which held $50 to $75 cakes. This would be a good sale to start the day for a store that averages $4 to $5 per cone. The employee approached the door. My victory was assured. Capitalism had triumphed and in a few minutes I would be bringing back an awesome chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cake that would be the best sugar bomb we had had in the office in months.
As he stepped forward, however, he shrugged again, pointing to the sign with the hours of operation, and smirked as he walked away to chat with his other employees. Foiled! Commerce and the temptation of an above-average sale had not been enough.
Undaunted, I stuffed my twenties back into my wallet, drove to my local grocery store, and purchased a wonderful Carvel Ice Cream cake. Thank you Carvel! Always great. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
So how do I twist this morning’s mini-adventure into a business lesson you can use in your business?
1. Your Business is Not Irreplaceable
We have a saying around here that has guided us since day one: answer the phone or someone else will. What does this mean? Quite simply that you must recognize that if you do not answer the proverbial phone your competitors will. With the rise of the Internet and information as a whole now, more than ever, your prospective consumers have choices. Within a few keystrokes on their iPhone they can locate competing services that, if yours are not available, they can use to replace you. Recognizing this you must answer your phone. You must open your store. You must be prepared to offer them what they need when they need it. If not, you’re just a couple of keystrokes away from being a memory.
How do I know? Let’s look at this morning’s example. Where did I get my ice cream cake? From the place I wanted to buy it from? Or the place I could buy it from? Answer the phone! Make the sale.
2. Go Above and Beyond
Many of you may be skeptics. Many may blame me for going out at the last minute to secure our sugar bomb. You all would be right. But at the end of the day I had money and a need to purchase and that is all that should matter when we are talking about a transaction for goods and services. What kept the original store from a good transaction? Simple. A failure to go above and beyond. Specifically, turning a latch and letting a customer in a scant 10 minutes before opening.
Around here every interviewee is given a series of questions to illicit how they would respond to these types of scenarios. The scenario typically begins with an ordinary customer calling in during normal work hours. If that customer states they can only complete the order if you can call them back at 6:00 p.m. what do you do? What if your normal workday ends at 5:00 p.m.? What if you had a dinner planned with a friend at 6:00 p.m.? What happens if you had tickets to the 2012-2013 National Championship Football Game matching the Florida Gators against USC? What would you do? You get the point. Around here we want only people who will go above and beyond or figure out ways to do so.
If one of our employees would have been working the ice cream cake store this morning I would have been stunned if they did not open the door. But let’s assume, just for argument’s sake, some strange requirement like insurance coverage, fumigation, etc. precluded them from unlatching the door. There were a hundred other ways to handle this. For instance, unlatch the door, politely state we do not open for a few more minutes, but if you know what you would like I can have it ready when we open. They could have offered me a discount. Offered to take down my credit card information and have it delivered (recall, there were several of them just standing around holding the floor in place). Anything but what they did would have been better.
In short, even if they were closed and I was admittedly early they still could have gone above and beyond. They didn’t. In return, they lost a sale and I was reminded how easy it is to get one of the competitor’s products. Did I mention how good the Carvel cake was? By the way, it was half the price of the other place that wouldn’t sell me their cake. Think I’m going back?
http://www.inc.com/matthew-swyers/why-your-customers-will-leave-for-your-competition.html
2/28/12
5 Questions Every Customer Asks
All customers ask the same questions--of themselves & of you--in this exact order. If you want to sell more, be prepared to answer them.
Whenever confronted with somebody who wants to sell them something, all customers ask five questions, in this order. If the answer to all of them is not a resounding "yes," a sale is not going to take place.
1. Do I want to do business with this person?
Within two seconds after you meet a customer, that customer has probably decided whether he is willing to buy from you. That's why first impressions, your appearance and your initial greeting are so important. Sometimes you have no control over the answer to this question, because the customer may have arbitrary rules that run to your disadvantage. (For example, I once didn't buy a suit because the sales clerk reminded me of my ex-wife's boyfriend. Not his fault, but there you are.) Still: Make sure you're controlling as many variables as you can.
2. Do I want to do business with the firm this person represents?
There are two possible scenarios.
3. Do I want and need what this person is selling?
Through the conversation with the customer, you will discover needs (and requirements) that match your offering. The biggest mistake at this stage is being too pushy. Remember the truism: "Customers like buying things, but hate to be sold things." Finding out that the customer does not need what you've got is just as big a victory as discovering the need.
4. Does the price and value meet my expectations?
The customer has recognized the need, but is assessing whether or not what you're selling is affordable–and, if affordable, worth the money. This entails weighing that need against the panoply of other demands that are vying for attention and money. The customer may want (or have) competitive information that puts the price of your offering into context.
5. Is this the right time to buy?
A customer can be completely ready to buy and yet still feel that it's not the right time. She may believe that holding out will result in a discount, or that another product will come along that makes your current offering obsolete. It's this last question, and its potential to block a sale, that causes companies to offer "limited time offers."
Order Matters
What's important about these questions isn't so much that the customer asks them, but that they're asked in that exact order. If you answer them in the wrong order, you'll end up making the sale less likely.
For example, suppose you open a conversation with a new customer by saying: "This is a limited time offer!" In most cases, the customer will either shrug or simply become annoyed, because the customer has not yet decided whether he wants to do business with you, or whether he wants what you're offering anyway.
http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/5-questions-every-customer-asks.html
Whenever confronted with somebody who wants to sell them something, all customers ask five questions, in this order. If the answer to all of them is not a resounding "yes," a sale is not going to take place.
1. Do I want to do business with this person?
Within two seconds after you meet a customer, that customer has probably decided whether he is willing to buy from you. That's why first impressions, your appearance and your initial greeting are so important. Sometimes you have no control over the answer to this question, because the customer may have arbitrary rules that run to your disadvantage. (For example, I once didn't buy a suit because the sales clerk reminded me of my ex-wife's boyfriend. Not his fault, but there you are.) Still: Make sure you're controlling as many variables as you can.
2. Do I want to do business with the firm this person represents?
There are two possible scenarios.
- If the customer is not yet familiar with your firm, it's up to you to position it correctly.
- If the customer is familiar with your firm, then you've either got a good reputation (in which case you've got a leg up), a bad reputation (you've got to start with damage control) or a mediocre reputation–in which case, you're back to positioning your firm to your advantage.
3. Do I want and need what this person is selling?
Through the conversation with the customer, you will discover needs (and requirements) that match your offering. The biggest mistake at this stage is being too pushy. Remember the truism: "Customers like buying things, but hate to be sold things." Finding out that the customer does not need what you've got is just as big a victory as discovering the need.
4. Does the price and value meet my expectations?
The customer has recognized the need, but is assessing whether or not what you're selling is affordable–and, if affordable, worth the money. This entails weighing that need against the panoply of other demands that are vying for attention and money. The customer may want (or have) competitive information that puts the price of your offering into context.
5. Is this the right time to buy?
A customer can be completely ready to buy and yet still feel that it's not the right time. She may believe that holding out will result in a discount, or that another product will come along that makes your current offering obsolete. It's this last question, and its potential to block a sale, that causes companies to offer "limited time offers."
Order Matters
What's important about these questions isn't so much that the customer asks them, but that they're asked in that exact order. If you answer them in the wrong order, you'll end up making the sale less likely.
For example, suppose you open a conversation with a new customer by saying: "This is a limited time offer!" In most cases, the customer will either shrug or simply become annoyed, because the customer has not yet decided whether he wants to do business with you, or whether he wants what you're offering anyway.
http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/5-questions-every-customer-asks.html
2/23/12
How to Build Your Dream Board of Advisors
Sometimes it really does pay to play the field before settling down. To see what's out there, who you click with, and which relationships prove the most beneficial. And ditch the idea of a "type." When it comes to relations with advisors—just as in love—we've found you'll only limit your opportunities that way. It's far better to spread a wide net.
Look around the table at a Blu advisory board meeting and what you'll see is the result of our own "dating" process. It's comprised of died-in-the-wool environmentalists, technology experts, educators, and business people. Our board reflects a lot of the same qualities a college admissions officer seeks in an applicant: well rounded, passionate, and dedicated. Above all, we set out to create a diverse group made up of people who are in tune with our company's ethos. So we shopped around.
Faced with the question of how to set about identifying and wooing people who will make a real difference on our board, we worked to establish relationships first. We dated around before committing, inviting prospective members to get an inside look at what we do, to visit our factory, to meet our team. We thought carefully about benefits, formalizing the process of joining the advisory board, and emphasizing the deep involvement we were looking for from every member. And then it was time to make the first move—to ask some of these smart, energetic people to give us a try.
We did not ask all those with whom we built successful relationships to join us, however. We all know that not every partnership that has that "spark" can go the distance. Keeping in mind our mission to build a diverse and vibrant group, we extended invitations only to those we deemed a truly great fit.
But finding the right match is really only the beginning. You could select the perfect mix of advisors, but if the relationship isn't nurtured—in big and small ways—you're doing yourself, and your board, a disservice.
The key to long lasting board relationships? No surprise here. Communication.
Most people "get" the formal side of communicating with their board members. Board meetings, quarterly e-mails and the periodic snail mail communication, are of course invaluable. But the real key is consistency.
But like many young companies, we did not at first recognize a vital truth: that fostering a deep and continual feeling of involvement in the workings of the company is crucial to the success of the board (and, in turn, of the company). Once we started going beyond just sharing periodic, polished, “board-ready” materials with our advisors, and began including them in Blu's everyday successes we saw a more active and engaged group emerge.
It really can be the little things that matter. For example, now when we ring our office's "sale bell," signaling that a Blu Home has been sold, our advisors get a call, too. And thanks to the easy and genuine efforts of our CEO—for whom it is second nature to pick up the phone in a free moment to talk to one of our advisors about a possible sale, an upcoming event, or other goings-on around the company—our advisors are well aware that we care about and value them and their role.
Nurturing relationships this way creates a group of people who are not advisors in ceremonial name only, but who are trusted members of the company with a stake in its success. In other words, true partners.
Regardless of communication, some partners are naturally more active than others. At times we find our board operates on the 80/20 rule, with 20 percent of the members providing 80 percent of the relevant help for the company. But it is deeply gratifying to see the most active advisors take the company's mission on as their own, truly becoming champions for Blu.
The original hope was that innovation and collaboration would grow more easily from the diverse mix of passionate personalities and perspectives we had put together. But the payoffs have been farther-reaching than we ever could have anticipated. Eschewing a board comprised of 100 percent hardcore "business" people in favor of a more "liberal-arts" approach, has lead to juicy and unexpected benefits, including new market opportunities and connections to funding.
One of our board members, selected for both his environmental expertise and his deep commitment to our mission, brought with him connections to regional conservation groups, which are looking toward judicious green development. A market opportunity was born. This taught us that choosing unique advisors who care about your company can make your business aware of and well positioned for valuable new business opportunities.
Similarly, we have seen again and again that the people who want to invest with and help grow a company are not only the top venture capitalists you might imagine, but also those who are connected to the "soul" of the company. When you reach out for dedicated advisors who are not necessarily contacts for investment, links to huge funding possibilities can be a happy—if surprising—byproduct. Take the expert in environmental policy and business that we pursued for his innovative ideas, who serendipitously pointed us to an opportunity for investment from a source we'd not known anything about (a personal connection of his). When an advisory board member feels deeply attached to the mission and ideals of a company and in turn brings this enthusiasm to his or her own network, the rewards can be huge.
To us, an effective board of advisors is an eclectic one that is allowed to share in the excitement of the growing company. In organizations that are fast finding their niche and picking up steam, the milestones along the way are opportunities for connecting and celebrating with the people you've chosen to bring into the company's most trusted inner circle. And in return, they will pay you back with ideas and enthusiasm that might move your company forward in astonishing, unforeseen ways.
http://www.inc.com/maura-mccarthy/build-your-dream-board-of-advisors.html
Look around the table at a Blu advisory board meeting and what you'll see is the result of our own "dating" process. It's comprised of died-in-the-wool environmentalists, technology experts, educators, and business people. Our board reflects a lot of the same qualities a college admissions officer seeks in an applicant: well rounded, passionate, and dedicated. Above all, we set out to create a diverse group made up of people who are in tune with our company's ethos. So we shopped around.
Faced with the question of how to set about identifying and wooing people who will make a real difference on our board, we worked to establish relationships first. We dated around before committing, inviting prospective members to get an inside look at what we do, to visit our factory, to meet our team. We thought carefully about benefits, formalizing the process of joining the advisory board, and emphasizing the deep involvement we were looking for from every member. And then it was time to make the first move—to ask some of these smart, energetic people to give us a try.
We did not ask all those with whom we built successful relationships to join us, however. We all know that not every partnership that has that "spark" can go the distance. Keeping in mind our mission to build a diverse and vibrant group, we extended invitations only to those we deemed a truly great fit.
But finding the right match is really only the beginning. You could select the perfect mix of advisors, but if the relationship isn't nurtured—in big and small ways—you're doing yourself, and your board, a disservice.
The key to long lasting board relationships? No surprise here. Communication.
Most people "get" the formal side of communicating with their board members. Board meetings, quarterly e-mails and the periodic snail mail communication, are of course invaluable. But the real key is consistency.
But like many young companies, we did not at first recognize a vital truth: that fostering a deep and continual feeling of involvement in the workings of the company is crucial to the success of the board (and, in turn, of the company). Once we started going beyond just sharing periodic, polished, “board-ready” materials with our advisors, and began including them in Blu's everyday successes we saw a more active and engaged group emerge.
It really can be the little things that matter. For example, now when we ring our office's "sale bell," signaling that a Blu Home has been sold, our advisors get a call, too. And thanks to the easy and genuine efforts of our CEO—for whom it is second nature to pick up the phone in a free moment to talk to one of our advisors about a possible sale, an upcoming event, or other goings-on around the company—our advisors are well aware that we care about and value them and their role.
Nurturing relationships this way creates a group of people who are not advisors in ceremonial name only, but who are trusted members of the company with a stake in its success. In other words, true partners.
Regardless of communication, some partners are naturally more active than others. At times we find our board operates on the 80/20 rule, with 20 percent of the members providing 80 percent of the relevant help for the company. But it is deeply gratifying to see the most active advisors take the company's mission on as their own, truly becoming champions for Blu.
The original hope was that innovation and collaboration would grow more easily from the diverse mix of passionate personalities and perspectives we had put together. But the payoffs have been farther-reaching than we ever could have anticipated. Eschewing a board comprised of 100 percent hardcore "business" people in favor of a more "liberal-arts" approach, has lead to juicy and unexpected benefits, including new market opportunities and connections to funding.
One of our board members, selected for both his environmental expertise and his deep commitment to our mission, brought with him connections to regional conservation groups, which are looking toward judicious green development. A market opportunity was born. This taught us that choosing unique advisors who care about your company can make your business aware of and well positioned for valuable new business opportunities.
Similarly, we have seen again and again that the people who want to invest with and help grow a company are not only the top venture capitalists you might imagine, but also those who are connected to the "soul" of the company. When you reach out for dedicated advisors who are not necessarily contacts for investment, links to huge funding possibilities can be a happy—if surprising—byproduct. Take the expert in environmental policy and business that we pursued for his innovative ideas, who serendipitously pointed us to an opportunity for investment from a source we'd not known anything about (a personal connection of his). When an advisory board member feels deeply attached to the mission and ideals of a company and in turn brings this enthusiasm to his or her own network, the rewards can be huge.
To us, an effective board of advisors is an eclectic one that is allowed to share in the excitement of the growing company. In organizations that are fast finding their niche and picking up steam, the milestones along the way are opportunities for connecting and celebrating with the people you've chosen to bring into the company's most trusted inner circle. And in return, they will pay you back with ideas and enthusiasm that might move your company forward in astonishing, unforeseen ways.
http://www.inc.com/maura-mccarthy/build-your-dream-board-of-advisors.html
2/21/12
8 Qualities of Remarkable Employees
Great employees are reliable, dependable, proactive, diligent, great leaders and great followers... they possess a wide range of easily-defined—but hard to find—qualities.
A few hit the next level. Some employees are remarkable, possessing qualities that may not appear on performance appraisals but nonetheless make a major impact on performance.
Here are eight qualities of remarkable employees:
1. They ignore job descriptions. The smaller the company, the more important it is that employees can think on their feet, adapt quickly to shifting priorities, and do whatever it takes, regardless of role or position, to get things done.
When a key customer's project is in jeopardy, remarkable employees know without being told there's a problem and jump in without being asked—even if it's not their job.
2. They’re eccentric... The best employees are often a little different: quirky, sometimes irreverent, even delighted to be unusual. They seem slightly odd, but in a really good way. Unusual personalities shake things up, make work more fun, and transform a plain-vanilla group into a team with flair and flavor.
People who aren't afraid to be different naturally stretch boundaries and challenge the status quo, and they often come up with the best ideas.
3. But they know when to dial it back. An unusual personality is a lot of fun... until it isn't. When a major challenge pops up or a situation gets stressful, the best employees stop expressing their individuality and fit seamlessly into the team.
Remarkable employees know when to play and when to be serious; when to be irreverent and when to conform; and when to challenge and when to back off. It’s a tough balance to strike, but a rare few can walk that fine line with ease.
4. They publicly praise... Praise from a boss feels good. Praise from a peer feels awesome, especially when you look up to that person.
Remarkable employees recognize the contributions of others, especially in group settings where the impact of their words is even greater.
5. And they privately complain. We all want employees to bring issues forward, but some problems are better handled in private. Great employees often get more latitude to bring up controversial subjects in a group setting because their performance allows greater freedom.
Remarkable employees come to you before or after a meeting to discuss a sensitive issue, knowing that bringing it up in a group setting could set off a firestorm.
6. They speak when others won’t. Some employees are hesitant to speak up in meetings. Some are even hesitant to speak up privately.
An employee once asked me a question about potential layoffs. After the meeting I said to him, “Why did you ask about that? You already know what's going on.” He said, “I do, but a lot of other people don't, and they're afraid to ask. I thought it would help if they heard the answer from you.”
Remarkable employees have an innate feel for the issues and concerns of those around them, and step up to ask questions or raise important issues when others hesitate.
7. They like to prove others wrong. Self-motivation often springs from a desire to show that doubters are wrong. The kid without a college degree or the woman who was told she didn't have leadership potential often possess a burning desire to prove other people wrong.
Education, intelligence, talent, and skill are important, but drive is critical. Remarkable employees are driven by something deeper and more personal than just the desire to do a good job.
8. They’re always fiddling. Some people are rarely satisfied (I mean that in a good way) and are constantly tinkering with something: Reworking a timeline, adjusting a process, tweaking a workflow.
Great employees follow processes. Remarkable employees find ways to make those processes even better, not only because they are expected to… but because they just can't help it.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-8-qualities-of-remarkable-employees.html
A few hit the next level. Some employees are remarkable, possessing qualities that may not appear on performance appraisals but nonetheless make a major impact on performance.
Here are eight qualities of remarkable employees:
1. They ignore job descriptions. The smaller the company, the more important it is that employees can think on their feet, adapt quickly to shifting priorities, and do whatever it takes, regardless of role or position, to get things done.
When a key customer's project is in jeopardy, remarkable employees know without being told there's a problem and jump in without being asked—even if it's not their job.
2. They’re eccentric... The best employees are often a little different: quirky, sometimes irreverent, even delighted to be unusual. They seem slightly odd, but in a really good way. Unusual personalities shake things up, make work more fun, and transform a plain-vanilla group into a team with flair and flavor.
People who aren't afraid to be different naturally stretch boundaries and challenge the status quo, and they often come up with the best ideas.
3. But they know when to dial it back. An unusual personality is a lot of fun... until it isn't. When a major challenge pops up or a situation gets stressful, the best employees stop expressing their individuality and fit seamlessly into the team.
Remarkable employees know when to play and when to be serious; when to be irreverent and when to conform; and when to challenge and when to back off. It’s a tough balance to strike, but a rare few can walk that fine line with ease.
4. They publicly praise... Praise from a boss feels good. Praise from a peer feels awesome, especially when you look up to that person.
Remarkable employees recognize the contributions of others, especially in group settings where the impact of their words is even greater.
5. And they privately complain. We all want employees to bring issues forward, but some problems are better handled in private. Great employees often get more latitude to bring up controversial subjects in a group setting because their performance allows greater freedom.
Remarkable employees come to you before or after a meeting to discuss a sensitive issue, knowing that bringing it up in a group setting could set off a firestorm.
6. They speak when others won’t. Some employees are hesitant to speak up in meetings. Some are even hesitant to speak up privately.
An employee once asked me a question about potential layoffs. After the meeting I said to him, “Why did you ask about that? You already know what's going on.” He said, “I do, but a lot of other people don't, and they're afraid to ask. I thought it would help if they heard the answer from you.”
Remarkable employees have an innate feel for the issues and concerns of those around them, and step up to ask questions or raise important issues when others hesitate.
7. They like to prove others wrong. Self-motivation often springs from a desire to show that doubters are wrong. The kid without a college degree or the woman who was told she didn't have leadership potential often possess a burning desire to prove other people wrong.
Education, intelligence, talent, and skill are important, but drive is critical. Remarkable employees are driven by something deeper and more personal than just the desire to do a good job.
8. They’re always fiddling. Some people are rarely satisfied (I mean that in a good way) and are constantly tinkering with something: Reworking a timeline, adjusting a process, tweaking a workflow.
Great employees follow processes. Remarkable employees find ways to make those processes even better, not only because they are expected to… but because they just can't help it.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-8-qualities-of-remarkable-employees.html
2/18/12
10 Toughest Interview Questions: Answered
1. Why Should I Hire You?
The most overlooked question is also the one most candidates are unprepared to answer. This is often because job applicants don't do their homework on the position. Your job is to illustrate why you are the most qualified candidate. Review the job description and qualifications very closely to identify the skills and knowledge that are critical to the position, then identify experiences from your past that demonstrate those skills and knowledge.
2. Why Is There A Gap In Your Work History?
Employers understand that people lose their jobs and it's not always easy to find a new one fast. When answering this question, list activities you've been doing during any period of unemployment. Freelance projects, volunteer work or taking care of family members all let the interviewer know that time off was spent productively.
3. Tell Me One Thing You Would Change About Your Last Job
Beware over sharing or making disparaging comments about former coworkers or supervisors, as you might be burning bridges. But an additional trouble point in answering this query is showing yourself to be someone who can't vocalize their problems as they arise. Why didn't you correct the issue at the time? Be prepared with an answer that doesn't criticize a colleague or paint you in an unflattering light. A safe scapegoat? Outdated technology.
4. Tell Me About Yourself
People tend to meander through their whole resumes and mention personal or irrelevant information in answering--a serious no-no. Keep your answer to a minute or two at most. Cover four topics: early years, education, work history, and recent career experience. Emphasize this last subject. Remember that this is likely to be a warm-up question. Don't waste your best points on it. And keep it clean--no weekend activities should be mentioned.
5. Explain A Complex Database To Your Eight-Year-Old Nephew
Explaining public relations, explaining mortgages, explaining just about anything in terms an eight-year-old can understand shows the interviewer you have solid and adaptable understanding of what it is they do. Do your homework, know the industry and be well-versed.
6. What Would The Person Who Likes You Least In The World Say About You?
Highlight an aspect of your personality that could initially seem negative, but is ultimately a positive. An example? Impatience. Used incorrectly this can be bad in a workplace. But stressing timeliness and always driving home deadlines can build your esteem as a leader. And that's a great thing to show off in an interview.
7. Tell Me About A Time When Old Solutions Didn't Work
The interviewer is trying to identify how knowledgeable you are in today's work place and what new creative ideas you have to solving problems. You may want to explore new technology or methods within your industry to be prepared for. Twitter-phobes, get tweeting. Stat.
8. What's The Biggest Risk You've Ever Taken?
Some roles require a high degree of tenacity and the ability to pick oneself up after getting knocked down. Providing examples of your willingness to take risks shows both your ability to fail and rebound, but also your ability to make risky or controversial moves that succeed.
9. Have You Ever Had A Supervisor Challenge A Decision?
Interviewers are looking for an answer that shows humility--??and the ability to take direction. The anecdote should be telling, but it's the lesson learned, not the situation, that could land you the job.
10. Have You Ever Had A Supervisor Challenge A Decision?
Interviewers are looking for an answer that shows humility--and the ability to take direction. The anecdote should be telling, but it's the lesson learned, not the situation, that could land you the job.
The most overlooked question is also the one most candidates are unprepared to answer. This is often because job applicants don't do their homework on the position. Your job is to illustrate why you are the most qualified candidate. Review the job description and qualifications very closely to identify the skills and knowledge that are critical to the position, then identify experiences from your past that demonstrate those skills and knowledge.
2. Why Is There A Gap In Your Work History?
Employers understand that people lose their jobs and it's not always easy to find a new one fast. When answering this question, list activities you've been doing during any period of unemployment. Freelance projects, volunteer work or taking care of family members all let the interviewer know that time off was spent productively.
3. Tell Me One Thing You Would Change About Your Last Job
Beware over sharing or making disparaging comments about former coworkers or supervisors, as you might be burning bridges. But an additional trouble point in answering this query is showing yourself to be someone who can't vocalize their problems as they arise. Why didn't you correct the issue at the time? Be prepared with an answer that doesn't criticize a colleague or paint you in an unflattering light. A safe scapegoat? Outdated technology.
4. Tell Me About Yourself
People tend to meander through their whole resumes and mention personal or irrelevant information in answering--a serious no-no. Keep your answer to a minute or two at most. Cover four topics: early years, education, work history, and recent career experience. Emphasize this last subject. Remember that this is likely to be a warm-up question. Don't waste your best points on it. And keep it clean--no weekend activities should be mentioned.
5. Explain A Complex Database To Your Eight-Year-Old Nephew
Explaining public relations, explaining mortgages, explaining just about anything in terms an eight-year-old can understand shows the interviewer you have solid and adaptable understanding of what it is they do. Do your homework, know the industry and be well-versed.
6. What Would The Person Who Likes You Least In The World Say About You?
Highlight an aspect of your personality that could initially seem negative, but is ultimately a positive. An example? Impatience. Used incorrectly this can be bad in a workplace. But stressing timeliness and always driving home deadlines can build your esteem as a leader. And that's a great thing to show off in an interview.
7. Tell Me About A Time When Old Solutions Didn't Work
The interviewer is trying to identify how knowledgeable you are in today's work place and what new creative ideas you have to solving problems. You may want to explore new technology or methods within your industry to be prepared for. Twitter-phobes, get tweeting. Stat.
8. What's The Biggest Risk You've Ever Taken?
Some roles require a high degree of tenacity and the ability to pick oneself up after getting knocked down. Providing examples of your willingness to take risks shows both your ability to fail and rebound, but also your ability to make risky or controversial moves that succeed.
9. Have You Ever Had A Supervisor Challenge A Decision?
Interviewers are looking for an answer that shows humility--??and the ability to take direction. The anecdote should be telling, but it's the lesson learned, not the situation, that could land you the job.
10. Have You Ever Had A Supervisor Challenge A Decision?
Interviewers are looking for an answer that shows humility--and the ability to take direction. The anecdote should be telling, but it's the lesson learned, not the situation, that could land you the job.
Top Executive Recruiters Agree There Are Only Three True Job Interview Questions
The only three true job interview questions are:
1. Can you do the job?
2. Will you love the job?
3. Can we tolerate working with you?
That’s it. Those three. Think back, every question you’ve ever posed to others or had asked of you in a job interview is a subset of a deeper in-depth follow-up to one of these three key questions. Each question potentially may be asked using different words, but every question, however it is phrased, is just a variation on one of these topics: Strengths, Motivation, and Fit.
Can You Do the Job? – Strengths
Executive Search firm Heidrick & Struggles CEO, Kevin Kelly explained to me that it’s not just about the technical skills, but also about leadership and interpersonal strengths. Technical skills help you climb the ladder. As you get there, managing up, down and across become more important.
Will You Love the Job? -Motivation
Cornerstone International Group CEO, Bill Guy emphasizes the changing nature of motivation,
Can We Tolerate Working With You? – Fit
Continuing on with our conversation, Heidrick’s Kelly went on to explain the importance of cultural fit:
He made the same point earlier in an interview with Smart Business, referencing Heidrick’s internal study of 20,000 searches.
Preparing for Interviews
If you’re the one doing the interviewing, get clear on what strengths, motivational and fit insights you’re looking for before you go into your interviews.
If you’re the one being interviewed, prepare by thinking through examples that illustrate your strengths, what motivates you about the organization and role you’re interviewing for, and the fit between your own preferences and the organization’s Behaviors, Relationships, Attitudes, Values, and Environment (BRAVE). But remember that interviews are exercises in solution selling. They are not about you.
Think of the interview process as a chance for you to show your ability to solve the organization and interviewer’s problem. That’s why you need to highlight strengths in the areas most important to the interviewers, talk about how you would be motivated by the role’s challenges, and discuss why you would be a BRAVE fit with the organization’s culture.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/georgebradt/2011/04/27/top-executive-recruiters-agree-there-are-only-three-key-job-interview-questions/
1. Can you do the job?
2. Will you love the job?
3. Can we tolerate working with you?
That’s it. Those three. Think back, every question you’ve ever posed to others or had asked of you in a job interview is a subset of a deeper in-depth follow-up to one of these three key questions. Each question potentially may be asked using different words, but every question, however it is phrased, is just a variation on one of these topics: Strengths, Motivation, and Fit.
Can You Do the Job? – Strengths
Executive Search firm Heidrick & Struggles CEO, Kevin Kelly explained to me that it’s not just about the technical skills, but also about leadership and interpersonal strengths. Technical skills help you climb the ladder. As you get there, managing up, down and across become more important.
You can’t tell by looking at a piece of paper what some of the strengths and weaknesses really are…We ask for specific examples of not only what’s been successful but what they’ve done that hasn’t gone well or a task they they’ve, quite frankly, failed at and how they learned from that experience and what they’d do different in a new scenario.
Not only is it important to look at the technical skill set they have…but also the strengths on what I call the EQ side of the equation in terms of getting along and dealing or interacting with people.
Will You Love the Job? -Motivation
Cornerstone International Group CEO, Bill Guy emphasizes the changing nature of motivation,
…younger employees do not wish to get paid merely for working hard—just the reverse: they will work hard because they enjoy their environment and the challenges associated with their work…. Executives who embrace this new management style are attracting and retaining better employees.
Can We Tolerate Working With You? – Fit
Continuing on with our conversation, Heidrick’s Kelly went on to explain the importance of cultural fit:
A lot of it is cultural fit and whether they are going to fit well into the organization… The perception is that when (senior leaders) come into the firm, a totally new environment, they know everything. And they could do little things such as send emails in a voicemail culture that tend to negatively snowball over time. Feedback or onboarding is critical. If you don’t get that feedback, you will get turnover later on.
He made the same point earlier in an interview with Smart Business, referencing Heidrick’s internal study of 20,000 searches.
40 percent of senior executives leave organizations or are fired or pushed out within 18 months. It’s not because they’re dumb; it’s because a lot of times culturally they may not fit in with the organization or it’s not clearly articulated to them as they joined.
Preparing for Interviews
If you’re the one doing the interviewing, get clear on what strengths, motivational and fit insights you’re looking for before you go into your interviews.
If you’re the one being interviewed, prepare by thinking through examples that illustrate your strengths, what motivates you about the organization and role you’re interviewing for, and the fit between your own preferences and the organization’s Behaviors, Relationships, Attitudes, Values, and Environment (BRAVE). But remember that interviews are exercises in solution selling. They are not about you.
Think of the interview process as a chance for you to show your ability to solve the organization and interviewer’s problem. That’s why you need to highlight strengths in the areas most important to the interviewers, talk about how you would be motivated by the role’s challenges, and discuss why you would be a BRAVE fit with the organization’s culture.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/georgebradt/2011/04/27/top-executive-recruiters-agree-there-are-only-three-key-job-interview-questions/
2/15/12
10 Things Bosses Never Tell Employees
Confessions you wish you could make to your team but can't.
There’s a lot you don’t know about your employees, especially the things your employees will never tell you.
There’s also a lot employees don’t know about you. Here are 10 things business owners wish they could say to employees:
I care about whether you like me. I want you to like me. When I come off like a hard-ass who doesn’t care about your opinion of me, it’s an act. My business is an extension of myself. I want you to like it. And me.
I don't think I know everything. A few people stepped in, without being asked, and made a huge difference in my professional life. I will always be grateful to them. I don’t offer you advice because I think I’m all knowing or all-powerful. I see something special in you, and I’m repaying the debt I owe to the people who helped me.
I think it’s great when you’re having fun. You don’t have to lower your voice and pretend to be working hard when I walk by. I know it’s possible to work hard and have a little fun at the same time. Before I got all serious, I used to work that way.
When you enjoy what you do, it makes me feel a little better about my company and myself. I get to feel like I’ve created something more than just a business.
I want to pay you more. I would love to be the employer of choice in the industry or the area. I can’t, mostly due to financial constraints but partly because the risks I’ve taken require a reasonable reward. If I go out of business tomorrow, you lose your job. That's terrible, I know. But I lose my business, my investment, my credit, my house… sometimes I lose everything.
Someday, when you start your business, I promise you’ll understand.
I want you to work here forever. Job-hopping may be a fact of business life, but as an owner it’s a fact I hate. I don’t see you as a disposable part. When you leave, it hurts. A part of me feels like I’ve failed.
I want to own the kind of business people hope to retire from.
Sales don’t appear by magic. I know you despise filling certain types of orders. They’re aggravating, they cause you to fall behind… they’re a pain. You wish we would sell other work. Unfortunately (from your point of view at least) sometimes the orders that take the most time are actually the most profitable.
And even if they aren’t, sometimes those orders are the only thing we can sell.
Sometimes I even take terrible work because it's the only way to keep the lights on.
I would love to turn you loose. You can't stand to be micromanaged. That's good because I hate micromanaging. But freedom is earned, not given. Show me you can fly on your own and I’ll gladly focus on something or someone else.
In fact, if you feel I’m micromanaging you, step forward. Say, “Jeff, I can tell you don’t quite trust me to handle this well. I understand, so I’m going to prove you can trust me.”
Do it and I'll get off your back and respect you even more.
I notice when others don’t pull their weight. I’m not blind. But I won’t discipline those individuals in front of you. No employees, no matter how poorly they perform, loses their right to confidentiality and privacy.
And sometimes I won’t discipline them at all, because occasionally more is going on than you know. You wouldn’t realize that, though, because oftentimes…
There are things I just can’t tell you. Even though I would love to, and even though you and I have become friends.
Ownership is the smorgasbord of insecurity. I worry about sales. I worry about costs. I worry about facilities and employees and vendors and customers and… you name it, I worry about it.
So occasionally I’m snappy. Occasionally I’m distracted. Occasionally I’m tense and irritable and short-tempered. It’s not your fault. I’m just worried.
More than anything, I’m worried about whether I can fulfill the trust you placed in me as your employer.
There’s a lot you don’t know about your employees, especially the things your employees will never tell you.
There’s also a lot employees don’t know about you. Here are 10 things business owners wish they could say to employees:
I care about whether you like me. I want you to like me. When I come off like a hard-ass who doesn’t care about your opinion of me, it’s an act. My business is an extension of myself. I want you to like it. And me.
I don't think I know everything. A few people stepped in, without being asked, and made a huge difference in my professional life. I will always be grateful to them. I don’t offer you advice because I think I’m all knowing or all-powerful. I see something special in you, and I’m repaying the debt I owe to the people who helped me.
I think it’s great when you’re having fun. You don’t have to lower your voice and pretend to be working hard when I walk by. I know it’s possible to work hard and have a little fun at the same time. Before I got all serious, I used to work that way.
When you enjoy what you do, it makes me feel a little better about my company and myself. I get to feel like I’ve created something more than just a business.
I want to pay you more. I would love to be the employer of choice in the industry or the area. I can’t, mostly due to financial constraints but partly because the risks I’ve taken require a reasonable reward. If I go out of business tomorrow, you lose your job. That's terrible, I know. But I lose my business, my investment, my credit, my house… sometimes I lose everything.
Someday, when you start your business, I promise you’ll understand.
I want you to work here forever. Job-hopping may be a fact of business life, but as an owner it’s a fact I hate. I don’t see you as a disposable part. When you leave, it hurts. A part of me feels like I’ve failed.
I want to own the kind of business people hope to retire from.
Sales don’t appear by magic. I know you despise filling certain types of orders. They’re aggravating, they cause you to fall behind… they’re a pain. You wish we would sell other work. Unfortunately (from your point of view at least) sometimes the orders that take the most time are actually the most profitable.
And even if they aren’t, sometimes those orders are the only thing we can sell.
Sometimes I even take terrible work because it's the only way to keep the lights on.
I would love to turn you loose. You can't stand to be micromanaged. That's good because I hate micromanaging. But freedom is earned, not given. Show me you can fly on your own and I’ll gladly focus on something or someone else.
In fact, if you feel I’m micromanaging you, step forward. Say, “Jeff, I can tell you don’t quite trust me to handle this well. I understand, so I’m going to prove you can trust me.”
Do it and I'll get off your back and respect you even more.
I notice when others don’t pull their weight. I’m not blind. But I won’t discipline those individuals in front of you. No employees, no matter how poorly they perform, loses their right to confidentiality and privacy.
And sometimes I won’t discipline them at all, because occasionally more is going on than you know. You wouldn’t realize that, though, because oftentimes…
There are things I just can’t tell you. Even though I would love to, and even though you and I have become friends.
Ownership is the smorgasbord of insecurity. I worry about sales. I worry about costs. I worry about facilities and employees and vendors and customers and… you name it, I worry about it.
So occasionally I’m snappy. Occasionally I’m distracted. Occasionally I’m tense and irritable and short-tempered. It’s not your fault. I’m just worried.
More than anything, I’m worried about whether I can fulfill the trust you placed in me as your employer.
Where's the Boss? Trapped in a Meeting
What do chief executives do all day?
It really is what it seems: They spend about a third of their work time in meetings.
That is one of the central findings of a team of scholars from London School of Economics and Harvard Business School, who have burrowed into the day-to-day schedules of more than 500 CEOs from around the world with hopes of determining exactly how they organize their time—and how that affects the performance and management of their firms.
Their study—known as the Executive Time Use Project—incorporates time logs kept by CEOs' personal assistants, who tracked activities lasting more than 15 minutes during a single week selected by the researchers. The project, which is ongoing, so far has collected data from three different studies of CEOs from around the world.
In one sample of 65 CEOs, executives spent roughly 18 hours of a 55-hour workweek in meetings, more than three hours on calls and five hours in business meals, on average. Some of the remaining time was spent traveling, in personal activity, such as exercise or lunches with spouses, or in short activities, such as quick calls, that weren't recorded by CEOs' assistants. Working alone averaged just six hours weekly.
The more direct reports a CEO had correlated with more, and longer, internal meetings, the researchers found. Rather than foisting off responsibilities to other managers, CEOs with more direct reports may be more hands-on and involved in internal operations, they said.
But not all direct reports are equal. In companies that incorporated a finance chief or operating chief into the corporate hierarchy, the CEOs' time in meetings was reduced by about five-and-a-half hours a week, on average, the researchers found.
Even if a CEO has a lot of direct reports, "the effect of the CFO or COO is stronger," and may help reduce a CEO's time spent in internal meetings, says Harvard Business School's Raffaella Sadun, a co-author of the project. The other researchers were Oriana Bandiera and Andrea Prat, of the London School of Economics and Julie Wulf of Harvard Business School. Their preliminary findings were just published in a Harvard Business School paper.
The researchers said they weren't surprised by the amount of time spent in meetings, since one of the roles of a CEO is to manage employees and meet with customers and consultants.
A busy meeting schedule—often conducted virtually in global companies—can indicate that executives are engaged with their companies and close to their managers and clients. Still, CEOs say they pine for more solo time to think and strategize.
Rory Cowan, CEO of Lionbridge Technologies Inc., a Waltham, Mass., technology-services firm with about 4,500 employees, says he is constantly communicating with staff and clients. "I don't know when I'm not in a meeting," he says.
Instead of spending a lot of time in long face-to-face meetings, however, Mr. Cowan spends more time "doing frequent iterative touches," either in person or via text messages, instant messaging and video chat—sometimes with "four or five windows open concurrently."
As a result, his meetings rarely last more than 15 minutes, he says.
Lars Dalgaard, CEO of SuccessFactors Inc., a human resources software firm, says he spends about a third of his work time, at most, in formal meetings.
"While you are sitting in a meeting, your competition is getting stuff done," he says. (Software firm SAP AG recently announced that it was acquiring SuccessFactors.)
NV "Tiger" Tyagarajan, president and CEO of Genpact Ltd., a technology-management firm, recently analyzed his time use to make sure he was spending enough time meeting with clients. He determined he was. But he does wish for more time to "sit back and think," he says, or simply to bounce around ideas "without a fixed meeting or a fixed agenda."
Mr. Dalgaard says he tries to dedicate as much as 25% of his week to thinking by making time on flights or blocking out time on his schedule—occasionally retreating to a quiet room or driving on the highway to let ideas crystallize.
Likewise, Mr. Cowan says that he tries to "build a big fence" around his first work hour in the morning at 7 a.m. to clear his thoughts, catch up on reading and manage email.
In contrast, Jon Oringer, CEO of New York based stock-photo provider Shutterstock Images LLC, doesn't seem to lack "alone time." He is rarely on the phone and averages about three meetings a day mostly lasting about 30 minutes, with some going up to 90 minutes.
The rest of the time he is usually scoping out his competition on blogs like TechCrunch, monitoring Web traffic and Twitter feeds and working on his own pet projects.
He is in the office from about 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., but says he works a lot from home, even during weekends.
"It doesn't feel like I work when I'm working," Mr. Oringer said. "It's my thing."
Executives' assessment of how they spent their time differed from the actual records, as noted by their calendars and personal assistants, researchers found.
When top executives compare their top priorities to their time use, "they are usually surprised about the mismatch," says Robert Steven Kaplan, a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School.
He recommends executives substitute the word 'money' for 'time' when deciding how to schedule their week. "With money... you'd be more careful and judicious about it. If someone asked you for some, you'd be more likely to say no," says Mr. Kaplan.
The researchers' global study involved both private and public companies from many countries; they didn't determine whether executive time use correlated with a firm's performance.
In another sample of 94 Italian CEOs, the researchers found that the way an executive budgets his or her time strongly correlated with a firm's profitability and productivity, measured as revenue per employee.
In the Italian sample, the key to a company's performance was with whom CEOs met. Meeting with external figures didn't help a firm's productivity, they found. Better performance came from more internal meetings, they found.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/where-s-the-boss--trapped-in-a-meeting.html
It really is what it seems: They spend about a third of their work time in meetings.
That is one of the central findings of a team of scholars from London School of Economics and Harvard Business School, who have burrowed into the day-to-day schedules of more than 500 CEOs from around the world with hopes of determining exactly how they organize their time—and how that affects the performance and management of their firms.
Their study—known as the Executive Time Use Project—incorporates time logs kept by CEOs' personal assistants, who tracked activities lasting more than 15 minutes during a single week selected by the researchers. The project, which is ongoing, so far has collected data from three different studies of CEOs from around the world.
In one sample of 65 CEOs, executives spent roughly 18 hours of a 55-hour workweek in meetings, more than three hours on calls and five hours in business meals, on average. Some of the remaining time was spent traveling, in personal activity, such as exercise or lunches with spouses, or in short activities, such as quick calls, that weren't recorded by CEOs' assistants. Working alone averaged just six hours weekly.
The more direct reports a CEO had correlated with more, and longer, internal meetings, the researchers found. Rather than foisting off responsibilities to other managers, CEOs with more direct reports may be more hands-on and involved in internal operations, they said.
But not all direct reports are equal. In companies that incorporated a finance chief or operating chief into the corporate hierarchy, the CEOs' time in meetings was reduced by about five-and-a-half hours a week, on average, the researchers found.
Even if a CEO has a lot of direct reports, "the effect of the CFO or COO is stronger," and may help reduce a CEO's time spent in internal meetings, says Harvard Business School's Raffaella Sadun, a co-author of the project. The other researchers were Oriana Bandiera and Andrea Prat, of the London School of Economics and Julie Wulf of Harvard Business School. Their preliminary findings were just published in a Harvard Business School paper.
The researchers said they weren't surprised by the amount of time spent in meetings, since one of the roles of a CEO is to manage employees and meet with customers and consultants.
A busy meeting schedule—often conducted virtually in global companies—can indicate that executives are engaged with their companies and close to their managers and clients. Still, CEOs say they pine for more solo time to think and strategize.
Rory Cowan, CEO of Lionbridge Technologies Inc., a Waltham, Mass., technology-services firm with about 4,500 employees, says he is constantly communicating with staff and clients. "I don't know when I'm not in a meeting," he says.
Instead of spending a lot of time in long face-to-face meetings, however, Mr. Cowan spends more time "doing frequent iterative touches," either in person or via text messages, instant messaging and video chat—sometimes with "four or five windows open concurrently."
As a result, his meetings rarely last more than 15 minutes, he says.
Lars Dalgaard, CEO of SuccessFactors Inc., a human resources software firm, says he spends about a third of his work time, at most, in formal meetings.
"While you are sitting in a meeting, your competition is getting stuff done," he says. (Software firm SAP AG recently announced that it was acquiring SuccessFactors.)
NV "Tiger" Tyagarajan, president and CEO of Genpact Ltd., a technology-management firm, recently analyzed his time use to make sure he was spending enough time meeting with clients. He determined he was. But he does wish for more time to "sit back and think," he says, or simply to bounce around ideas "without a fixed meeting or a fixed agenda."
Mr. Dalgaard says he tries to dedicate as much as 25% of his week to thinking by making time on flights or blocking out time on his schedule—occasionally retreating to a quiet room or driving on the highway to let ideas crystallize.
Likewise, Mr. Cowan says that he tries to "build a big fence" around his first work hour in the morning at 7 a.m. to clear his thoughts, catch up on reading and manage email.
In contrast, Jon Oringer, CEO of New York based stock-photo provider Shutterstock Images LLC, doesn't seem to lack "alone time." He is rarely on the phone and averages about three meetings a day mostly lasting about 30 minutes, with some going up to 90 minutes.
The rest of the time he is usually scoping out his competition on blogs like TechCrunch, monitoring Web traffic and Twitter feeds and working on his own pet projects.
He is in the office from about 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., but says he works a lot from home, even during weekends.
"It doesn't feel like I work when I'm working," Mr. Oringer said. "It's my thing."
Executives' assessment of how they spent their time differed from the actual records, as noted by their calendars and personal assistants, researchers found.
When top executives compare their top priorities to their time use, "they are usually surprised about the mismatch," says Robert Steven Kaplan, a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School.
He recommends executives substitute the word 'money' for 'time' when deciding how to schedule their week. "With money... you'd be more careful and judicious about it. If someone asked you for some, you'd be more likely to say no," says Mr. Kaplan.
The researchers' global study involved both private and public companies from many countries; they didn't determine whether executive time use correlated with a firm's performance.
In another sample of 94 Italian CEOs, the researchers found that the way an executive budgets his or her time strongly correlated with a firm's profitability and productivity, measured as revenue per employee.
In the Italian sample, the key to a company's performance was with whom CEOs met. Meeting with external figures didn't help a firm's productivity, they found. Better performance came from more internal meetings, they found.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/where-s-the-boss--trapped-in-a-meeting.html
2/2/12
The 8 Things Your Employees Need Most
Forget about raises and better benefits. Those are important -- but this is what your staff really wants.
Pay is important. But pay only goes so far.
Getting a raise is like buying a bigger house; soon, more becomes the new normal.
Higher wages won’t cause employees to automatically perform at a higher level. Commitment, work ethic, and motivation are not based on pay.
To truly care about your business, your employees need these eight things—and they need them from you:
1. Freedom. Best practices can create excellence, but every task doesn't deserve a best practice or a micro-managed approach. (Yes, even you, fast food industry.)
Autonomy and latitude breed engagement and satisfaction. Latitude also breeds innovation. Even manufacturing and heavily process-oriented positions have room for different approaches.
Whenever possible, give your employees the freedom to work they way they work best.
2. Targets. Goals are fun. Everyone—yes, even you—is at least a little competitive, if only with themselves. Targets create a sense of purpose and add a little meaning to even the most repetitive tasks.
Without a goal to shoot for, work is just work. And work sucks.
3. Mission. We all like to feel a part of something bigger. Striving to be worthy of words like "best" or "largest" or "fastest" or "highest quality" provides a sense of purpose.
Let employees know what you want to achieve, for your business, for customers, and even your community. And if you can, let them create a few missions of their own.
Caring starts with knowing what to care about—and why.
4. Expectations. While every job should include some degree of latitude, every job needs basic expectations regarding the way specific situations should be handled. Criticize an employee for expediting shipping today, even though last week that was the standard procedure if on-time delivery was in jeopardy, and you lose that employee.
Few things are more stressful than not knowing what your boss expects from one minute to the next.
When standards change make sure you communicate those changes first. When you can't, explain why this particular situation is different, and why you made the decision you made.
5. Input. Everyone wants to offer suggestions and ideas. Deny employees the opportunity to make suggestions, or shoot their ideas down without consideration, and you create robots.
Robots don't care.
Make it easy for employees to offer suggestions. When an idea doesn't have merit, take the time to explain why. You can't implement every idea, but you can always make employees feel valued for their ideas.
6. Connection. Employees don’t want to work for a paycheck; they want to work with and for people.
A kind word, a short discussion about family, a brief check-in to see if they need anything... those individual moments are much more important than meetings or formal evaluations.
7. Consistency. Most people can deal with a boss who is demanding and quick to criticize... as long as he or she treats every employee the same. (Think of it as the Tom Coughlin effect.)
While you should treat each employee differently, you must treat each employee fairly. (There's a big difference.)
The key to maintaining consistency is to communicate. The more employees understand why a decision was made the less likely they are to assume favoritism or unfair treatment.
8. Future. Every job should have the potential to lead to something more, either within or outside your company.
For example, I worked at a manufacturing plant while I was in college. I had no real future with the company. Everyone understood I would only be there until I graduated.
One day my boss said, "Let me show you how we set up our production board."
I raised an eyebrow; why show me? He said, "Even though it won’t be here, some day, somewhere, you'll be in charge of production. You might as well start learning now."
Take the time to develop employees for jobs they someday hope to fill—even if those positions are outside your company. (How will you know what they hope to do? Try asking.)
Employees will care about your business when you care about them first.
Pay is important. But pay only goes so far.
Getting a raise is like buying a bigger house; soon, more becomes the new normal.
Higher wages won’t cause employees to automatically perform at a higher level. Commitment, work ethic, and motivation are not based on pay.
To truly care about your business, your employees need these eight things—and they need them from you:
1. Freedom. Best practices can create excellence, but every task doesn't deserve a best practice or a micro-managed approach. (Yes, even you, fast food industry.)
Autonomy and latitude breed engagement and satisfaction. Latitude also breeds innovation. Even manufacturing and heavily process-oriented positions have room for different approaches.
Whenever possible, give your employees the freedom to work they way they work best.
2. Targets. Goals are fun. Everyone—yes, even you—is at least a little competitive, if only with themselves. Targets create a sense of purpose and add a little meaning to even the most repetitive tasks.
Without a goal to shoot for, work is just work. And work sucks.
3. Mission. We all like to feel a part of something bigger. Striving to be worthy of words like "best" or "largest" or "fastest" or "highest quality" provides a sense of purpose.
Let employees know what you want to achieve, for your business, for customers, and even your community. And if you can, let them create a few missions of their own.
Caring starts with knowing what to care about—and why.
4. Expectations. While every job should include some degree of latitude, every job needs basic expectations regarding the way specific situations should be handled. Criticize an employee for expediting shipping today, even though last week that was the standard procedure if on-time delivery was in jeopardy, and you lose that employee.
Few things are more stressful than not knowing what your boss expects from one minute to the next.
When standards change make sure you communicate those changes first. When you can't, explain why this particular situation is different, and why you made the decision you made.
5. Input. Everyone wants to offer suggestions and ideas. Deny employees the opportunity to make suggestions, or shoot their ideas down without consideration, and you create robots.
Robots don't care.
Make it easy for employees to offer suggestions. When an idea doesn't have merit, take the time to explain why. You can't implement every idea, but you can always make employees feel valued for their ideas.
6. Connection. Employees don’t want to work for a paycheck; they want to work with and for people.
A kind word, a short discussion about family, a brief check-in to see if they need anything... those individual moments are much more important than meetings or formal evaluations.
7. Consistency. Most people can deal with a boss who is demanding and quick to criticize... as long as he or she treats every employee the same. (Think of it as the Tom Coughlin effect.)
While you should treat each employee differently, you must treat each employee fairly. (There's a big difference.)
The key to maintaining consistency is to communicate. The more employees understand why a decision was made the less likely they are to assume favoritism or unfair treatment.
8. Future. Every job should have the potential to lead to something more, either within or outside your company.
For example, I worked at a manufacturing plant while I was in college. I had no real future with the company. Everyone understood I would only be there until I graduated.
One day my boss said, "Let me show you how we set up our production board."
I raised an eyebrow; why show me? He said, "Even though it won’t be here, some day, somewhere, you'll be in charge of production. You might as well start learning now."
Take the time to develop employees for jobs they someday hope to fill—even if those positions are outside your company. (How will you know what they hope to do? Try asking.)
Employees will care about your business when you care about them first.
10 Steps to Teaching Your Kids to Become Entrepreneurs
What business owner doesn’t wish similar entrepreneurial success for their children, whether they have hopes to pass on the family business one day or can see their child creating their own. Duane Spires, a national motivational speaker and the CEO of Extreme Youth Sports (EYS) in Tampa hosts after school programs and summer camps that teach children ages five and up how to become leaders, develop confidence, and learn how to create successful lives through sports training and entrepreneurial education. Here are his steps to teaching your children to become budding entrepreneurs.
1. Goal setting is vital for future success
Teaching your children how to set and accomplish their goals is a fun and exciting activity! Did you know that written goals are over 80 percent more likely to be achieved? Imagine the possibilities!
How to teach: Ask your children to define and write down their top 10 goals and then choose the one goal that would make the biggest positive impact in their life. That goal should be their main focus. Next, write down the steps necessary to accomplish this exciting goal and encourage them to start taking action on those steps immediately.
2. Kids must learn how to recognize opportunities
Many people never meet their full potential because they fail to recognize opportunity. Teaching your children to seek out opportunities and take action on them, will directly contribute to their level of future success.
How to teach: Praise your children for pointing out small problems or setbacks in their lives that cause them distress such as: soggy sandwiches at lunchtime or not being able to reach items on a high shelf. Brainstorm solutions on how to resolve their troubles. This will teach them to focus on creating positive solutions, instead of focusing on the problem itself. This habit will allow them to create profitable ideas in their future businesses.
3. Selling is involved in every part of life
This one ability will last a lifetime because it is applied to all types of businesses and careers. From selling products and services to customers, to raising capital from investors, this skill is vital to the success of any business.
How to teach: Encourage your children to start with small projects like selling their old toys, starting a lemonade stand, or selling handmade goods. Let them price their products, sell to customers, and facilitate the transactions when sales are made.
4. Financial literacy is a must
This is one area that we all could use help with. Teaching children about money at an early age will instill a financial foundation that schools often fail to teach.
How to teach: Give your children the opportunity to earn their own money through chores, their own small business, and helping you in your business. Teach them about paying themselves first and then giving back. Educate them about investing and how their money could be used to create more money in the future. Help them set up a bank account and learn about how to budget their income.
5. Inspiring creativity will build marketing skills
Teaching kids about marketing is a great way to prepare them to attract customers to their future business. As you know, without customers, even the greatest business will fail. This is a very beneficial skill to learn while young.
How to teach: Motivate your children to start observing marketing materials like billboards, promotional banners in front of businesses, printed advertisements in magazines, and television/radio commercials. Ask them what catches their attention about the message and also quiz them on how to identify things like: the headline, subheadline, and “call to action.” Encourage them to create their own marketing materials for their business ideas.
6. Schools are wrong about FAILURE
In school we were all taught that failure is bad. In the entrepreneurial arena, failure can be a great thing if a positive lesson is learned. Napoleon Hill, author of Think And Grow Rich, states that, “Every failure carries with it a seed of equal or greater benefit.”
Allowing your children to fail will force them to create new ways to accomplish their goals and learn from their mistakes. This will lead to confident children who know how to persevere when times are tough.
How to teach: This lesson is simple. When your children fail, don’t punish, but instead discuss what factors lead to the failure and brainstorm ways to prevent it from happening again in the future. Always seek to find the “learning lesson” in each adversity and encourage your children to NEVER give up.
7. Effective communication improves all relationships
Most children today are terrible at face-to-face and telephone communication because of the popularity of social media and text messaging. Successful businesses require that people actually speak to one another. Teaching your children to communicate effectively will provide them with the winning edge in business and in their personal relationships.
How to teach: First, lead by example. Teach your children to be polite and respectful. Most importantly, practice maintaining eye contact when speaking in person. When using the telephone, teach your children to speak slowly and clearly. A bonus activity would be to practice communicating to your children with e-mails. Do not allow them to abbreviate words and phrases, but instead, write grammatically correct sentences that flow together and convey a complete message.
8. The art of giving back creates happiness
Why start a business if it doesn’t support a greater cause? It is important for your children to develop the characteristic of helping others. This attribute will allow your children to stay humble during periods of great success and it will give them the insight that a successful business provides benefits to more than just it’s owner. People that contribute to the success of others live happy and content lives.
How to teach: When brainstorming business ideas with your children, ask them to choose a charity or special cause to support with a portion of the income that they generate. Explain the concept that all great businesses contribute to improving the lives of other people.
9. Independence creates confidence
Wouldn’t you love to have independent and successful children? Of course! The entrepreneurial mindset causes kids to depend on themselves for their own success, which leads to well-rounded adults and future leaders.
How to teach: The next time your children ask for money to buy their favorite toy, this is your opportunity to ask them to brainstorm ways to create the money through entrepreneurship. This will inspire creative thinking and it will cause the entrepreneurial juices to flow.
10. Get the advantage by becoming a leader now
Children are taught in school to go with the flow and follow the rules. They are programmed to learn and memorize facts instead of becoming independent thinkers. Entrepreneurship forces children to think “outside of the box,” create unique solutions, and lead others. This will make your children leaders at an early age, and it will result in more income, opportunities, and self-confidence, in their lives.
How to teach: Give your children the opportunity to lead their friends in fun activities such as: Outdoor sports, book clubs, music practice, and small business projects. You can also encourage them to propose toasts and small speeches at family dinners and birthday parties to give them experience in public speaking!
http://www.inc.com/ss/duane-squires/10-steps-teaching-your-kids-become-entrepreneurs
1. Goal setting is vital for future success
Teaching your children how to set and accomplish their goals is a fun and exciting activity! Did you know that written goals are over 80 percent more likely to be achieved? Imagine the possibilities!
How to teach: Ask your children to define and write down their top 10 goals and then choose the one goal that would make the biggest positive impact in their life. That goal should be their main focus. Next, write down the steps necessary to accomplish this exciting goal and encourage them to start taking action on those steps immediately.
2. Kids must learn how to recognize opportunities
Many people never meet their full potential because they fail to recognize opportunity. Teaching your children to seek out opportunities and take action on them, will directly contribute to their level of future success.
How to teach: Praise your children for pointing out small problems or setbacks in their lives that cause them distress such as: soggy sandwiches at lunchtime or not being able to reach items on a high shelf. Brainstorm solutions on how to resolve their troubles. This will teach them to focus on creating positive solutions, instead of focusing on the problem itself. This habit will allow them to create profitable ideas in their future businesses.
3. Selling is involved in every part of life
This one ability will last a lifetime because it is applied to all types of businesses and careers. From selling products and services to customers, to raising capital from investors, this skill is vital to the success of any business.
How to teach: Encourage your children to start with small projects like selling their old toys, starting a lemonade stand, or selling handmade goods. Let them price their products, sell to customers, and facilitate the transactions when sales are made.
4. Financial literacy is a must
This is one area that we all could use help with. Teaching children about money at an early age will instill a financial foundation that schools often fail to teach.
How to teach: Give your children the opportunity to earn their own money through chores, their own small business, and helping you in your business. Teach them about paying themselves first and then giving back. Educate them about investing and how their money could be used to create more money in the future. Help them set up a bank account and learn about how to budget their income.
5. Inspiring creativity will build marketing skills
Teaching kids about marketing is a great way to prepare them to attract customers to their future business. As you know, without customers, even the greatest business will fail. This is a very beneficial skill to learn while young.
How to teach: Motivate your children to start observing marketing materials like billboards, promotional banners in front of businesses, printed advertisements in magazines, and television/radio commercials. Ask them what catches their attention about the message and also quiz them on how to identify things like: the headline, subheadline, and “call to action.” Encourage them to create their own marketing materials for their business ideas.
6. Schools are wrong about FAILURE
In school we were all taught that failure is bad. In the entrepreneurial arena, failure can be a great thing if a positive lesson is learned. Napoleon Hill, author of Think And Grow Rich, states that, “Every failure carries with it a seed of equal or greater benefit.”
Allowing your children to fail will force them to create new ways to accomplish their goals and learn from their mistakes. This will lead to confident children who know how to persevere when times are tough.
How to teach: This lesson is simple. When your children fail, don’t punish, but instead discuss what factors lead to the failure and brainstorm ways to prevent it from happening again in the future. Always seek to find the “learning lesson” in each adversity and encourage your children to NEVER give up.
7. Effective communication improves all relationships
Most children today are terrible at face-to-face and telephone communication because of the popularity of social media and text messaging. Successful businesses require that people actually speak to one another. Teaching your children to communicate effectively will provide them with the winning edge in business and in their personal relationships.
How to teach: First, lead by example. Teach your children to be polite and respectful. Most importantly, practice maintaining eye contact when speaking in person. When using the telephone, teach your children to speak slowly and clearly. A bonus activity would be to practice communicating to your children with e-mails. Do not allow them to abbreviate words and phrases, but instead, write grammatically correct sentences that flow together and convey a complete message.
8. The art of giving back creates happiness
Why start a business if it doesn’t support a greater cause? It is important for your children to develop the characteristic of helping others. This attribute will allow your children to stay humble during periods of great success and it will give them the insight that a successful business provides benefits to more than just it’s owner. People that contribute to the success of others live happy and content lives.
How to teach: When brainstorming business ideas with your children, ask them to choose a charity or special cause to support with a portion of the income that they generate. Explain the concept that all great businesses contribute to improving the lives of other people.
9. Independence creates confidence
Wouldn’t you love to have independent and successful children? Of course! The entrepreneurial mindset causes kids to depend on themselves for their own success, which leads to well-rounded adults and future leaders.
How to teach: The next time your children ask for money to buy their favorite toy, this is your opportunity to ask them to brainstorm ways to create the money through entrepreneurship. This will inspire creative thinking and it will cause the entrepreneurial juices to flow.
10. Get the advantage by becoming a leader now
Children are taught in school to go with the flow and follow the rules. They are programmed to learn and memorize facts instead of becoming independent thinkers. Entrepreneurship forces children to think “outside of the box,” create unique solutions, and lead others. This will make your children leaders at an early age, and it will result in more income, opportunities, and self-confidence, in their lives.
How to teach: Give your children the opportunity to lead their friends in fun activities such as: Outdoor sports, book clubs, music practice, and small business projects. You can also encourage them to propose toasts and small speeches at family dinners and birthday parties to give them experience in public speaking!
http://www.inc.com/ss/duane-squires/10-steps-teaching-your-kids-become-entrepreneurs
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