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Over the course of my business career, I have witnessed many business successes and failures, including some of my own. I have seen intelligent, knowledgeable people with great business plans fail and I have seen others less well equipped seemingly stumble into tremendous success. There have ... Views: 1570
Most individual or corporate mission statements contain industry buzzwords, are so complex that no one can recite them, and do nothing to inspire. The more elaborate it is, the less likely it is understood and remembered. Having a clear and concise mission statement for yourself and your Company ... Views: 2186
A virtual team is one that has members in different physical locations (e.g., buildings or countries) or working at different times (e.g., shifts). One of the major trends in business is to get work done, projects accomplished, or goals achieved via virtual teams. Yet studies have shown that ... Views: 916
Managers often find themselves playing the role of middle-man because that is what they are… in the middle. The go-between for higher management and the workers. You can see how this can present a conflict of interests. How do you represent the views of the upper echelon and protect the ... Views: 1629
“The secret of being boring is to say everything.”
- Voltaire, 1694-1778, French Writer and Philosopher
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There is a close association between personal charisma and success in life. Probably 85 percent of your success and happiness will come from your relationships and interactions ... Views: 1519
The country of Bhutan thinks differently. This country values happiness over productivity, as evidenced by their measurement of the Gross Domesic Happiness index. Recently, the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Jigme Thinley, pointed to the cause of the current economic crisis. His answer: "Greed, ... Views: 1475
There are three mistakes that an organization should avoid in relation to the strategic planning process. This article describes what these three mistakes are and what you should do in order to ensure you will avoid them.
The first mistake to avoid in relation to strategic planning is not ... Views: 2010
As small business owners and Entrepreneurs you know the constant challenge that comes with having to wear all the hats. It’s no wonder how easy it is to get overwhelmed and overloaded.
There is always so much, entrepreneurs want to get done, and they all seem to scream “now!” It’s hard to ... Views: 1592
In a recent conversation with a college professor friend of mine, he mentioned a growing phenomenon that occurs in most every one of his sessions with his students. He happens to teach Leadership and Organizational Development, and his classes include students in their late teens as well as ... Views: 1772
The courage that JFK displayed in facing down the Cuban missile crisis, that Churchill showed in fostering Britons’ courage to show a stiff upper lip in the face of Nazi bombing, that any leader musters when he or she reaches out for the right decision and the rest of the organization ... Views: 1092
I have recruited potential applicants for a variety of staff positions over the past 20 years. In the nonprofit field, organizations generally have limited budgets. This can result in lower salaries and a high turnover in staff members. If you want to attract qualified individuals whose ... Views: 2365
Negativity is the number one productivity problem in the workplace. Signs of negativity include backstabbing, gossiping, power struggles and lack of teamwork. The end result is absenteeism, low morale and turnover. Here are seven tips for improving workplace relationships and reducing ... Views: 4588
We have all heard of the ancient saying “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I’m sure that where you work you see and hear managers abusing their staff everyday. Or worse still, you might be one of them. Worse again, you might not even realize you are doing it!
There is no ... Views: 4331
Today, as competition for resources is fierce, nonprofits have to look beyond traditional fundraising strategies, such as applying for grants and contracts. Although there are a number of ways to raise funds, the purpose of this article is to focus on generating revenue through your ... Views: 1370
Most business executives talk about the importance of collaborating with others. When it comes to execution, however, their behavior often violates this espoused belief. Why? Because "getting things done" becomes a higher priority than "getting people on board."
Fearing being perceived as ... Views: 1492
If you have a website, someone will have to take care of it in a variety of ways. There’s a certain perception that a website either (1) does not need regular maintenance or (2) is easy-enough to update. I’ve run into a number of business owners who think that they can run, update, design, and ... Views: 1653
There are three mistakes that seem to occur over and over again: not preparing adequately, not taking calculated risks and not asking enough questions.
There is a lack of adequate preparation. It doesn’t matter if you are a quick thinker and do well with little research. Not preparing usually ... Views: 1769
Each week I travel the country speaking to groups of leaders at meetings and conferences. No matter where I go I’m asked the same question time and again by leaders ranging from frontline managers to CEOs , “How can I motivate my employees?” I’ve heard this question repeated thousands of times. ... Views: 1886
A lot of people face the risk of going on default mortgage every single day, and it is safe to say that the majority of them do not know what to do to fix this situation. Calling financial counseling hot lines will take much of your time without giving you the results that you ... Views: 1271
Like many of you, I spend a lot of time on the road in my “roving office” and enjoy listening to a variety of music and talk as I travel. Recently, “What’s Going On?,” Marvin Gaye’s 1971 social commentary about the environment came on and got me thinking about how common this phrase has become. ... Views: 1232
Years ago, when I was on the road as a sales executive, I worked for a company where the sales manager loved having what he called an 'emergency' business meeting.Sometimes he would call on a Friday afternoon telling me that I had to attend so to get to this crazy business meeting, I had to ... Views: 3602
Our 24×7 world has a rash … a rash of ASAP. It’s highly contagious and seems to strike from the top of the organizational chart and move down. Everyone has been afflicted by this rash and most have inflicted it on others.
By Any Other Name
Identifying the ASAP rash is not hard. Here is a ... Views: 1989
Why are you procrastinating? Why are you making excuses? Why are you never completing anything? Why are you putting off until tomorrow what can be done today? Do any of these phrases sound familiar?
We all procrastinate at one time or another. We all are guilty of letting our family and ... Views: 1145
We’re all familiar with the story about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; the person with two completely different personalities. Just as there are different types of buyers with different motivations, there are also buyers with different types of personalities. If you’re planning on buying a business ... Views: 1287
Every organization looks upon reputation as an essential business asset that needs to be built and protected and maintained in order to ensure that it enhances your brand value. That is why it has been observed that the companies use traditional disciplines of media and public relations for ... Views: 1124
Are you looking for ways to improve your team culture for the new year? Team building activities help build a purposeful team culture within your organization, so why not include a workshop in your annual kick-off meeting? One of the reasons companies have offsite team meetings is to not only ... Views: 1190
Web based school management software has been designed in such a way that it will cover all the needs of an educational institutions. Every single details and data about the school is well managed with the school management software along with the norms of the school. School management software ... Views: 1016
There aren’t many people who could say their opponents shed a tear at their funeral; however, that is reportedly what happened at the services for the late Edward Kennedy.
As with most current events, I found myself curious for the lesson(s) behind the story.
While researching Kennedy’s ... Views: 1520
If you are a manager, strong workplace relationships built on good communication will help you achieve success. Here are three practical steps you can take to make you a better communicator at work.
We all know people who seem to be natural communicators at work. They communicate confidently ... Views: 3725
Are you facing difficulties in strategizing on the contingency plans for your business? Are you not happy with the outcome of your business? Do you want good returns on your investment? For all these reasons, it becomes very important that you immediately hire the services of strategic counsel. ... Views: 720
Yin and Yang are the key concepts originated in Taoism in the 3rd or 4th century BC in China. Yin is usually associated with feminine energy, representing the reflective and introvert facets of activities or personality; whereas Yang, related to masculine energy, is referred to strength and ... Views: 1370
Keeping your pipeline of prospects full is no easy task. I'm not going to suggest it is. I talk to salespeople all the time and most say that prospecting is their number one source of new business. So if you are like most salespeople, one of your hardest tasks is simultaneously one of your ... Views: 855
Lying is stressful for the liar due to the individual’s need to monitor 1) their story, 2) eye contact, 3) facial expression, 4) tone of voice, 5) body position and movements, and 6) general attitude all at the same time. This multitasking makes it extremely difficult for anyone to keep track of ... Views: 2066
The Pre-Campaign Planning Study
By Norman Olshansky: President
NFP Consulting Resources, Inc.
All too often, nonprofit organizations jump into fundraising campaigns without proper preparation and without a well thought out campaign plan. Initial volunteer passion and enthusiasm ... Views: 2662
Tom Peters, alumnus of the management consulting firm of McKinsey & Company and one of today's best known and highest paid management gurus, first came to prominence in 1982 as he "knocked our socks off" with his eye-opening best-seller In Search of Excellence. This thought-provoking classic ... Views: 13870
The reality is that most of us in small business today barely make it through the top 20% of our to-do lists. We get tangled up in issues, emails, phone calls, drop-ins…the list is endless. We severely strain our relationships, miss important life events, and generally take care of ourselves ... Views: 1383
What do I mean by “Leadership with a small l”? I wrote about Leadership with a Big L for SelfGrowth.com http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Leadership_with_a_Big_L_-_4_Keys_to_Leading_When_it_is_Your_Job.html - that is being a leader when that is your job and responsibility to set objectives, map ... Views: 3804
Whether it’s a trainer, teacher, parent, politician or manager, great leaders are hard to come by. That said, being a great leader isn’t something that is unreachable; I believe that the very best and most memorable leaders amongst us should aim to have the following five qualities. ... Views: 3792
In today’s economy small business owners need solid information on productivity and time spent on revenue-producing tasks. More and more, employers are using tools to boost their profits and raise productivity. Time tracking software is a great asset to assist small business owners in tracking ... Views: 1337
As a small business owner focused on profits, looking at your daily to-do list can find you loaded down with many issues to tackle during your day. This can take you far off your primary profit course if you let it. After all, you have to handle customer service issues, respond to potential ... Views: 1162
"Managers tend to use compensation as a crutch. After all, it is far easier to design an incentive system that will do management's work than it is to articulate a direction persuasively, develop agreement about goals and problems, and confront difficulties when they arise." — Michael Beer, ... Views: 1405
Recently Harvard Business Publishing reported “The 10 Most Common Leadership Shortcomings”. Below are 5 of the 10 shortcomings you can avoid instantly by improving your communication skills. Your leadership abilities (and your job) could depend on how effective you are at motivating and ... Views: 3852
The hardest part about building a business from scratch is that you have 2 very big variables to contend with. One is the system and the other is the people building and running the system. Let’s talk about 2 big business startup mistakes that are often made and what you as an entrepreneur can ... Views: 1455
Theoretical scope
Mary Parker Follett (1868–1933), who wrote on the topic in the early twentieth century, defined management as "the art of getting things done through people". One can also think of management functionally, as the action of measuring a quantity on a regular basis and of ... Views: 12950
The Effective Leader works at building up and maintaining a series of Leadership Competencies which they use to do their job. By ‘competencies’ we do not mean ‘natural’ attributes, personality styles or skills. Competency is something, either natural or learnt, which is practiced and used ... Views: 3461
You have learned about stocks and how to invest in them. Now you need to learn about mutual funds and how to invest in them. A mutual fund pools money from hundred or even thousands of investors to construct a portfolio of stocks, bonds, real estate, or perhaps another security.
Here are a ... Views: 1267
If you've seen the movie Jerry Maguire, you'll remember the scene where Tom Cruise asks Cuba Gooding, Jr., "What can I do for you?" Gooding says, "Show me the money."
Many employers think that's the key to employee engagement. But any company that THINKS you have to pour money on employees ... Views: 1434
Most business people use the same level of skepticism about everything they consider. Some are always optimistic that things will work out. Some are always pessimistic. Most people are somewhere in the middle. When a problem selecting the right choice is difficult enough, you will probably find ... Views: 1262
Why many teams don’t work well together
Have you ever wondered why the team that you were on didn’t work very well together?
Many teams originally were set up to fail. In sports, you build teams from individuals with best achievements. In business, we hear many times, the sports analogy ... Views: 2003
Organizations need to change frequently. Some of these changes are externally driven by competition, economic considerations, legal changes, etc. Some are driven internally by increased need for efficiency and effectiveness, changes in personnel, new products and services, new technology, ... Views: 1341