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We all struggle with the idea of when to change and how much. And when you’re leading a team of people, everything you do is magnified in impact – both positive and negative.
But there’s a key which helps give you some direction.
Know your foundation.
Read the rest of this entry »No doubt you’ve heard the term that’s been in vogue with entrepreneurs for a few years: Pivot your business.
As a skeptical outsider, it looks like an excuse for someone getting bored, who can’t commit to the hard work of building and running a company. And there is some truth to that.
But it’s not the whole story.
Read the rest of this entry »I needed the support of so many people to get through 2019! After being pronounced free of prostate cancer, I’ve had the chance to reflect on how important that was.
We don’t like to ask for help.
Especially in the business context, we want to present this image of professionalism. Having it all solved and sorted. Being in control.
Read the rest of this entry »This is SUCH a common phenomenon; I see it all the time. You’re busy doing a million things, but you’re in a fog about why.
Time to climb up above the murkiness, my friends.
And look at the big picture.
Read the rest of this entry »This is an insanely busy time for some of you, while others are taking the chance to settle back a bit and prepare for next year’s challenges.
But wherever you’re at, it’s always good to maintain perspective. That’s what leaders do, right?
Read the rest of this entry »I’ve noticed there are industries with “innovation fatigue.” Social media has been this way, with the rate of change going faster than people can absorb.
It wears people out.
The interesting part is that this rate of fatigue is different for each person and situation. I’ve been a tech geek for over five decades, so I tend to enjoy these innovations more than most people do.
But even I stopped looking for the ultimate word processor 25 years ago. I stopped investing in the latest and greatest laptops a bit later.
Read the rest of this entry »Last week I talked about the depressing race to the bottom. That’s a strategy of focusing on reducing prices over all other considerations.
When several companies do this at the same time, it destroys profit for everyone and can even kill an industry. We see this all the time.
Fortunately, there’s a different strategy you can embrace. It’s not any easier, but it sure can be more rewarding.
Read the rest of this entry »I’ve heard several reports recently which talk about companies doing everything they can to drive profit. And of course the quickest variables to fiddle with are cutting quality and cutting employees.
Cut expenses, then you can reduce prices, so you’ll gain market share and win more profit. Here’s the problem with that logic. In a competitive market with multiple companies doing the same strategy, you don’t gain market share (or profit) at all when you reduce prices. Not unless you can do that faster than the competition for some reason – but that destroys your profit.
Unless you have a magic wand, of course. Most people out here in the real world don’t have one. You just have a bunch of companies all racing to the bottom, where NOBODY is eking out any kind of profit.
Fortunately, that’s not the only way to play the game.
Read the rest of this entry »Some industries are getting more nervous.
Tariffs. Wars. Interest rates. Softer consumer confidence.
The question is what you choose to do with all this swirling information. Because it’s always something. If you want a reason to avoid committing to a decision, there’s always something you can blame it on.
Read the rest of this entry »We all feel blown around by events, I get that. The employee called in sick with no warning. That customer is being a total pain. You just found out that the health care costs will be going up next year, and a lot more than you expected.
When you’re reacting to each of these, how are you showing up? It’s a question that we often don’t think about – or want to think about.
But it’s in these daily interactions that you’re showing the real character of who you are.
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