Getting good feedback from customers and employees is vital for any business that expects to grow. Without knowledge, business leaders can not make educated decisions. Uneducated decisions lead to a higher rate of failure, which can have detrimental impacts on a business. Without high quality information, a business owner is flying blind.… Read the rest
There are many important steps to consider when developing a business plan for your 
company, but the first step is to fully understand the main uses of a business-plan. The four main uses of a business-plan are as follows:
Having worked with and been a part of a number of non-profit boards of directors, we have observed a range of involvement, producing a wide range of results. Some boards were highly organized and had very little involvement with the day-to-day activities of the organization. Others were more loosely organized but served functional roles, like fund raising, within the non-profit. To better understand the effect boards have on the success of organizations, we joined with Springboard International to conduct interviews the CEOs and Board Chairs. These leaders represented local, regional and national organizations. The complete results of this work is available in a white paper entitled, A Conversation about Board Engagement on our website: http://plangoals.com/offer/.… Read the rest
Associates CorporationIn real life many people get stuck in a professional or personal position where goals are defined for them. The result is frustration where no one feels fulfilled and the goals often are never reached.… Read the rest
To achieve a goal, there is a process that you should implement. This process is to streamline and analyze your objectives. Begin at the very beginning at the smallest, specific part. These are the most important steps to take to meet the guidelines. An objective is a way of knowing what action or plan is to be taken and identifying the expected results. This plan provides a set of directions so that making the decision will not be as complicated as when the goal is just being considered.
Peter Drucker documented a book published in 1954 entitled Practiced Management where in MBO, which stands for “Management by Objectives,” was introduced. This is a program that consists of simple, but very useful processes in order to meet commitments in an organization.… Read the rest
Non-profit organizations rely heavily on volunteers to perform a number of important roles. They may serve on their board of directors, on an operating committee, in a staff role, or help with an annual event. Unlike a commercial organization where the employees are motivated to a large extent by wages and salaries, non-profit volunteers contribute for non-financial reasons. It is important to understand the leadership tools which can be used to properly motivate these valued contributor’s.
American psychologist Abraham Maslow developed a model which is known as the Hierarchy of Needs. His theory is that there are several levels of human needs where each lower level needs to be satisfied before the next higher can be realized.… Read the rest
In our discussions with business leaders, they often express frustration with the inability of people in their department or company to work together without distracting conflict. They say:
Overcoming these issues is never simple, but the common approach is referred to as team building. This approach is often accompanied by direct types of game planning, where team members participate in a variety of activities. The games are helpful exercises, after which a facilitator helps the group discuss the lessons learned. We have used this technique on several occasions and we find the results interesting.… Read the rest
Our clients are often asking us to find better ways to motivate their staff. They are trying to get them more involved in a new challenge or are considering a financial incentive to spur productivity. They may be trying to encourage new ideas or overcome seemly insurmountable obstacles. Carolyn Dewar and Scott Keller provide us with several ideas in their Harvard Business Review Article, Four Motivation Mistakes Most Managers Make.
Making Change HappenRealizing a compelling vision often means change, accepting new perspectives, and abandoning old habits and techniques. Many times the necessary changes require doing things differently. Lofty aspirations may involve outsourcing, merging, building strategic alliances, partnering, or acquiring other resources or organizations. It could mean selling off pieces of existing business that no longer fit strategically. It could involve restructuring your organization. What does it mean to you? There are tremendous risks in maintaining the status quo and doing it because “we have always done it that way.” It means that there is no longer validity in the expression, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” The operative phrase today is, “How can we make it better?”… Read the rest
You may be a member of a civic club or company which has operated in the same way over a long period of time. You may have observed that your club membership is not growing and maybe even shrinking. In the case of a business, sales are not what they once were. You may feel as though you are trapped and need to make some changes but you sense some resistance. To quote Mac Anderson and Tom Feltenstein, Change is Good… You Go First.
Creating change in any organization is difficult. As that organization grows and becomes more successful, the leadership which made it successful is replaced by management, who intend to maintain that success. That maintenance is the management of the status quo.… Read the rest
There are many ways to improve the way you communicate. For example, you will always start things off on the right foot by opening the conversation in a way that creates mutual respect. Using phrases such as, “If you have a minute, I’d like to talk with you about something that I think will improve the way we work together,” helps set your conversation partner at ease. It tells him or her that you have positive intentions.
It is also important to know your purpose for the conversation. Some purposes are more useful than others. A useful purpose is one you have power over. For instance, you can control your own reaction; you can share your view; learn about your partner’s view; work toward a sustainable solution.… Read the rest
Effective leaders are known for being excellent communicators. Here’s what to do.
1) Avoid “Not.” Negative talk encourages arguments, counter attacks, and attempts to solve your problems. It also creates a negative impression. For example, when you say, “I can’t,” you appear helpless and ineffective. Instead, talk about what you can do and what you want.… Read the rest
In working with businesses and organizations of all kinds, I hear the same concerns everyday:
Even if you aren’t thinking about or concerned with every one of those questions, I’m sure at least one of them has kept you up at night in the past.… Read the rest
Killing MotivationWhether your organization is composed of employees or volunteers, their motivation is your responsibility. An Air Force General once told me that whenever he found a base where there was a lack of morale, his first action was to replace the base commander. An old German saying is, “the fish smells from the head” and this must be true in the military. Lolly Daskal recently suggested 8 Deadly Ways to kill Employee Morale. These provide a good starting point from which to consider this subject.
Every so often a group become infiltrated by someone with a toxic personality. Their negativity interferes with progress and team building. A skillful leader will quickly determine whether the personality can be managed or if it is worth the effort.… Read the rest
Several weeks ago we participated in a weekend retreat sponsored by our local Rotary District. The session is entitled RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) and was attended by over ninety high school juniors from across southeastern North Carolina. These students were selected by their high school counselors not only as outstanding students, but leaders in their schools. During several sessions on leadership, we explained the processes that we had implied in the business and military environment, but these presentations seem to fall short of their expectations. These students were the leaders of student organizations and Clubs and were trying to understand why their members were not following their wishes.
Great teamwork is one of the most important keys to your company’s success. The more harmoniously people work together, the better it is for your company. Teamwork is the way that things get done these days and if you don’t have a cohesive team, you’re seriously handicapping your company out in the marketplace. Team building is necessary for success because it’s unnatural for people to come together in a new group and immediately begin to get along. Throughout history, building a team has been the function of shared experiences and history. When that experience and history is lacking, it’s difficult for a group to share a common vision and goal, or to function together in a way that promotes the best qualities of each team participant.… Read the rest
“For what we’ve discovered, and rediscovered, is that leadership isn’t the private reserve of a few charismatic men and women. It’s a process ordinary people use when they’re bringing forth the best from themselves and others. Liberate the leader in everyone, and extraordinary things happen.”
– James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, The Leadership Challenge: How to Keep Getting Extraordinary Things Done in Organizations.… Read the rest
There comes a day in the growth of a business or organization where the owner or founder must hire people with the expectation that they will help to contribute to its growth and success. This is true whether the hire will be working in the shop, taking orders at the front counter, writing software, or managing a part of the business. So often the entry of this new employee results in negative results. The manager and the new employee are frustrated and disappointed. With this hiring, comes some new skills which the leader must master to produce the desired results. Let us start with the assumption that the interviewing and selection process was done well and the new employee arrives for their first day on the job.… Read the rest
To be more responsive to customer needs, emphasize customer satisfaction, develop closer relationships with their customers and flatten the management structure, some companies have adopted Customer Teams or Customer Focus Teams. These are cross-functional, customer focused teams that exist to provide customers a one-stop shopping service.… Read the rest
It’s no longer enough to be good, you must be exceptional. It is no longer enough to have satisfied customers, you must seek to develop a loyal and delighted customer base. It’s no longer enough to maintain. You must be aggressive, responsive, and quick. Your challenge is getting everyone on your team or in your department committed and focused on achieving organizational success. As an effective team leader, your role is to build the best, strongest, most productive team possible. Your team or department’s results, or lack thereof, will be in direct proportion to the cohesiveness of your team.… Read the rest