Building a successful client relationship is a painstaking process that takes deliberate efforts to create, nurture, and grow. It is a trusting relationship where both parties are viewed as partners. Except when it isn’t. What do you do when the client relationship is one-way, conflicts with the values of your organization, and is anything but…
“Meetings are a waste of time. I could get so much more done if I wasn’t always tied up in meetings.” These comments are wrong and right at the same time. Yes, they would be able to get more done as an individual without any meetings on their schedule. But would they be working on…
If you’re an entrepreneur, your “strategic plan” is crystal clear……. pursue the vision for your product or service far enough so that you can pay your current bills and fund future growth. It’s that simple. The focus must be on surviving before we can focus on thriving. A client of mine said “This talk about strategic…
Improving Efficiency or implementing Continuous Improvement may seem like a “hard” skill vs. a “soft” skill, but it’s not. It all comes down to the organizational culture you’ve built and where you plan to be in the future. I had a client say “I have equipment in my building that can run much more efficiently than it…
“I have a very talented employee who I make exceptions for because they don’t always model our values. I don’t know if I could replace them. What should I do?” I have been in this situation numerous times and have had clients facing this dilemma as well. Have you ever been in this position as…
A business plan is essential in determining if a new venture is worth pursuing. It counts the costs of a decision and the returns or payback that will be realized. Is there a tool that works well for smaller business decisions that come up on a more frequent basis? Decisions like……. Should we hire someone? Can…
A helpful place to start in answering this question is to first answer another…..“who are you as a person?” As an example, for myself, I’m a Christ Follower, Husband, Dad, Grandfather, Entrepreneur, Leader, and Encourager. When I was 25, my answer to this question regarding my work was very different from when I was 45. If…
I asked the client about the potential his business had for growth over the next 3 years. The business owner and founder surprised me when he said…..“I think my business is going to double in size every year for the next 5 years, but, I’m not sure what my next steps should be.” Having significantly…
Several years ago, I read an article with this title on how much cash the best-run public corporations had as a % of their annual revenue. Unsurprisingly, after setting aside financial institutions, the companies with the most cash were all tech companies, with some carrying close to 50% of their annual revenue in cash. Current…
What do you do when you can’t see the way out of the challenges you are facing? Why not take a shower! I’ve had some of my best thoughts, the answers to some of my greatest challenges, while I’ve been in the shower. Based on discussions with many others, I’m not the only person who’s…