Would you recommend working for you?

Even better: would you want to work for you? I want you to be very careful when you answer this question, and make sure you are thinking of your business as it really is, not as you want it to be. Your employees work in the reality that exists today, tomorrow, and every day. Not…

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Does everybody know your mission statement?

If I ask ten of your employees what your mission statement is, how many different answers will I receive? And how different will they be from your answer? Use your mission statement Your mission statement is a tool. Use it.  I am aware that many people see it as a form of PR, a “nice…

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Are you living by your guiding principles?

Leading by example is one of the main points of leadership.  You may have noticed: it’s in the word.  To get the behavior you want from your employees is to be the person you want them to be.  They can see you We don’t live in an episode of Big Brother, but we are being…

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The 4 stages of a new hire (but only use 3)

Congratulations: you hired someone new!  And of course, they are the right person. Probably. Almost definitely. But, still, we need to have a conversation.  New hire journey First of all: of course you do. It will take everyone time to learn the job, the business, the culture, and even what to do when the coffee…

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How to give the people what they want: hr edition

“Organizations… are nothing more than the collective goodwill and aspirations of the people involved”. – Sergio Marchionne As a business owner, you are responsible for the collective goodwill, you are the vehicle for people to achieve those aspirations. You are, in short, responsible for a positive working environment.  The workforce solutions company ManpowerGroup did the…

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Hire the right person the first time

Hiring is difficult.  It’s complicated, and confusing, and will take a long time.  Here’s one way to simplify your hiring: start with essential skills.  What are essential skills?  Essential skills are the skills you need for the job but don’t have time to teach.  You can teach somebody how to use a hammer to hang…

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How to be a good leader: (hint: know when you should follow 😉)

One way in which people demonstrate leadership is by knowing when to be followers.  This was a lesson I picked up recently from listening to the McKay Interview podcast episode with Dr. Cynthia Cherrey and Professor Mike Hardy.   (If you want to both feel and be smarter, spend some time with The McKay Interview).  A…

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An introduction to company culture

It’s not really a “thing”, it’s more of a concept. An abstract we can talk about but not physically build. Right? No that’s not right. Culture is when we put ping pong tables in the office and offer beer on tap and relaxation pods. Right? Is it when I let all my employees work from…

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The three pillars of a sustainable business

When you search for images of an ancient Greek temple, most of what you see will have at least a foundation and columns remaining.  This image springs to mind when I think of a sustainable business.  The foundation is the mission.  The columns are the business pillars of happy employees, loyal clients, and business goals. …

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This one is all about you

Let’s talk about you.  “Best of the year” lists can sometimes seem a little self-indulgent. But really: when I am looking at the content you consumed the most this year, it is telling me something about you: what you are interested in, and what you are working on in your business.  So let’s get down…

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