Posts Tagged ‘company values’
Don’t Be Perfect: Be Valuable
Analysis Paralysis is a real and insidious. The problem grows because we tend to speak in terms of necessity: I need more information; I need more preparation; it has to be perfect. My suggestion to you today is that you focus not on being perfect, but rather on being valuable. What is Perfect? That is…
Read MoreYour Number One Priority in Business
On a recent flight, I finally paid attention to the welcome message telling me that my (and my fellow passengers’) safety was the airlines number one priority. Wait a second, I thought. Then how will you get me to destination? We all know that in many forms of transport, the safest option is usually to…
Read MoreDifferent is Good – or Italy vs France
The last month or so of posts all stemmed from considering Italian cooking and its similarities to good management. Italian food is common, popular, and often adapted to new locations and tastes. However, in Italy itself there are about half the number of Michelin-starred restaurants as there are in France. And Italy is ok with…
Read MoreHow to Build Strong Business Values
Values are all about self-reflection. The good news is: you have complete control over your corporate values. There are few things in business over which you can claim to have full control. But values is one of them and that makes it essential to your strategy. The bad news is: we often get lost in…
Read MoreExamples of Basic Competencies
For many years we have been struggling with the definition – and correct appreciation – of soft skills. Basic Competencies are a useful replacement. Many employers find “soft skills” too vague: when it comes to actually evaluating and choosing a new employee they prefer a material selection process; something to which they can point with…
Read MoreTechnical Skill or Cultural Fit?
Neither. Equally important: Both. When hiring, most companies tend to focus on one or the other of these options as a priority. And indeed both must be considered. On the other hand, at some point you have to choose which consideration outweighs the other, and either answer presents its limitations. Technical Skill – The Good…
Read MoreTraining versus Coaching
Training and Coaching are two words often used interchangeably. Most companies have some form of training, and a consequence of the confusion between these two terms, is that they do not also add a form of coaching, thinking it is all already done. Let’s start with definitions. What is the difference? Training is, in essence,…
Read MorePlan for Change
“Predictions are hard, especially about the future”. Regular readers of the blog will know about the importance of adaptability in business. There will always be things, beyond your control, affecting how you do business. The only constant is change As you adapt to new circumstances you simply tell your employees and clients that you have…
Read MorePractical Mission Statement Examples
Thank you to Russel Earnest of Shirt Sleeves Solutions for pointing me towards the Inc.com article Walking the Talk: How to Turn a Mission Statement into Sales. Russell and I had been discussing the uses of mission statements, and he kindly saved and shared the print article with me. I have written in the past about…
Read MoreHire Wisely
In the last few blog posts I discussed the importance of defining a Market Opportunity and controlling Cashflow in order to build a successful business. My original post mentioned a third reason why new businesses fail: hiring the wrong people. You write up a job spec, send it to the appropriate networks, get some CVs…
Read More