We cannot solve the problems of the future

Because we don’t know what they will be.  Think of all the jobs that exist today but did not exist 20 years ago. Now imagine the other side of the coin: with all the new opportunities we couldn’t have predicted, think of all of the challenges that we won’t be able to predict.  We can’t…

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You only need two things to meet your goals ✌️

Motivation and support.  When you have the motivation to do the thing, and the support to get it done, you have the perfect formula.  Motivation means willingness, but it is more than that. Motivation is also the excitement of doing the thing, it means looking forward to it and being a reliable party.  Support means…

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Did your employees mess up? It’s probably your fault.

Photo by Alice Achterhof on Unsplash

Raise your hand if you ever had a roommate.  Keep your hand up if you ever tried to pour yourself a glass of milk only to discover there were only 8 drops left.  So you tell your roommate to please add milk to the shopping list when they finish it, and your roommate answers: “I…

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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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The ten minute business plan

Let me start by pointing out that you will not write a “Business Plan” – big B big P – in ten minutes. Not something an investor or a bank would accept.  But you can write a preliminary business plan – small b small p – in ten minutes.  And that business plan will be…

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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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How to be specific and not too specific at the same time

Tell your employees exactly what is expected of them.  But don’t tell them what to do.  A client recently asked me how to balance these two instructions.  We were building role descriptions and she wanted to know how to be specific enough that people knew what to do but also open enough that she wasn’t…

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The quick and easy solution to business problems

She had a crack in her windshield. She decided she would go to the repair shop to have it looked at, but of course not today, she was too busy today. And not tomorrow, because what if they hold on to the car for hours and she needs it. At some point, when the opportunity…

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The two things that need to change

The new calendar year is around the corner. For many business owners, this means new plans, new goals, and new strategies. It means change.  But change is not a light switch you turn on the morning of Jan 1.  Change is a process.  How does change happen Change is hard. People are used to doing…

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Your next employee is exactly nothing like you

There are so many theories about how to decide who to hire.  Only hire somebody you’d want to hang out with on a weekend.  As well as Hire people who are completely different from you, and that you wouldn’t otherwise connect with.  And everything in between.  What’s a business owner to do? The hiring balance…

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