Posts Tagged ‘lessons learned’
What You Can Control: Three Steps to Effective Risk Planning. (The Worksheet)
Seen recently on a social media platform: “We don’t have a Plan B, to write a plan b would be to accept failure before we even begin.” If that sentence inspires you, please read on. Let me share why this is not a sound approach to business. Accepting failure Managing risk is not about accepting…
Read MoreFrom Goals to Gratitude: Better Goals For Devoted Clients. (The Worksheet)
“The secret to setting up the correct goals is to always tie your goals to your customers,” writes Pooja Agnihotri in her insightful book, 17 Reasons Why Businesses Fail. I agree. As regular readers will know: your business goals should address your 3 core pillars of Business Goals, Happy Employees, and Loyal Customers. The question…
Read MoreThe Secret to Business Goals That Work: Small Steps, Big Impact. (The Worksheet)
Writing goals should be pretty easy, right? I have an idea of what I want to achieve. So I write that down. And then I’m done. But it does make you wonder: Why do 61% of corporate leaders say they struggle to meet their goals (The Economist research)? Writing the wrong goals Because writing goals…
Read MoreStreamlined Customization: Exceptional Customer Experiences. (The Worksheet)
We talked about making the customer experience easy for customers. But what about making it easy for our employees? Employees should be able to get through the process easily. That saves them energy and time for what truly matters: customization, problem-solving, and creating a memorable experience. Making it easy Make sure your employees are well-trained…
Read MoreTough Talks With Employees: Question Your Way to Resolution. (The Worksheet)
Last week we agreed that your relationship with an employee is give & take: They contribute skill, talent, and motivation. You contribute structure, direction, and resources. But things still happen. Even great employees sometimes make mistakes. Especially if you encourage innovation and creativity at work, which you should. What now? The tough conversations At first…
Read MoreHow to write goals that matter… and that work (3/5) 👆
Last week you worked on the three questions you have to answer to write proper annual goals. But our work here is not done yet. Answering the questions is half the exercise. Now we have to structure those answers so they become more than ideas and hopes. They have to make a plan. Goals that…
Read More3 simple questions to write your best annual goals (2/5) ☝️
What if I told you 90% of senior executives don’t reach their strategic goals annually? That’s what research from The Economist Intelligence Unit has shown. They say it’s because of flawed implementation. But it’s hard to do good work on a goal if the goal is wrong to begin with. Much too often I see…
Read More5 Easy Peasy Ways to Let Your Clients Teach You Something New ↔️ (3/6)
There is another important way to keep your business innovative. It is a single, simple thing to keep in mind. And it is not about you at all. It is: always be looking for ways to make your clients’ lives easier. Simple, yes, but not always easy. Here are a few tricks you can use…
Read MoreFinding the Force: Continuous Improvement and Meeting Goals 🆕 (1/6)
A critical part of business planning is preparing for things to change. The better you can control that change, the easier it will be. How do you control change? Use a mission statement. It’s easy to innovate with a great mission statement. Stay on mission A good mission statement guides your employees. It guides their…
Read MoreCelebrate success: measure, plan, recognize good work 🍾 (6/6)
Don’t forget this step, in any part of your business. A powerful way to ensure more good work is to recognize what’s working, celebrate good results, and give the team the spotlight. Make sure everyone in the business knows when good work is happening. Measure customer satisfaction First and foremost. It is up to your…
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