Posts Tagged ‘problem solving’
Tough 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 MoreWhat you don’t know about… Advertising 📺
Advertising… that sounds big, right? Superbowl ads, Billboards, Times Square… In other words: big budgets and big business. Not really: advertising is for every business, big and small. To understand more about this often-elusive topic, I spoke with Matt Spett of Rebel Fox, an advertising agency present in Atlanta and Pittsburgh. Communication Matt explains that…
Read MoreGive the people what they want: the power of personal benefits 🎁 (2/5)
Humans are rational beings. But not too much. Around 95% of our buying decisions happen in the subconscious mind, not the conscious, logical mind, according to Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman. There is a scientific reason: our subconscious mind can process volumes more data than our conscious mind, so while we think we are considering 3-4…
Read MoreAre you building a culture of innovation in the workplace? 🔣(4/6)
I want all my clients to be great managers. All my clients want to be great managers. And that means that they know the difference between managing and micromanaging. In short: It’s not about being hands-off, but rather finding that sweet spot where your team feels supported, yet challenged to push the boundaries. The boundaries…
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 MorePut the client first when you talk about your business 🥇 (2/6)
Now that you’ve got an enticing mission statement, it’s time to talk about clients. Who are you serving on this great adventure? Explain the problem your clients have, and explain how you solve it. If you were a dentist If I have a toothache I go to the dentist. I have no idea what I…
Read MoreSome surprises are bad 😥: why your clients want you to be predictable (3/6)
It’s like that restaurant with great food and bad service. Providing great service isn’t enough. You have to offer it every time, and it has to be the same every time. If your clients never know what to expect when they call you, they will stop calling you. Have a plan Customer experience is part…
Read MoreThe best lessons are the ones we learn
There’s nothing wrong with things going wrong in business. Do you remember Apple’s first hand-held device, the Newton? No? That’s ok, neither does anybody else. Managerially the company did everything right and yet the product was a huge flop. But the brand didn’t disappear, and 13 years later they launched the iPhone, which quickly set…
Read MoreStop trying to stop making mistakes
Mistakes should never be your primary goal. If you know that something is the wrong thing to do, don’t do it. You don’t have to chase mistakes because they’ll happen anyway, regardless of your planning and precision. When we don’t make mistakes, we get to do things right. When we do make mistakes, we get…
Read MoreInnovation happens when you think inside the box: start with the everyday
Innovation happens when you are good at something you do… and then you do it a little bit better. Innovation matters because it ensures that you are always doing things in the best possible way. “Innovation is about tweaking systems that are already faring well”, according to Business News Daily. It’s the little changes you…
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