August 12th 2008
How can the manager help? In the new career, the employee is the star. It is his responsibility to take control of his career. It is his responsibility to look in the mirror and make sound choices based upon what he discovers. But what role should the manager play? She is no longer the gatekeeper, picking and choosing from among the most attractive, the most skilled, the most experienced supplicants. What is her role? Continue Reading »
August 10th 2008
“He was so pissed off, he looked like he was going to punch me.’You haven’t given me enough time. You got to let me have another shot.’ All that kind of stuff. But I know my people, sometimes better than they know themselves. I knew that Simon wasn’t a team person. I knew that he would never be able to build the total experience I wanted. Better to pull the trigger now, I thought, rather than letting things drag on, with him beginning to feel more invested and me getting more disappointed. Continue Reading »
August 10th 2008
More than half of American households (56 percent) bought flowers, seeds, shrubs, and trees for outdoor landscaping in 2003, down just slightly from 59 percent in 2002. Outdoor gardening is a passion for many, and a necessity for others. The American Gardening Association reports that 80 percent of U.S. households participate in some garden- related activity that usually results in the expenditure of money for tools, equipment, greenery, and supplies. Continue Reading »
August 6th 2008
With consumers spending more money on landscaping and their lawns, it is not surprising the purchase incidence of garden equipment, furniture, and decor is strong as well. Purchase incidence of garden equipment, furniture, and decorative items for the garden (i.e., garden hardware) was 42 percent in 2003, down slightly from results of 47 percent in 2001. Continue Reading »
August 6th 2008
Purchase incidence of furniture was the same in 2005 (41 percent) as in 2006. The purchase of furniture can range from inexpensive occasional tables and ready-to-assemble and unfinished furniture to major furniture acquisitions that are often bought on credit and paid for over time.
Personal consumption of furniture, including mattresses and box springs, reached $69.8 billion in 2002, up 3.2 percent over 2000 levels of $67.6 billion. Continue Reading »
August 4th 2008
No manager can make an employee productive. Managers are catalysts. They can speed up the reaction between the talent of the employee and the needs of the customer/company. They can help the employee find his path of least resistance toward his goals. They can help the employee plan his career. But they cannot do any of these without a major effort from the employee. In the world according to great managers, the employee is the star. The manager is the agent. And, as in the world of performing arts, the agent expects a great deal from his stars. Continue Reading »
August 4th 2008
B.Value world-class performance in every role: At strong companies every role, performed at excellence, is respected. If you want to understand the culture of a company, look first to its heroes.
August 1st 2008
To increase the effectiveness of your presentation, allow your audience to get involved: to question, clarify, or to redirect what you are saying. You can allow questions before, during, or after your presentation; each time has certain advantages.
This assumes your audience knows a good deal about your subject and has questions before you begin. By getting these questions out ahead of time, you get an idea of what people want to know and can reassure them that their questions will be answered during your presentation. It allows you to tailor your material to the needs of a particular group. Continue Reading »
July 28th 2008
Most of the suggestions offered to the manager/chairperson are aplicable to you as a group member. You just can’t be as directive.
July 26th 2008
Make people smarter! The abilities of real people delivering service to the e-customer services person will need to increase so they can add value to what the system already provides. If service representatives are left innumerate and illiterate, unable to organize, disaffected and reluctant, they will probably not add anything positive to the service experience. The bar is raised for those able to justify their involvement in the process. It has already started to happen.
Is there a future where we will go to one man to buy everything? A man who is wired into the complete network and is fantastically adept at manipulating the available tools to get us what we need. He may be able to serve and support thousands of e-customers because each needs personal involvement so seldom. Continue Reading »
