Do Business Well

It is fantastic to have your own business, but the greatest thrill is to see your “baby” grow!

At last - you’re in business! But remember that even though you may have the best product or service, if it’s not properly promoted it will not succeed. Many entrepreneurs put marketing last on their list while it should be a priority; this is an important reason for business failures. But, there are various relatively inexpensive ways to promote your product or service. Let’s look at some examples. Continue Reading »

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If you ask around, you’ll find that most of your friends, family, and even office colleagues would like to run their own businesses. If you then ask them why they aren’t currently self-employed, or why they haven’t even begun to plan their venture, you’ll probably uncover a litany of excuses, from a lack of time to a chronically overdrawn checking account to simply not knowing what to do first. Continue Reading »

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The Clashes arising from differences in most relationships can be managed satisfactorily by this Method. Some conflicts, however, lack certain requirements necessary for success.

Personality Factors

When involved in ‘personality clashes’, we often conclude that the conflict is irresolvable due to the Other’s personality — the Bad-Person Illusion. In truth, certain personality factors can indeed impinge on the Method, making it less effective. So, some relevant personality factors will be mentioned as we list the eight prerequisites. Continue Reading »

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Low-Skill Mediation?

Many people are surprised by how little skill and knowledge are required of the mediator. Surprise may arise from the popular belief that the mediator’s personal abilities account for more of the results of mediation than is argued here.

On a cautionary note, however, I recommend that you at least be experienced in using the 4-Step Method in ’self-mediation‘ before undertaking a third-party effort. Although it is simple to understand, pitfalls can trip the new mediator that only experience can teach her to avoid. Continue Reading »

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Now that you know the difference between skills, knowledge, and talents, you can use these terms to throw light on all the other words used to describe human behavior—words like “competencies,” “habits,” “attitude,” and “drive.” At present many of us assume that they all mean virtually the same thing. We use phrases like “interpersonal skills,” “skill set,” “work habits,” or “core competencies” so naturally that we rarely question their true meaning. Continue Reading »

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It would be hard to overestimate the importance of standards. And by “standards” we are not referring to moral or ethical standards. We mean languages, symbols, conventions, scales. These are the DNA of civilization. Without our ability to devise and then accept standards, we could never have developed such a complex society.

Standards enable us to communicate. Each language is simply a shared set of standards. If you don’t share someone’s grammatical standards, and if you cannot agree on what certain symbols mean, then you can’t speak that person’s language. All communication, no matter what its medium, demands shared standards—just ask a Windows user who has tried to download a document from his Mac-bound buddy. Continue Reading »

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#2: WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOUR COMPANY?

Make sure that the outcomes you define for your people are in line with your company’s current strategy. Again, this sounds like motherhood and apple pie. But with the dizzying pace of change in today’s business world, it is sometimes hard for managers to keep track.

The key distinction here is between “mission” and “strategy.” A Company’s mission should remain constant, providing meaning and focus for generations of employees. A company’s strategy is simply the most effective way to execute that mission. It should change according to the demands of the contemporary business climate. Continue Reading »

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Getting focused on outcomes is one thing. Figuring out which outcomes _are right is something else entirely. So how can you define the right outcomes? Of all the things your people could be doing, how can you know which are the few things they should be doing?

Well, as you would expect, we can’t offer you a step-by-step solution. First, it takes a certain talent to hear the siren song through the clamor. Second, even if you have this talent, this talent to focus, to discriminate, then you will undoubtedly have your own way of deploying it. What we can offer you are some deceptively simple guidelines from some of the world’s great managers. Continue Reading »

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So, you have selected for talent and you have defined the right outcomes. You have your people, and they have their goals. What should you do now? What should you do to speed each person’s progress toward performance?

Great managers would offer you this advice: Focus on each person’s strengths and manage around his weaknesses. Don’t try to fix the weaknesses. Don’t try to perfect each person. Instead do everything you can to help each person cultivate his talents. Help each person become more of who he already is.

This radical approach is fueled by one simple insight: Each person is different. Each person has a unique set of talents, a unique pattern of behaviors, of passions, of yearnings. Each person’s pattern of talents is enduring, resistant to change. Each person, therefore, has a unique destiny. Continue Reading »

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“Everyone is exceptional” has a second meaning: Everyone should be treated as an exception. Each employee has his own filter, his own way of interpreting the world around him, and therefore each employee will demand different things of you, his manager.

Some want you to leave them alone from almost the first moment they are hired. Others feel slighted if you don’t check in with them every day. Some want to be recognized by you, “the boss.” Others see their peers as the truest source of recognition. Some crave their praise on a public stage. Others shun the glare of publicity, valuing only that quiet, private word of thanks. Each employee breathes different psychological oxygen. Continue Reading »

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