Simplicity matters. It’s that simple. Measuring ideas by their complexity rather than their merit is inefficient and wastes time and money. According to Jim Harrington, author of Business Process Improvement, the virtue of clear and simple communication is evident in the complexity of the following documents: The Lord’s Prayer 57 words Ten Commandments 71 words… [Read More]
Company Politics Hurt More Than You’d Expect
How much time and effort is wasted due to company politics? How much time is frittered away grandstanding during meetings? How many e-mails do people write to cover their behinds? How much time is wasted trying to look busy? How much time is spent justifying yesterday’s actions rather than making today’s decisions? How much time… [Read More]
Manage the Small Details
There’s no way to overemphasize the point that every impression is an important one. In Customers for Life, Carl Sewell and Paul B. Brown point out that customers look at everything in your organization as a sign of its quality. They ask themselves, “If that’s how they take care of their restrooms, how’ll they take… [Read More]
Reputation: You Can’t Run from Your Shadow
In a world where time is a precious resource, we often draw conclusions without examining all the information that’s available to us. We rely on shortcuts, such as someone’s reputation, to simplify the process. Did the job applicant have a good reference? What did my neighbor say about the contractor? How was the restaurant review?… [Read More]
Creating a Culture That Promotes Customer Satisfaction
If organizations want customer satisfaction, employees must learn the value of long-term customer relationships and understand the consequences of not properly servicing customers. They must abandon the view that customers represent immediate sales transactions and a quick buck. Instead, they must view customers as long-term relationships, keeping in mind the potential business that these relationships… [Read More]
Trust Me . . . Trust Me Not
Trust is the fabric that binds us together, creating an orderly, civilized society from chaos and anarchy. If we can’t trust our husband or our wife, if we can’t trust our children, if we can’t trust our boss or our colleagues, if we can’t trust our preacher or our senator, then we have nothing on… [Read More]
Leadership: Promoting Beliefs and Values
Because beliefs and values form the heart of an organization’s culture, great leaders never miss an opportunity to reinforce them. They know that once internalized, these beliefs and values affect the norms that influence day-to-day actions, determine what’s important, reinforce appropriate behavior, and change attitudes. How are you promoting beliefs and values in your organization?… [Read More]
Avoid Distractions
“Do you have a minute? I have a great idea.” “I have to turn this project in half an hour. Can you take a look at it for me?” “So, what did you think of the ballgame last night?” “I’ll call when I have a really strong investment recommendation, OK?” These are some of the… [Read More]
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