Do Your Employees Trust -- or Merely Tolerate -- You?
By Jay Forte Thursday Apr 8, 2010You say you want the best from your employees. You want them to freely challenge, think, invent, offer and respond. You want them to take risks because, down deep, you believe that a day without a screw-up is, according to Tom Peters, a day without enough reach. You want them to do pull out the stops and consistently do amazing things for you customers. So let me share some of the management behaviors I have seen when employees take initiative, make mistakes and try to do big things for customers:
3 Fixes for Change-Resistant Management
By Paul Diamond Thursday Apr 1, 2010Many business leaders can find excuses for why their company hasn’t changed, progressed and grown recently. But excuses won’t lead to a more engaged staff, better customer service, new products and more profit. While there’s no "one-size-fits-all" model for corporate success, seasoned leadership and management trainer Bob Prosen suggests that strong leadership can overcome the crippling habits of change-adverse organizations.
Today in Small Business: Never Agree to Arbitration
By Eric Reyes Thursday Apr 15, 2010In today's roundup of Must-Reads in small business stories from around the web, learn why arbitration is no longer a good way of resolving disputes, why it's important to distinguish your business model from your business plan, why equity compensation isn't a great idea — and more:
Manager's Dilemma: Saying 'Thank You' to Employees
By Jay Forte Monday Apr 26, 2010The staff has been cut back. Several key benefits have been taken away from all employees. This was required to respond to a recession-imposed slowdown in business in this privately-owned, family-style restaurant, along a busy state highway. Cars drive by but not as many stop.
To Reenergize Employees, You Need to Reconnect
By Jay Forte Wednesday Apr 21, 2010In previous posts, I talked about how recession-weary employees are hunkered down, doing just enough to keep their jobs, and why this is a recipe for business disaster. I also offered some tips on how managers like you can reenergize workers — and motivate them once again to strive for greatness.
The Critical Difference Between Loyal and Satisfied Employees (and Customers)
By Jay Forte Wednesday Mar 10, 2010In a great Op-Ed piece titled,"The Emotion of Reform," NY Times columnist David Brooks writes that unless a political party is passionate about an issue, it just doesn’t advance the issue’s progress. Republicans seem dispassionate about health care reform; Democrats seem dispassionate about helping small businesses. What each is passionate about takes all their attention, time and focus. What they are dispassionate about never seems to go very far.
Today in Tech: The Best iPad Apps for Business
By Eric Reyes Tuesday Apr 20, 2010In today's Must-Reads in technology stories from around the web, discover the top business tools for your new Apple iPad, a cost-benefit analysis that will help you make the right technology investments, software that will help you leverage positive customer feedback on your website — and more:
5 Steps to Becoming a More Authentic Leader
By Paul Diamond Thursday Mar 18, 2010Are you ready to change leadership habits that erode your creditability? Dictatorial, bureaucratic, opportunistic, competitive and appeasement styles of leadership just don’t inspire employees to give their best to a company.
Small Business Pessimism Defies Upbeat News
By Bruce Phillips Wednesday Apr 21, 2010The viability of small businesses around the country continues to be a serious threat to the economy, according to the latest record-low readings from the most respected measure of small business health, the National Federation of Independent Business’ Optimism index. The March results continue 18 months of consecutive, record-low readings of small business sentiment — and the reason's aren't entirely clear.
How Small Business Wins in Health Care Law
By Bruce Phillips Tuesday Mar 30, 2010The benefits of the new health care law on small business owners vary significantly by company size. Who stands to gain the most? The ones who are significantly motivated to start (or upgrade) an employee health plan. Frequently new businesses cannot afford health insurance. The new law provides great incentives, especially for the 4.7 million small business owners with fewer than 10 employees who don't currently offer health insurance. Let's break the advantages down by company size: