If social media was a party, many of us would be headed home before it even got dark out. That’s because everybody seems to be talking about themselves:
“I’m standing in line at Starbucks.” “I’m starting my day with a hot cup of chai tea.” “I just dropped my kids off at school. It’s pouring rain!”
The most important question to ask yourself before posting anything is… Read More »
I remember one manager telling me that he once had worked for a different company, and was to receive a special award at the annual banquet.
He finished his shift earlier that evening and hurriedly drove over to the hotel where the banquet was being held. By the time he arrived… Read More »
If you’re like most business owners, you’ve probably spent some time thinking about your business goals for 2011. Or maybe, like many of us, you’ve made a few New Year’s resolutions about getting in shape, being more focused, or eating better.
And if you’re like most of folks, you came out of the gate with plenty of motivation. That first day back from the holidays, you were ready and rarin’ to go. You knew exactly what you wanted to achieve and you attacked your goal with gusto. Read More »
One of the biggest challenges facing small businesses these days is translating IDEAS into INCOME. Most organizations are fully aware of the need to come up with big ideas and many have sophisticated systems, processes and techniques for doing just that. Unfortunately, this is often where creativity and innovation meet a roadblock.
“Don’t you make the most money from working with clients?”
That was the question, Nina, my head of operations, and recent addition to my team asked. She’d noticed my hourly rate and assumed that with the $$$ amount that I charge for coaching that was where the profits were in my business. Read More »
Imagine showing up to work each day truly happy that you are there…getting energy from your colleagues, having fun in meetings, feeling like what you do counts. It’s possible. You can be happy at work and it doesn’t take much money, effort, or time – you just have to spark your small business creativity!
The creative genius is that part of each and every one of us who is stimulated – full of excitement, energy and ideas…the part of each of us that has a possibilities-oriented, “can-do” attitude and way of being that communicates to the world around us that anything is possible. Follow these simple steps and you will find more happiness in your work: Read More »
With the uncertainty in today’s economy, creativity is no longer a luxury, it’s a survival skill. Whether you are unemployed, underemployed, happily or unhappily fully employed, creativity is a skill that needs to be nurtured and developed to keep yourself in the game.
Most likely, no matter what you do, the economy has impacted you – at least on some level. Maybe you’re looking for creative ways to make ends meet or ways to stretch your hard earned dollars to work for you in an economy that is shaky, at best. Or, maybe you’re just looking for ways to more creatively express your talents and use your time. Either way, creativity is critical for survival in this new world economy. Read More »
I continue to talk with a number of small business owners who still think that if they just hunker down and just hang on a little longer that the economy will return to normal.
That is not going to happen.
As Thomas Friedman says in his book “The World is Flat,” the transition that the US is going through will be painful for many large and small businesses. The key is to take advantage of this transition and rethink your business so that it is positioned to take advantage of this changing economy. But, that will require changing the way they do things, and that is uncomfortable. Read More »
Of all the techniques available to people who work with others, building rapport is perhaps the most powerful. It can transform impossible situations into ones with potential and can allow you to connect instead of being like ships that pass in the night.
Here are 7 rapport-building techniques: Read More »
Have you ever considered the idea of letting your employees take charge of doing a job the way the way they think it should be done?
Let them put their creative talents to work. Most people use only a fraction of their potential brain power. Why not give your employees a chance to use more of theirs?
Avoid the philosophy, “We’ve done it this way for years, so why change a good thing?” That’s “dead end” thinking and often leads to frustration and complacency. Read More »
