Archives for July 2007
Put Clients First
The most successful businesses forget about the business at hand and concentrate on the client. Many businesses spend too much time trying to improve the business practice, focusing on where the revenue will come from next month or what new campaign to run. The best practices realize all their business goals are […]
Use Three-act Planning
The best practices understand the necessity of planning in three acts: the past, present, and future. Great businesses have cleaned up the past, have a system to reliably handle the present, and are freed to focus on the future. The future must include a clear, compelling vision that pulls the team forward. […]
Stop Distractions
Great businesses know they must support the strengths of the partners by keeping them involved in money-making activities. They create systems to avoid or reduce distractions. Recent studies have shown that a distraction (phone call, E-mail, walk-in, etc.) requires 15 minutes of refocusing, on average, for a person to regain concentration. Eight distractions […]
Hire Based on Skills, Not Tasks
Most businesses hire based on a person’s knowledge and experience in performing specific tasks. The problem is that we each have a very specific skill set. Some people are more analytical and others more creative, some relate better to people and others to paper, some like details and are […]
Have Team Supported Vision
Great businesses have a strong vision that team members understand and buy into completely. Lack of team buy-in is a major problem for small teams and organizations. A compelling vision must be realistic, worthy, benefit all (partners, employees, and clients), and involve each employee’s participation. The more a team member is […]
Remove What Does Not Work
Peter Drucker encouraged businesses to examine all their systems, products, services, tools, and technology on a regular basis to make sure they continued to deliver. The business then improves or eliminates the ineffective item and replaces it with something that does meet or exceed expectation. A practice that is not […]
Why are some businesses substantially more successful than others? After two decades of observing and working with some of the most productive teams in North America, I notice several distinctions. The best teams realize that every firm handles the big things with the same skill. Paperwork, execution, and delivery are almost equal in each company. […]
