Rethinking the CEO-Chairman Split (13 Jun 2006) Traditionally, in American businesses, the same person occupies the role of chairman of the board and chief executive officer, though this is gradually shifting to the European model. In most Europe...
Develop Your Managers and Keep Your Staff (13 Jun 2006) Following on from the last edition of The Organised Times where we spoke about developing the people in your business, this week we're focussing on the importance of the continual development of your...
Develop Your People and Make More Money (13 Jun 2006) What is the no. 1 asset in your business beside yourself? It's your people.Then why is it they often fall to the bottom of the list when it comes to doing anything to help them improve their performa...
How to Hire the Right People (13 Jun 2006) One of the biggest challenges any business owner or manager has is hiring the right people. I've recently discovered a simple, inexpensive yet very effective way which will help you get it right. Thi...
Five Defining Characteristics of Great CEOs (13 Jun 2006) 1. Personal insight. Great CEOs are great leaders. They know themselves and what they stand for. They have been called on all their lives as problem solvers because others know them to be fair and im...
10 Critical Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Consultant (13 Jun 2006) Talk to as many consultants as you can before hiring one. Even if you have one person or firm in mind, interview at least a few others as a sort of due diligence. You'll probably find that each inter...
What Consultants Want You to Know (But You Never Ask) (13 Jun 2006) I've been both a CEO and a consultant, so I've seen from both perspectives what goes right and what goes wrong when a consultant comes in to a company. Generally the CEO or the manager who hires the ...
Are You in AWE of Your Employees? (13 Jun 2006) Employers have become so concerned about seeming "unfair" or worse becoming the victims of lawsuits by unhappy ex-employees that they've stopped requiring minimum standards of employees. This can onl...
Five Essential Hiring Practices (13 Jun 2006) Recruiting and hiring are often done in haste, leaving the company to repent in the long run. Today, there's a reason to be concerned about negligent hiring. Negligent hiring means you and your compa...
Four Employee Behaviors That Can Kill Your Business (13 Jun 2006) I found it important to clarify for employees what "deal-breaker" behavior was at my company. These are the things I insisted would not be tolerated and would lead to immediate or ultimate terminatio...
What Your Employees Want You to Know (But You Might Be Afraid to Ask) (13 Jun 2006) This is a challenge for every company owner and manager. You have tremendous plans for growth and expect a lot of your employees. But do you know if the company is meeting your best employees' expect...
Five Steps to Increase the People Power in Your Business (13 Jun 2006) Take some bold steps and help your employees and business partners open up to real change and help them start thinking again to the longer term. Send a message that you are ready to commit to new way...
A Fast and Simple Way to Update Your Business (13 Jun 2006) You open your computer, the flashing button says, "We have a new update for your software program. Do you wish to update now or later?" You choose the Update Now button and immediately your compute...
Knowledge Management - Lessons Learned and How To Identify Them (13 Jun 2006) How can I ensure that my organisation is identifying "lessons learned" in an effective way - a way which makes their successful application more likely? This article, drawn from a best-selling knowledge management fieldbook by its author, identifies ten key steps involved in "learning after doing".
Knowledge Management - Creating a Sustainable Yellow Pages System (13 Jun 2006) How can I "know who knows" None of us can personally know more than around 250 people, yet we want our companies to be smart, learning organisations where it's easy to find the right person to talk to. This is why many organisations create "yellow pages" applications, which enable employees to find and contact other staff with particular expertise and skills. However, these systems can be fraught with difficulty in their implementation, and often end up as out-of-date, glorified intranet telephone directories. This article, drawn from a best-selling knowledge management fieldbook by its author, identifies ten key steps involved in creating and sustaining a successful, employee-owned yellow pages system.
Write Winning Proposals For Venture Capitalists (13 Jun 2006) Start-up companies need start-up cash. Venture capitalists have that money and since the tech crash they don't want to give it to you. Follow these tips so they open their cheque book.
Einstein - Definition of Insanity (13 Jun 2006) Insanity in the Sign & Graphics Industry Einstein's Definition Albert Einstein once said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". Thi...
Business is About Making Money (13 Jun 2006) Ask most people why they are in business and they will give you any number of reasons. Things such as wanting to improve the lives of others; make the world a better place; provide for their family; ...
Are You Using the Right Form of Energy? (13 Jun 2006) As we near the end of summer, here is a question I have for you, "Are you using the right form of energy to grow your business?" Are you having trouble growing your small business as fast as you wan...
