If your staff don’t have clarity about what’s expected, they will imagine what you’re looking for. That may not turn out well
A professional came from the big city to a small town to build a cabin so he could escape the hustle and bustle of life, and set down roots where he could revive his spirits. His plan was to build a tiny house from the ground up. He asked around for help building his dream…
What vast amounts of alone time can do, if you’re lucky, is make you think about others
Apparently, the pandemic that’s gripping the world is also making many of us more productive. I know this because 14 marketing companies (I counted) have sent me emails over the past week telling me that while self-isolation might be lonely, it’s actually good for business. That, naturally, makes it good for me. In fact, it’s…
Don't just wait for the COVID-19 crisis to end. Take a look at your planning, profitability, team, systems and business value while you have time
When I was about four years old and playing cars on the floor with my brother Rob, my other brother Paul started making a funny noise. Looking over, I noticed that Paul’s face was a funny bluish colour, his mouth was open and inside I saw he had a wooden building block with the letter…
No matter how well your business is running, there’s always space for it to run more efficiently. Businesses are complex things, so there’s always the potential to improve processes and get a better performance out of your staff each day. For small businesses, boosting efficiency can make a massive difference, and there are some simple…
Will new ways of organizational thinking and working take hold or be abandoned as soon as the Coronavirus lockdowns are lifted?
The COVID-19 pandemic crisis has been with us for just a few months and we are just weeks or days into different degrees of lockdown globally but we already beginning to develop insights on the emerging possible futures of business, work and the workplace once we move beyond the current situation. Many entities have already…
For reasons outside our control, we’ve all been inconvenienced and challenged. This doesn’t mean we’re defeated. Here are 19 ways to get April started
There are 19 business days in April. Let’s make the best of them during the COVID-19 crisis. Take the time in your social-distancing work spaces to come up with 19 things you and your team can do to make a difference for your business, your staff and your community. Here are some ideas: Day 1…
Cuts in staff are often followed by a reduction in service, followed by a loss of more customers. It's a losing cycle
In 1988, I approached successful land developer Louis Matte to see if he would be interested in investing in a medical supply business. He told me he wanted to start a religious book store, but we could combine them and he would invest if there was an opportunity to add a business that was recession…
Increased productivity leads to a stronger competitive position, higher profits and better quality
Paying attention to productivity leads to better profits in one-third of the Canadian small and medium-sized companies that measure their overall productivity index. Seems like a slam-dunk, doesn’t it? But a 2016 survey of more than 1,500 Canadian entrepreneurs by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) showed that less than half of Canada’s small and…
Are you a manager who feels trapped, underappreciated, struggling with no sense of ownership or purpose? You’re not alone but there are solutions
How often have you seen management who look like they would prefer to be anywhere else but at their desk? Lately I’ve been working with a couple of managers of different organizations who are exactly in this position. They lack energy, having worked to exhaustion for the company. They’re starting to be short with their…
If an entrepreneur wants to manage their business and increase their profits, they need to focus on three types of customers
A few years ago I was talking to a clergyman who was struggling with declining church attendance. We had a discussion about the reasons for that and I was telling him that there was not much difference between a church and a business. To overcome his skepticism of my argument, I put it to him…