People can’t live up to your expectations if they don’t know what they are. Yet a breakdown of this communication is often the root cause of any failure to accomplish a goal. Managers are always telling us: “This can’t continue, but I want to give them a fair chance. How do I know if it’s… Read more »
Business Management Blog
The Art of Leadership
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Improve Your Communications Skills with the Four Tendencies
One oft-ignored rule of engagement when it comes to communication is that its goal is to receive other people’s meanings and have them receive yours. Many people don’t realize how much they communicate is affected by the way a message is delivered. If your message is square you can’t force it into a round hole…. Read more »
Are You Cyber Secure?
Cyber Security is among the most misunderstood and under-appreciated risks to smaller businesses today. Leaders think, “Why would they attack us when Sony and Target are so ripe for the plucking!” But did you know that in 2013, the US government notified 3,000 companies of all sizes that they had been hacked – and Verizon… Read more »
The CrossFit of Personal Goal Setting
What do you want next from your life? About a quarter of my practice involves working with people who are at a crossroads and having a tough time articulating where to go next. These are accomplished business owners that have achieved success – financial success, family, friends, health – however you want to define it…. Read more »
Worried About Staff Turnover? Face the Fear.
“Can I just book a few minutes with you? It’s important.” Some leaders dread these words. A little attrition is good for an organization, but key people (and any people if the company is small enough) leaving a company can cause inefficiency, disruption, decreased morale, quality issues…not to mention the majority of the work getting… Read more »
The Best Laid-Plans and Changing Your Mindset
“The best laid-plans of mice and men often go awry.” This line – adapted from “To a Mouse” by Robbie Burns – summarizes a poignant reality of being a business owner: that things can, and will, go wrong. You can’t call yourself a business leader until you’ve experienced at least one of these doozies: A… Read more »
A Case of Organizational Change
The discussion of the best way to structure a given organization sometimes causes lively debate here at Bellrock. Recently we assessed two organizational structure options for Division B, a $20 million / year business unit in a $200 million/year company. The division’s co-founders, John and Paul, have very different skills and orientations. Their shared leadership… Read more »
What is a Leader?
There are so many ways to define leadership, but these three are worth pondering. Wait! Before you do, take a moment to consider the question: What is a leader? How you define leadership will directly relate to the actions you take as a leader. One Quality All Leaders Share The simplest definition of leadership can… Read more »
Disrupt Your Business Before They Do
Reviewing results and improving the processes that led to them are hallmarks of “continuous improvement” in many organizations. TQM, 6 sigma, ISO, even job costing and budget variance reports – these are all processes designed to take a look at what you did, the results you produced, and then take action to do it even… Read more »