“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 »
Business Management Blog
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 »
Becoming a Breakthrough Leader
When Bellrock is helping companies solve their biggest challenges, whether they are sales, operations, or people related, sooner or later someone asks how we know the solutions will work. The answer is simple. Best practices work (by definition) but the impact they will have is always determined by the strength of the leadership. The next… Read more »
3 Tips for Great Negotiations
A business leader like you spends the majority of their time negotiating. This includes Convincing customers that your offering will solve their problems Encouraging staff to supply that offering in the best possible way Ensuring contracts are fair to all parties Persuading investors your company offers the desired return Influencing regulators to support your vision It… Read more »
Answers to your Top Advisory Board Questions
High-quality, independent advice can have a significant positive impact on a business, yet Business Development Bank of Canada’s 2014 study of Canadian small and medium sized businesses found that 76% have neither an Advisory Board nor a Board of Directors. A Board is an excellent way to get ahead of your competitors. Here are answers to… Read more »
Better Meetings Today
In 2012, London Business School and Harvard Business School teamed up to study the “span of activity” of several CEOs.[1] This is academic speak for the question, “what do business leaders do all day?” Their findings concluded that CEOs spend 1/3 of their time in meetings. No shocker there. Communication is the cornerstone of any business’s operating… Read more »
How to Describe What You Do
Imagine that you have just been introduced to someone – at a party, a business event, or even a child’s soccer match. When you’re asked what you do for a living, what is your response? If you’re too vague about your job title, you might shut down the conversation, but if you talk too long… Read more »
3 Solutions to Leadership Team Doldrums
The strength and ability of the leadership team is an important predictor of long term corporate success. Teams are made of people, people are in relationships and relationships have a natural ebb and flow. Even the best leadership teams fall into slumps of sub-optimal performance from time to time. People get tired or complacent –… Read more »