Nov 14
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You may have been selected by your executive to initiate and see through some change program in your organization. Or you may have decided that the time has come to make your mark by dusting off the cobwebs in your workplace. However your change role came about, you have a challenging task ahead of you.
Consider this sobering thought. In spite of the importance of successfully implementing workplace change for maintaining your business’s competitiveness, most change initiatives fail to deliver the expected organizational benefits. This failure occurs for a number of reasons: Read the rest of this entry »
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Nov 14
Business Networking - it’s a buzz word for today, but who wins? If two people network, do they both win? If both of them win, does the customer lose? Ideally, business networking should result in a win-win-win situation. And in most cases, that is what does happen. Individuals or businesses can network to provide enhanced services, faster services, and better talent to clients than either would have working alone. The client can belong to either business, or be shared by both. Clients can be an existing client, or new, or one that both individuals or businesses pitched together to obtain. Read the rest of this entry »
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Nov 13
As a leader in your organization, do you add muda or subtract it?
Muda is a Japanese term for waste. One of the prime tenants of the Toyota production system, to which much of that company’s outstanding quality and profitability can be attributed, is to reduce muda. The organization is built on constant striving to identify and eliminate anything that does not add value for the final customer. The Toyota processes are now used worldwide, often called LEAN processing. Read the rest of this entry »
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Nov 13
At first glance, big picture thinking and customer focus would seem to be mutually exclusive terms. After all, the first phrase connotes a farsighted, panoramic view of business, while the second implies an intense, laser-beam-like concentration on the customer. Yet as revealed in Magnifying Customer Focus: A Study of Current Trends and Future Possibilities 2006-2016, a global study commissioned by American Management Association and conducted by The Human Resource Institute, the terms are not only compatible, they are inseparable. Read the rest of this entry »
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Nov 13
Corporate Culture Defined
A basic definition of organizational culture is the collective way we do things around here. It involves a learned set of behaviors that is common knowledge to all the participants. These behaviors are based on a shared system of meanings which guide our perceptions, understanding of events, and what we pay attention to. As Sun Tzu, a Chinese military general from 3000 BC, indicated in his explanation of strategy, culture forms an integral part of any organizational strategy. Read the rest of this entry »
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Nov 12
by Don Blohowiak
“Think outside the box!” Heard, or passionately proclaimed, this odd imperative recently?
The trite “think outside” commandment confuses many people.
Some folks don’t understand the metaphor at all. They don’t know what their “box” is supposed to be.
Others decode the vague, over-worn phrase as: “Ignore our policies and procedures. We know they aren’t very good. But, frankly, management cannot do any better. So you’ll have to –while, of course, we hold you accountable for strictly adhering to current procedures.” Read the rest of this entry »
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Nov 12
When we go to work each day, each of us participates in a unique workplace community where we share common values with others while accomplishing certain goals. So why is it some people insist on criticizing others when those people are trying to uphold community standards? Read the rest of this entry »
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Nov 11
Companies think that once the sales person agrees to join their company that the goal has been accomplished. The truth is that this is only one more step of the process and there is still much work to be done.
It’s a great day at Newman Industries today! For the last month, they have been actively recruiting a hot candidate to join their sales team. Today, Steven Harmon agreed to join them. They see him as a true rainmaker. The recruiter and sales manager share high-fives. Mission accomplished! Spike the ball in the end zone. The job is done! The competition was fierce for Steven, but Newman Industries won. Read the rest of this entry »
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Nov 11
Enticing sales people who are not looking for a job to be receptive to another opportunity is challenging. The key is to figure out which of the two motivators springs them into action. Is it fear or greed?
I was never very good in science class which is probably why I’m not a doctor today. Yet, I remember vividly the exercise on heated atoms. The experiment started with a flask of water and a Bunsen burner. Read the rest of this entry »
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Nov 09
Let’s face it. We all have those difficult customers to whom we are required to sell. From the demanding, abrasive buyer to the individual who never seems to
make a buying decision, we encounter challenging people on a regular basis. Part of the reason this happens is due to the disconnect we have because of conflicting personalities. This article will look at the four key types of people and how to improve your results with each. Read the rest of this entry »
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