You are as Strong as Your Weakest Link

Just as we are products of the environments we were raised in, we are also products of our workplace. Employees are products of their bosses; therefore, they tend to be as dependable as their bosses and why not? All managers and owners should lead by example because they will reap what they sow.

For example; if you treat your employees in a bad manner, they may in turn repeat this behaviour to anyone in the workplace, including you. The boss is responsible for establishing workplace morals and culture. Be mindful of the way you mold your employees. They are what they’re taught!

Always make a plan and follow through with it. Change is something that is needed when something needs improvement. Change is not something we practice in business on a daily basis. It makes for turmoil, confusion and a lack of interest in your changing endeavors and leaves no room for branding your business which is the foundation of your business culture. Without culture (branding), your business will fail.

Getting back into the swing of things, I am accepting up to 4 clients per month for leadership coaching. Leave a text 702-610-7558 stating you want to schedule an appointment and I will contact you at my earliest convenience. Thank you

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I Continue to Preach Culture

Business culture is the foundation of your business. Without it, your employees have nothing to follow or be truly accountable to. The best businesses have their own culture…or label if you will. What do you think of when you hear Levis? You think of durable jeans that have been around for a long time and maybe the red tag and that 501 jeans have buttons.

You must be able to equate your name with images and feelings. From this you have something to offer and then you can equate your name with good or bad experiences. Let’s press for the good ones! A culture in business cannot be changed or you will fail. You may add to it, but you have to be consistent with your culture. That is why it is the foundation. You keep your culture…never change it! You build on a foundation, rather than change it.

For example; if you own a restaurant and your clients love your food because of the chef, then you change chefs and let him do things his way, there is a possibility that you will lose business. Some folks may absolutely love the new chef but others may not. That small change can make or brake you. Here is another example. I am a DJ (among other things) and I like to play a specific genre of music. It may take a while to find those who like my music and that is OK. I am being true to my culture. If I change and play music for others that has nothing to do with my taste, then how do you know who I am? I may begin to get followers and the change will inevitably result in loss.

Do you remember the saying, “You are what you eat” and then it was, “You are what you wear.” In business it is you are what your culture is. Once you have made a culture, you cannot go back without failure. If you must do this, you must take time to see what your issues are, and then build rather than change on the mistakes that you have made. There is no other way. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Take one thing at a time. Take time to be successful. Set yourself up for success and not failure. Be open to suggestion from those who have more experience than you in any matter. Social intelligence is the key to leadership but it also helps any type of upper management.. Set goals and ensure they are realistic. Take an idea and run with it until you get the results that are needed. Remember; if YOU cannot be accountable for your business, your employees cannot be held responsible either. Your culture and realistic goals are key. Make a plan and stick to it or no one else will (employees and customers).

You are the Creator of Your Life

You are the Creator of Your Life. Let’s start creating!

A Quick Post Regarding Leadership vs Managership

Many times in the workplace, it is apparent that some managers think they are leaders. Now, I will pose this question as it has been posed many times and holds significant standing in the literature. Is an individual a leader because s/he is a manager?

I am going to be brief because you can find an article on this topic on this blog here. According to many sources as quoted on the article (not here) leaders are born with certain traits and these traits cannot be learned. Leaders are born with certain tools that make them successful leaders.  Tom Donaldson, a Wharton School professor maintains that , “A course on ethics is not like a polio vaccine.” Please read the entire article to learn more about how leaders are born and NOT made.

You will probably be interested in another article called “Sociability” because leaders also have a trait, a fine tool called sociability which encompasses social and emotional intelligence. :}

One Wrong Move: Do not do it

A shrinking planet does not in any sense equate to a shrinking corporate responsibility. We must be responsible for our business decisions. People know what they like and you are the bearer of no counterfit without the knowledge of your counterparts. So, do yourselves a favor; be real, be kind and put yourselves in the shoes of your clients and potential clients. One wrong move can make the are now and the potential… enemies who have the ability to use their word of mouth capabilities to bring you to ruin!

Good Customer Service Goals: Virtual Clients have Faces

In this day and age with the advancement of technology, we have become a global community. In other words we are a shrinking planet. This does not mean that some aspects of our culture have to change. Obviously, we have had to make some changes but things like sharing experiences with our clients and maintaining relationships with them should not change at all. In fact, it is beneficial to maintain relationships when you are doing business online in order to gain as well as maintain trusting relationships with consumers as well as your employees. When you run a business in the brick and mortar world you create customer service goals. When you have a business in the virtual world you still have a business and you still have clients so why woud you ignore the fact that customer service goals are not still required, and in fact more important than ever before? Business requires that many things are put in place, such as image, branding and certainly good and personal customer service. Please do yourselves a favor and treat clients as if they still have a face in the virtual world. It is not just about treating them like they have a hand…you know, the one that reaches into their pockets for credit and debit cards to pay you! Remember that their hands are attached to the same thing their faces are attached to, their bodies. Their bodies also have minds and hearts and these two things decide if they will return. 🙂

Your Image: Branding

The most important thing a business owner and his managers should focus on is image. This is where branding comes in. You are sellng YOU. You are your image and your image is carried out by not only you, but by your employees. Each and every employee speaks for your company so they are actualy selling YOU as well. This can have positive as well as negative results.

You have an idea, you decide you want to own a business. That is great…what are you going to do next? You have to bring your ideas into manifestation. You brand yourself…who are you? What are you selling? Are you honest? How will you handle your clients. How will you find your clients?  Who are you? Why would they choose your brand over others? What sets you apart from the rest? There has to be something that sets you apart from the rest. If not, you are just another cheerio in the box.

It is time to think outside of the box and become your own brand. With this branding and the culture you create comes training. After you hire people and train them to implement your culture and sell your brand…they become the brand. They become YOU. Or at least that is what we have in mind.

The next round of questions you should be asking yourself is:

• have you branded your employees?
• do they understand who they are?
• was your training effective?
• do you have an evaluation program?
• how do you measure branding and culture  implementation?
• how are you treating your employees?
• Who is your mentor? In other words, who have you chosen to give you feedback about the way you treat your employees and how effective your leadership is?

Nuture Your Business

If you have not thought about nurturing your business as you would a new born baby, then it is time you begin. When you begin a new business, you are giving birth to it. Why do I say this? You plan its inception, prepare for it to arrive and then roll out (deliver) when it is ready.  At the very beginning, you must nuture your business by ensuring it has what it needs in order to grow and flourish. This blog exists because it is important to help leaders, managers and business owners stay on track with the nuturing of their business. Giving birth to and running a business is a process.

Community is built

This website is conducive to bringing the business community together. We have to MAKE culture and this is no easy feat as culture is sewn by people . A community is built with all of its constituent parts and these parts include but are not limited to people; ideas; policies; laws; business and activities. It is my intent to bring together business communities from across the globe. The topics for this section are Building Community; Making Culture and Branding. As your business is a sub-community and an extension of the culture of a larger community, it is important to discuss how we implement culture across the corporation. Corporations such as Jack in the Box and say a chain of convenience stores create a goal and intend to maintain a culture, and this culture is implemented throughout the chain. In many cases this goal may be achieved, however; the unfortunate truth is that this goal may not be reached due to a lack of good management and leadership. In fact, if the tools are not given to managers by owners and their representatives, these goals cannot be sought out, implemented or maintained in any one store.

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Mingling

Tonight I am building networks by “making culture” across the net. How can people know YOU if they don’t actually know you? How can people trust you if they don’t know you? Mingle about the web and make people aware of who YOU are. This is a great tool to aid in growing your business.

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