Delegation

Push Problem Solving Down

Once you’ve identified the real issue of a problem (by using the People, Process, or Profit framework), what do you do next? First and foremost, don’t just solve it yourself. As a manager you are probably very good at solving problems and putting out fires. You’re ready and willing to jump right in, get the … Continue Reading

Same Problem Different Day

Same Problem, Different Day?

Clients often ask if, with our other clients, we see the same issues that they are experiencing. The answer is yes, we do. The most common complaint we hear from clients is that no one at their company seems to “get it.” They’ve helped their employees solve a problem “a thousand times,” yet it keeps … Continue Reading

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence is the Key to Your Success

I’m sure you’ve heard the term Emotional Quotient (EQ, or Emotional Intelligence). It’s been a buzzword for a while now. But do you understand its importance and why you should care about it? EQ is important because it’s what separates the high performers from the low performers. Travis Bradberry, of TalentSmart, has done the research … Continue Reading

Tight Labor Market

Employees Are Hard to Find. What Else Is New?!

Today’s low unemployment rate is spurring lots of comment about how hard it is to find employees. It is difficult to find employees, of course, but in my experience, great employees have always been hard to find. Great employees are those who truly make a difference to your business. The ones who can raise the bar … Continue Reading

Annual Reviews

Stop Holding Annual Reviews

Annual performance reviews. Everyone’s least-favorite time of year. Whether you do this burdensome task at the end of the calendar year, or the fiscal year, or if you wait till each employee’s anniversary date, you know they’re coming and you dread their arrival. Not only are formal performance reviews time-consuming and disruptive to your normal … Continue Reading

Fear of Hiring

A Made Up Word, But a Real Fear

Every manager has, at some point, worked with an employee who was not cutting it. They were not a good match for their role which led to poor performance. And every manager has let those employees slide, at least for a while. Why is it that even though problem employees are easily identified, action to … Continue Reading

Management Training

What Your Dogs Can Teach You About Management

People often joke when a newlywed couple gets a puppy that they’re just practicing for when they have children. And they’re right, because dogs are great “training wheels” for becoming a parent. But they can also be great training wheels for becoming a manager. Your pooch can teach you a lot about management. Here’s an … Continue Reading

Management Style

Watchmaker or Beekeeper? It makes a HUGE difference.

Low morale, low profits, lack of staff engagement, high turnover, rampant gossip – all these problems can be attributed to a company that’s being led by either a Watchmaker or a Beekeeper. Care to guess which is the type of leader whose company suffers these troubles? If you guessed Watchmaker, you’re right. Why? Watchmakers, as … Continue Reading

Team Alignment

How Aligned is Your Team?

The real obstacles to a company’s growth are often hard to identify. They are frequently issues that affect multiple areas of the company. They may look like seemingly simple issues at first. But once you’ve solved the superficial problems, there’s still no relief. That’s because you didn’t get to the heart of the underlying issue. … Continue Reading

Baron Schwartz CEO

Congratulations Are in Order

Congratulations to all of the award winners from last night’s CBIC Gala, but a very special congrats goes out to our client Baron Schwartz of VividCortex! Baron was named the 2017 Entrepreneur of the Year. Baron is always looking for new ways to improve and grow both the company as a whole and himself as … Continue Reading