The phrase “unprecedented times” has become a platitude at this point, and while this situation is unique, I believe that we can draw from past experiences to help navigate these new issues. Because while the current climate is new, having to manage under stress is as old as management. When I was first starting off […]
As we all keep going and the pandemic drags on, there’s a temptation to just “hang in there” until normal comes back around. But as many people have realized, normal isn’t coming back. The events of the pandemic have forever changed the ways that we live and work. And while that isn’t wholly good or […]
We hear it every day: The world is changing. And while the coronavirus has brought about perhaps the most obvious changes, the influx of new ideas did not start in 2020. It has been happening with each passing year, and it has drastically changed the way that we all work. This isn’t solely because of […]
Even in the best of times, change is hard. And it’s pretty clear that we’re not in the best of times right now. Many of us feel unsettled for any number of reasons, and we’ve lost our calm, quiet spaces. If you used to get stressed at the office, home was a place where you […]
For individuals running a franchise, it’s pretty easy to see if you’re maximizing your profits. Usually you can get information from your parent company and see how you stack up. Many times people working in a diversified industry can find a trade association to provide similar guidance. But if you’re operating something a little more […]
Inconsistency is among the most rampant problems in business today. And while I think a lot of us pay lip service to process, we’re not as good at applying it to our business practices. This is how so many otherwise good plans go by the wayside. Countless organizations establish annual or quarterly goals, and many […]
As we all learn to adjust to living through a public health crisis, I see the question of remote work popping up more and more. How do you make sure people are still doing their jobs? How much monitoring is too much? And how do I keep morale up when we’re all distracted by the […]
As a leader, you probably feel a strong urge to take control of this situation. After all, that kind of "take charge" attitude is what got you into a leadership position. But how do you control something that changes by the hour? How do plan and execute a policy when the ground won't stop shifting? […]
In modern business, it’s easy to get pulled away from where you really excel. Leaders advance because they’re good at their work, but managers have to become generalists. And that creates a problem. You see, generalists have a nasty tendency to gravitate toward areas where they don’t belong. They want to try every niche, and […]
As much as Nordstrom can attribute its success to quality products and good marketing, there is another unique feature that sets the brand apart: their customer service. Historically, Nordstrom was known to have some of the best employees with the friendliest attitudes. Now, this is a major, international company. How does something that big create […]
