Business processes are usually born of necessity, and we value them highly. We pay top dollar for consultants to help optimize these processes, we integrate them into our structure, make them routine, and then we just...stop doing them. Take, for example, a conversation I had with a colleague. His organization had taken the time to […]
I’ve spent a lot of time in offices where the mantra seems to be, “Wait, why didn’t I hear about that?” For example, I spent decades in the newspaper industry, and the running joke was that we were in the communications business, but we didn’t know how to tell anyone in our building what was […]
I’ve been helping businesses fix their numbers for a long time, and most operations fall into one of two categories: You either have metrics that you watch carefully, or you don’t. If you’re not tracking some key items, it’s time to start. If you’re already tracking them, I’d be willing to bet that you’re watching […]
Assigning Work Is a Major Timesaver Whether you’re running an international business or working on a solo project in your home office, I’m positive that you can get more done while growing your team with better delegating. That said, delegating will always be easier for mid-to-large-sized companies. And there isn’t much of a trick to […]
How Great Leaders Motivate We all like to think of ourselves as great managers, but there are many disgruntled employees who might not agree. Even if you give a sincere, concentrated effort toward being a great manager, you still might fall short. If you feel like your efforts aren’t matching your managerial output, this is […]
Buzzwords: A Necessary Evil I’ve been in and out of boardrooms for longer than I’d like to admit. Over that time, I’ve seen a lot of phrases come, go, and circle back around again. I’m not a huge fan of jargon myself, but if you’re going to hear it, you’re better off knowing what it […]
A lot of business owners are confused when they’re faced with high employee turnover rates. There’s a perception that only mean-spirited or incompetent bosses have to deal with high turnover, but that simply isn’t true. It can affect anyone in any industry, and not always for the reasons you might think. It isn’t always hourly […]
Silverwind Enterprises partners Margaret and Doug Phares purchased the Professional Association of Résumé Writers & Career Coaches (PARW/CC). Initially founded in 1990 by sellers Frank and Vicki Fox, PARW/CC boasts more than 1,700 members who share professional insights to help hone the skills of all association members. It is the oldest and largest association serving […]
How to Tell the Difference Between What You Do and What You’re Good At Sometimes, the things that take up most of our time aren’t the projects that make money for our business. We get lost in side projects and daily processes instead of actually growing our business. I know I’m guilty of this too, […]
Is It Time to Look Outside Your Organization? Contrary to popular belief, bringing in consultants doesn’t mean you’ve failed to solve your own problems. You can be the most brilliant, innovative, and efficient business manager and still need a hand. Even Steve Jobs got stuck; it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. But before you start […]
