Throughout my life, I’ve struggled with failure. Not as a consistent result of my decisions or actions, but as a concept. I hate the idea of failing – and will do pretty much anything to avoid it. In my professional life, I’ve definitely failed more than a few times. Shipped a customer’s order incorrectly by […]
Read MoreEvery 3,000 miles, I get to make a decision – where to take my car in for an oil change. Typically, I take it to my usual place, so it’s kind of a non-decision. But on my most recent visit, their customer service was particularly terrible. The lure of this place was convenience. An oil […]
Read MoreI was once answering emails on the back of my husband’s motorcycle. It was a Friday during work hours and I didn’t see the harm in it. When we stopped, I called the office. “Is everything going okay?” My husband just shook his head. “Mary, you’re on vacation. Your customers will survive without you. Even […]
Read MoreTransparency is like Swiss cheese. Either you love it or hate it. For those who love it, the sharing (and over-sharing never ends). On any given social media platform, you know everything that’s going on in the lives of everyone all the time – even if you don’t want to. There’s a constant need to […]
Read MoreLike our Jill of All Trades mentioned in Part 1 of this series, Hiring for Tomorrow: The Set Up, finding qualified candidates is a lot more involved than posting an ad – especially so if you want someone that will stand the test of time. But before you cast your net, how do you decide […]
Read MoreThe people you’re working with today aren’t necessarily the people you’ll be working with tomorrow. They may be lured away by other opportunities. Or have to relocate because of their spouse’s job. Or maybe they just need a change. Turnover is an inevitable part of running a business. And, like it or not, its effects […]
Read MoreThis week, I’d like to play a game with you. But first, a little background.. I’ve loved icebreaker games for as long as I can remember. Yes, the initial awkwardness that is inherent to all “getting-to-know-you” games is, well, awkward. I don’t love that, but who does? But what I love is the challenge to […]
Read MoreIn business as in life, it is the responsibility of each generation to pass knowledge down to the next. Things like basic job functions are probably part of a formal training program. A company handbook most likely lays out all the policies and rules. And a new employee packet should have all the HR odds […]
Read MoreIt’s no secret that we’ve been growing. Beyond the new 160,000 square foot production facility that will be coming online in the near future, we’ve been adding staff to our Customer Loyalty teams. That means lots and lots of interviews. Now, I’ve been in my fair share of interviews, but never as the interviewer. When […]
Read MoreOnce upon a time, there was a company. They weren’t a giant corporation, but they weren’t a rinky-dink operation either. This company was just right. The just-right company spent thousands of hours researching, testing, and tweaking its products. They invested in technology to streamline processes and be a better customer resource. And at this just-right […]
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