Craig was a rising star in the company. He had so much energy. He always had a big smile on his face, and loved to laugh. And, he was skilled. He had only been in the field a few months but he was showing great potential with his technical and sales skills. Then, one [...]
I love sharing the best of what I have learned in my long life and career. Mostly, I speak about simple financial systems and UN-complicated business planning. However, in most of my presentations, the conversation settles on employees. You need some help if you are going to clean up your financials, set up great scorekeeping [...]
Oh, it breaks my heart when this happens: A good team member...leaves. A client of mine called and told me that one of his key team members resigned. Let's call the employee Dan. (Know that that's not his real name, and this story is a mashup.) Dan is a great guy and had been with [...]
Does it make you cringe to think about imposing the formal structure of an Organization Chart on your small shop? Fear not! The Organization Chart can be a wonderful tool. Recalling my many, many jobs, I can count on three fingers the number of times I actually knew for what I was responsible and to [...]
Yikes! I got spanked in a teleseminar the other day. I shared some thoughts about how to have the “difficult conversation.” You know the one…about hygiene and grooming. Best to head the issue off at the pass, so I offered tips for updating the Operations Manual and creating a culture of good manners. That’s a [...]
Recently I got this question from a concerned business owner regarding an employee: Dear Ellen, My one and only employee is always pushing the boundaries. He knows he is supposed to keep his uniform shirt tucked in. Today, he showed up with his shirt untucked. Even worse, underneath his white shirt he was wearing a [...]
