Category: Business
Does ‘culture’ really mean ‘just like me’?
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As you grow your business, consider that there are two main ‘types’ of organizations that are common: The homogeneous organization, where everyone has the same experience. The diverse organization, where…well, everyone has different life views and experiences. Which one do you want? Which one do you think has the highest chance of really changing your…
Just Ask That Question
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In a book I read years ago, the title of which is now lost to time, one of the key takeaways went something like this: If you have a question, it’s likely that other people in the room have the same question but they have been there too long to ask it without feeling like…
Marketing isn’t slimy, it’s crucial
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I know that most of us feel marketing is slimy. It feels as if we regularly go around telling everyone how awesome we are. Over time we may begin to feel like our heads will barely fit in any room we enter. Let me ask you a question, though: If you don’t tell anyone what…
This is your last task in a meeting
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While I really dislike meetings in general, they are necessary on occasion. Sometimes, the most productive — and efficient — way to figure a project out can be to get everyone in the room for a bit and hash out details rather than sending 1 million emails for weeks. But have you ever left a…
Run a better company by adding a 5-15
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I’ve talked before about how I email clients at the beginning and end of every week. I really hope you’ve started to do that with your own clients. This simple action will pay off big-time, because your clients will think you’re awesome since you take such good care of them. Let’s now take this a…
Are you the productivity bottleneck?
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As people who run teams, we should be helping our teams run well. They should be productive and equipped with everything they need to keep the ball rolling. Some of you may be like me — you like to see things written down, with clear dates and tasks assigned to you. Some of you hate…
What are your standard operating procedures?
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One of the big things that will affect the efficiency of your business — and perhaps even your ultimate business success — is how well you’ve standardized procedures and repetitive tasks. I’ve created some standard operating procedures to remove the decision-making process around repeated tasks or habits, and streamline my days. Stuff like: I don’t…
Lack of trust is a hiring problem
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Last week, I was talking with an agency owner who is having trouble with his employees. At least in his eyes, the trouble is with his employees. The main issue is that he doesn’t feel he can ‘trust’ them with a project without his direct oversight every day. I just can’t trust them to do…
The grass is greener where you water it
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I’d like to change the old saying, “The grass is always greener on the other side.” Whenever someone says that to me I reply with: No, the grass is always greener where you water it. Of cycling and arms If you didn’t know I’m a cyclist then you must not follow me on Twitter. I…
You need to talk to ALL the decision makers
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One of my 8 core questions on a project is: Who are the decision makers that will decide if this project moves forward? Once I know that, I require all the decision makers to be part of my introduction call with the prospect. This is a crucial step you can’t overlook in your client vetting/pitching…
