Go past the initial request
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Behind the initial request the client has a real problem. It’s your job to ask enough questions to get to the real problem. The solution may be totally different.
Measure the Right Things
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What do you use to measure employee performance? For many years I worked in places where time was what I was paid for and so work time was what was measured. This became a problem when I’d see other people spending the day on Facebook and still getting paid. They produced nothing, but production wasn’t…
Doing the wrong thing faster…
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So you’re not getting business, but you’re going to ‘mixers’ and doing some other marketing pushes. A few leads come out of that effort but nothing that’s turned into real work yet. Of course the answer must be that you need to attend more of these events and do more of the current marketing things.…
You set the standard for your company process
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I once worked at a family run business which had many family members working at it. Both the founders (husband/wife) and their kids were there. Family businesses have some very unique challenges, like kids often get to step into ‘management’ roles at higher salaries than their peers, simply because they’re family. Their aptitude for the…
Just because it’s big, doesn’t mean you have to fill the cup
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On a recent trip to San Diego, I went to McDonald’s to have lunch. If you follow me on Twitter, this may surprise you, because you know I work out five days a week, ride my bike to work, plus go for 100-kilometer rides at least once a week. And if you know me, you…
The 18 Month Old Terror that Runs Your Business
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Taking care of an active 18 month old is often an exercise in stopping them from executing their latest plan for self harm. This means many things get started. A few things get finished in a hurry and almost nothing gets finished well. Don’t let that be your business.
Two Rules for Effective Meetings
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I talked recently about how much a meeting costs. So you know, I don’t really love meetings. At times they are needed though, and here are my two rules for scheduling a meeting. 1. A meeting must produce something. If you must book a meeting, there should be something that comes out of it. I…
Choosing Clients Shouldn’t be a Popularity Contest
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Do you remember back sometime — typically grade school — when you figured out that members of the opposite sex (or maybe same sex) were desirable? One day you woke up and those ‘cooties’ seemed like something you might want to have if it meant you got to spend time with that girl/boy. For me,…
From Start to Finish: The Guide to Your Freelance Business
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So you want to go freelance? That’s awesome — but it’s a lot of work. As you consider this shift in the way you do work, I’ve got some questions for you. What should you be doing in the months prior to going freelance? What about the first month you’re running your own business? Do…
June 2015 Reading
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Making Ideas Happen Get Making Ideas Happen on Amazon.com Get Making Ideas Happen on Amazon.ca We all have ideas, right? Some of them are good, and others merely part of a dream that’s forgotten with the first coffee of the day. The thing that differentiates successful people from the unsuccessful is not that successful people…
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