Directly or indirectly, solid relationships are a driving force in building sales. As consumers, we ask our friends and neighbors for vendors they recommend, with whom they have had a successful relationship. Word-of-mouth advertising is huge. Alternatively, we often gravitate to those vendors with whom we have had personal contact. The successful vendor might be…
Making decisions in business is a challenge. Financial viability, ethical concerns and more can come into play. From the simplest to the most complex, from the trivial to the critical, decisions are based on an analysis and weighing of available information. And there, today, is the rub. We have acdess to infinite amounts of data, available…
Career growth requires one thing – that you be promotable. For most of us, promotion is a desirable thing. It can include a wider scope of responsibility and authority, more challenging assignments, new opportunities and an increase in salary and benefits. Promotion is seldom automatic or random. There is a conscious decision made by a…
Business significance is a lot more than a healthy bottom line. Business significance is the answer to the question, “What is your purpose on earth?” Certainly profit is important; without profit there is no survival, and without survival there is no opportunity for significance. But significance extends beyond profit. Profit is the means, significance is…
What can we learn from the past several days, about hurricanes, humanity, and business? Lessons come from everywhere. We witness an outpouring of humanity, and are heartened. And we see the tragic impact of extreme weather conditions, and are sobered. As events unfold, what lessons can we learn from the powers of nature in action?…
What are your professional and business ethics? What will you do, and won’t do, and under what circumstances? In life, things are often convoluted. There are extenuating circumstances, and nuances that truly blur the line between absolute right and absolute wrong. Sometimes the choice is between two evils, and even the lesser of the two…
In business, integrity can be a hazy concept. You might affirm your actions and decisions are just, honorable and justified. You might see yourself as the model employer. Yet to an outside observer, and sometimes to society at large, these noble thoughts and actions might be seen as manipulative, biased and self-serving. The universe is…