Leadership

Fix the problem, not the blame. It is far more productive, and less expensive, to figure
out what to do to fix a problem that has come up than it is to waste time trying to decide
who's fault it was
Manage the function, not the paperwork. Remember that your job is to manage a
specific function within the company, whatever that may be. There is a lot of paperwork
that goes with the job, but don't let that distract you from your real responsibility.
Tell people what you want, not how to do it. You will find people more responsive
and less defensive if you can give them guidance not instructions. You will also see
more initiative, more innovation, and more of an ownership attitude from them develop
over time.
Don't DO Anything. Your job as a manager is to "plan, organize, control and direct."
Don't let yourself waste valuable time by falling back on what you did before you
became a manager. We know you enjoy it and you are good at it. That's why you were
promoted. Now you need to concentrate your efforts on managing, not on "doing".
Get out of your office. Management By Walking Around (MBWA) does work. You
make yourself more approachable. You get information first-hand. You find out what's
really happening
Lead by example. If you ask your employees to work overtime, be there too. Just
because company policy allows it, don't fly first-class if your associates are in coach on
the same plane. Be a leader - it's tougher than being a manager, but it's worth it.
Delegate the easy stuff. The things you do well are the things to delegate. Hold on to
those that are challenging and difficult. That is how you will grow.
Don't get caught up in 'looking good'. "Work happily together. Don't try to act big.
Don't try to get into the good graces of important people, but enjoy the company of
ordinary folks. And don't think you know it all. Never pay back evil for evil. Do things
in such a way that everyone can see you are honest clear through."
'Quality' is just conformance to requirements. You get the behavior you critique for,
so set your standards and then require conformance to them. Quality will come from
that effort, not from slogans, posters, or even threats
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all
yourself.
Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals. Goals you set for yourself, or others, should be Specific,
Measurable, Achieveable, Realistic, and Time-based.
Set an example. "One of the most significant parts of a manger's job is for them to
become a positive role model that can pull a team together and deliver the level of
service expected from their customers."
Know Your GPM. In engineering, gpm is gallons per minute, a design criterion. In
Management GPM is an acronym for Goals, Plans, and Metrics. To achieve your goals,
you must first determine what your Goals are. Then you have to develop a Plan that
gets you to your goal. Finally you need Metrics (measurements) to know if you are
moving toward your goal according to your plan.
Train Your Supervisors. The key to your business success is the productivity of your
employees. The key to employee productivity is their perception of their immediate
supervisor. Invest in training your supervisors and managers. It will pay off.
You Can't Listen With Your Mouth Open. Your associates, your employees, your
suppliers, your customers all have something of value in what they have to say. Listen
to the people around you. You will never learn what it is if you drown them out by
talking all the time. Remember, the only thing that can come out of your mouth is
something you already know. Shut up and learn.
Practice what you preach. To lead, you have to lead by example. Don't expect your
people to work unpaid overtime if you leave early every day. Don't book youself into a
four star hotel on business trips and expect your employees to stay in the motel off the
freeway.
Leaders create change. If you lead, you will cause changes. Be prepared for them and
their impact on people within, and outside, your group. If you are not making changes,
you are not leading.
Don't Limit Yourself. The difference between leaders and managers is that leaders do
not set limits on themselves. There are enough people trying to limit what you can do.
Don't be one of them.
Anyone can steer the ship in calm waters. What will set you apart in your career is
how you perform during the tough times. Don't become complacent and relax just
because things are going well. Plan ahead for the downturn.
You have to make a difference. The group you manage has to be more effective, more
productive with you there than they would be if you were not. If they are as productive
without you, there is no business sense in keeping you on the payroll.

Personal development

Be on time for ALL your appointments. If you schedule a meeting, set a time to visit
with a client, or tell a friend you'll meet them for a working breakfast you have to be
there at the time you set or you will lose their respect. If your dispatcher tells a client the
serviceman will be there at 1pm, make sure he is. It's just common courtesy, but it will
really help your business.
Stop and smell the roses. Believe it or not, you will do a better job with your business
if you let your mind wander once in awhile. Take a break. Recharge your internal
battery. When you go back to work you will be more creative as well as less stressed.
Be Careful Who You Step On On Your Way Up, they will be there on your way
down too.
You Are Not Smarter Than Everybody. You may be smarter than anyone, but you
are not smarter than everyone. Seek input from the group, and LISTEN to it. You will
be surprized at what you can learn.
Get Involved. If you think you are too busy to get involved in civic and charitable
activities, you don't know what you are missing. The greatest reward is the personal
satisfaction, but you will also make a lot of valuable contacts.
Do Your Homework. Whether it's a proposal to a major client or a meeting with the
Shop Steward of a union, you will do better if you are prepared. Collect the facts, think
the problem through, talk to the others involved. Take the time to do the "up-front"
work and the "downstream " work will be easier and more rewarding.
It's not how hard you work, it's what you get done. Anybody can work hard, and
most people do. The really successful people focus on accomplishing results not on
effort expended
Focus your energies. There are a lot of demands on your time, but your time and
energy are limited. Focus on what is important to you and do that first. It is better to do
a few key things well than to do lots of things, but none of them well.
Work On Your Weaknesses First. In any position or job you find yourself, there will
be things you do well, some you do okay, and some you don't do so well. To improve
yourself, and increase your value, work first to improve in those areas that are your
weakest.
Dare to Dream. You can't move forward if you are always looking back. You can't find
new solutions if you believe 'it can't be done'. Have the courage of your convictions and
go after it.
Bussiness
The lack of a succession plan kills most family businesses. You can have your heirs
run the business after you. Or you can place outside managers in some or all key spots
and just leave ownership to the heirs. Having a plan is more important than what the
plan is. Seek guidance from an impartial counselor.
Appropriate technology can help. Use technology to automate repetitive, mind-
numbing tasks. That frees up people's time for creative and problem solving tasks. Do
not reverse them.
It is easier to save a dollar than to earn a dollar. Every dollar you don't spend is a
dollar you don't have to earn to achieve the same profit level. Invest as needed to grow
the business, buy what you need, but don't spend without forethought and a good
reason.
"In every business there are a handful of key success factors. Define them, organize
the business to acheive them, and make them your no.1 priority everyday!"
Don't be an ostrich. Even the best run company can be blind-sided by external events.
Stay aware of what's happening in your industry and to your clients. Watch world
events that could effect your customers, or your suppliers. Don't worry about every
potential problem, but keep your eyes open for the ones that do develop
Identify All of Your Stakeholders. It is important to know who all of the individuals
and groups are who have a stake in what you do. Learn who they are, what they expect
of you, and how they will measure it.
Business is not a tightrope. Remember that running a business is not a tightrope
walking act. For one thing, you are not in this all alone. For another, nothing in business
is a straight line like a tightrope.
Don't Get Lost in the Steps. Stay focused on what it is you need/want to accomplish.
Don't focus on the steps involved. Be more concerned about your ultimate goal than
about any individual step along the way.
Structure follows Strategy. When you develop your company's internet presence, or
any other part of the business, remember that what you want to achieve (Strategy) has to
drive the design and implementation (Structure). Don't get it backwards and let
technology obscure the business purpose.
You get what you pay for. Yes it is an old saying, but it is still true. Whether you are
paying for machinery, software , advertising, or people you ultimately get what you pay
for. Always buy the best you can afford. Quality always comes through.
Appearance Does Matter. It may be a sad commentary on our superficial society, but
appearance does matter. Whether it's the packaging on your product, the first impression
you make when calling on a new client, or your company's web site people notice how
things look. They care about how things look and make judgements about you and/or
your product based on appearance.
Change Or Die. Your business must change to survive. As much as we wish it would,
nothing stays the same. Some industries change faster than others. Some markets are
more fixed. To stay in business, you need to watch both and change as they do, or
before.
You can't "cost cut" your way to greatness. Cutting cost is, at best, a survival
strategy. To get better you need to invest - in people, technology, equipment, etc.

Motivation

Want More Innovation? If you want more innovation from your people, let them
know that their employment is secure, even if their job changes. People worried about
losing their jobs tend to find ways to stretch out the work, not innovative ways to do it
better.
Don't Be A Demotivator Your job as a leader is to get and keep your people motivated
and working toward the common goal. Demeaning them, to their face or to others,
erodes their motivation. So does dismissively telling them that their ideas "are stupid".
Watch your own actions to be sure you aren't defeating your own efforts by
demotivating your people.
Your greatest resource is your people. You can have the best, high tech, equipment
available. but, without the people you have no business. Treat your people with the
same, or greater, care as you do your equipment.
Keep the flame alive. When people join your organization they are all fired up and
ready to do great things. Over time we all too often wear down that enthusiasm. Instead,
do what you can to fan the flames of their enthusiasm and you will be amazed at their
output.
Listen to your employees. It doesn't make any sense to spend all that time and effort to
find and hire the best people if you are just going to ignore their input.

Don't Spray The Apes. How to avoid organizational paralysis.

"Start with a cage containing five apes. In the cage, hang a banana on a string and put stairs under
it. Before long an ape will go up the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as the
ape touches the banana, spray all apes with cold water. After a while, another ape makes an
attempt with the same result - all the apes are sprayed with cold water. Then turn off the cold water.

"Now if another ape tries to climb the stairs for the banana the other apes will try to prevent it even
though no water sprays them.

Now remove one of the five apes from the cage and replace with a new one. The new ape sees the
banana and tries to climb the stairs. To his horror, all of the apes attack him. After another attempt
he is again attacked. He knows now that if he attempts to climb the stairs he will be assaulted.

"Next, remove another of the original five apes and replace with a new one. The newcomer goes to
the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm.
Again, replace a third of the original five apes with a new one. The new one makes it to the stairs
and is attacked as well. Two of the four apes that beat him up have no idea why they were not
permitted to climb the stairs, or why they are participating in the beating of the newest ape. After
replacing the fourth and fifth of the original apes there are no longer any apes that have been
sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no ape ever again approaches the banana. Why not ??

"Because that's the way it's always been around here."

That is how policy begins!!!"

People Aren't Mushrooms. Mushrooms grow very well when kept in the dark and fed
horse manure. People, on the other hand, function better when they are kept in the loop
and given straight info.
Get your people involved. It's a lot easier to get employees to stand behind a company
decision if they have the opportunity to participate in the discussion. Management still
has to make the decision. but if they have had the opportunity to make their point of
view known employees are more apt to stand behind the ultimate decision, even if they
don't agree with it.
Actively listen. Listen to your customers, your employees, your suppliers, and anyone
else who comes in contact with your business. Honestly evaluate what they have to say,
without letting your ego get in the way, and you will probably learn something that
benefits your business.
Quality customer service is based on three essentials: respect, value, and a human
approach. When you first apply these to the way you manage your own staff, you will
be able to apply them towards Customers

Marketing
Your biggest business challenge is your competition. They have to take your
customers to survive or grow. How are they going to do that? How can you stop them?
How can you steal their customers? Don't wait for it to happen. Start preparing NOW.
Follow Through on Sales Promises. Don't let your sales people make promises the
company can't meet. If they tell a customer they can have 100 gross of widgets
"tomorrow before 10", they better be sure that many are already in the warehouse.
Nothing loses customers faster than broken promises.
If you're not #1 in your market space, define a new market space in which you can be
Number 1.
Move your Receptionist. In many companies the receptionist is in admistration. Smart
companies recognize the impact the receptionist has on the company's image as the first,
and most frequent, contact a customer or potential customer has with the company.
They move the receptionist into the Marketing Department.
"Early to Bed, Early to Rise... Work Like a Dog, and Advertise." With apologies to
Poor Richard's Almanac, this adage reminds us just how important advertising is to the
success of any business. Hard work isn't enough. Customers have to know your product
or service is available.
The Best Product Doesn't Always Win. Just having a better product is not enough.
You have to let your customers know about it and why it's better. Then you have to
convince them it is better.

Quality
The Best Product Doesn't Always Win. Just having a better product is not enough.
You have to let your customers know about it and why it's better. Then you have to
convince them it is better.
Doing it right costs less than doing it over. Have you ever been asked "Why is there
never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do it over"? Save the costs,
including customer dissatisfaction and lower worker morale, by concentrating on doing
the job right the first time.
Ready, Fire, Aim. Don't get caught in 'analysis paralysis'. Figure out what you want to
do, make a plan, and then GO. You can always adjust after you have started.
Measure Twice, Cut Once. This old carpentry adage applies equally well to business.
Take the time to plan and check your plan so when you do act, the work is done right
'Quality' is just conformance to requirements. You get the behavior you critique for,
so set your standards and then require conformance to them. Quality will come from
that effort, not from slogans, posters, or even threats.

Customer management

Keeping existing customers is cheaper than finding new ones. Are your sales people
calling on your existing customers? Do your customer service people understand the
value of keeping these current customers satisfied? Does everyone in the operation
know that "customer service" is part of their job too?
Actively listen. Listen to your customers, your employees, your suppliers, and anyone
else who comes in contact with your business. Honestly evaluate what they have to say,
without letting your ego get in the way, and you will probably learn something that
benefits your business.
"Doctor" your customers. Everyone wants to think they are special. You can make
your customers feel special if you treat them like your family doctor treats you. For the
time you are with them, concentrate on them and what they are telling you. Exclude
everything else for that period of time.
It's the Customer, Stupid. To paraphrase that popular, and successful, quote from Bill
Clinton's 1992 campaign: The single most important aspect of your business is your
customers. Make sure your entire team understands that - and acts like they understand
it.
Delight the Customer. It is heard a lot, but seldom practiced. Today I saw a production
supervisor straighten out a mess and, in the process, calm an irate customer. When I
heard her tell them to put two mugs with the company's logo into the package being sent
to the customer, I knew she understood what "Delight the Customer" means.
Keep your focus external. Stay focused outside your company so you watch your
customers and competitors. Don't get hung up on internal processes and procedures if it
keeps you from looking outward.
Under-promise and over-deliver. This goes beyond the old adage 'don't promise what
you can't deliver'. Instead, deliver more than what you promised. It's a good way to
build customer rapport - both outside and inside the company.
Your first obligation is to the customer. Without customers you don't have a business.
Treat them with the same respect you expect when you are a customer. Make sure
everyone in your organization understands the importance of customer service.
Quality customer service is based on three essentials: respect, value. and a human
approach. When you first apply these to the way you manage your own staff, you will
be able to apply them towards Customers.