7 Tips for Growing Your Business You Do Not Want to Ignore:

Written by Kay Graham-Gilbert


Continued from page 1

Do not jump to conclusions. This does not mean replacing people with machines. If a task can be automated, it should be. Do you know why? Automation replaces repetitive tasks. Repetitive tasks can then be replaced with higher cognitive activities. If an individual spends 30 minutes a day on, let’s say, inputting data into a stand alone spreadsheet and this activity could be inputted directly into an existing integrated system, then that individual would have 2.5 more hours a week to spend meeting critical objectives or creating solutions. Multiply this by many individuals and you can seerepparttar impact.

Tip #5 Schedule time to think

This does not imply that thinking is not going on; it’s just that we get too caught up in action and seldom takerepparttar 119459 necessary time to stop. Stop to think through a challenge, stop to evaluate strategy, and stop to contemplate about anything. Since inaction is perceived as not progressing, we discourage “thinking time”. This is why outsiders are often able to see what we cannot. It isn’t that we cannot see it; it is just that we have not takenrepparttar 119460 time to slow down, observe, think, and contemplate. When planning your week, schedule time to think.

Tip #6 Beyondrepparttar 119461 customer experience

We all know that servicingrepparttar 119462 customer is paramount. We know it, but many fail to meetrepparttar 119463 minimum expectations. And sometimes we do not realize we are not meeting expectations. Customers are more demanding than they used to be. Develop a profile ofrepparttar 119464 most discriminating customer for your product or service. Describe them as best you can. ·What do they want inrepparttar 119465 product or service ·How quickly do they want it ·What are there expectations regarding phone inquiries (When they have a question, how do they most prefer to accessrepparttar 119466 information) ·What isrepparttar 119467 optimum sales experience from first contact to order taking to actual purchase ·What is their packaging preference ·How do they definerepparttar 119468 perfect transaction ·Etc.

Once you have developed this profile, start by taking action to providerepparttar 119469 level of service expected byrepparttar 119470 most demanding customer outlined above, to all customers. Once you have achieved this, then take just one profile element point and determine how you can expand onrepparttar 119471 experience, giving even more. Then takerepparttar 119472 next andrepparttar 119473 next.

Tip #7 Go out on a limb

Rememberrepparttar 119474 old saying, nothing ventured, nothing gained? Well, it is true. Do not limit yourself by being afraid to take chances. Of course, you will not always succeed, but not only will you learn great lessons, but you will also create breakthroughs. Each failure should be viewed as a step closer to success. The odds are on your side. This does not mean that you should take action without proper preparation. Takerepparttar 119475 necessary precautions, evaluaterepparttar 119476 alternatives and try it.

Do you see how these tips can improve your performance? Improving performance will allow you to grow in a number of ways. Grow by being more responsive, understandingrepparttar 119477 customer better, increasing your flexibility, utilizing employees better, encouraging creativity, reducing bad decisions, and multiplying your strengths.

Copyright © 2004, Kay Graham-Gilbert

Providing knowledge, not just information is our quest. Kay Graham-Gilbert, author and executive of Interactive Consulting has an extensive background in creating effective operations. She invites you to learn more about practical business strategies to put into action now by going to http://www.interactiveconsultingusa.com/results1.d


A Lasting Leadership Lesson: George Washington's Greatest Leadership Talk

Written by Brent Filson


Continued from page 1

Then, unexpectedly, he drew out a spectacle case from his pocket. Few officers had ever seen him put on spectacles. Usually a severely formal man, he said in a voice softened with apology: "Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have not only grown gray but almost blind inrepparttar service of my country.

The deep, human, emotional power of that moment can hardly be described. It electrifiedrepparttar 119458 officers. Here was their commander who had never taken a furlough during his eight years of command, who had faced storms of musketry fire, who through his daring and intelligence had keptrepparttar 119459 Army in tact in what most ofrepparttar 119460 world thought was a lost cause, here was George Washington modestly asking his officers to bear with him in an all-too-human failing. It was an astonishing turning point.

As Maj. Samuel Shaw, who was present, wrote in his journal, "There was something so natural, so unaffected in this appeal as rendered it superior torepparttar 119461 most studied oratory. It forced its way torepparttar 119462 heart, and you might see sensibility moisten every eye."

After Washington leftrepparttar 119463 hut,repparttar 119464 officers unanimously voted to "continue to have unshaken confidence inrepparttar 119465 justice ofrepparttar 119466 Congress and their country ...." The result was thatrepparttar 119467 Continental Army disbanded without incident afterrepparttar 119468 War formally ended a few months later and thereby set in motionrepparttar 119469 peaceful events that led torepparttar 119470 creation ofrepparttar 119471 Constitution.

Without Washington's intervention, America may very well have become a kind of banana republic, atrepparttar 119472 mercy of thousands of armed and angry soldiers and their officers. And it wasn't his speech that did it, it was a Leadership Talk.

Washington's Talk is a lesson for all leaders: The best way to communicate an idea is to bundle it in a human being. If you can't feel it, you can't lead it, and they won't do it.

2005 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.



The author of 23 books, Brent Filson's recent books are, THE LEADERSHIP TALK: THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP TOOL and 101 WAYS TO GIVE GREAT LEADERSHIP TALKS. He is founder and president of The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. has been helping leaders of top companies worldwide get audacious results. Sign up for his free leadership e-zine and get a free white paper: "49 Ways To Turn Action Into Results," at www.actionleadership.com


    <Back to Page 1
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use