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Category Archives: Perform / Execution
We Need to Deal with Our Non-Performers Today
Dealing with non-performers is likely the most uncomfortable (yet necessary) task in building a winning team. Truth be told, few of us enjoy disciplining, remedial coaching, and terminating employees, especially those that we may work with on a daily basis. … Continue reading
An Open Letter From Your B2B Customer
Dear Mr. or Ms. Sales Manager, I am writing to remind you that I need you. You and your salespeople provide products and services that I need to help me succeed in my business. Unfortunately, many of your salespeople do … Continue reading
Building Accountability
A dirty little secret in business is that most organizations lack accountability at all levels from the leader to front-line management to individual employees: Assignments are not completed as promised Problems are left half resolved Phone calls are not returned … Continue reading
Be Easy to Do Business With
In a previous blog, Lessons from a Customer, I related my experience in dealing with 106 companies while I moved from Arizona to California. My conclusion was that most companies provide inadequate customer service and make it too difficult to … Continue reading
Five Questions to Ensure a Successful Sales Call
In his book, Spin Selling, Neil Rackham defines the four outcomes of any sales call: Win – the customer makes a firm commitment to buy Advance – the sales process moves forward towards a decision Continuation – the sales process … Continue reading
Getting Things Done
A crucial success factor for business leaders is getting the right things done. Visionary leadership, brilliant strategy formation, and outstanding man-management are all for nothing if we cannot execute and get done what we need to get done. I offer … Continue reading
To Sell More, Sell Less
Today’s customer is overwhelmed with too much information and not enough time and attention span to digest it all. As such, the best salespeople have evolved and simplified their sales approach to be more responsive to over-burdened and over-saturated customers. … Continue reading
3 Fundamentals of a Customer Service Culture
Having a true customer service culture depends on each individual employee. Each employee is focused on solving the customer’s problems Each employee strives to help the customer succeed in their business Each employee supports and helps their fellow employees
Metrics in Business – User Beware
“I used to believe that if it doesn’t get measured, it doesn’t get done. Now I say if it doesn’t get measured it doesn’t get approved… you need to manage by facts, not gut feel.” General Jon Michael Loh, USAF … Continue reading
Clarity
With so much going on in our companies today, our employees have a large number of competing priorities as they do their daily tasks. What is most important? What should they focus on first?
Posted in Leadership, Perform / Execution, Personal Success
Tagged Business Leadership, Clarity, Communication, Consistent Execution, Focus, Goals, Objectives
1 Comment
We’ve Gotten the Sale…Now What?
The customer has said yes. He or she will buy our product and service. Now what do we do? 1. Shut Up and Get Out As Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire Mayor of New York City, puts it so well: First, … Continue reading
Three Paradoxes of Leading Multiple Business Units
As your company expands or as you progress up the ranks in your company, you will likely move from having P&L (profit and loss) responsibility for one business unit to having P&L responsibility for several different business units (usually located … Continue reading
The Goal – Operational Excellence Made Possible
In their book, The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement, Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox introduced their Theory of Constraints as a primary method to realize operational improvement. Key Concepts Global Optimization: The key in any process and any … Continue reading
Master These Three Processes First in Order to Thrive in 2013
Every year, countless companies undertake process improvements and change initiatives. Most fail. Generally, they fail for one of three reasons:
Manufacturing Made Simple
In their book, All I Need to Know About Manufacturing I Learned in Joe’s Garage: World Class Manufacturing Made Simple, William B. Miller and Vicki L. Schenk lay out the basic principles of low cost, high quality, on-time manufacturing. The … Continue reading
We Need Less Leadership!
In her thought-provoking book, The End of Leadership, Barbara Kellerman writes: One of the problems plaguing the leadership industry is its fixation on developing good leaders, while ignoring completely the problem of stopping or at least slowing bad leaders. Stopping … Continue reading
Hire Smart or Manage Tough – Sound (But Often Forgotten) Hiring Advice
“No management style can undo the damage of a poor hiring decision.” Red Scott In the quick read, Hire Smart or Manage Tough, Red Scott, the former Vice-Chairman of Pier One Imports and a grand-nephew of legendary tough guy, General … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, Perform / Execution, Team / People
Tagged Hiring, Human Resources, Leadership Development, Team Development
3 Comments
Fast Track to Waste-Free Manufacturing – Appropriate for Any Process
In his still-insightful 1999 book, Fast Track to Waste-Free Manufacturing: Straight Talk from a Plant Manager, John W. Davis discusses how to improve a manufacturing operation by a simple and relentless focus on waste. The methodology he describes is really … Continue reading
Lessons from a Customer
Over the last month, my family and I have moved from Chandler, Arizona to Newport Beach, California. We sold our house in Chandler, moved ourselves and our belongings, and bought a house in Newport Beach. As so many of you … Continue reading
The “Hard Work” Myth
A few months ago, there was a lot of discussion and a bit of vitriol about Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, and her habit of leaving the office at 5:30 pm in order to have dinner with her family. … Continue reading
David M. Shedd - Move Your Company Forward 