Autonomy Defeats Mediocrity

by

When an employee reliably manages priorities and achieves goals, and consistently demonstrates an understanding about the Company’s purpose and values, leaders want to make it easier for that person to operate more autonomously. Autonomy is a proven motivator, and it liberates time for the leader. Autonomy defeats mediocrity and improves results. Our basic nature is to be self-directed. Autonomy enables us to exercise some control over our lives; it’s empowering because the employee is making …

Read more

Accelerating Proposal Acceptance

by

Customers can’t always describe what they want. Problems and barriers can be explained, but most often, solutions are not easily forthcoming. Implementing a solution requires change, and it can be challenging for customers to abandon precedent and envision a solution that changes their current process. But sustaining competitive advantage obliges a business to realize that their current process is always their most challenging competition. Continuous improvement and innovation can be risky, but must be pursued …

Read more

3 Abilities That Enable Culture to Increase Performance

by

When you are hiring a new person, or promoting one, that individual must have the personal characteristics to help the company achieve its goals. To be successful, the person under consideration must also be a good fit with your organization’s culture. In fact, knowing your culture, being able to describe it, is what enables your evaluation of whether an individual has the “right” qualities to succeed in your business. When skillfully managed, culture can be …

Read more

Technology vs. Accountability

by

Increasingly, we rely on technology in our lives. We need it to compete. We need it to optimize the use of our time. Some have become addicted to it, disabling their human interactions. But despite our best efforts, technology cannot replace personal accountability. Humans are clever. We’re always looking for the next tool to simplify our lives. Some hope that technology will solve all their problems. We await the new pill that allows us to …

Read more

3 Reasons Why Integrity Produces Profit

by

We celebrated Memorial Day this week, and it caused me to reflect on, and be thankful for, those among us who are so committed to what they value that they are willing to risk their lives in defense of the rest of us. In the business world, there’s a core value that more than any other, compels individuals to deeply commit on a personal level. Whether your values include exceptional customer service, initiative, quality, innovation …

Read more

3 Tips to Elevate Team Performance

by

Teams can become stale over time, losing their drive to elevate performance and improve results. Some team members drift towards doing the tasks that they always do because they’ve proven that they can do them well. Others become bored doing the same tasks; they want more of a challenge. Best-selling business and motivation author, Daniel Pink, offers 3 tips to elevate team performance. These 3 points can rejuvenate the team, refresh their purpose and lead …

Read more

Is It Better To Discover or Provoke?

by

Customers are busy. There are many times when a customer may not be certain about what they want to achieve. They may have a sense of their goals and why they are important, but often, they have not yet validated their thinking, quantified their targets or determined how they will evaluate alternatives. What kinds of questions are most effective in compelling customers to focus on these issues and crystallize their thoughts? Which questions can transform a sales …

Read more

Try A Little Insurgency

by

As organizations grow, communications become more formal and standard procedures are implemented to sustain the consistency and quality of work, and to boost productivity. But the drive for conformity increases bureaucracy that can inadvertently stifle the very creativity and initiative your people are encouraged to practice. Innovation is then compromised. How can you balance structure with initiative to drive growth? While structure and bureaucracy provide a foundation on which to build a business, one consequence …

Read more

Would You Tell Your Largest Customer, “Goodbye?”

by

PricePoint Partners is a pricing management firm that helps clients leverage market based pricing to improve earnings, company value, and cash flow. Grolistic and PricePoint share a common pricing strategy which states that “value produced for a customer” drives price level. One of PricePoint’s clients just completed a price negotiation that shocked their largest customer when they offered to say, “Goodbye.” It’s a story and a model worth your time. Here’s the background. PricePoint delivered …

Read more

The Certainty of Uncertainty

by

Few strategies are actually implemented as planned. Circumstances inevitably arise to disrupt the best of plans. Every experienced business leader understands this reality, and the need to adapt. With this certainty of uncertainty, what then makes the difference? What produces success? Business planning is still an essential, productive exercise. But leaders recognize that it’s the planning process that is most valuable, not the plan document that emerges.  The process of developing the plan engages leaders …

Read more