In our work, we hear many different excuses for why a business isn’t growing. Often, it’s the leader of the business who is the primary excuse. Why? Bill owns a small manufacturing business that provides some insight into why he was the main reason that his business was not achieving its growth goals. When Bill purchased the business, he had a vision for what he wanted to accomplish. After a few years of keeping his …
Hephaestus is the God of the forge, armorer to the Gods (Vulcan in the Roman Mythology), the forger of the armor of Achilles which is invincible and the creator of Athena’s shield which is invulnerable. Hephaestus works the magic of the smithy and produces the brightest, illumined arms from dross material. He works in the bowels of the operations. He is lame, having been dropped from heaven by his mother (Hera). So what business lessons …
Bob Schultek My good friend is a passionate biker, and an entrepreneur. He often uses his cycling experience to make a point about business. We were discussing the rapid evolution of technology as a driver of competition when Mike uttered: “Intense competition is the new normal, and there’s no time to rest. Bikers prefer to ride in hilly country – it’s a hard ride up and restful ride down. But when you ride on flat …
Bob Schultek Last week, we discussed how active listeners get what they deserve: actionable information, profitable orders and enduring relationships. It takes commitment and practice to become an active listener, and we shared some tips to help develop your active listening skills. In response to those of you who asked for some examples of poor listening habits, I offer the following: Interrupting the speaker frequently Prematurely judging what is being said Saying little and providing …
We are seeking two volunteers who have interest in seeking pastoral/spiritual counsel and potentially seeking to be of assist to others. What to Expect: 5 sessions to be scheduled May/June/July as befits participants Structured sessions (60 minutes per session) The relationship is a partnership (not hierarchical) We will focus on one discerned theme There will be homework assignments This experience is from the Christian basis and presumes a denominational attachment We will evaluate and summarize …
The Return of the Prodigal Son Mini-Course “The Return of the Prodigal Son” (Nouwen/Rembrandt/Luke) Mini-course on Henri Nouwen’s book, The Return of the Prodigal Son, a meditation on Rembrandt’s painting Need: 6 volunteers (first-come, first-serve) Strong commitment to complete series When: Four consecutive Thursdays June 6, 13, 20 and 27 6-8 pm Content: “The Return of the Prodigal Son” Session One: A review of the Parable in (Luke 15: 11-32) and Introduction …
Listening is not a passive act. In our world of perpetual urgency, being an active listener makes you distinctive – it’s a competitive advantage. In fact, prospects cite engaged listening as a key reason they choose to work with one supplier versus another. Active listening communicates respect for the speaker, and his or her time. It maximizes the productivity of your interaction with your customers or your personnel.Learning to be an active listener starts …
Bob Schultek Keeping your operation synchronized with your growing business is an incessant challenge. While you focus on getting more orders and getting the work completed, your growth keeps nagging at you to ensure that your operations are keeping up with your progress.Various processes need refinement, but you can’t find time to get to this. You’re considering hiring more personnel but need flexibility and wonder how much additional support would be needed if your processes …
Bob Schultek Twelve months ago, my weekly Friday blogs were launched. Thank you to all who have commented on my posts. Your thoughts and suggestions have helped me learn while I strive to be a better writer…it’s a work in progress! Please continue to share your comments and ideas for blog topics. I will respond personally to each and work to continually improve the blog content. Happy Blog-day!Writing the blog is important to me. After earning 30+ years of …
Those of you who follow this blog know that I’m always preaching that your brand message should communicate your unique value. So now, you may get a kick out of knowing that my associates and I are taking a dose of our own medicine.Three years ago, our three growth businesses – GrowthPointe, DecisionPointe and PointeVierge – began collaborating under the umbrella name of TriPointe. You may have never noticed this since we did not follow …