With the right systems and people in place, we can step back as owners and do what really needs to be done
In 2014, one of the professors in my MBA program asked: “Why are you here?” As he went around the class, people responded: “To further my career.” “To earn more money.” “To get a better job.” When he came to me, I said: “I’m here to learn how to work less and make more money.”…
Critics say that agile benefits are over-hyped because devotees can’t demonstrate full implementation
Is agile software development delivering enough value? Or is agile an exaggerated buzzword that conveniently obscures all attempts at performance measurement of software development teams? The Agile Manifesto was published a little over 20 years ago. Why have agile concepts not been universally adopted if they are so valuable? Or is agile a fad that…
Building trust and consistency can improve your sales and increase your profits
“If only our customers would buy more from us.” This resounding phrase is heard throughout many businesses as the demand for sales increases in order to offset rising costs. While we may wish to create more revenue by selling more, our customers are facing rising costs at the other end of the spectrum. They’re looking…
Without the right tools, we can’t build a house. Without the right people, things will get broken
“You are fired!” John yelled at me as I was lying on the ground after falling off the roof of the house. John was mad because his sawhorses had been broken in half because of my stupidity. I was stunned and just wondering if I had broken anything in my body as a result of…
Getting more of your ideal customers is key
Jerry reached out to us because he wanted to get out of his business. The business, he said, was “too stressful,” and he “was tired of struggling.” During our discussions with Jerry, we discovered that while the business was doing several million dollars in sales, it was only marginally profitable. Jerry had to work extra…
Own your success, take your place at the table and power up your body language
Sandra was introduced to me as a highly successful business professional with exceptional leadership skills. She was being groomed for a top executive position and she sounded perfect for my favourite kind of coaching assignment: I love working with accomplished women who are looking to become even more effective. It should have come as a…
Your suppliers want you to succeed. When you're doing well, they’re more likely to succeed too
The relationships we have with suppliers are often critical to our success in business. But most business owners and managers don’t understand how to leverage those relationships for better results and increased profitability. Here are five ways to get the most from your suppliers: Invest in the relationship Your suppliers can make or break your…
When we don’t care about clients, we create a culture of complacency that infects our whole organization
One of my in-laws spent two hours on hold with an airline company last week after his travel agent had spent four hours on hold with the same company. When I asked him about the experience, he said he was happy he didn’t have to wait longer and said the person who answered the phone…
Addressing the essential considerations that can trip up companies will ensure a smooth migration
It should be easy to migrate a web-based application from its in-house computing environment to a vendor-managed, cloud computing environment. While migration is not a high-risk, stress-inducing project, there are significant considerations for your cloud migration project plan. Addressing the essential considerations that can trip up companies will ensure you achieve a smooth migration to…
Band-aid fixes create a terrible work environment. This happens when IS is viewed simply as a cost
In too many organizations, the delivery of information services (IS) is best described as a giant, never-ending version of the Whac-a-Mole arcade game. If this situation describes your organization, it is time to take action. As a technology problem pops up, just like the mole in the game, someone in the IS group whacks it…