There are many companies that provide a product or service that is NOT bought, sold, provided or delivered online. In fact, there are many products and services that can’t even be quoted online. Those companies – such as medical practices, law firms, accountants, engineering companies, architecture firms, general contractors, etc. — often get most of their business through word-of-mouth referrals, repeat business and networking. They have a website but don’t really see the need for a more robust, active and engaging online presence. That’s a mistake.

Here’s why. Continue reading →

So much of communication has nothing to do with what is being said but rather how it is being said. The greatest orators in history all shared not only the ability to write powerful messages but also the skill to deliver those messages in an impactful way. That is a super strength. But for those who don’t understand how intonation, pace, rhythm, voice volume, and conversational styles work, even simple communication can be problematic. It is critically important for professionals to be able to be able to handle how they speak masterfully. Here are some tips to think about not only what you say, but how you say it.

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There can be a multitude of linguistic and conversational nuances that cause communication to ‘disconnect’. People can be put off by what is being said as well as how it is being said. The words you use matter. To master the art of communication, it is important to understand the nuances of linguistic and conversational styles, including your own.

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So much of business relies on conversations. We spend a lot of time talking. Negotiating. Persuading. Explaining. Advising. Guiding. Coaxing. Influencing. Encouraging. Our primary medium for doing this is speaking. The entire point of conversation is to understand one another. And yet, so much of human communication is misunderstood, falls flat or backfires. Conversations often go wrong. While there are a multitude of reasons for the ‘disconnect’, communicating with clarity is really an art every person in business needs to master. But it’s so much harder than you think.

Here’s why. Continue reading →

When you look up “redundant” in a U.S. dictionary, it says “no longer needed or useful; superfluous.” In a British dictionary, it says “no longer employed because there is no more work available.” Systems, processes and people who are redundant aren’t, by definition, needed or useful to a business. Based on those definitions, no business should want to have the expense of redundant staff, systems or processes. But, in virtually all organizations, some redundancy is a good thing. Actually, it is arguably an essential thing.

Here’s why. Continue reading →

What’s the decision-making process like at your workplace or business? If it’s subpar, you’re not alone. A survey by McKinsey found that few organizations are happy with how they make decisions. Decisions are either fraught with mistakes (due to a lack of insights or distorted by emotion) or bogged down in indecision and friction. In business, decision-making is too often a lose-lose situation. The bigger the company and the more complex the business, the worse it is. If businesses need their decision-making to be quick, precise, and mindful of the entirety of their business – which they do – how can a business improve the decision-making process? Introducing Decision Intelligence.

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In business, synergy is a superpower. It is more than teamwork and connection. It’s more than an aggregate team being greater than the total sum of its individual parts. It happens when the best individual performers (individuals, departments or companies) on a team don’t outperform the overall team’s performance, but rather combine to create something that multiplies and amplifies the talents and perks of each individual exponentially for the betterment of the whole. Synergy is not something that happens regularly or quickly. And sometimes it doesn’t happen at all. So how does synergy happen? And, more importantly, can it be generated intentionally?

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Good companies encourage teamwork but the best companies achieve synergy. What’s the difference? When people join forces and work together, “We” can become more powerful than if each separate, individual “Me” were combined. In other words, one group of 10 can be more effective than 10 individuals. That’s teamwork. But synergy is more than teamwork. According to Bo Hanson, four-time Olympian and Coaching Consultant, “Synergy is the sum of the team being more than the total sum of its individual parts. It is the unique situation where the best individual performance on the team does not outperform the overall team’s performance.” It is where “We” matters more than “Me” and where “Us” multiplies and amplifies the talents of each individual exponentially. Synergy is a superpower to which every company should aspire. But how does a company build synergy?

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Construction of any building requires bricks or concrete blocks as well as mortar to hold the bricks or blocks together. That is true of most edifices, from the pyramids of Egypt to the high rises of Manhattan. This is also true when building a plan for success. Whether it is a business plan or a professional blueprint, it requires not only strong stones but also the mortar to hold it together. College Basketball Coach John Wooden had a series of value propositions he considered the building blocks for success. Last week, we looked at his fifteen stones in his Pyramid of Success. Today, let’s look at the other 10 value propositions he called ‘the mortar’ that holds it all together.

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Success is one of those words that is tossed around a lot. Many have prescriptions for how to be successful. Countless books and articles have been written on the topic. But few who have written about the subject were actually hugely successful because they followed their own formula for success. One of those was U.S. College Basketball Coach John Wooden. Called the greatest college coach ever thanks to a long list of accomplishments, including a record 10 NCAA Basketball Championship titles, Wooden had a series of value propositions that he considered the foundations for success. He followed them and was hugely successful in his career.

So what were those 25 value propositions? Continue reading →