Tag Archives: entrepreneurship

When an Employee Can’t Grow With You

Every business is an organism. It is either growing or dying. I’ve met a few owners who said “I want everything (sales, staff, profits) to stay exactly as it is,” but none who were actually able to pull that off. As we … Continue reading

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You Make Two Types of Decisions

The principle function of leadership is making decisions. Whether you own a business or direct the work of others, your employees come to you with issues they can’t solve themselves. There are two types of decisions. One is easy; you just know something that … Continue reading

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One Response to You Make Two Types of Decisions

  1. Grant Bullock says:

    I would like to use “You Make Two Types of Decisions” on my facebook page, BizProfit.

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The Meritocracy of Ownership

A few weeks ago, we hosted the 17th annual awards dinner for our members in The Alternative Board of San Antonio. It’s fun to recognize people for their achievements. Each of our 14 Boards votes for the most valuable and the most … Continue reading

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The Migration from Service to Knowledge

As I have pointed out frequently in this space, the Baby Boomers’ entry into entrepreneurial business moved the core of the American economy from products to services. (see www.theboomerbust.com) Multiple dynamics created the shift. Boomers were degreed at four times the … Continue reading

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Empowerment Requires Encouragement

We all want employees who are empowered to think. That doesn’t always turn out the way we hoped. Last week the news feeds carried a story about a Girl Scout in San Francisco who set up her cookie table in front … Continue reading

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2 Responses to Empowerment Requires Encouragement

  1. Hi John,
    I think few business owners would call micromanagement a good thing, if you put it in those terms. The trouble is finding the balance between delegation that keeps your business strong and creates a product you can continue to be proud of and realizing that all of this does require some amount of letting go. I’ve left this comment over in the BizSugar community as well where Christi Brendlinger was good enough to share this post. Wonder if you or she or both could share some guidelines with our community about exactly how you go about striking this difficult balance.

    • John F. Dini says:

      It’s a great question, Heather. I think there may only be a state of imbalance. Either you are giving employees too much leeway, and suffering the occasional setback because of it, or you are trying to avoid the setbacks, and reining them in. The “balance” lies in determining how much of a mistake a company can afford in the name of learning.

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