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As a business owner, you know what it’s like to lie awake at 2 a.m. Maybe it has happened when you are excited and full of new ideas for your business. More often, it’s because you are worried about issues you will face the next day. Sometimes, it’s because you just woke up with the solution to a problem. I’ve experienced all those emotions about my businesses over the years. Awake at 2 o’clock? is where I share them with you, and hopefully help with answers that will let you sleep.
John F. Dini, CExP, CEPA
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Small business owners are the Hunters of the 21st century. We are 3% of the US population, and yet we create over half of all American jobs. As Hunters, we may not be inclined to manage by the numbers or stick to systems. Are you a Hunter or a Farmer?
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How prepared are you to exit your company?
The Assessment breaks down the four major categories of exit readiness; Finance, Planning, Operations and Revenue/Profit.
Tag Archives: hiring
Generational Differences and Identity Politics
Generational differences are a hot topic for organizational behaviorists. Is this a real issue, or is it just the current management fad? “Never in history have we seen four generations together in the workplace.” That line starts thousands of articles … Continue reading
3 Responses to Generational Differences and Identity Politics
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Employee Gratitude isn’t Loyalty
Most of us have heard something like this expression of employee gratitude. “I’ve enjoyed working here. You taught me so much, and you’ve always treated me well. But the company down the road is paying a lot more for people with my … Continue reading
One Response to Employee Gratitude isn’t Loyalty
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Spot On. If you want loyalty get a dog. If you want a good performing business hire people who are ambitious, responsible, hard working and learn new things fast. Have a process to get them productive as soon as possible. Then try to keep them engaged and challenged as long as you can. Keep making them as valuable to the company as possible and pay them proportionally. When they leave, you will feel the impact, but the ability to repeat these steps can be a very valuable CSF for a highly successful organization.
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Employee Experience: Is Bigger Better?
Small businesses provide much of the initial employee experience. We take younger folks and teach them decent work habits like showing up every day, being on time, and working to deadlines. As owners, our personal skills may not be sufficient. We … Continue reading
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Is Two Weeks Fair Notice?
I formerly employed an assistant who held a Masters Degree in Human Resources. On occasion she’d say “I love working here. I’ll never quit.” Of course, as a good employer I felt an urge to reply with equal commitment, but … Continue reading
7 Responses to Is Two Weeks Fair Notice?
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The article has a lot of prudent advice. However, if you added up the total number of times employees have lost jobs without fair notice or reason, and the number of times employers have had employees leave without fair notice or reason, it is not clear that employers would end up with the short end of that stick. The truth is that without mutual respect either party may treat the other poorly. It is because of mutual respect that you and your past employee parted on good terms. When employment is mutually beneficial and mutually satisfying, it will end appropriately even when the termination is inconvenient for one or the other.
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It is always important to outline in advance how a business relationship will end; Rather it is an employee, vendor or partner.
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Shouldn’t it be a two-way street?
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The laws today that protect employees in these situations are fair. Companies need to understand that employee loyalty (or lack of) is a product of their own making. When an employee puts their notice in, they’ve been ready to leave for awhile. You protect your investment in employees by making sure the investment continues to work for both parties. When it no longer does, you’re welcome to part ways if it’s for the right reasons.
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What if you have a holding company and employees work for separate incorporated companies under the umbrella and each individual company has less than 100 employees each?
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Extreme Democracy
Last week the British government announced that it was naming their new scientific research ship the RSS Sir David Attenborough, acting counter to the people’s selection of “Boaty McBoatface,” despite that name being an overwhelming 3:1 favorite over the next closest choice. … Continue reading
4 Responses to Extreme Democracy
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Great post. Furthering this conversation, I highly recommended Dan Kennedys book: No B.S. Ruthless Management of People & Profits…..a word of warning you will need some thick skin, some honest self evaluation, and Clarity to really appreciate the valuable lessons taught in this book.
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Here, here! (with respect to our British forebearers).
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Well said. True freedom comes when we are obedient and submit to something greater than ourselves. Human are funny animal in search of transcendental joy yet they typically look for it in “things” and fleeting pleasures.
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Very well said. Not all are qualified to lead and thus should be grateful to those that are!
The boomers and the millennials should appreciate the strength, knowledge and understanding of each generation, by so doing an effective structure can emerge which could yield high valuable growth and benefits for both generation.
I believe it all comes down to empathetic listening on each generational level. This takes active listening to another level where you connect with another’s core emotional being, in addition to understanding the message. Seek first to understand and apply the platinum rule (treat others the way they want to be treated). Working with multiple generations also requires informed leadership styles: not the leadership based on the “seat of your pants”, but leadership that is adapted based on the study and application of leadership principles. Yes, different generations are products of their political, economic, and cultural environments; but this isn’t a bad thing. It has been established through many studies that the more diverse a team is, the stronger it is!
I’m adding my two cents to elaborate on this in your article: “The “Generational Differences” seminars that business owners need aren’t just about how to deal with employees who think differently and hold different values. We need some idea of how to deal with workers who . . . are being told that the blame rests squarely on the boss.”
Okay, first a warning: Millennials probably should not read my comment or listen to my podcast: Some millennials are among the kinds of employees increasingly destroying small businesses. (And undermining larger employers.) Not all of them, but a certain kind. At the risk of offending some people, but with the intent of helping employers, my brief podcast may be enlightening (it’s on my website): http://partneroncall.com/kinds-of-employees-increasingly-destroying-small-businesses/