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Business Management Information
The 6 Steps to Six Sigma
Step 1
Oasis in a Cash Flow Desert - Four Resources That Increase Small Business Capital Streams
For small business owners, an enthusiastic vision for smooth, steady growth can become nothing more than a mirage once company cash flow problems begin to heat up. Most will struggle with the timing of payment from clients or customers at some point, all while attempting to pay their own bills in a timely fashion. With all of the best laid plans for rapid flowing cash streams evaporating down to just a gurgle in the ditch, the potential risk of joining the ninety-percent of businesses that fail within their first three years of operation becomes a very sobering possibility.
The Importance of Business Goals
For you to get where you want to go, there are four key steps for you to take. They are not difficult, but they are vital.
Finding Common Ground Through Consensus Decision-Making
It?s clear to me that a workplace is a better place when employees truly work in teams, but the most familiar team models we have are those that are created to win wars and games. We have a commander or a coach who gives orders, and the soldiers or the players use those instructions to defeat the opponent. Mediator Bill Ury says, ?People are realizing that adversarial, win?lose attitudes in an increasingly interdependent world, where I depend on you and you depend on me, just don?t work anymore. Using those tactics is like asking, ?Who?s winning this marriage???
Motivation - You Get What You Reward
There's a programme currently running on BBC Television in
the UK called - "Little Angels." It's a series that offers
help and advice to parents who're experiencing behaviour
difficulties with their children. I'm sure there are similar
programmes in other parts of the world. The children are
often out of control, won't do what they're told and
generally dominate the family.
Team Motivation - Tough Enough to Care
Sir Alex Ferguson has just celebrated his 1000 game in
charge of Manchester United, probably the world's most
successful soccer team.
Get It Done! Soft Skills not Hard Tools are Required
If your organization has people, then interpersonal skills are needed.
What Cross-cultural Training Can Do for You
International business is more complex than ever before. Success in every sector is now seen in global terms. Yet success in working with colleagues from different cultures is no easy goal. In order to connect, we have to communicate effectively and we can only do this in an atmosphere of mutual respect, understanding and trust. Cross-cultural training helps you understand the underlying cultural values that drive behaviour?you first understand your own cultural background and then other people?s.
Making a Decision to Outsource: Driving Factors
Most executives view offshore outsourcing most of all as a source of cost reducing. The greatest savings are expected to come from lower labor cost and reduced project timelines. However offshore outsourcing also creates new challenges and expenses for the organization involved. Those may include vendor selection costs, legal costs, costs of transition and many others. That is why despite the evidence of possible major up-front cost savings many outsourcing vendors have yet to prove that they are able to provide positive ROI in a complex project.
Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Employee Ideas Achieve Work Life Balance
This article relates to the Work/Life Balance competency, which investigates how your staff feels with regard to the balance between work and personal life. It explores issues such as priority of family and hours on the job, also covered in this competency. Organizations that enjoy a high satisfaction level in this area will normally exhibit a low rate of absenteeism and experience higher employee retention. Evaluating this competency is helpful in understanding issues relating to a workforce that is commonly tardy or absent from work.
Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: The Organizational Structure of Our Growing Business
This article relates to the organizational structure competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. It shows how structural concerns can affect the typical employee workday, as well as feelings towards your organization's management hierarchy and reporting structure. A healthy organizational structure is one that arranges the activities of the enterprise in such a way that they contribute to the goals of the organization. Specifically, this competency looks to see if your employees clearly understand who they report to, as well as measure their sense of accountability to the organization. Evaluating this competency can be especially useful if your organization has recently experienced an organizational restructuring or might be considering one in the future.
Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Workplace Ethics: Reaching the Highest Standard
This article relates to the Ethics in the Workplace competency, commonly evaluated in employee surveys. It gives examples of how employees and customers consider ethical behavior and sound values an integral part of your organization. This competency covers a variety of topics like customer treatment, employee professionalism, and expected/acceptable organizational behaviors. At a high level, this competency will investigate the standards by which your employees treat your customers, co-workers, and the organization itself.
Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Ideas for Everyday Training
This article relates to the Training competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. It tells the story of a group of team leaders who worked together to find ways to use information sharing and communication to provide valuable employee training. A Gallup poll conducted in 1998 reported that eight out of 10 employees said they would be more likely to stay with their present employer if they were offered more or better training. Specifically, the questions included in this competency are written to measure the adequacy, availability, content of training, and satisfaction with the delivery of training within your organization.
Joint Accountability: Another Key for Your Effectiveness
I once was part of a group of management professors who often taught in executive development seminars. Other non-management professors in the school ran these. Occasionally these non-management professors would approach someone else in the management group to express their concerns about our teaching - they wouldn't approach the person who had taught for them.
Small Business Outsourcing: An Introduction
Outsourcing is the delegation of a business process to an external service provider. The service provider will then be responsible for the day-to-day running and maintenance of the delegated process.
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