Not as impossible as it might seem …

Have you ever wanted to complain about your boss but felt you had no mechanism that you could access, or do you feel that if you did, you would be the one punished not your boss? Some complaints are minor, others can be quite severe. Many of us feel frustrated and powerless to influence this situation.

Maybe there is a path you could try. Have you considered ways that you might be able to “manage your boss?”

21 Questions/Lessons Learned

Small and medium-sized organizations, retailers, service companies, and even charitable organizations struggle even in good times. When inflation is high, the labour market is tight, and competitive pressures cause many sleepless nights it is an even greater struggle.

Success, the ability to adapt and overcome is achievable, a good place to start is to consider the lessons learned in “beware the rabbit hole.”

Don’t cry, learn from spilled milk …

People are the “everything” for any organization. What if I told you, your organization could be much more successful without seeing any more clients or customers than you are right now? Every organization has “spillage,” clients or customers who leave your organization unsatisfied.

Starting today, especially after reading this short introduction, you and your people, regardless of your place in our communities, can do better. Providing an “Exceptional Customer Service Experience” is the starting point. This is true whether your organization is dedicated to sales or an established charitable organization. Take 5 minutes and see what you think.

Leading by example … one mentor’s difference

I write “Tools Everyone Can Use,” for small and medium-sized organizations, community issues we should all know about, and personal stories that might help people professionally, academically, and/or personally.

Today I am writing about a singularly unique person; what makes him remarkable isn’t what he has done, it’s about his willingness to share what he has learned and how that knowledge ripples outward from him.

This post reflects his generational ripples and it is my hope that anyone who reads this will be able to use his lessons to make a difference for themselves.

Don’t be too quick to say “NO”

I regularly speak about topics such as job searching and keeping a job from an employers perspective to high school students and other adults. Recently, several people suggested writing about employee retention from the employee’s perspective.

A Primer for Small and Medium-sized Organizations

Organizational toxicity is a major problem for some small and medium-sized organizations. Failing to acknowledge and effectively remove the toxic elements could result in poor morale, low staff retention, and left unchecked the elimination of the organization itself.

Today’s post is a primer, a short guide to creating a plan to change the dynamics of your organization for leaders, managers, and everyone else in the affected organization.

Tools Everyone Can Use

Perhaps the most important of the posts for small and medium sized organizations of all stripes I have written so far. Looking after your people effectively will make the difference between success and becoming a “train wreck.”

When your organization is not your organization

Internal dynamics in any organization are interesting. All organizations, large or small, for-profit or not, all face external challenges. What happens though, when the greatest threats to growth, adaptation, and evolution come from inside?

A Recurring Theme

I believe “for-profit” and “not-for-profit” organizations both can and must make a difference in our communities. Since my return to the “for-profit” sector my posts have refocused on issues and concerns shared by many small and medium-sized organizations; however, the perspectives and lessons learned while working for the United Way and Canadian Mental Health Association are just as important as marketing, sales, and logistics.

Please take five minutes and see if there are any tools in this post you can use. Change starts with one person and we need your help.

Adapting, Improvising, and Overcoming

For small and medium-size organizations of all stripes, finding good people in a challenging labor market has never been harder. Take five minutes and consider some unconventional solutions.