Category: Advertising and Marketing

Sales are the life blood of every organization, even ones not directly “sales” organizations. Marketing encompasses all aspects of promotion.

Building People with a Team Charter

Paul Wagenaar

What is a team charter? It is a building block. It is an interactive and inclusive tool to give people in your organization the freedom, the space, and the ability to get things done.

I will not pretend that this post has all the answers. But in this post and in my other posts, you will find places to start. These posts all share three common themes, one is that you or your organization can start today, all they require is a change of thinking or a change of process and finally, the cost is virtually zero.

Working in the Weeds – Front liners

Paul Wagenaar

In my experience and observation the organization that causes the most stress and anxiety for its people and leaders … is usually their organization.

We have a responsibility to recognize, appreciate and acknowledge, and most importantly to help alleviate that stress for our people.
The closer people are to your “front-lines,” the more people “working in the weeds,” the more stress and anxiety they likely feel.

Some stress is good, too much is never good …

Paul Wagenaar

Is your daily focus simply on “surviving” each day? What follows are some simple ideas that can help you have your life again, achieve a better work/life balance, and “grow” your business or organization.

These are not my ideas, these are lessons learned from some of the best leaders and entrepreneurs I have met in more than thirty years in the “for-profit” and “charitable” sectors.

Quitting over a flashlight …

Paul Wagenaar

We had thought we were inclusive, but we realized we needed to do even more. We discovered the real driving force for our continued success was because we learned to appreciate, acknowledge, and respond to the blind spots that we didn’t even know were there.

Start small, but start now.

B2C/C2B – Building Connectivity between business and charity

Paul Wagenaar

Supporting charities and operating a profitable business are not mutually exclusive.

Businesses can help in so many ways, but like any collaboration, charities and service clubs can also help businesses.

Tips for Entrepreneurs, Executive Directors, Managers and other Leaders

Paul Wagenaar

Big and innovative ideas aren’t the issue, putting big and innovative ideas into reality is the issue.  Many entrepreneurs, consultants, managers, executive directors, and the people working for them have shared these lessons will me. 

They work.  Use them, share them, and build your organization.   

This is why you can’t hire the people you want

Paul Wagenaar

Many small and medium-sized organizations struggle to find the right people in a competitive job environment. A step in the right direction is to stand apart from everyone else.

Give me five minutes of your time and you will not regret it.

“Nobody seems to want to work today!  We can’t find anyone who wants to work for us.”

Paul Wagenaar

The real problem is some organizations are struggling to find people using tools and strategies that worked in the past but these tools haven’t been updated for the employment environment that exists today. It doesn’t matter if the organization is a “for-profit” or “not-for-profit.” In many ways the problem is a basic supply and demand problem, however, there are many more variables in the equation today than ever before.

Revisiting Red Teams

Paul Wagenaar

Looking at new ideas and concepts through the eyes of the fearful and the critical can better prepare organizations for unintended consequences. Taking this empathetic approach can reveal weaknesses and potentially fatal issues. This process is called RED TEAMING.

Re-thinking small city malls

Paul Wagenaar

Many small city malls have failed and deservedly so.

They didn’t fail because the basic concept is wrong. Many of these malls failed to adapt and were not flexible to the changing realities of the merchants they almost took for granted. Is it too late? Perhaps for some.

For merchants and mall operators with vision, there is an opportunity in my opinion. By combining social needs, 21st-century environmental practices with the basic convenience, utility, and economics of “one-stop” shopping … there is a future.