Playing “The Game” Well

I look for inspiration everywhere, in the people I have know, in the people I meet, in everything I see, feel, or touch.

Most recently I was inspired by a documentary on Ernie Coombs, the man who was Mr. Dressup on the CBC. I had been working on a post about how to succeed though building others and he provided the impetus to finish this post.

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.

“The customer is not always right”

“The customer is always right …” is not a valid argument. “The customer has rights,” is. You have rights and you have responsibilities.

Take a few minutes, you will find this to be a short guide to finding the right retail organizations for you.

Leading Evolution

People are any organization’s greatest strength, conversely they can also be its downfall. Successfully navigating through issues of entitlement, appreciating the importance of gratitude, and ensuring connectively is not always easy. Organizational evolution is the path to surviving and thriving in today’s world.

Ageism in the workplace

Ageism is real and it is happening today and will happen tomorrow. Ageism transcends almost all demographics and it holds back individuals who might otherwise make a difference, and it holds back organizations.

The people we don’t see …

Three years ago, I left the world of business and charted a new path in the charitable sector. I had always thought I was well informed and knew what was happening in my community. I was completely wrong. I am grateful for the people who volunteer and work for the United Way and the Canadian Mental Health Association for helping me to see what I couldn’t see before.

I have reentered the business world, but I am forever changed by what I learned to see, and hope to help other people see, what many of us miss every day.

To be successful in sales don’t sell!

Covid 19 changes how we did things, many things suffered including how many people approached sales.

Sales is about solving issues; satisfying wants and desires. It is also not limited to furniture, automotive, and real estate. Virtually all of us are involved in sales, the traditional definition as well as for ideas, new concepts, and to lead change in organizations.

I believe sales is not selling, give me five minutes and see if agree.

Getting out in front of your fires

Too many problems, not enough time, not enough resources, and no time to think. These issues plague small and medium sized organizations of every sector in society. Bouncing from one fire to the next leads to feeling overwhelmed and frustration.

There is a way forward …

Ask your people, “Do our meetings suck? … … lessons for every sector from retail to charities

At the risk of being flippant, this topic is very important. Too many meetings and training sessions for organizations are ineffective. This post is just a start, but it is a good place to start thinking about make changes in your approach to meetings. Leading innovative, interesting, and effective meetings and training sessions can make the difference between engagement and failure.