28. March 2010 by Noel Guilford.

If you ever wanna know what it feels like to be Chicken Little then just spend some time talking with a room full of business owners. Oh, don’t get me wrong, the blame is totally human nature. We struggle with planning what we are going to get when we go to the grocery store, so it’s no wonder how the day to day of a small business owner can consume all reason. This type of “business on the fly” can pass for common place until you realize that the lack of sleep has warped your sense of reality just a little bit.

Those few businesses outside this crazy world seem like an oasis but let me tell you that it was no accident.  You wonder how so and so is still doing so well, or what the big secret is right? Here it is, how to fortify your business.

Quality Product and/or Service

If you have something to sell make sure its worth you selling it, and make sure it’s worth buying. As tempting as it may be to tap the well of the latest fad you will find that well dries up very quickly. Stick with the oldies but goodies, give customers what they want, when they want it and how they like it.

*NOTE* address this area for difficulty with generating leads or traffic into the business 

Build a Reputation of Consistency - Earn consumers trust

Consumers/customers expect, no they “demand” that if they are required to pay a specific cost, that they will receive quality that matches, and most times exceeds their expectation. If  customers are provided with consistency, they will respond with consistency and that goes both ways.

*NOTE* address this area when dealing with the frequency of repeat business 

Customer Service/ Interaction that is remarkable

With any luck your customers are talking about you to someone who is a potential customer. The question is what are they saying as your spokesperson. If your business is strong in this area many customers will forgive your slips in consistency as people spend money at businesses they like. Equally if they are unimpressed or unsatisfied with your personnel and the service they provide, be sure they feel the same about the business and it’s owners.

*NOTE* address this area when dealing with the decline in customer counts/ lost customers

Business Economics with Priorities

I’m assuming that for those in business ownership, server boredom did not drive them to the decision. So with the objective of making a profit in mind let’s get our priorities strait. First in line is paying for the expense of doing business, next is paying your employee’s. Third is paying the business itself, and lastly you get paid. If you are an employee then you get paid a lot sooner. Lastly if there is very little wiggle room due to an enormous overhead you are in a losing battle and need to reformat your business model or call it quits as soon as possible.

*NOTE* address this area when there are problems showing a profit in spite of acceptable numbers in sales and customer counts.

Can you still run a business without building a foundation of these four things? I’m sure its possible. I’m also sure that its possible for a mule to win a horse race, but its not likely that I will see that either.

Posted in Being the Boss | Print | 1 Comment »

9. March 2010 by Monique Guilford.

When a person decides to become a franchisee, I do not believe that he or she says, “This is my opportunity to bring havoc upon my customers” or “This is my opportunity to sink my business by running all of my help away.”  I believe that most franchisees enter into an organization with good intentions for the organization and for the people that work for them.  After observing my husband for six years as a business consultant for a major corporation, it is my belief that most franchisees want to run a lucrative business, one that will be there for them through their retirement years.  Most businesses that have withstood the test of time have had exemplary leaders.  Leaders such as Sam Walton (founder of Wal-Mart), Ray Kroc (founder of McDonald’s Restaurant), Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft), and Robert Johnson (founder of Black Entertainment Television) just to name a few, have all had common characteristics of exemplary leaders.

The Merriam – Webster Online Dictionary (2010) describes exemplary as deserving imitation because of excellence.  Kouzes and Posner (2002) believe that when getting extraordinary goals accomplished within organizations, leaders engage in the following Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership:
 
Model the Way.
Simply put, do not ask your employees to complete a task that you are unwilling to do yourself; regardless if there is pay or not.  We all have our limits on a job and employees get a kick out of life when they see owners of the organization or upper management completing some of the same tasks that they have to accomplish while working.  Exemplary leaders know that they want to gain commitment and achieve the highest standards. They must model the behavior that they expect of others (Kouzes & Posner, 2002).  So, go ahead, do not be afraid to let that employee see you scrubbing a toilet or taking the trash out.  This will give the employees the opportunity to see you (the leader) in a different light and they may gain a new respect for you.

Inspire a Shared Vision
Since the beginning of time, every organization, every social movement, begins with a dream (Kouzes & Posner, 2002).  Leaders inspire a shared vision, not command it.  When people have a vision or when they share and believe in a common vision, they are more so inclined to work efficiently towards achieving the goals of the organization.  The key words here are: shared vision.  When visions are only shared by leaders the visions become insufficient to create an organized movement or significant change in the company (Kouzes & Posner, 2002).  If there are no constituents, there are no leaders.  Remember, people follow the person first, then the plan.

Challenge the Process.
Leaders seek and accept challenge (Kouzes & Posner, 2002).  Warren Bennis writes, “as weather shapes mountains, problems shape leaders.”  Exemplary leaders challenge the status quo (Kouzes & Posner, 2002).  There is not one leader that exists that claims to have achieved personal greatness by keeping things the same and remaining inside the box.

Enable Others To Act
Exemplary leaders empower constituents to feel strong and capable (Kouzes & Posner, 2002).  People will not perform at their best or remain committed to the organization (or you) if leaders make them feel weak, dependent, or alienated.  Let’s face it, no one wants to work for a company in which they are “brain dead” while at work.  Employees like to be “free to do their own thing” (Sergiovanni, 2005).  Encourage creativity among your staff (especially, according to renowned motivational speaker Eric Chester, your Generation Yers) and watch the growth of your business.  Employees thrive in businesses in which they are trusted to make the right decisions (Kouzes & Posner, 2002).

Encourage the Heart.
It is part of the leaders’ job to show appreciation for people’s contribution and to create a culture of celebration (Kouzes & Posner, 2002).  This is a matter in which “real will recognize real”.  Hard working employees like to be sincerely recognized for all of their hard work.  The rewards do not have to always come in the form of money.  Recognizing an employee for their hard work during a staff meeting, assigning a parking spot closer to the building for a month, or posting an employee’s picture and biography for Employee of the Month are a few examples of a non-monetary rewards.  Recognition is not just an opportunity to celebrate, it is a chance to recognize the accomplishments and encourage the hearts of the employee.  Employees will not respond well to pretentious ceremonies that create a false sense of camaraderie (Kouzes & Posner, 2002).


So now what?  Now that I have all of this information, how do I implement these tips into my organization?  As an exemplary leader in training, you should take every sincere opportunity that will allow you to slowly integrate these tips within your organization.  You should reflect upon the outcomes by keeping a journal and make necessary adjustments.  According to Kouzes and Posner (2002), leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who chose to follow.  Remember the goals for your business.  Keep your vision close to your heart.  If you have difficulty with implementing some of this traits, seek out a leader who aspirers to take their leadership skills to the next level.  Improving your relationship with your constituents through these traits will empower them to get extraordinary things done on a regular basis.

Source:

exemplary. (2010). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.

Retrieved March 5, 2010, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exemplary

Fullan, M. (2007).  Understanding change (3^rd ed.).  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2002). The five examples of exemplary leadership (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Sergiovanni, T. (2005).  The principalship: Manager to leader.  Retrieved from:  www.cnx.org/content/m12924/latest

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