I have made lots of mistakes as a consultant. Most of these happened because I didn’t know myself — my limitations, personality type, and blind spots.
A lot of business owners feel the need to convince customers they are worthy to solve their problems. But this can seem like desperation… and it results in offering too much to the wrong type of customer.
Continue reading “Have You Ever Served the Wrong Kind of Customer?”
How do Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) and Direct Sales companies persuade so many people to join?
I will explain which 6 Principles of Persuasion were used to lure me into signing up… twice! …and what you can do to recognize the signs of a predatory company.
Continue reading “The MLM Persuasion Tricks That Convinced Me to Join”
The StrengthsFinder assessment is one of the most useful tools I have ever found.
If you’re not familiar with it, you can read all about it in my previous article, How to Apply the StrengthsFinder Assessment.
Today, I want to explain how this tool is especially useful for business owners.
Continue reading “8 Reasons to Take the StrengthsFinder Assessment if You’re a Business Owner”
As one of the most prolific personality assessments in the world, StrengthFinder® is a tool that can help identify your decision-making process and unique perspective.
In this post, I will explain how to use this assessment for self-awareness, why the “Balcony and Basement” concept is important, and how often each talent occurs.
Continue reading “How to Apply the StrengthsFinder Assessment”
What can we do to avoid a catastrophe like Chernobyl?
Although your business may not be facing problems to the magnitude of a nuclear plant meltdown, it’s still possible to completely miss the warning signs that the ‘wheels are coming off the wagon.”
I have found that the best way to develop a resilient response to disasters is by relying on the feedback of Devil’s Advocates.
Continue reading “7 Things HBO’s Chernobyl Taught Me About Devil’s Advocates”
In this first episode of my Featured Practitioner series, you’ll hear from a specialized massage therapist who applied her passion for sports, yoga, and helping people to regain functionality.
Continue reading “Featured Practitioner: Beth Petersen, LMT of Unwind Bodywork”
As much as we try, there are some things that come naturally and some things that don’t.
One of those “love-it-or-hate-it” activities is business planning, also known as strategic planning. The whole point of doing this is to define your organization’s:
I abbreviate Vision, Mission, Values, Objectives, and Measures with the acronym VMVOM.
My great-grandmother, like most women in the early 1900s, had two sets of dishes. One was a plain set for everyday family meals, and the other was a very fancy set that she only brought out on special occasions. Each plate, cup, and saucer was decorated with a design of delicate pink roses, curled ivy, and a beautiful gold inlay that encircled the scalloped edges.
She left the set to my grandmother, who then passed it on to my mother, who quickly discovered that fine china with gold detail is no match for the power of a modern dishwasher. The inconvenience of hand-washing every single item (and the risk of chipping or breaking the dishes) was too great. So those heirloom dinner dishes were hidden away in a china cabinet and only emerged on rare occasions.
As a strategic risk expert, I believe many leaders treat their strategic plan like a set of fine china. They know their plan is important; they invest time and money to create it. The final plan is detailed, logical, and beautiful.
Continue reading “The Ultimate Strategic Planning Framework Tool: Introduction”
