Changing a process? Check that it’s working!
Changing a process is never easy, but it's even more challenging when you need to do it quickly. And in the pandemic conditions at the time of writing the truth is that most of us - including the government - are having to 'make it up as we go along'. Which means -...
Giving instructions (because no, it’s not obvious…!)
Giving instructions to other people can be a bit of a minefield. Take 'Boil the water', for example. Simple enough, you'd think, even for a child. Except a child won't know what 'boiling water' actually looks like. So the (irritating) result is likely to be a series...
Client wanting extras? Then mirror, signal, manoeuvre…
It happens to tradespeople all the time. You're on site, doing what you've been asked to do... and suddenly your client says 'Could you just...?' Yes, we're talking about chargeable extras - and how you deal with them. Let's say you're a naturally helpful person. (Of...
Noises from the plumbing…
Say you have a team that doesn’t gel, or a person who won’t cooperate with everyone else. What do you do? I find it helpful to regard any shouting matches, or a high volume of complaints, as noises from the plumbing. This immediately stops me regarding it as a people...
Venues – a recipe for success?
I do a lot of networking, at many different venues– in fact I get all my business by word of mouth. And the key to successful networking, like so many other things, is consistency. So while I am happy to visit new networks from time to time, my focus is on a few...
Diverting the flow – making a success of outsourcing
Kate is a member of Expert Circles. It's a business network designed to show your expertise, demonstrate that you are special and build solid relationships with business people. (So visitors are always welcome.) This video shows extracts from a live presentation she...
Afraid to take a holiday? Here’s what to do…
Are you afraid to take a holiday? No, I'm not joking. This is a particular problem for small business owners. One actually told me that he never took a holiday himself because, in his words, 'I was worried that I wouldn't have a business by the time I got back'. But...
Moving services online? You may need a (better) process
Thinking about moving services online? Perhaps to save cost? Or time? Or - perish the thought - staffing costs...? Surely that should be easy enough? Well yes - and no. Because a lot depends on the nature of the process you're trying to deal with. As many local...
Delegation: if I’d known you were coming I’d have baked a cake
Picture by kind permission of Jess Fotheringham of Pickacake – Jess makes all her own cakes and decorates them, too! See more at www.pickacake.co.uk and www.facebook.com/jesspickacake/ It's great talking about delegation in theory, but how does it work in practice?...
New Year, new systems?
Systems are wonderful. You can sit down after the Christmas and New Year break, confident that you'll be able to pick up exactly where you left off. With no problems. Or can you? Perhaps that's not your experience. Perhaps - when you get back to your desk - there's a...
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