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Disaster Prevention Tips For Hiring A New Manager
by: Lora J Adrianse
It happens over and over in businesses every day.
Within large companies, people are promoted to management positions to reward them for performance as individual contributors. After all, the compensation system limits reward options, so why not just promote them?
In small businesses, the owner is getting overwhelmed with all that needs to be done. They think that hiring a manager is the solution to give them a little more balance. The hunt begins!
Unless you get...
Do You Mind If Someone Screams At You
?
by: Lora J Adrianse
A headhunter was on the other end of the phone. He was looking for an assistant to a CEO/Owner for a small, but very successful business. Essentially, he wanted someone at his disposal night and day. That didn't seem like a huge deal. And then the next question came...Do you mind if someone screams at you? As soon as I could get past the sirens going off in my head, and visions of Dilbert comic strips, I replied, Yes, that's not acceptable. The headhunter continued,...
How To Take The Pain Out Of Performance Reviews
by: Lora J Adrianse
The Painful Approach
For many years, performance management was of an annual event dreaded by both the management and the workforce. For a week or two every year the manager would virtually isolate himself and ponder the stack of review forms staring him in the face. Chances are there was very little data tracked, so he'd try to rack his brain for the past year so he could evaluate his employees. In the meantime, a silent tension was building within each of the...
Why Free Agent Thinking Is Good For Your Company
by: Lora J Adrianse
It's no secret! Day after day the news is riddled with companies who are moving operations to other countries or completely closing their doors. Those who remain must transform themselves to lean, mean, businesses with a constant eye on reducing costs.
For the first time, the baby-boomers are finding themselves in an unpredictable work environment. They are shaken by the instability of what the future holds...and with good reason.
Company messages are...
Managing Performance Every Day
by: Lora J Adrianse
The scenario
The company has decided it needs to eliminate costs. Hundreds of jobs are on the line. The executives of each division have been directed to cut costs by 35%. The tension throughout the company is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You know some departments will be totally eliminated because the work can be outsourced to save money.
You are a manager with over 20 years of seniority and you know your department is NOT being eliminated. You...
7 Bits Of Critical Information You Can t Afford NOT To Know About Your Customers
by: Lora J Adrianse
If you think customer relationship management is just a piece of software, you're dead wrong. Customer relationship management is about understanding your customers. It's about really knowing them as individuals, knowing what they mean to your business, and most of all, knowing what you need to do to keep their business.
Ideally, you need a profile for each of your customers. Most customers will gladly give you the information you need especially if there is a small...
Customer Service Stop Sabotaging Your Customer Relationships
by: Lora J Adrianse
If you've called for customer service recently you're familiar with this recorded message This call may be recorded or monitored for quality purposes. I immediately think to myself, Oh great, here comes the game of 20 questions.
Now don't get me wrong. I spent many, many years training Customer Service Reps. (CSR's). I'm all for making sure customers receive the best possible service. What I'm not for is the pre-scripted list of questions CSR's are required to ask,...
Becoming An Empowered Consumer
by: Lora J Adrianse
How many times have you said to yourself
I just wish that company would treat me like they appreciated my business!?
For many years I trained Customer Service Reps at a large corporation. There is no doubt that it was during those years I personally became a consumer with rather high standards and expectations. It was also during that time that I realized my only point of power (as a consumer) was to take my business elsewhere if I didn't get the treatment I...
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