As a professional HR consultant, I find that bringing up succession planning is a bit like talking about wills—people get uncomfortable, change the subject and put it off rather than facing the facts. However, if you want to have a sustainable business that succeeds after a key player or players are gone, you NEED to have a strong bench in the wings so that you can protect what you’ve built.…
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Almost every leader or manager I’ve worked with has a story about an employee (or more than one) who is hard to work with for some reason (or reasons). These challenging people can totally drain the emotional energy of your entire workforce if you don’t address the issue. Of course, as a manager you want to avoid hiring them in the first place, but if they’re on your team, you’re…
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2019 has just begun, and many of you made New Year’s resolutions to grow your business, get that promotion, get fit, eat healthy, travel more and so on. I bet you did that last year too. And the year before that. How did it work out for you? Did you find yourself losing interest as other things vied for your time, attention and money? Are you ready to give yourself…
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I am a small business owner and encountered a problem I didn’t think would ever impact me. I’ve been in business for 12 years and employ over 35 full-time employees. I run a nice service business where everyone gets along fine. Or so I thought. One day I opened the mail and found a sexual harassment and discrimination charge had been filed with the EEOC claiming that the company had…
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Working with human resources can be very rewarding or very disappointing. How your HR function performs depends on a variety of things. In the 25+ years of leadership roles in HR, I’ve seen examples of the best and the worst. As an HR consultant working with small to mid-size employers for almost a decade now, I’ve seen business owners and supervisors who are experts in their specific field who break…
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As I write this article, we are officially half-way through the year. Now is a perfect time to check in on your business and see where you are now compared to where you plan to be at the end of the year. How big or small is the gap? When I work with small business owners, one of the best practices I find consistently is that the owner sets very…
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4 Essential Steps for an Easier Leadership Transition Managers and leaders may sound the same but there are big differences in the roles they play and the people who perform them. While managers do often lead a team, a leader such as a C-suite professional, has larger responsibilities that go well beyond tasks with predefined goals. Management is a big responsibility, and a good manager can be the backbone of…
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Your Quantum Leadership Lesson: Using Desk Procedure / Standard Operating Manuals Having a desk procedures manual, often called standard operating procedures or a training manual, is essential to assure that the job gets done right every time and that nothing slips through the cracks. For small to mid-size employers that often face high turnover, it’s especially important that each position in the company has an up-to-date desk procedure manual, and…
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When it comes to running a small business, the most lacking resource is often your own time. I’ve talked about the importance of delegation previously, so let’s now focus on what you can do to manage your own time more effectively! You’re probably tired even reading this article and already short on time. It’s common for any small business owner or entrepreneur. The truth is, running a small business can…
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Many entrepreneurs and small business owners start out because their skill set is in demand and they are in a position for growth and expansion. Once they are in charge though, trust can become a serious issue. Without proper delegation of duties the owner inadvertently harms their own earning potential by controlling too much of the business. There is an old saying that every business owner should know by now:…
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