I have no doubt that employee bonus plans, or incentive plans, work. Most production workers will get really smart, really quick, when they realize they have a good chance to earn more. I don’t think it matters if compensation is the number-one reason to keep employee engagement and morale high.[Read More…]

In the final analysis, the commercial success of your business comes down to profitability. There are other factors to your success in business. One of my determining factors is engagement and enjoyment. However, when we talk about the commercial success, the only measurement is the profitability. If you have made[Read More…]

So, I recently started with a new client who signed up for the short-term, three-month program. After asking him what must have seemed like an endless list of questions, he confirmed what I suspected: That our primary coaching goal would be to improve profitability. In most cases I will ask[Read More…]

The word “coaching” is often used to describe any profession that mixes training, counseling, and advising for business, leadership, or sports. “Coaching” can also refer to a management style of how you communicate with all the people around you. The opposite of the coaching style of management is the directive[Read More…]

Show me a skinny manager and I’ll show you a man who is neglecting some of his true management responsibilities. I’m exaggerating, of course, and perhaps I am just jealous of anyone who can still see the tops of their shoes. But I do struggle at times to explain to[Read More…]

The majority of businesses that I work with have some family members working alongside each other. That gives me a fairly good seat in the house when it comes to observing what works, what doesn’t work, and how to fix it. The family member could be a cousin or a[Read More…]

In the last issue of Shed Builder Magazine, we covered the first rule experts follow for having a difficult a conversation with someone in your business is to make it safe, creating an environment of mutual purpose and mutual respect. The next rule is to watch your words, to replace[Read More…]

Just like every play years ago on the football field wasn’t a disaster, every conversation is not critical. In fact, most conversations are simple. You can recognize that a conversation is about to turn critical with a couple of clues. The first clue I noticed was any kind of reaction,[Read More…]

There is not a single part of the shed industry that doesn’t involve more than one person. Every step, from production to delivery, relies on multiple people. Unlike tennis, golf, or wrestling, the shed business is a team sport. Over the years I have seen stellar leaders declare bankruptcy because[Read More…]