Small business owners understandably may be reluctant to use non-compete agreements for many reasons. The desire to divert precious resources to paying an attorney to prepare a contract is hardly appealing. Similarly, businesses may feel that such agreements are unnecessary because they have few employees. But as Ben Franklin once wisely advised, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
If you’re a leader, you probably already have the time-honored “business smarts” for the job, namely the intellectual capability and technical skill.
Those are important. But they’re only the base line. Numerous studies have shown that what distinguishes outstanding leaders from average ones are emotional self-awareness and self-control.
Give ‘Em a Break: Employees Want Their Lunch Break Back
Even though employees value lunch breaks, many don’t take them. What can employers do to address this and make sure their workforce is energized in the afternoon?
In the spirit of the season, it's time to sit back and reflect on not only what we're thankful for, but also for whom we are thankful.
The experience that we've all been through this past year--the worst economy since the Great Depression--has taught us all so much about the perseverance and determination of the small business community, as well as
What makes a good manager?
The answer may vary according to the size of the business, the industry it operates in and lots of other factors. Yet, we can find similarities between great managers: they are all leaders with a clear vision of the future and a heartfelt desire to innovate. A good leader will also influence people and know how to motivate them.
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If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.” — Mario Andretti, American race car driver.
“The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow.” — Rupert Murdoch, Australian-American media mogul.
“I’ve always found that the speed of the boss is the speed of the team.” — Lee Iacocca, former CEO and Chairman of Chrysler Corporation.
Though we like to think of ourselves as living in the Space Age or the Information Era, future historians may well label this the “Hurry Up Epoch.”
For decades now, we’ve scrambled to keep pace with technological change, ramping up our productivity to startling levels, which helps us further advance our technology, leading to greater productivity … and so on, in a rising spiral.
Nowadays you have to put the pedal to the metal, or the go-getters will leave you eating their dust, taking big bites off the edges of your market. You can’t compete effectively without an agile internal culture capable of reducing time-to-market and cycle speed for all essential processes.
This begs the question: how do you build and maintain such a culture of speed? Let’s look at some principles.
Have you ever provided suggestions which were subsequently ignored?
Have you ever provided critiques which were not well received?
Have you ever wanted to provide constructive feedback on something, but held back from doing so because you did not know how to convey your intentions across?
Today’s guide is on how to give constructive criticism to someone. Whether at work or in relationships, sharing (and receiving) feedback is part and parcel of improvement. If you have ideas on how someone can improve, don’t hold your ideas back – rather, share them in a constructive manner. (Provided the subject is something the person has asked to receive feedback on. Otherwise, you are merely imposing your judgment on others.)
Motivating your team can be more art than science, but here are four techniques that will increase your chances of finding the right fuel:
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