People picked on my generation. People picked on my fathers’ generation. People are picking on this generation, and I think it’s wrong,” says Scott McGohan, CEO at McGohan Brabender, a company that provides employee benefit consulting, compliance, and health risk management. “We have to understand technology and communication paths that are going to be attractive [across generations], but to pretend [ Read More ]
Your effectiveness as a leader correlates with the amount of trust the people you lead have in you. The less trust they have in you, the more time you’ll have to spend making a case for what you’re trying to get done. If your people trust you, they are going to accept what you’re asking of them without question. [ Read More ]
This Insights post has been updated. For our latest thinking on professional management, see our most recent post here. In the video below a number of small business owners explain—in their own words—how professional management has helped their businesses. Professional management is something that can help you run your business, rather than letting it run you. It [ Read More ]
It's hard enough to define your culture. And it's even harder to align your business to it. Once your culture is defined and aligned, how do you ensure your culture is ready to scale? “When we were a smaller organization, I had a lot more influence on the culture than I do now,” says Sean Kelly, CEO of SnackNation, [ Read More ]
Throughout my career, I’ve developed many products and services that were good, sometimes even great. But more times than I would like to admit, they never got noticed. Never got talked about. Never achieved the desired results. Why? Because they were really just another offering in a sea of offerings. Imagine you compete in the market for rock bands. [ Read More ]
John Werner, President/CEO of White Commercial Corporation, knew something had changed around his organization when, one day, he walked by a conference room and noticed a meeting he was completely unaware was taking place. No invite or no notification—nothing. “We have a big window that you see from the hallway, and it looked like they were really getting work accomplished,” [ Read More ]
What’s one of the biggest challenges in small business today? Keeping employees motivated and productive, says Marty Grunder, President and CEO of Grunder Landscaping Co., in Dayton, Ohio. Knowing how difficult this can be, Marty shared a few lessons on how to create a high-energy, productive atmosphere at work. Lesson #1: Make Time For Individuals to Express How They [ Read More ]
Those that have attended my competitive strategy workshops have heard me say that the key to a great strategy is choosing what not to do: what products/services do I choose not to offer; what activities will I not undertake; and what customers will I not attempt to attract. But we all know that its hard to say “no” to a new opportunity. Especially the [ Read More ]
When hiring, LaRosa’s, Inc.’s philosophy is, “Good people know good people.” That’s why they make sure to tap their current employee base to help find additional great talent, says Steve Browne, Executive Director of HR at LaRosa’s. (LaRosa’s is a chain of pizza restaurants located in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee.) “When we have openings, we go to our team [ Read More ]
How do you let go of doing it yourself? In this video, Lavender Home Care Solutions’ President, Bernard Dalichau, shares how he’s learned to let go. Many can relate to the feeling of having to "do it all"—whether they are a business owner or not.. Being able to effectively delegate is a critical capacity to both scale your business [ Read More ]
What can you expect with a Business Coach at Aileron? How can you get the most out of all your Business Coaching Sessions? Whether you have Business Coaching Sessions or are considering them, here are 5 things you should know about Business Coach guidance at Aileron. 1. Business Coaching is all about you. As Mark Thompson, a former Aileron [ Read More ]
Sitting on one of the office couches with the garage door open—the light and breeze freely flowing in—Adam Landrum, President & CEO at Up&Up took a moment to take in his surroundings. Adam was sitting in the Up&Up office, located in Greenville, South Carolina. He had designed the space to feel more like a coffee shop and bar rather [ Read More ]
