Not all entrepreneurs need a business plan. Most start-ups succeed because the founder had an authentic vision and clarity of purpose, not a well-written document.
leadership
Make Sure You’re Solving the Right Problem
It may be obvious that you can’t solve a problem that’s not well defined, but many people neglect this detail. Next time you think you’re ready to go into problem-solving mode, consider the following:
Ask Your Critic to Join Your Team
Teams thrive on the tension created from diverse points of view. To get those varied opinions in your group, start by finding the biggest critics of the challenge you’re working on.
Improve Your Presentation in Real Time
It may seem difficult to evaluate the progress of your presentation while you’re giving it, but skilled speakers monitor the room.
Know the Culture Before You Accept the Job
When deciding whether to take a job or not, investigate the culture of the organization. Ask questions of the interviewer or others who know the institution. General ones like — “What’s the culture like?” or “Are people treated well?” — seldom work. You’re likely to get stock answers. Instead, ask questions that get at how the …
Running a Tight Ship
Want to learn how to run a tight ship? Listen to a guy who’s been there.
Capture Your Audience Right Away
A successful presentation relies on an engaged audience, which you need to hook from the start. Open with a comment, question, relevant story, statement, or example that will get your audience’s attention. Then use the rest of the opening to define the purpose of the presentation and briefly preview your main points. You also need to
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Bring Out Quieter Voices on Your Team
In groups it’s often the non-expert, the outlier, or the person who isn’t in charge who has the most interesting idea. You need to structure ways to hear that person or you will always drown him out.
Get Feedback, Even If You’re the Boss
The higher up in the organization you get, the less likely you are to receive constructive feedback on your ideas, performance, or strategy. But you need input from others to get better.
Out of Time? Give Some Away
It’s counterintuitive but true: Spending time helping others leaves you feeling as if you have more time, not less. Research shows that giving to others can make you feel more “time affluent” and less time-constrained than if you choose to waste your extra time or spend it on yourself.
Helping Employees Adapt to Strategic Change
Strategy shifts are almost inevitable in business, but how you communicate that change and carry it out could be the difference between success and failure.
Give Employees Freedom, Within Limits
All managers need to decide how much latitude to give their employees. On one hand, micromanagement is demeaning and frustrating to capable employees. On the other, your job as a supervisor is to give your direct reports the support they need.