Business Grunts

06/01/2024

Hug a veteran

04/25/2024

If you’re an SMB, would you rather have an MBA or an NCO focused on your ex*****on?

09/15/2023

When thinking about a process do you start with a focus on the inputs or the output?

A simple way to look at it: When cooking a dinner, you can either look at the pantry and refrigerator and put something together with what is available or you can decide what you want to make and go to the grocery store.

09/04/2023

Management is follow-up and feedback. When was the last time you gave your direct reports feedback?

05/30/2023

Been thinking about this for awhile. I see numerous examples and opportunities in even large businesses.

Structure requires processes.
- Employee Handbook
- Standard Operating Procedures

Discipline is defined by the culture.
- Feedback
- Follow up

Where is your company? What are you lacking?

05/01/2022

“The answer is never the answer. What's really interesting is the mystery. If you seek the mystery instead of the answer, you'll always be seeking.”

- Ken Kesey

How many mysteries remain due to our inability to listen? Listening and observation is a skill. Most of us treat “listening” as a pause until it’s our turn to speak next.

Follow these eight steps and you won't miss a thing:
1.) Know your subject. ...
2.) Slow down and look outwards. ...
3.) Try something new. ...
4.) Improve your concentration by cutting out distractions. ...
5.) Challenge yourself to a mental workout. ...
6.) Test your observation by playing a memory game. ...
7.) Record and consider your observations. ...
8.) Stay inquisitive!

Stuck on autopilot? Watch this video to get tips on how you can improve your powers of observation.

12/10/2021

Understanding personality types can maximize your workforce.

A client has recently been frustrated by the lack of productivity from one of the new hires, and asked for some insights. I started with the interview and what they expected from the worker based upon their responses. This resulted in a very interesting conversation.

You should know who you are hiring and have a plan for managing them.

https://www.redseed.com/blog/how-to-coach-the-analytical-personality-type/

05/10/2021

“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.”

Helen Keller.

12/02/2020

“Find someone to help you paddle”
- Admiral McCraven

MAINTAIN POSITIVE DAILY HABITS FOR A HEALTH MIND WITH THE INCREDIBLE No. 1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'SUPERB, SMART, AND SUCCINT' FORBES_____________Struggling to find structure in your life? ...

10/26/2020

Organizational structure.

Employee Handbook
Standard Operating Procedures
Job Descriptions
Job Postings
Policies and Principles

We've presented the many ideas required to put together a competent and efficient organization; job descriptions, or charts, job postings, Employee Handbook. You should know that they all work together. They are all connected.

The Job Description defines the expectations for each individual position. Each team member should understand specifically what they are expected to do. New hires can review the expectations and internal candidates can start to plan their individual development to meet the qualifications and requirements for the position.

The Job Posting is used to attract individuals that may be interested in that position and it is based on the Job Description.

The Standards Operating Procedures explains exactly how activities are to be performed. You've shown in the job description what you expect the team members to do and in the SOP you show them how they are expected to function.

The Org Chart should take into account each position for which you have a job description and define the hierarchy to support those positions.

The Employee Handbook is for your policies. Policies are enforced. Consistent interpretation and enforcement is required.

Biz Grunts can help you tighten things up. Feel free to reach out as our team is ready to help.

10/19/2020

There a many reasons why an employee will be at-risk, don't forget about lifestyle changes.

Turnover occurs for a reason. Here is a list of reason; bad managers, corporate inconveniences, lack of investment in personal development, poor pay, faulty hiring processes, lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes?

People's lives evolve and with that so do their priorities.

Operating shorthanded will have an impact on productivity.

It's important that your organization understands the causes of turnover and plans for dealing with turnover. That plan should start with identifying your at-risk employees.

Here is a 6-minute read to help you get started.

To help employers identify employees at risk of quitting, researchers uncovered a set of behavioral changes exhibited by employees that are strong predictors of voluntary quits in the 12 months after they are observed by managers.

10/12/2020

One of my favorite sayings is "Feedback is a gift".

How often are you giving feedback?
How often do you receive feedback?

Management is all about follow-up and feedback. In previous lives my people knew that if I wasn't taking notes then I wasn't going to follow up.

Coaching is a process: Observations and feedback.
Performance requires following up on determined and defined expectations.

If you ask someone to do something, you had better follow up.

Timely and accurate feedback is a necessity. If the only time your workforce receives feedback is during their performance review than you have a systematic management problem that is costing you money.

This article is a good place to start and it is an 8-minute read.

More managers are experiencing better communication and alignment with their employees when they conduct frequent...