Note: This article contains 1,111 words and 1 image, with an estimated read time of 4 minutes.   With unlimited career choices, education options, and opportunities at our feet every day, it can be quite the challenge to gain the clarity needed to reach our goals. Things get in the way, indecision plagues our minds, and self-doubt and fear of the unknown reach in and strangle our motivation. The amazing thing about the entire situation is that we’re actually only ever six steps away from achieving our goals. That’s right; just six steps away. Unfortunately, none of us are gifted with foresight, leaving the road ahead full of uncertainty and doubt. Steve Jobs, the founder of a little company called Apple, put it best during his 2005 commencement speech at Harvard University: “Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that... read more ❯

Note:This article contains 1,232 words and 1 image, with an estimated read time of 5 minutes.   Honesty doesn’t only have to do with doing things the way they ought to be done, it also expresses the values in which a company/business/organization is founded. Telling the truth and acting accordingly is a good virtue and a measure of ethics and moral honour. Honesty is one of the best ways for an organization to achieve long-lasting success for its employees and customers. There is a huge difference between being honest and being transparent. Honesty is when you reveal what you feel needs to be known, while transparency is when others can’t see something that YOU feel they need to know but might not be appropriate or relevant. An example of someone trying to be transparent could be; I was looking at buying a new vehicle and the business manager at the dealership wanted to... read more ❯

Note:This article contains 1,073 words and 1 image, with an estimated read time of 4 minutes.   The idea of coming together in a small, focused group is not an entirely new concept. Mastermind groups have always existed solely for the purpose of exchanging ideas and are dedicated to mutual growth and building members up. In 1925 Napoleon Hill used the term “Master Mind” in his book ‘The Law of Success’. He pointed out that being a part of a mastermind group was critical to his success. As illustrated by Napoleon, the core value of a mastermind group is the synergy of motivation, idea exchange, energy, commitment and the willingness to learn and grow together. Members in a mastermind groups raise the bar by challenging each other to set goals, improve personal skills, business skills, brainstorm ideas and support each other with utmost respect and honesty. So, whether you believe in the power of... read more ❯

Note:This article contains 1591 words and 1 image, with an estimated read time of 6 minutes.   There’s every possibility that you’ve experienced at least one reorganization in your career at some point. Reorganizations are usually an excellent way to unlock value and stay in tune with the constant change in the business environment. Reorganization is an effective way to improve performance and keep up with the incredible pace of change in the business world.  It is often undertaken to boost innovation and ultimately financial performance. Companies often undergo reorganization to curtail inertia or routines that may progressively undermine growth. However, the truth is that most reorganizations are not entirely successful. A survey carried out by McKinsey revealed that more than 80% of reorganizations fail to deliver the value promised. Furthermore, an estimated 10% cause severe damage to the company and they could also be a miserable experience for employees. Research suggests that... read more ❯

Note:This article contains 894 words and 1 image, with an estimated read time of 3 minutes. There’s a lot of emphasis on making sales, increasing revenue in the business world. However, a crucial aspect (and arguably more important) key to business success is retaining your clients. Granted, new customers are key to the success and growth of your business. But smart business owners realize the importance of retaining existing clients as they offer huge potential for continuous revenue. According to the Harvard Business Review, selling to a new client costs on an average 25 times more than to an existing client. It’s more expensive to acquire new clients than it is to keep an existing one. In fact, long-term customers provide more value than a single-deal client. Keeping customers for the long haul provides a solid foundation of revenue that has created incredible wealth for businesses.  Existing customers have already done business with... read more ❯

Note:This article contains 1,875 words and 1 image, with an estimated read time of 8 minutes. Most savvy business owners and leaders alike understand the importance of finding and retaining top employees especially when it comes to business success. This is specifically true for small businesses with limited budgets competing with larger corporations for top talent. It’s not just enough to recruit top talent, it’s critical and more cost-effective to retain those top performers for years to come.  Companies that replace employees as fast as they recruit them often have to contend with fluctuating productivity levels and that could culminate in reduced revenue. The demand for companies to retain top talent is intensifying and is often one of the most important issues leadership contends with globally. Employee retention is becoming increasingly challenging. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; the average worker’s tenure on average is about 4.4 years.... read more ❯

Note:This article contains 1,134 words and 1 image, with an estimated read time of 5 minutes.   Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” -–Paul J. Meyer.   Right from the early 1970s, productivity (generally referred to as the total amount of output per hour worked) has been consistently increasing in North America. According to the Economic Policy Institute, between the years 1973 and 2011 there has been an amazing 80 percent increase in the productivity of the American worker. This rise in productivity has been a direct result of implementing new tools to bolster our efficiency and focus. However, while it’s obvious that the average level of productivity for American workers has improved significantly, top CEOs, business owners, entrepreneurs are still looking for ways to increase their productivity. So what practices and strategies do highly successful people incorporate into their... read more ❯