7 Habits of Highly Ineffective People [Infographic]

This infographic is made especially for all the bosses out there. Nobody expects you to be perfect, but they do expect you to do your best. To honestly do that, you need to identify your weaknesses and do whatever you can to improve upon them. This infographic does a great job of pointing out some of the easiest errors to make as a leader, and it tells you how to stop making them.

Have you ever had a boss who had one or some of these habits? Share in the comment box below or on Facebook and Twitter.

9 Ways To Get More Done Today

It’s early on in the week and I know that no one wants to think any harder than they have to. That’s why I thought this little graphic was the perfect post. There are nine great ideas to help you get more done without doing an exorbitant amount of reading. The best part of all…you can do any of these things today. Let me know what you think in the comment box below or on Facebook and Twitter.

Epic Business Fails of 2011

Some businesses have had incredible success this year and others have not. I found a good infographic that looks back on some of the epic fails in retail. Sometimes it’s just as important to know what not to do as it is to know what to do. Did any of these fails surprise you? Share in the comment box below or with me on Facebook and Twitter.

Seth Godin’s Advice

Seth Godin’s most recent post caught my eye. Partially because of how short and simple it was and partially because of the message.  You might have to read it more than once to let it soak in but there is A LOT of great advice embedded in this simple post.

Insulate yourself…

from anonymous angry people

Expose yourself to art you don’t yet understand

Precisely measure the results that are important to you

Stay blind to the metrics that don’t matter

Fail often

Ship

Lead, don’t manage so much

Seek out uncomfortable situations

Make an impact on the people who matter to you

Be better at your baseline skills than anyone else

Copyedit less, invent more

Give more speeches

Ignore unsolicited advice

 

Check out Seth’s blog here.

 

Wh advice do you have going into the new year? Share in the comment box below and don’t forget to connect with me on Facebook andTwitter.

Is Your Best Employee Leaving You? (Infographic)

You have come to rely on this employee to handle to heavier workloads and to always go above and beyond. You know that any project you give this person will be done just as well, if not better, as you could have done. What would you do without them?  The truth is that might not be around forever. Here are a few signs that your rockstar employee is thinking about a career change. How do you keep your best employees right where you want them?  Share in the comment box below or on Facebook and  Twitter.


Business Lessons From Gaga

If you haven’t heard of Lady Gaga you are the only one. This pop culture icon has sold of 13 million albums and has earned 12 Grammy nominations. That being said, she has to be doing something right. It’s not just the catchy song writing and the unique personal brand, she actually knows a thing or two about business. Here are some of the top lessons Lady Gaga can teach you.

1. USE SOCIAl MEDIA! – You might not think much of social media, but Lady Gaga has close to 16 million followers on Twitter. How much does it cost you to send an ad to that many people?  Dive in to Twitter to build your following, always be two things: 1. Interesting 2. Valuable.

2. Team Up With The Right People – To promote her most recent album, she teamed up with Zynga, maker of the fan-crazed Facebook game Farmville. They created a “Gagaville” where players could raise unicorns and grow crystals…sound ridiculous?  While this promotion was going on, she was also plugged in and promoted across other popular Facebook games like Mafia Wars, skyrocketing her exposure. No, you don’t need unicorns and crystals but you do need to be connected to the right people.

3. Know Your Audience – You need to understand what your customers want and how they want it. Lady Gaga’s fans expect a unique experience at every concert and to be entertained with every music video they watch, and she delivers. You might not have to dress up in a meat suit but you should definitely go above and beyond to give your customers exactly what they want.

More business lessons from Lady Gaga here.

Don’t forget to connect with me on Facebook and  Twitter or share your thoughts in the comment box below.

Rules For Getting The Price Right

A big part of great marketing is hitting the right price point. You can’t shoot too low or people think your product is crap. You can’t shoot too high or else your target market won’t be able to afford it. You really have to take the time to find the sweet spot right in between where your customer feels like they are getting quality and value for what they are paying and yet aren’t paying too much for too little. Here are a few good rules to keep in mind to make your customers say ” The Price Is Right!”

1. Listen To Your Customers – This doesn’t mean you have to spend a small fortune on marketing research, just ask. Find out where they value your product in comparison to the competitors. If you are set up for it, this could be as easy as asking a question to your social media followers.

2. Understand Your Competition – If your customer wasn’t buying your product, what would they be spending their money on? What separates you from them? How can you make sure you always have that positive differentiation?

3. Be Brutal – When evaluating yourself you need to be 100% honest. You should be your harshest critic at all times and you should also listen to your own criticisms.

Get more pricing tips here.

Don’t forget to connect with me on Facebook and  Twitter or share your thoughts in the comment box below.

5 and 1/2 Secrets To Successful Leadership

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.”  Unfortunately, becoming a “Great Leader” isn’t that easy. Leadership tends to be the last thing that entrepreneurs consider for their startup. Even though it may be the most important. Here are 5.5 secrets to successful leadership.

Don’t forget to connect with me on Facebook and  Twitter for more useful information.

1.Assemble Your Dream Team – You won’t be able to do it all on your own.  Find people who are passionate about what they do and who are dedicated to the success of the business as much as they are dedicated to their own success.

2. Overcommunicate – A lack of communication can tear a business apart while there are really no negative consequences for being too clear. Don’t ever expect your employees to be able to read your mind. Paint a clear picture of what you want and what you really need.

3. To Assume… – We all know how the saying goes. Don’t ever assume that your team is on exactly the same page as you. Plan to update them on a regular basis to make sure that no one is falling being or jumping ship all together.

4. Don’t Be Fake – Let people know when you are genuinely impressed or disappointed. If you can be yourself, your employees will be more comfortable being themselves, and that’s who you really hired.

5. Identify Your Obstacles – You need to identify your challenges ahead of time so they don’t sneak up on you like the legendary iceberg and sink your unsinkable ship. Seeing these obstacles looming in the distance allows for you to plan for the needed adjustments or precautions.

5.5. Build Your Culture- This is only half of a tip because it tends to happen naturally, the biggest challenge you have is directing it to be the culture you want for your business. Set an example and be clear about what flies and what doesn’t in your company.

Read More.

 

Where To Find Talent

Typical talent is expensive to recruit and hard to find.  Valuable talent is right in front of your face every day, you just aren’t seeing it.  Finding people who will work hard and over deliver isn’t as hard as it seems.  Instead of looking for people who already know they are good at what they do you need to be looking for people who want to be good at something they aren’t doing. Look for the person who is undervalued.  They may have a lot of skill and talent but little experience, and they may be stuck in a low status job.  To find talent that wants to work for you and will work hard for you, look for these people.

Career Switchers – Teachers are a perfect example.  They may love to teach but they can’t live off of the pay. A teacher looking for a new career has skills in training as well as handling and motivating all different types of people.  If you can break down the skills needed for the job instead of just the job description you can find a lot of talent hidden where you least expect it.

Athletes - Where can you find people who have shown dedication and hard work as well as the ability to handle adversity and work in a team?  Try athletes.  Every year 400,000 college athletes enter the job market, try and grab one of them.

New Grads – They can’t get any experience unless someone gives them a chance.  They will also probably never work harder for someone than the person who gives them that chance.  Recent grads are still ready to learn and they are eager and motivated to work their way up in the world.  Look at their work, personality, and focus to determine if they have what you really need.

Read more.

 

Innovate By Thinking Inside The Box

Kevin Coyne has a great perspective on innovation.  He explains “thinking outside the box” as too general of a term.  Outside the box is full of ideas that might not help you or solve any of your problems.  You can often come up with your best and most useful ideas if you just pay attention to what is going on.  I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did.  Please feel free to leave your comments here or start a discussion with me on Facebook or Twitter.

 

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