WHY SOME COMPANIES SUCCEED, AND OTHERS DO NOT...

I would say it's a continual refinement of a company's culture that allows it to succeed. This takes a committed and dedicated leadership, one that runs its ship as a meritocracy, works hard to build enduring relationships internally and externally and has a balance of compassion, reason, purpose, integrity and drive so that each employee feels and acts as a stakeholder in each customer engagement. Companies that have and keep leadership positions in their categories seem to be those that know when and how to integrate new products, services and benefits into their offerings without taking its eye off the core business or qualitative deliverables. These organizations know they don't make money making stuff, only selling stuff, and therefore, build cultures focused on sales, service, value creation and again, building evergreen relationships with its customers.

BEWARE MICROMANAGEMENT...

Micromangement is a form of insecurity, a lack of trust or the need to manage up. As such, the micromanager, realizing it or maybe not, is making the job about themselves. One way to put micromanagement in check (at least to an extent) is hold fewer meetings, streamline reporting protocols, reduce redundancy and build better, more interpersonal relationships with team members. Building trust and confidence in team members is critical. Managing down allows the manager to better understand that individuals often have their own success formulas that will not interfere or delay the desired results or take away from achieving the manager's goals for the team. Micromanagement is a habit and like other less than desirable habits can be fixed.

HIRING THE "RIGHT" EXECUTIVE FOR YOUR TEAM

Ideally, the organization seeks an individual with experience (and/or potential) based on the job description, a proven work ethic and a personality that would fit into the organization's culture. All good. Equally as important should be the character traits that cannot be taught: an individual's written and verbal communications skills, their ability to develop meaningful relationships internally and externally, positive attitude regarding mentoring, and, have a balance in their life that reflects a sense of fair play, compassion and integrity.

MARKETING IS ALIVE AND WELL...

Just read an article focused on the death of marketing. Marketing, IMO, is far from dead. In fact, the “art” of marketing is just experiencing a new beginning. Marketing is a continually evolving mechanism to help a sales initiative and outflank competition. As economic and technology landscapes grow, so do the channels of communication. At the end of the day the marketing plan needs to meet specific business objectives. It may be better to think in terms of managing a communications (marketing) strategy to help build your business. The rationale for the selection of media and communications vehicles will be based on a number of things: efficiency, creative strategy, budgets, timing, etc. As data gathering becomes more and more sophisticated, so will sales strategies to reach high performance consumers and build enduring relationships with those consumers. It will be the role of marketing to manage those strategies.

FEAR AND FAITH CANNOT LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE

Some words of encouragement

written by Thomas A. Edison for his final public address:

"My message to you is: Be Courageous! I have lived a long time. I have seen history repeat itself again and again. I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has come out stronger and more prosperous. Be as brave as your fathers before you. Have Faith! Go Forward!

WHAT IS VALUE?

If the purpose of business is to generate a profit, and the fact that no company makes money making stuff, only selling stuff, then the idea of value is defined in the deliverable to your customers. If thought of in this way, value is defined as:

• Is our organization helping the client achieve something it could not achieve before, better or on its own?
• Is the deliverable measureable?
• Is the process for working with customers accountable?
• Is our service or product helping the customer to outflank its competition?
• Is our service or product a good price?

The aggregate answers to these questions is what value is.

Elliot DeBear and Josh