Don't Shrink—RETHINK!
by Eileen McDargh
Now is the time to pull together and think
creatively about our
businesses. When times are easy, unfortunately, we
often lose the
edge to monitor performance, to question out-dated
procedures and
unnecessary expenses. Maintenance items slip when
we're busy
"filling orders". This might be anything
from physical maintenance
to reconnecting with clients, to exploring new
opportunities for
growth, to taking classes for improvement and
enrichment.
Consider brainstorming some of these
questions:
What would happen if we had
a product that was 180 degrees
different from today?
(Example: A hospital with low census went from
finding ways to get
sick people in the door to finding ways to get well
people in the
door! They re-created their unused physical space
into a wellness
center and found lots of takers!)
What if we blew up the
business and started all over? What would
we get rid of because it is extraneous, irrelevant
or an unnecessary
expense?
(Example: How many people really READ that report?
Does it have to
be so immense? What's the bottom line here?)
Have we put people in
positions where they play to their
strengths?
Talk, talk, talk and figure out where is the match.
(Example: One
employee is great with web research, web design,
and staying up on
the competition. She's lousy on the phone. Right
now, she's willing
to cut back and work half-time from her house with a
company-supplied computer and cable modem.)
If your job opened up today,
would you get it? Are you
consistently producing great results, solving
problems and finding
more efficient ways of doing things?
(Example: Take on a project no one wants and make
it work. Can you
persuade people to get onboard and achieve a goal?
Now, that's
leadership-a quality that is in GREAT demand and
therefore,
recession-proof.)
© Eileen McDargh, McDargh Communications. All rights reserved. You may reprint this article so long as it remains intact with the byline and if all links are made live.
Since 1980, Hall of Fame speaker Eileen McDargh has helped Fortune 100 companies as well as individuals create connections that count and conversations that matter. Her latest book is Gifts from the Mountain-Simple Truths for Life's Complexities. Her other books include Talk Ain't
Cheap...It's Priceless and Work for a Living and Still Be Free to Live, one of the first books to address the notion of balance and authentic work. A 59 year-old grandmother, she recently returned from climbing among the highest mountains in the world. Find out more about this compelling
and effective professional speaker and join her free newsletter by visiting http://www.EileenMcDargh.com.
McDargh
Communications
(949) 496-8640
Eileen@EileenMcDargh.com
www.EileenMcDargh.com
© 2008 McDargh Communications, All rights
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