As a business owner I have noticed that entrepreneurs talk about a range of topics and we share some pretty personal details; what doesn’t happen is the talk about violence. We speak about managing teams and dealing with problem performers, but we very rarely speak about what happens when those situations go horribly wrong. To get to the bottom of this I got some advice from … [Read more...]
Can a CEO be brutally honest?
Can a CEO be brutally honest? Everyone from sales clerks to CEO’s have been talking about the ‘burning platform memo’ from Nokia’s CEO Stephen Elop. In the memo, Elop points out where the company is failing compared to its competitors and effectively asks what the staff plans to do about it. ( Read the full memo here, here.) In the memo, Elop takes a hard and critical look … [Read more...]
Women Leaders: Taking a Second Chance
I had the pleasure of attending an Ewomen’s Network event in New Jersey aptly put together by Marilyn Kleinberg and the featured speaker was the women who founded this fabulous organization, Sandra Yancey. Over 100 bright, creative women, mostly solopreneurs, mompreneurs, with a smattering of corporate women listened to Sandra talk about CASH. Yup, cash, the kind you want in … [Read more...]
Thank You, Colin Firth, for Dropping (My Version of) the F-Bomb
Post and Video by Frances Cole Jones, contributing Women On Business writer The morning after the Oscars, the biggest conversation was Melissa Leo’s use of what commentators appear to have settled on calling “the F bomb.” It was, without question, beyond unfortunate- and that’s all that needs to be said about it. I was, however, deeply gratified by Colin … [Read more...]
Why is Communication So Darn Difficult?
Post by Jane K. Stimmler, contributing Women on Business writer It never fails to frustrate me when I believe I have been clear and precise in my communication - and it becomes evident to me that the other party hasn't gotten my message at all! Whether it's a business or personal exchange, communication is my business - so it is particularly painful to acknowledge that … [Read more...]
Increasing Market Profile With Women’s Initiatives
Women's Initiatives Focused on Business Growth Due to the challenging economy and increased focus on revenue generation and business growth the timing is right for women’s leadership initiatives to be a catalyst for increasing organizational market visibility. All corporate initiatives are called to directly support business strategy in the best of times and these are not … [Read more...]
Why Nobody Reads Your Brochure (or any other marketing materials)
I’ve been trying for years to determine why some marketing, in general, is simply not effective. In fact, sometimes marketing has the exact opposite effect than what is desired. Case in point - the company brochure. Some firms work for hours, days, and months to create the perfect brochure with the best writing and layout. Yet later they discover that they could have … [Read more...]
Leadership Tactics: New Meaning of FEMA
The title of my almost finished book about women and leadership keeps changing, while I continue to search for essential concepts about partnering with our male colleagues in new and highly productive ways. A recent thought about a merger of the feminine and masculine aspects of our natures made me chuckle. Looking at a synthesis of female-male leadership qualities, I … [Read more...]
Stop dipping your big toe in the water…the others might get JEALOUS! 5 steps to avoiding analysis paralysis.
In my last post, I expressed the importance of listening to your intuition and going with your gut. You might agree that the flipside of gut-based decision making is analysis paralysis. So, if you are continually dipping your big toe to test the waters and avoiding taking the plunge, take a step back from what appears to be wildly uncertain waters and ask why? Do you ever … [Read more...]
Are you a good boss?
Are you a good boss? Really? I know when I ask myself that question, I come to the conclusion that I could be better. So what makes a good boss, and how can we get better? In the January/February issue of Harvard Business Review an article on becoming a great boss offers research and some key tips for improving as a boss. A good boss is typically influential. But where … [Read more...]