Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Time-to-Update-Your-Strategic-Plan.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Time-to-Update-Your-Strategic-Plan.html Feeling caught in a no win situation? Don't feel bad, no one anticipated the economic trauma we've recently gone through. The economy has changed, people aren't buying, you have opportunity but can't get credit to take advantage of it, and your existing client base is slowly melting away into retirement, bankruptcy or sale. If you’re in react mode, you'll never get ahead of the changes taking place - things are moving too fast. It's time to re-evaluate your opportunities and update your strategic plan. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/8-steps-to-organizational-efficiency.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/8-steps-to-organizational-efficiency.html Success in business depends on the effective use and leveraging of available resources such as people, time, money and facilities. Those businesses that are able to do this seem to consistently win over those that cannot. After all, when you are taking 1 step back for every 2 steps forward, your progress will always be limited. This article outlines 8 steps every business should take to ensure operational efficiency. If you do these 8 things, you will be well on your way to competitive advantages and sustainable, profitable growth. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Do-I-have-to-blog-tweet-or-linkin-Social-networking-unmasked.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Do-I-have-to-blog-tweet-or-linkin-Social-networking-unmasked.html If you're anything like me, you've been bombarded with requests to get on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. Being the Boomer I am, I really don't want to tweet, peep, or anything else that sounds like making friends online...just too creepy for me. None the less, reality is that social networking is here to stay. To understand why, and how critical it is to the future of your business, please read my article that describes why social media is here to stay, and why it's time to jump in. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Good-Decisions-Bad-Decisions.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Good-Decisions-Bad-Decisions.html Why is it possible for two identical businesses in the same market selling the same products and services to the same prospects have radically different outcomes? There are two key reason; First, staff and how the employees of the organizaton do their jobs, second, the quality of the decisions being made on a daily basis. I'm not foolish enough to believe anyone is capable of making the right decision every time, but there are times when the right choice is just not that hard to identify. When those decisions face us, it is imperative we do the proper due diligence and make the RIGHT decision. This article talks about some of the core reasons bad decisions get made, and talks about how to avoid getting caught in that trap. Enjoy! http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Falling-Off-the-Economic-Cliff.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Falling-Off-the-Economic-Cliff.html Economy, economy, economy... Stimulus, stimulus, stimulus... Reminds me of 'location, location, location', and I am pretty sick of hearing that too. If you're tired of hearing about the economy and stimulus, do something about it. This article talks about the permanent change facing businesses today and what you must do if you want to survive. Remember, no good crises should be left unexploited - opportunities abound. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Entering-the-gogo-zone-with-your-eyes-wide-open.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Entering-the-gogo-zone-with-your-eyes-wide-open.html The Go-Go zone is that place a business can find themselves in that sounds like heaven. In reality, it is more often hell. It is the place where you have more business than you know what to do with, where it is all you can muster just to get orders processed and shipped. Keeping customers happy gets left by the wayside. This article is my effort to help you understand the pitfalls of this seemingly idyllic situation, and help you prepare for it if and when it occurs. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Who-do-you-report-to.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Who-do-you-report-to.html If you are a business owner, who holds you accountable? This is a major issue most small business owners never think about. Larger businesses have Boards of Directors who are legally responsible for oversight. Even many smaller business have them as well, and others prefer to use a Board of Advisors. Regardless of how you create accountability, it is a proven fact that you will do a better job as a leader within your organization if you have an external individual or body of people you are accountable to. This article provides insights into how you can create and utilize some form of Board governance for your business. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Decisions-based-on-emotion--BAD-for-business.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Decisions-based-on-emotion--BAD-for-business.html In recent years, there has been a rise in discussion and research around what makes a good leader good. From those discussions, a new field of study and measurement has arisen,. It is called Emotional intelligence, or EQ. (Don't ask me why it isn't EI, but it's not.) In simple terms, EQ is the ability to know and control your emotions, and the ability to recognize and empathize with the emotions of others. For the expertrs in this field, please, don't get your feathers ruffled. Defining EQ is not the point. The point is, emotion does NOT belong in business, and often leads to really bad decisions. Emotion seems to play the biggest role in family owned business where family members are either co-owners or employees. This article talks about how to handle these situations, whether you are on the verge of wading into one, or already there. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/No-leader-is-master-of-everything.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/No-leader-is-master-of-everything.html One of the key failures senior executives and leaders tend to make early in their careers is acting with hubris. This affliction recurs with even the best who have had marvelously successful careers and begin to act without appropriate caution or due diligence. The best way to solve this problem is to look for outside input just to be sure your thinking is clear. The key is knowing when to seek input to avoid making bad decisions. In this article, I talk about how to get input from others and improve your decision making, and ultimately your success as a leader. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Big-Business-Tactics-for-Your-Small-Business.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/1038/Big-Business-Tactics-for-Your-Small-Business.html If you are a small business or even a good sized business that wants to get bigger, you must first develop the systems and structure, or the foundational components that will allow your business to support a larger organization. For that to happen, you must find ways to work on your business, not just work in it. This is an old saying. The question is just exactly does that mean? This article talks about things you must do in order to help your business prepare for becoming a large business.