Highly successful organizations typically don’t settle for “good enough.” Good enough is barely a step above mediocrity, and that just doesn’t cut it in today’s hyper-competitive world.

To stay on top, organizations must always be asking themselves:

• Is our product as good as it could be?  And, if the answer is no…they make it better.
• Is our organization as effective as it could be?  And, if it’s not, they work to address ineffectiveness wherever it is found.
• Are there new opportunities available to us? And, if there are, they figure out how to take seize those opportunities.

Employees in successful organizations aren’t just in a race with the competition…they are in a race with themselves.  A race to achieve the best that is within them. (more…)

Are you essential to your organization? Would the place fall apart without you, or would it keep running smoothly if you were to leave? These are important questions for employees to ask themselves from time to time.  Why?  Because it often means the difference between short-term employment and long-term success in a job.

Everyone’s work, in some way or another, can positively impact the organization. People who see the part they play in helping the organization meet its goals, and who then consistently deliver their part at a high level, can’t help but become significant.

Communication coach and consultant John A. Jenson explains that there are three things a person can do to set themselves apart. These are:

• Design  (taking who you are–not who you wish you were–“stepping it up” and then commiting to making that your standard; strong personal designs can be described with words like credible, engaging or professional).
• Package (making sure that the way you look and act is in line with the design you’ve established for yourself).
• Deliver (delivering on your claims and doing what you say you are going to do).

(more…)

Problems, Problems, Problems – Wouldn’t life be grand if we never had any problems. Everything would work perfectly, everyone would always get along and be happy, everything would be wonderful for everyone everywhere, and things would only get better as we live happily ever after.

Unfortunately, in the real world there is no avoiding the grim realities of the dark side. Viewed from a business perspective – take the number of problems of each person, multiply by the number of employees, multiply the result by every single aspect of doing business, and the final result is what keeps every business owner chewing their fingernails down to the bone. (more…)