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DFW Business Network helps business owners and CEOs focus on their company's strengths and areas of weakness and where the trend of both of these are heading.
We begin with a results-oriented discussion that examines what strengths are trending up and what strengths are trending down – what areas of weakness are trending up and what are trending down. The end result is a game plan that capitalizes on strength and reduces areas of weakness.
The up or down trends of both your strength and weakness are tracked to confirm the directions they are moving. Once you focus on these directions, establish goals that are only slightly out of reach for both advancing strengths and reducing areas of weakness. Implement procedures that are feasible to reach these realistic goals.
Set dates and track your results. As you achieve success, set new goals. Reward your teams meaningfully, not monetarily. Let everyone in your company know in a personal, anecdotal way, who worked hard and what they were up against. It's news - it's gossip that builds culture.
Let's look at how to implement this program. Two areas most effecting company dynamics that you can control are operations and marketing.
If operations are generally smooth and efficient but marketing is expensive and ineffective, marketing is the place to start. The dollar-for-dollar leveraging of creative web marketing over traditional methods must be maximized.
Design and implement a marketing strategy that avoids obsolete web tactics and uses the latest approaches, uses the Internet for PR, uses viral news media and the rapid growth of hand held devices. This puts your business in front of the very people who are searching for what you provide.
If marketing is effective but operations are inefficient and costly (with average or above average absenteeism), operations is the place to start. The big question here is - how did operations get the way they are? Should you publicly (or privately) admonishing personnel? That is counterproductive and unnecessary.
Correcting operations through training is most effective when you begin with firmly controlled yet open discussions (without repercussions) with non management staff first, and in small, personal groups.
This prepares your work force for re-training and new training material we can help you with. Improving company culture is a key component to successful re-training. Effective, sustainable change, although directed by the CEO, is built from the ground up.
This is why you begin implementing with employees first; invited to offer ideas to make their environment comforting, not just comfortable. This way they can enjoy coming to work a little more than before.
Improving your company's culture can begin as simply as that. There are several other important components needed to improve your company culture. Remember - improvements such as to the work environment, must be maintained and not slip or morale can wilt temporarily.
The mind set of management must also be addressed, beginning with answering the question, “what's in it for me”. The answer for management is a pleasanter environment and a more productive work force. Shine a public light on advancement and educational opportunities for both management and employees.
In this way, sustainable change is implemented in either of two areas you have control over - marketing and operations. In either area, one game plan builds strengths and another one minimizes areas of weakness.
New marketing initiatives maximize the leverage of the latest technology and how people stay in touch with the business world. Put you business in front of the people who are searching for what you provide. Be out front in your expertise (operations). Be out front in the market place (marketing).
DFW Business Network helps business owners and CEOs respond to fast-moving changes in both consumer trends and in technology. We can help you stay ahead of the curve called "...what your competitors are already doing."
We welcome your comments. Contact david@businessPRnews.com
businessPRnews.com is the news website of the DFW Business Network
