branded for life

Archive for the ‘general’ Category

Consequences of the natural disasters in Japan found their way to our market. Our company sells Japanese electronics and the factory told us they are stopping production for about two months for safety reasons. Our losses in the coming months will be devastating. Is there anything we can do? ...read more

I can tell that some of our customers are lying to replace some pieces or get freebies. How can we stop this abuse without breaking “the customer is always right” philosophy?

To start with, it’s refreshing to see that you and your company are committed to customers. Some customers will always take advantage of flexible policies; it’s a fact. However, that doesn’t mean your company should punish all customers because of the acts of a few. So, let’s talk options. Assuming that there’s nothing wrong with your products, it’s possible that they’re returning them because they don’t suit their needs anymore. Putting good intentions aside, you need first to examine the incidents. Are the same customers repeating this behavior over and over? Or is it that many customers are returning their purchases once? ...read more

In a recent seminar the instructor said, “Don’t be connected emotionally to your business. If it’s not working out, shut it down and walk away.” Isn’t passion an important ingredient to success? If I’m not emotionally engaged with my business I won’t enjoy or be able to grow it. How do you see it? ...read more

If you talk to any of our departments’ heads individually, you would see how much each cares about his or her department. If you see the overall vibe and performance of the company, you would think that nobody is dedicated; otherwise, the business would’ve been in a much better shape. Where’s the missing link? ...read more

There are rumors in our company that it will be sold in the coming quarter. Some employees have already started to look for new jobs. The owners are not saying a word. Almost everybody is worried, should I? ...read more

My team suggests ideas during our strategic planning meetings that are not the best or most efficient solutions. How do I give them feedback without destroying their creativity or enthusiasm? ...read more

HR and management are making a big deal about not sending funny emails internally. Where’s the harm in emailing some humor to my colleagues? It makes us closer and we have fun during the day to bear the pressure of work.

I can understand why emails are like quicksand for some people in the workforce. Let’s imagine for a minute that emails never existed. Would you call a number of coworkers to tell them a funny story you heard yesterday from a friend? Better yet, how would you feel if a colleague called you every few minutes to tell you a joke or an interesting piece of general news? If receiving personal emails doesn’t affect your productivity that doesn’t mean it won’t affect others’. Also, in today’s world there’s an email overload in general, so, adding to it won’t win you points. ...read more