Mapping Common Sense and Uncommon Sense

From the link: http://sloanreview.mit.edu/the-magazine/2012-spring/53311/uncommon-sense-how-to-turn-distinctive-beliefs-into-action/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sm-direct

How to keep your boss happy? or "8 Things Bosses expect from Employees".

From the link: http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/keep-the-boss-happy-8-rules.html?nav=pop

(Please read full article from the link above)

Here are the rules for keeping your boss happy:

1. Be true to your word.

2. No surprises, ever.

3. Be prepared on the details.

4. Take your job seriously.

5. Have your boss's back.

6. Provide solutions, not complaints.

7. Communicate in plain language.

8. Know your real job.

6 Habits of True Strategic Thinkers

From the link: http://www.inc.com/paul-schoemaker/6-Habits-of-Strategic-Thinkers.html?nav=pop

(Please read the full article from the link above)

Adaptive strategic leaders (the kind who thrive in today’s uncertain environment) do six things well:

1. Anticipate (Not just straight ahead; but have peripheral vision)

2. Think Critically (Question everything; Don't take at face value)

3. Interpret (Look for patterns. Look for trends. Convert data to information)

4. Decide Quickly & Act quickly (Don't become a victim of Analysis Paralysis): Carefully frame the decision to get to the crux of the matter, Balance speed, rigor, quality and agility. Leave perfection to higher powers & Take a stand even with incomplete information and amid diverse views

5. Align with stakeholders: Total consensus is rare. A strategic leader must foster open dialogue, build trust and engage key stakeholders, especially when views diverge. To pull that off, you need to: Understand what drives other people's agendas, including what remains hidden, Bring tough issues to the surface, even when it's uncomfortable and Assess risk tolerance and follow through to build the necessary support

6. Learn: As your company grows, honest feedback is harder and harder to come by. You have to do what you can to keep it coming. This is crucial because success and failure--especially failure--are valuable sources of organizational learning. Here's what you need to do: Encourage and exemplify honest, rigorous debriefs to extract lessons, Shift course quickly if you realize you're off track and Celebrate both success and (well-intentioned) failures that provide insight

Check out: www.decisionstrat.com

Business Etiquette: 5 Rules That Matter Now

From the link: http://www.inc.com/eliza-browning/business-etiquette-rules-that-matter-now.html?nav=pop

Here are a few business etiquette rules that matter now—whatever you want to call them.

1. Send a Thank You Note. Know the Names.

2. Observe the 'Elevator Rule'. Do not discuss confidential things until you leave the building.

3. Focus on the Face, Not the cell phone screen. Or the chest.

4. Don't Judge others.

5. Do not criticize others.

Etiquette is positive. It's a way of being—not a set of rules or dos and don'ts. So before you create that hashtag, post on someone's Facebook page or text someone mid-meeting, remember the fundamentals: Will this make someone feel good? And remember the elemental act of putting pen to paper and writing a note. You'll make a lasting impression that a shout-out on Twitter or a Facebook wall mention can't even touch.

10 Things You Should Never Micromanage

From the link: http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/08/10-things-you-should-never-micromanage.html

(Please read the full article from the link above).

Hey, go-getter. Yes, you could do it all, but there are times it's best to step back and stop hurting your team's productivity and creativity. By their very nature, entrepreneurs are doers. While other people may scheme or dream up ideas, Entrepreneurs prefer to take action. That's how companies are born. The rub, however, is that the drive to do things can often become a hindrance for an entrepreneur over time. "As companies grow, many entrepreneurs have trouble moving from the doing phase to the leading phase," says Stephen Harvill, founder of Creative Ventures, a consulting company in Dallas, Texas. "It's understandable since many times the small business person did just about everything to get the business started. But, as the business grows, they don't shift their mindset from doing to leading" In other words, many entrepreneurs get stuck micromanaging tasks that should be delegated to others inside or even outside the company. 

10 random things:

1. Accounting
2. Social Media
3. Human Resources
4. Time consuming aspects of your own work
5. Information Technology issues
6. Customer issues
7. Meetings
8. Creativity
9. Purchase decisions
10. Tracking time

Cash Is King: 5 Simple Rules for Creating a Cash Flow Plan

From the link: http://www.inc.com/david-evans/5-rules-for-making-cash-a-figurehead-king.html?nav=linkedin

 

(Please read the full article from the link above)
Cash is paramount for running a business. Here are five easy rules for creating a positive cash flow plan for your company. In most business models, cash is king, and ensuring that we have enough cash to fund inventory and operations is critical to our success. Successfully managing, and understanding, cash flow is not a skill reserved for MBAs. Every business owner should understand their cash flow.

1. Project monthly sales (and curb your optimism). When projecting sales for cash flow purposes, don't be the optimist. Use worst-case-scenario estimated sales figures or historical monthly averages.
2. Remember Account Receivables. Cash and credit card sales are available for ongoing operations immediately, but sales with terms can take 30, 60, or even 180 days or more to convert to cash.
3. Consolidate predictables (Fixed Costs). Rent, payroll, and telephone service - things that are consistent and predictable. Consolidate Fixed Costs.
4. Adjust for growth. Have the capital required to grow.
5. Plan for the unforeseen. Prepare for the known unknowns and unknown unknowns. Whether the plan is status quo or growth, any cash flow forecast must include a contingency plan or “slush fund” to account for potential new opportunities or challenges.

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