Leadership

Bosses Who Blab Can Kill Their Business

June 28, 2017 By Jan Triplett Leave a Comment

Do you know a boss who talks too much? Artwork by Matt Devicious.

Bosses who talk too much or blab can hurt their businesses more than any cyber security leak ever could. The results can be disruptive enough to kill sales, drive away staff, prevent being granted a patent, or potentially kill the company.

They can also be harder to stop because frequently the boss doesn’t realize they’re doing it.

Big Mouth Examples

Here are eight of the worst blabbermouths and what happened (or could have happened) to their businesses. See if you recognize these or maybe you are guilty yourself.

• Sharing Secrets

The food manufacturer responded to a simple question from someone she just met by revealing her secret way to solve a major production problem. She was too proud of what the company had done to keep quiet about it. Good product but the idea of protecting trade secrets was foreign to her. [Read more…]

Making Good on the Employer-Intern Pact

August 31, 2013 By Jan Triplett Leave a Comment

Help interns learn the difference between their time & work time.

An intern isn’t just an employee. He or she is a student exploring this world you’ve created, ready to learn.

Even though many companies treat them as cheap labor or a part-time worker, that’s not living up to the pact between an employer and an intern. That’s bad for both parties and can lead to big problems, bad feelings, and worse. [Read more…]

7 Ways Conflict is Good for Business

March 29, 2013 By Jan Triplett Leave a Comment

Positive Conflict™ requires thinking outside the box. Illustration by Mamadob.

Conflict is valuable in the workplace. In fact, it’s actually good for business.

You might not have thought of it as being positive but it can be when people use care with each other and stakeholders. They also have to put something like the BSC’s Fight Fair™ strategy in place.

I just had the opportunity to spend two days working with the staff of an Inc 5000 company on improving their communication. This is a high quality small business but staff members and the owner wanted to make sure they were dealing effectively with the internal and external conflicts that come up in every business. [Read more…]

Business Pride is Good to Celebrate

March 23, 2012 By Jan Triplett Leave a Comment

Teach a young man to fish to empower him. Photo from:. flickr.com/photos/linsight/

Business pride is not a bad thing. I hope that you have pride in your business.

In April, I will receive the 2012 Career Achievement award from my undergraduate college, Mary Baldwin College, in Staunton, Virginia. One of the questions they asked me was what was I proudest of in my career.

It’s a great question and complex for me to answer. The short answer is the business I built with my husband. This year our business and our marriage celebrate 30 years. That’s a big payoff. I have a lot of business pride in what we’ve lived through and built together. As you begin another year in business, celebrate it with pride. You deserve it. [Read more…]

Overcoming 5 Business Challenges in Tough Times

September 9, 2011 By Jan Triplett Leave a Comment

Business Challenges: What Goes Up Must Come Down

Sir Isaac Newton statue from Trinity Chapel. Photo by Harlequeen.

Sir Isaac Newton proved it. David Clayton-Thomas wrote about it in the “Spinning Wheel” song. BS&T (Blood, Sweat & Tears) and Dame Shirley Bassey covered it in their albums.

Songwriter & singer Dame Shirley Bassey.

How many ups and downs has your business experienced? Since we started our business, we have been through seven ups and downs – oil, banking, real estate, savings and loans, dot.com, Wall Street, and now real estate again. It has caused us to refine and redefine our business at least that many times.

If it’s a part life, it does not make sense just to try to survive this one. Another wave is coming. If you own a business, the wave that could take you under could be something global like this “Great Recession” or something unique to you and your business. So be watchful; be prepared for those business challenges that are out there.