Is It Really Possible To Leave the Office at 5 O’Clock?
Way back when TT was a Lt. Col. U.S. Army Action Officer in the Pentagon, he was criticized by his superior for leaving work everyday at 5 o’clock (as Gen. Westmoreland had “ordered” them to do at the time), while everyone else stayed until 7 or 8. “Your problem,” he…
READ MOREOne of the Most Debilitating Myths About Leadership
We almost hired TH for the job. He would have made a lot of money — maybe $400,000 a year. TH had a very impressive résumé and said almost everything right in the interview. The stumper? When my partner asked him how he would handle a specific problem, he…
READ MOREPut It In Writing
A very common question among businessmen: Is it necessary to “paper” deals? During the 25 years I’ve been in business, more than 90% of the deals I’ve made have been oral. Usually, the process is some version of this: I’m talking with a colleague/competitor about what I’m doing/he’s doing and…
READ MOREWhat to Do at Networking Events
Each time you attend a meeting, conference, convention, or even an after-hours cocktail party, you should be prepared to network. Before you walk out the door, get into your car, and start driving to the event, you should know what it is you want to accomplish. Your job is to…
READ MORETips for Launching A New Product
It took me years and millions of dollars to disabuse myself from the following: 1. “The customer is interested in me, my product, or what I have to say.” * The customer doesn’t care about you. * The customer cares about himself. * If you talk about anything other than…
READ MOREHandling Difficult Problems: Is It Better To Do It Now Or Later?
When you have an unpleasant job to do, do it right away. My tendency is to put it off and hope it disappears. There are situations for which this kind of head-in-the-sand approach works best. Conflicts between subordinates, for example. They want you to solve their problem. When you…
READ MOREDirect-Mail Debate: Disguise The Envelope — Or Not?
On the disguise side of the direct-mail-envelope argument are such DM luminaries as Herschell Gordon Lewis (“The only purpose of the carrier envelope is to get itself opened.”) and Gary Halbert (“Remember, people sort their mail into two piles: the A pile and the B pile. Your goal is…
READ MOREWhen You Bang Heads With Your Boss
Your boss may be wrong. And he may be a bully. But he has the power. And pitting yourself against him in a head-to-head confrontation is a bad idea. It’s like some famous bullfighter said in response to being asked how he trains for strength: “The bull weighs half a…
READ MOREHow To Run Great Meetings
There is no question in my mind that the executive who involves his managers in the decision-making process by running meetings that are open, candid, and informal will achieve more and suffer fewer setbacks than the employer who is all output and no input. That said, it must be acknowledged…
READ MOREMichael Dell vs. the Red Screen of Death
If you ever start a business, you had better decide early what your business’s USP — its unique selling proposition — is. What is it that your company brings to the competitive marketplace that sets it apart from your main rivals? What is the supreme benefit that it delivers to…
READ MOREHow To Handle Irate Customers
Only after an angry customer believes that you understand his problem and sympathize with his plight will he be willing to believe that you really mean to help him. This is especially true if he’s been run through a customer-service drill that resulted in nothing happening. One way I’ve found…
READ MOREPay Attention To Your No. 1 Job
According to most “serial business builders,” bad hiring and firing decisions are among the most important mistakes entrepreneurs make. These include: 1. not spending the time and energy to recruit the very best employees 2. not paying close enough attention to an executive’s performance 3. waiting too long to…
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