Employees are a company’s biggest asset. The success or failure of any company is largely determined by how skillful, motivated and productive its employees are. An environment of trust and open communication is crucial for developing an organizational culture in which employees can perform at their peak ability and capacity. Managers benefit by creating and […]
Productivity in business is crucial. High productivity results in optimal allocation and utilization of available resources, and therefore greater return on investment and profitability. Consistently high performance allows the company to be more competitive, and can ultimately lead to increases in sales and revenues. The driving force behind productivity is, of course, employees, whose efficiency […]
Teamwork is a word that has been thrown around quite a lot in recent years. Managers want only the best people on their teams, teamwork skills are a new must for any decent resume, employees are required to participate in team-building activities as the part of their training process, and in business schools, team-based projects […]
Winston Churchill once said that attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. This is especially true when applied in a workplace setting. Employees who lack enthusiasm, initiative and positive attitude – no matter how brilliant they may be – are no asset to the company. Yet we all can agree that when […]
Dear Bev, We just fired the fourth operations manager in six years. I find it tough to believe that a simple role like this can be so hard, but we’ve had no luck in keeping someone for the long haul. My partner thinks we need to hire an expensive recruiter. I don’t agree. Can paying […]
Dear Bev, When is it appropriate to recuse ourselves from a nasty divorce situation between existing clients? We are in a losing place if we take sides, and I do not prefer one member of the couple over the other. I enjoy both and what they are doing to each other – and to their […]
Dear Bev, How do we improve our image in the market? We are not well known for what we do, although we believe we do it better than the competitors. We talk about being fiduciaries and having an objective voice, but I don’t know if our message is powerful enough. What else could we do? […]
Dear Bev, Are we the only place where the soon-to-retire advisors struggle to communicate with the newer staff members? We are not as tech-savvy or are marketing-savvy as they are, but they could learn a lot from our experience too. They seem too cocky to me, and I don’t know how to get through. Any […]
Dear Bev, We have hired three advisors younger than 35 years old, with the expectation they will help us to grow the business. I understand it can be hard for advisors coming into the business to close sales, but shouldn’t we expect something out of them? How do you teach younger advisors to sell effectively? […]
Dear Bev, So, what do you tell an insurance-based planning organization that owns a mutual fund company, a broker-dealer and an annuity company and has a 150-year track record as a mutual life-insurance company but does not require its recruits to be equities licensed at even the Series 6 level? These so-called advisors meet with […]