Pick your poison
Killing key relationships
There are many ways to kill important business relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, bankers or strategic partners.
But why would you want to do that?
You probably do NOT want to, but you or your staff may be doing it inadvertently. Habits and attitudes that will silently, slowly, but certainly poison relationships. Entirely contrary to your primary business objective of building loyal, long-term effective and profitable working relationships.
Most destructive to those relationships would be the ugly combination of arrogance and incompetence. It is always risky and annoying to be arrogant, but doubly damaging if you do not deliver better than you boast. Customers are very quick to observe the inconsistency and decide to look for a more satisfying experience elsewhere.
Another big obstacle to effective relationships is a manager or owner driven primarily by greed and ego. Soon evident to all, it will make recruiting and retention of employees more difficult. Personal energy and ambition may have been the driving force past initial obstacles in the start-up and early growth phases, but will not help to keep managers and employees motivated and making good decisions. Blind obedience and celebrity worship may be good for the ego, but they will not help you develop a strong self-sufficient management team.
Too entrepreneurial?
Are you too proud, confident, optimistic, independent, impatient and decisive? Maybe beyond reason? Are you ignoring helpful feedback or constructive criticism and stifling employee initiative and decision making? Leadership does not need to be lonely. Listen and learn from customers and employees.
Read the warning signings, then put the lid on tight and push the poison to the back of the shelf.
Be better. Do better.
Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson
Visit LearningEntrepreneurship.com or contact DirectTech Solutions at www.DirectTech.ca for assistance on your strategic business issues, growth and profit improvement plans or your exit strategies.
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