Entrepreneurial diarrhea can leave leaders and their teams exhausted, sapping their energy and consuming valuable resources
“I need your help!” were the first words out of John’s mouth when I walked into his office recently. “We’re starting a new business and I want you to help us figure this out.” As I looked at John, my first thought was: “Oh my god, he hasn’t got this business running properly yet, and…
Remember to keep your personal and work lives separate
Faith Wood knows how to resolve conflict. Her years in front-line law enforcement taught her how to effectively de-escalate any situation to a successful conclusion. Faith will use her knowledge of conflict management to guide you through the often stressful experiences you may encounter in your personal or professional life. Her Conflict Coach column appears…
We find it hard to let go of the past because that is where we've experienced personal success
Change is difficult — and we have plenty of reasons to resist it! No one likes to contemplate letting go of the skills and behaviours that "got us here." As individuals, we become psychologically attached to the status quo because it is familiar and comfortable. But even more difficult than fighting off the inertia of…
Experiencing a life beyond our limited imaginations
Early last year, I received a call from Sergey Shchepotkin asking if I would be his assistant coach for the University of Northern British Columbia’s women’s basketball team. I met Sergey when he coached my daughter’s basketball club over a couple of summers and I helped him out at a couple of tournaments. I was…
U of A students providing free support to hundreds of business owners looking to create an online presence
While Paige Lutz didn’t know what she wanted to do when she joined the Alberta School of Business four years ago, she certainly didn’t foresee herself balancing the final classes of her degree with a University of Alberta-linked job she loves, helping traditional bricks-and-mortar businesses make the jump to virtual. “The fact that I’ve landed…
The list of expenses for business owners sometimes feels never-ending
Profit is one of the most misunderstood and misconstrued words in the English language. Customers often think that profit is anything between a company’s cost for a product or service and the customer’s purchase price. Employees think profit is the difference between the selling price and the cost, less their wages. In reality, profit is…
Managers are worried about accountability and employees are wondering if they will have a job next year
Life seems very serious at the moment. Everywhere we turn, people are challenged with discouraging news about health, the economy, job losses, rising home prices and inflation. Add in mental illness and a raft of other concerns that sometimes seem contrived to keep us worried, scared and paralyzed. This seriousness has pervaded our workplaces, homes…
The government needs to get out of the way
Getting more people to start up businesses doesn't require an expensive and complex government plan. Government just needs to get out of the way. Saint John, NB Telegraph-Journal columnist David Campbell recently made a strong case for attracting more entrepreneurs to New Brunswick. As he puts it, entrepreneurship brings more and better choices for consumers…
Whether it’s a manager having trust in a staff member, employees having trust in their leader or leaders having trust in their decisions
As a child, I had a tremendous fear of falling. I would climb a tree and couldn’t trust that the branch wouldn’t break. I climbed cranes, cliffs and buildings, and was always afraid that my footing would slip and I would fall. Perhaps that fear was grounded in the fact that I had already fallen…
Be clear about what you will need to sacrifice to achieve your plans
One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t stop home for a quick visit more often when my kids were young and my wife was stuck at home minding them. Because I was so tied up in managing and growing my business, I missed family meals, vacations and days off. If you’re a leader…