Change and the Value of New Ideas

"Nothing is so amusing as a total change of ideas."

Laurence Sterne
18th century British writer

Nor as effective for improving productivity.

There simply is no way to overstate the importance of encouraging the process of change in business.

Big and Small: Balancing the Best of Both

"Most people would succeed in small things if they were not troubled with great ambitions."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Poet

We need both small and big dreams but the big ones can get in the way of living the small ones, while too much of the small leaves little time to aspire for more.

Whether in personal or business matters, how best to find the right balance?

The Speed of Money

"Slow help is no help."

Proverb

This could come from a small army of entrepreneurs who, needing funding, were told by those who might be in a position to provide it, "our due diligence will take time."

But if it were your money, what would you do?

The Value of Management/Employee Agreement

"Better a friendly refusal than unwilling consent."

Spanish proverb

Management can order employees to do most anything, expecting and getting compliance, at least in the short term.

And employees must often do things they would rather not do.

But does anyone doubt how better the outcome when both are in agreement concerning what will be done?

Now, how to make that happen more often?

Communicating Requires You First Listen

"The reason why so few people are agreeable in conversation is that each is thinking more about what he intends to say than others are saying."

Francois de La Rochefoucauld
17th century French writer

I don't know about you but I've been guilty of this, plenty of times.

It's really not easy to real time listen to someone, process their thoughts, form your own, and communicate them back, all in a reasonable period of time.

Not easy but very important.