When we host events, we hope to host a large audience and to make a difference in our guest’s lives. Yet, we can get so wrapped up in the event that we lose sight of quantifying our desired results. That’s when I love hearing someone ask the simple question, “What would success look like?” The simplest questions are often ...
My friend, Joe, was in South Carolina when a hurricane approached. It ultimately passed by with high winds, but little damage. However, Joe was surprised to see a huge oak tree down in the road. As he examined the tree, he discovered that the inside was hollow! Joe later learned that many large oak trees look formidable, but they’re ...
Terry Looper, author of Sacred Pace, believes everyone should work in their areas of giftedness 80% of the time. When we do, he believes we find greater joy and are more productive. At our Summit, Terry made an additional point about working in our giftedness that resonated with me. When we stray into areas in which we are not ...
Before the pandemic, our employees at UBN typically worked 8:30 to 5:00 with some occasional remote work. Our workplace is far more flexible now. Although most of our staff prefer to work in the office, they have the flexibility to work remotely on some days. Some prefer to begin work at 7:30, while others don’t start work until 9. The ...
Years ago, a movie called The Informant highlighted part of Mark Whitacre’s story. What the movie doesn’t share is the amazing turnaround that later occurred in Mark’s life. Mark had participated in a large price fixing scandal, embezzled money, became a whistleblower, and spent time in prison! But today Mark is leading an organization called TFactor that helps thousands of ...
Joe sells equipment to the Department of Defense. Although the contracts are lucrative, Joe tires of dealing with the government’s inefficient methods. My friend’s company was recently awarded a $500,000 contract from the Defense Department for a job originally bid 11 years ago. The equipment the government purchased is now outdated. Small businesses have an advantage over governments and large ...
In this series we’ve been discussing five advantages of small businesses. The third advantage is rapid response to customer desires. When the pandemic began, UBN had primarily hosted live events with no real experience in hosting virtual events. When one of our live events had to be cancelled due to local regulations, we prayed about how to continue to meet ...
When I was a young banker, I worked in a very controlled environment with strict lending limits. My individual loan authority was only $15,000. When I switched banks one of my first questions was the size of my loan authority. When my new boss said I could make loans up to $250,000, I was stunned. Over time I learned to ...
While interviewing a new job applicant, I invited our team to join the interview. Later in the interview our applicant had some questions of her own. She specifically wanted to know if we would be “micromanaging” her. A couple of our staff members chuckled at her question. One team member told her, “We hire good people then let them do ...
Kathy and I have frequented a car repair business over the years that has been extremely customer friendly. Recently, however, this business felt different. For efficiency, they began routing our calls to a call center and instituted other new procedures. Also, some of our past contacts are now gone, leaving us feeling disconnected. We later learned that this business is ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
