I’m amazed at all the people who say (right out loud,) “All you care
about is the money!”  In the first place, that’s not ALL I care about. 
I care about a lot of things.  I care about the environment (the
business environment, the family environment, the environment of the
world.)  I care about providing a means whereby people [...]

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I spoke with a friend the other day (who’s a successful business
man) about a capable manager who has worked for both of us.  “The
problem with ‘Bob’,” he said, “is that he’s a maintainer and not a
grower.”  When I asked what he meant by that, he explained that Bob had
a way of protecting the status quo.  [...]

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Over the years I’ve watched as people start to make a business out
of their hobbies (or from things they do for recreation.) Some seem to
enjoy that life, but most really don’t. I’m reminded of a conversation
I had with a friend who was a great horse trainer. He always had three
of four horses on his place [...]

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I talked to a friend from Venezuela today.  When I asked how things
were going he replied he was, “en la lucha.”  Meaning in the fight. 
While that phrase is just figure of speech in Venezuela, it always
reminds me of the importance of staying in the fight.  There is always
a chance the business, the marriage, the situation [...]

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In January two of our 6 partners announced their desire to buy the
remaining partners out of a business we had built together over the
last eight years.  The business was successful by any measurement,
which made for a long and drawn out negotiation.  Today that all came
to a fruitful end.  We signed the papers, and the two [...]

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One area where customer service seems to be being replaced by
self-service is at the gas station.  Instead of filling your car and
paying inside (where you could buy some goodies,) you now pay at the
pump and drive away.  I remember telling my wife a couple of years ago,
“I don’t know how they’re going to make money [...]

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That was the teaser for the customer service article
on MSN news yesterday. They talked about self-serve supermarkets and
gas stations, and the changing face of the world in which we shop. Then
today, I read a post on Seth Godin’s blog entitled “You’re Right!”
where he talks about an unpleasant customer service experience he had
at a parking garage [...]

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I’ve said repeatedly that businesses whose employees have a high
level of personal integrity are more likely to succeed than those whose
employees don’t.  Of course, integrity is borne of character.  But how
do you know who has high integrity and who doesn’t?  Following are two
quotes that will help you judge.
1.  When the character of a man is [...]

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My dad used to tell me that if I wanted to amount to anything, I had
to go to college.  He provided the means, and I went.  But I have to
say I was disillusioned with the whole experience.  As near as I can
tell, all I learned in college (that had any real, lasting value,) was
how to [...]

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I learned a valuable lesson from a very nice lady I worked with a
few years back.  That lesson is that it’s the little things that really
make the difference in your corporate culture.
This fine lady was a fanatic when it came to treating everyone with
dignity and respect.  I remember being in a meeting with owners and
management [...]

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