http://www.7stepsahead.com Articles on how businesses can increase revenue and build their client base. en-us Copyright (c) 2008-2010 Stephen R Balzac http://www.7stepsahead.com/images/Castle.jpg http://www.7stepsahead.com http://tinyurl.com/36p2m8x How can you make that performance review work right? http://www.ere.net/2010/06/28/8-questions-about-your-hiring-process What does your hiring process say about your expectations? http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/APerfectSolution-lr.pdf Sometimes things really can work out right... if you correctly identify what is really going wrong! http://tinyurl.com/232ywhb When should you reevaluate a decision and when shouldn't you? http://tinyurl.com/2a24g33 Sometimes what you really need is not leadership training but membership training! http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/April10MissingI.pdf There is no me... I had it surgically removed http://www.7stepsahead.com/newsletters/May2010Newsletter.pdf The connections that do not make sense often create the biggest problems http://www.blogtalkradio.com/tom-on-leadership/2010/04/16/teams-and-trust Live interview on creating trust in teams http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/ProcrustesMethod-lr.pdf Too long or too short, you will fit! http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/WhereThereIsNothing-lr.pdf What the mobile office really means for your organization http://www.wbjournal.com/news45896.html Ten tips on innovation from my popular talk, Organizational Culture and Innovation: A Two-Edged Sword http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/DejavuAllOverAgainlr.pdf Why do the same issues keep coming up with the predictability of Dracula rising from the grave? http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/JCRLFeb2010CommunicatingWithRetentionInMind.pdf It is not enough to communicate. Context and content matter a great deal. http://www.ere.net/2009/12/30/seven-things-you-should-communicate/ How to avoid losing your top people when the economy turns around http://www.ere.net/2009/12/22/the-godot-effect Who are you hiring? Are you looking for Dr. Staff or waiting for Godot? http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/TakeOffYourHat.pdf What is culture and why does it have such power over us? http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/WhosInChargeHere-lr.pdf Is that really a leader? How do you know? http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/BoilingTheFrog-lr.pdf Why does it sometimes seem that frogs are smarter than people? http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/Nov09CutLooseTheAnchors.pdf What is holding you back? http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/Oct09ThingsGoBoom.pdf Are you making your disaster planning improve overall productivity? http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/MaintainingMotivation.pdf What can you do that really will motivate your team? http://tinyurl.com/ykt98eh What are the signs your team is in trouble? http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/JCRLNov2009StalkingtheElusiveLeader.pdf How do you tell the difference between a good leader and a poor one? http://www.youthsportspsychology.com/podcast/youth_sports_radio_podcast64_stephen2.mp3 Live interview on how to use your imagination to increase your odds of success http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/JCRLNov2009StalkingtheElusiveLeader.pdf How will you recognize a true leader who can bring success to your organization? http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/Sept09LightsBetterHere.pdf Are you looking for your keys where the light is best or where you lost them? Are you solving the problems that are easy to solve or the problems that you actually have? http://www.7stepsahead.com/newsletters/Oct2009Newsletter.pdf Even when the wall of flames is bearing down on you, sometimes it really is better to stop and think rather than leaping into action http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/Pointy-HairedBosses-lr.pdf The Pointy-Haired Boss from Dilbert is an iconic figure. Why do pointy-haired behaviors occur and just what are they anyway? http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/August09RightToMidnight.pdf What you do not know can cost you... http://www.youthsportspsychology.com/podcast/youth_sports_radio_podcast58_stephen.mp3 Interview on Youth Sport Radio http://www.ere.net/2009/08/26/we-multi-task-here/ The Northern Lights have seen strange sights, But the queerest they ever did see... from The Cremation of Sam McGee While they may not quite compare to the sight spoken of by the nameless narrator of Robert Service#39;s famous poem, nonetheless some of the tales I#39;ve heard lately of interviews certainly give Cremation of Sam McGee a run for its money. http://www.7stepsahead.com/newsletters/August2009Newsletter.pdf If you are a fan of the Daily Show, you probably saw Jon Stewart eviscerate Rick Santelli. This was extremely funny, and triggered quite the entertaining backlash from former hedge fund manager Jim Cramer. In one of the clips that Jon Stewart subsequently played, Cramer is shown talking about how his instincts for the market are telling him that Bear Stearns is doing fine. Of course, we all know what happened to Bear Stearns. http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/csadvisor_072009.pdf There are a thousand ways to not make a lightbulb. Here's how to make sure you make it attempt 1001. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Tom-on-Leadership/2009/07/31/Leadership-and-Team-Formation Live interview on Leadership Radio on how to build high performance teams http://www.motivateyourteen.com/MotivationalMindsRadio/Radio/Entries/2009/7/26_Stephen_Balzac.html Live interview on Motivational Minds Radio on how businesses can encourage innovation and creativity http://www.7stepsahead.com/newsletters/July2009Newsletter.pdf What you expect is frequently exactly what you find... So how do you expect the best? http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/SlipSlidinAwaylr.pdf Do your teams snatch defeat from the very jaws of victory? http://www.affluentmagazine.com/articles/article/223 The little things a business does can say an awful lot about how well they handle big things. http://tinyurl.com/mmjc24 There are a great many ways to complete the phrase, "If it ain#39;t broke..." The classic, of course, is "don#39;t fix it," but I#39;ve found that "then it doesn#39;t have enough features," is also pretty popular. While some other popular endings include "then you haven#39;t hit it hard enough," "clearly it#39;s unbreakable," and "don#39;t upgrade it," for the most part, they#39;re variations of the first two. http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2009/06/15/newscolumn2-Strengthen-your-business-by-knowing-your-competition.html Imagine for a moment that you are going skiing. You put on your equipment. You make sure you#39;re prepared for the weather conditions. You get up there at the top of that black diamond slope and before you race down the slope you carefully put on your blindfold. http://www.7stepsahead.com/newsletters/June2009Newsletter.pdf Not making mistakes at the right time can derail the next blockbuster product. http://tinyurl.com/nwfkd5 Dilbert highlights, to great effect, the gap between management and engineering. Frequently, the two groups seem to live in different worlds. More significantly, they often appear to work for completely separate companies with totally contradictory agendas. Sadly, there is some truth to this. http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/WeReDoomed-lr.pdf It's the end of the world... isn't it? http://tinyurl.com/n6zsds How a company recruits will determine whether it creates a culture of aggressive problem-solving or passive waiting in the face of difficulties or unexpected situations. Management can say whatever they want; it is how they act that will set the tone. http://www.affluentmagazine.com/articles/article/155 Because it is virtually impossible to have information flow without conflict, the lack of conflict can impede the flow of information. At the same time, conflict can also halt the flow of information. A paradox? http://sengifted.org/articles_social/balzac_maintaining_motivation.shtml Just how do you maintain motivation for the long term? http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Tom-on-Leadership/2009/04/10/Defining-Leadership What makes a good leader? I discuss just that in this interview on Blogtalk Radio http://tv.factor77.com/2009/04/25/3-things-a-business-can-do-to-grow-in-a-down-economy-with-stephen-balzac/ Businesses can still succeed in this economy. Here's how http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/csadvisor_040609.pdf A meeting is a tool... do you know how to use it? http://www.7stepsahead.com/newsletters/April2009Newsletter.pdf You have to make mistakes if you want to be creative. http://tinyurl.com/cx48lf Are you taking advantage of how people work or are you growing wheat in Siberia? http://tinyurl.com/cxnw7q Is your company sitting in hot water? Would you notice? http://tinyurl.com/d2a3lj Businesses don't run into trouble without warning. Here are the key events that occur before disaster strikes. http://www.wbjournal.com/news42189.html What you need to do to find and retain top people. http://www.7stepsahead.com/newsletters/Jan2008Newsletter.pdf SMART Goals sound good, but rarely deliver. Here's why. http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2008/11/03/focus3-Five-step-process-to-making-change-work.html Make organizational change work for you instead of becoming stuck in the corporate equivalent of the La Brea tar pits. http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2008/10/20/editorial3-A-good-leader-shines-under-pressure.html The roof never leaks when it's not raining. Are you using the sunny days to build your team? http://www.wbjournal.com/news41228.html What does it take to succeed in a highly competitive environment? http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/GreatUncleTechnique.pdf What are some of the best ways to drive your company off a cliff? http://www.wbjournal.com/news40407.html How to avoid becoming Dilbert's pointy-haired boss http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2008/03/10/focus2-Building-a-talent-team-not-a-horde-of-heroes.html Do you have a team working for the good of the company, or a horde of heroes out for their own benefit? http://www.wickedlocal.com/lincoln/news/business/x1151541811 Do your business routines lead to success or failure? http://www.wbjournal.com/news40804.html If you want a strong team, it helps to pick the right people. http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/WhyTeamsFail.pdf The first few days and weeks are critical to building a team. Here are some common mistakes to avoid. http://www.7stepsahead.com/articles/Cartesian-Splits.pdf Efficient and effective mental focus for sports and business.