The conventional wisdom at business school is that you stick with what you know. Of the top 20 brands in the world, 19 ply a well-defined trade. Coca-Cola specializes in soft drinks, Microsoft in computers, Nike in sports shoes and gear. The exception in this list is Virgin – and the fact that we’re worth several billion dollars really bothers people who believe that they know “the rules of business” (whatever they are).
So you have an idea for a business – one that you believe has the potential to alter the industry. You have put together a simple, straightforward proposition that potential customers find easy to understand. You have raised the necessary capital, gathered a team and publicized your new venture by every means available. What happens next?
Q: How can a manager empower employees to use their common sense?
Kellen Kiambati, Nairobi, Kenya
A: It takes an engaged, motivated and committed work force to deliver a first-class product or service and build a successful, sustainable enterprise. Empowering employees so that they can make good decisions is one of an entrepreneur’s most important tasks.
My motivations have changed a lot over the past 40 years. In retrospect, it’s clear that this has been a long-term process, and I acquired new motivations as time went on.
After an entrepreneur has expanded his successful new company or a chief executive has been promoted to the large corner office, he may sooner or later find himself starting to lose touch with employees and customers.
One thing is certain in business: things will go wrong. So when you first start up a business, one of your priorities should be emergency planning.
Cum poate un manager sa-si imputerniceasca angajatii astfel incat acestia sa nu se simta niciodata incorsetati, ba mai mult, sa apeleze oricand la bunul simt? Intrebarea mi-a fost trimisa de Kiambati Kellen, din Nairobi, Kenya.
In incercarea de a afla care va fi cursul cu cea mai mare cerere in noul an, nu am avut nevoie de prea mult timp de gandire pentru departajare. Majoritatea furnizorilor, pe care i-am intrebat care este „must have-ul“ noului sezon pe piata de training, au dat un singur raspuns: programele de leadership. Cu cat mai aplicate pe nevoile reale ale companiilor, cu atat mai bune.
Mergeti fara chef la locul de munca si asteptati cu nerabdare weekendul pentru a va putea ocupa in liniste de pasiunea voastra? V-ati gandit vreodata serios cum ati transforma hobby-ul intr-o afacere de succes? Iata cateva exemple de afaceri nascute din pasiune.
Again a year is over and most of us do not even want to remember it. It passed away without major events. Everybody just wanted to survive and hope for a better future. Here we are at the beginning of 2011 and let’s look together into what might be the situation and the key factors for this year.
„De ce sa faci, domnule, un festival de muzica de camera in Romania? Nu-i nevoie de asa ceva. Mai bine ramai in Germania si uita de acest vis.“ Insa violistul Razvan Popovici a raspuns cu „De ce nu?!“, si astfel a demarat o poveste frumoasa, incarcata de semnificatie si satisfactii. Iar in Romania e mare nevoie de asa ceva.
Lideri de stat si de companii platesc anual milioane de dolari pentru a-si insusi tehnica de reinventare personala marca Stephen Covey. Lucrarea sa Cele 7 deprinderi ale oamenilor eficace este considerata cea mai influenta carte de afaceri a secolului XX. Intr-un interviu acordat in exclusivitate revistei CARIERE, Covey vorbeste despre excelenta si despre importanta principiilor in lumea afacerilor.
21% din romani au incheiat o relatie amoroasa printr-un mesaj trimis pe e-mail, iar 16% au fost surprinsi in timp ce trimiteau e-mailuri cu continut intim sau indecent cand erau la birou, arata un studiu Microsoft.
