What do you think of when you hear the word professional? Doctor? Lawyer? Teacher? Engineer? Accountant? Nurse? Pharmacist? Chef? What about mechanic … waiter … bartender … cook … customer care representative? Did you balk at the second group? If so, why? What makes a professional? Two things. Competence. A professional knows what they are … Continue reading What is a professional?

Confession: I am not a fan of Ayn Rand. I am not a fan of her thinking, her philosophy, or those who rabidly promote it, and I have resisted writing about her for a long time. Now, though, I find it necessary as the flag of her philosophy is more regularly hoisted high and used … Continue reading The blight of Randian thinking. A warning for us all.

Businesses are in the business of creating and delivering value. I think most business leaders would be okay with that statement. But what does it really mean? What does it mean to create value? Value is anything people need/want that helps them and benefits their lives in some way. If you’re a tailor, the value … Continue reading Value, the linchpin of business.

Consistently delivering the product you said you would deliver is a worthy goal for any business. The problem, though, is that delivering is only half the work of providing good service to customers. Service has two components: 1) delivery (getting the job done), and 2) hospitality (how it makes people feel). Most businesses focus primarily … Continue reading Hospitality is part of business. Get used to it.