Chalk and cheese. That’s my description of the first 90 days of the unprepared, newly promoted leader, versus that of one who’s prepared for the role, before being promoted. The former operates in reactive mode, whilst the latter shows up steady, studied and purposeful. Far too often, the unprepared leader lands with a bolt cutter, …
If a business is intent on building customer allegiance, it has to stop making complaint resolution a strategic goal. Businesses have become so obsessed with resolving their customers’ complaints, that they are missing the bigger issue, preventing complaints. Many businesses fall into the trap of fire-fighting their way out of complaints, especially those that have …
T&T almost lost its creative mind last week, when youthful influencer IShowSpeed visited our shores to kick off his Caribbean tour. Promoted heavily on social media to a youthful demographic, the visit sparked a massive reaction among local fans. It was fandom at its peak. His itinerary included culturally significant stops, where he sampled our …
In many business environments, efficient managers function as high level administrators. They keep employees busy and the engine running. Effective leaders on the other hand, are architects of vision, culture and sustainable revenue streams. Transitioning from efficient manager to effective leader is not as simple as changing one’s mind. It requires a fundamental shift in …
A customer’s first interaction with a business, is a preview of coming attractions. It reveals whether the business pays careful, or careless attention, to respecting the customer’s time. Recently, I had agreed to call someone at a business place at a particular time for a meeting. I called at the agreed time, only to be …
Yes, I get it. When an individual is elevated to a leadership role, proving oneself becomes a burning goal. But restraint should override unbridled enthusiasm. As the new kid on the block, it is a time for building intelligence about the iceberg. Those visible and invisible operations of the business. It means understanding the lay …
Impactful leaders never shout, either with their voices, or their style. In both instances, they whisper. They harness the power of quiet wisdom, guidance and mentorship, to groom the leadership potential of those chosen for leadership roles. Despite the brilliance that would have carried them to the pinnacle of business, they remain preoccupied with building …
Is it only me or is everyone amazed at the number of leaders trying to evade burnout every day at work? The irony is that some of the practices many leaders have adopted, are compounding the problem of overloaded workloads. One such practice that has become normalized as a way of business life, is fire-fighting …
It is a valid question. In the T&T business environment, is there a leadership problem, or a mediocrity problem, or both? When I interact with businesses in T&T, I am struck by the vacuums that exist in both areas. Of course, there are businesses for which this question is irrelevant. They are mastering the mechanics …
A common declaration that I hear from businesses is, “Our complaints are down by X%.” Many of these businesses are impressed with their ability to resolve customer complaints quickly and even more impressed with reporting the numbers. To be fair, it is laudable when complaint rates fall and remain low. But, here’s the problem. Some …