What's Blocking Your Progress?

Have you noticed lately that you and/or your business is at a stand still.  As if nothing is happening, and you have become stale?

Consider some of these things that can hinder the progress of a person or a business:

1.  Complacency.  When we become complacent, we often give up trying new things or growing.

2.  Undesirable personnel.  Employees can cause a business to become stagnant, if they are treating customers badly, stealing from you, and if they've given up or don't care, etc.

3.  Does your business need a fresh perspective?  Perhaps you need a new advertising slogan or campaign, or maybe you need to advertise to a fresh group of potential clients and customers.  Try advertising or social sharing your business in places you have never shared before.

4.  Product inventory might be wrong or out of date.  Perhaps you need new products or services to entice new customers.  Explore what your current customers want, and try to think of new ideas to reach even more people.  

5.  Remind people of your goals, values and commitment to excellence.  Keep personnel motivated and encouraged, and remind the public why you're doing what you're doing, and how you are committed to giving them the best possible product and service.

*Ask employees for fresh ideas and ways that they think your business can grow and profit.  Ask them also, what you can do to keep them motivated and happy.  Most employees want what's best for the company they work for, and they often have creative ideas.  Do things within reason to keep them happy and content, and that should encourage them to always do their best for you.

The Dreaded Interview Process

I'm not an expert at interviews.  In fact I hate them.  I don't like talking about myself or answering what I consider silly questions that don't even pertain to my ability to perform a job.

If I were an employer who had to interview people, I like to think I would keep things simple.  Can you perform the tasks required?  Do you have experience or education in the field?  Are you dependable and trustworthy?  And so on...

I'm probably not going to ask why you want to work for me.  Most people want to work, because they need money.  Let's be honest, here.  There may be the rare individual who wants to work because they love a certain field or want to keep busy, but many of us are simply trying to pay our bills and support our families.

If I were asking interview questions, I would try not to make the perspective employees uncomfortable or put them on the spot.  Perhaps some people enjoy doing that to see how someone performs under pressure, but from my own experience, I am a great worker, very dependable, and I do my job to the best of my ability every day.  I'm not good at interviews.  I'm not good at thinking of the right things that perspective employers want to hear, but I will work my tail off to make you look good, and you can sure as heck depend on me to get the job done and show up on time.

So if you are an employer, you don't have to interview people according to what experts say.  Ask them what you truly want to know.  Try to keep them comfortable, and remember that interviews are stressful, and people might not always be at their best during them.