Paul Gassett
Contributing Author
Service Excellence Training
 
Everything has a beginning. And everything has an end. Or does it?
Last month we examined the difference between accountability and responsibility. Accountability, we determined, has a bit of a negative connotation when you are the one being “held accountable”. How does that impact our employees, and ourselves?
First, when we set goals, we are initially outlining the elements of accountability. These goals keep us as managers focused on what is most important for the overall success of our company. And they keep our team members on task and motivated to achieve their own individual objectives.
Most products have life cycles. They typically begin with Emergence, where a product is first introduced. Here is where the product is fairly new, like the original plasma televisions, when they cost $10,000 or more. Next is Growth. Here is where a product begins to gain popularity and the price, while still high, becomes more reasonable. Then comes the Maturity stage. During maturity [...]

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Having read a great deal of books on businesses and what it means to operate a successful one, we’ve come to the conclusion that everyone has a great deal to say on the subject. Enough to fill aircraft carriers, in fact. So where does one start? That’s why when we work with a contractor to help improve his business, we try to summarize the best of what we’ve learned and what we’ve seen work in successful companies. And we have found that the best place to start is with the knowledge that every act, every day, requires accountability. Continue Reading »