How to Define Your Business Culture

Posted by & filed under Business Culture, Professional Development.

  • Not sure where you are right now?
  • Confused about where you’re going?
  • Don’t know why you’re doing what you’re doing?
  • Not sure what you truly value?
  • Your behavior is not in alignment with your values?
  • Does what you are doing have little or no meaning to you?
  • Have you reached a stage where you can’t relate your work to your mission or purpose?
  • Are you discouraged and/or disillusioned about your future?
  • Do you want a vision that supports and empowers you?

Sound Familiar?

As the leader of your life, and the leader of a business, a division, or a department, these questions all point to the same core issue: Your business culture is not clear.

Without a well-defined business culture, all the tactical moves you make will have limited impact. As a result, creating a powerful and practical game plan is virtually impossible. By dealing with this core issue you can build your business, your department and your life on a solid foundation. – YOUR Culture.

3 Things to Accept About Business Culture

  1. It is a complicated and confusing subject.
  2. Creating a well-defined culture takes a firm commitment and time. You will need a proven program, a process and support to make it happen.
  3. Once your culture is understood and accepted, you can support yourself right as well as your business, and all the people in it.

#1 Benefit

You may feel more in control of your life and experience more freedom. You will see choices that previously were not visible to you. Life and business decisions, strategies, structure and support will correspond to your vision, your goals, your mission and purpose.

We’ve written extensively on business culture.

Some of the topics include:

Learn how culture can positively (or negatively) impact your business with our free eBook “Why Bother With Business Culture.”

    How to Recruit Like a Pro

    Posted by & filed under Leadership, Recruiting.

    Employees are the heart and soul of most businesses and without them, the business would fail to operate. Finding the best talent in your industry isn’t easy. Usually, the most talented people are already employed so what can you do as a business owner, HR executive or leader to attract them?

    Ask yourself these three questions:

    1. Do you want to recruit people who are not only 8, 9 and 10’s but also fit your culture?
    2. Do you want to avoid keeping people whose cost exceeds their value?
    3. Do you want to Find Impact Players and Leaders who will transform your firm?

    If you answered yes to any of those questions you should consider implementing our recruiting program, “Recruiting Like a Pro.”

    What is it?

    Recruiting Like A ProRecruiting Like a Pro is a proven recruiting program, based on the model that professional sports teams use. It makes evaluating existing talent and recruiting new talent a continuous process and increases the odds of finding impact and role players who will grow your firm. It is a program built on the premise that you can never stop growing your leadership team and adding the right role players. Even if you have a great culture, great programs and great processes you need exceptional employees to be successful.

    What problems does our Recruiting Like a Pro program solve?

    1. Recruiting Like a Pro will give your managers the confidence to replace people who are not working at a 7 level or higher (out of 10).
    2. It will give your managers the confidence to replace their 4,5 and 6 players.
    3. Recruiting will become an ongoing process that consistently provides the firm with a flow of potential impact and key role players.

    Why invest in Recruiting Like a Pro?

    Having the right people to go with the best programs and processes will allow you survive and prosper in your evolving marketplace.

    Want to learn more? Sign up for a free session for you and your managers on the what, why and how to’s of this leading-edge recruiting program (a $350 value)

      Continuous Improvement – Best Practice Tip #1

      Posted by & filed under Continuous Improvement, Leadership.

      A STOP ProgramDo you, as a business owner, have a STOP program in place?

      This is a company program that requires everyone from owners to leaders to employees to stop and take the space and time required to review what they are doing and how they are doing it. They need to follow a path that ensures continuous improvement and innovation becomes a habit and is reviewed systematically.

      Why does a STOP Program help business growth and success?

      1. No space/no time= no future (If you fail to grow and improve you don’t survive)
      2. It makes continuous improvement a daily habit instead of something to do when you have time
      3. It holds everyone accountable for mastery of their craft

      How does a STOP Program work?

      1. First, a companywide declaration is made, usually by the business owner.
      2. Next, department meetings are held to discuss any and all questions and to give each person a time budget and expectations and goals.
      3. Finally, time is budgeted for it so each individual knows he/she must do it as part of their job. Systematic reviews are conducted with a focus on accomplishments and next steps.

      How does a STOP Program benefit my business?

      Innovation and continuous improvement can become a way of life. This will allow your business the option to stop and look at the needs of your market and make innovative changes to your products or services.

      What steps should you take to start a STOP program?

      1. Have a discussion about this- NOW. (Not sure how to do this? We can help).
      2. Make a company declaration about applying this program. Explain the Stop program to your employees, making sure they understand the what, why and how along with the importance of their role in this program.
      3. Form a team or a champion to implement it in a way that makes sense

      Additional Support: Five Hidden Best Practice Programs Any Company Needs

      Limited Time Special Offer AvailablePS: Ask for a one time, one hour, facilitated discussion on the what, why’s and how to’s of doing this.

      3 Simple Steps for Annual Business Planning

      Posted by & filed under Business Planning.

      3 Simple Steps for Annual Business PlanningChicago Business Planning and continuous Improvement. We absolutely/positively must complete the end of the year well (take care of business), get our strategic initiatives (continuous improvement projects) completed and design a super game plan (be it individual, departmental, or company) so we can enroll the support we need to have a successful next year.

      Step 1: October/November: Focus: Annual Review (everyone)

      1. Do an annual company survey to get everyone’s input so we can enroll all stakeholders and show our respect for their participation.
      2. Review/analyze your annual budget and your preliminary budget for next year.
      3. Complete all key annual continuous improvement initiatives and projects.

      Step 2: November/December: Focus: Next Year’s Game Plan

      1. With key inside and outside manager/leaders create a game plan for next year.
      2. Managers do their departmental plans and possibly complete annual individual employee reviews.
      3. Make sure that budget and support needs (including key continuous improvement initiatives) are outlined to support A & B.

      Step 3: January: Focus: Roll out of game plan

      1. By January 15th, rollout your key goals for next year. Ideally, this will include your long-term vision, mission, and key values. Doing that will present a code of conduct. As a group, outline the support you truly need.
      2. Reinforce that continuous improvement needs to be a habit and start key initiatives. (Critical to make CI a habit vs. doing only when problems occur.)
      3. Review the roles and mission of each position and put them into the game plan.

      Special Offer

      Free Leadership Articles
      Visit our Leadership blog for articles on vision, culture, leadership, recruiting, sales, professional development and book/DVD summaries.

      Success and Satisfaction

      Posted by & filed under Leadership, Professional Development.

      LeadershipRE: Success

      1. Do you have the success in life you want (as you define it)?
      2. If so, why?
      3. If not, why not?

      RE: Satisfaction

      1. Do you have the satisfaction in life you want (as you define it)?
      2. If so why?
      3. If not, why not?

      If you want to explore these three questions on these two paths of life in more depth and explore where you might be on our 10-step leadership model, please call 773-641-9631 or email me at john@johnruh.com .

      Blogs that might support you in these two areas:

      Success:

      Satisfaction

      Unfulfilled Expectations

      Posted by & filed under Uncategorized.

      Does your staff know your expectations?

      It’s that time of year when we enroll people to support our game plans for business growth and success. We share those business success plans, then press ahead thinking we have been understood, only to discover we were wrong and things don’t get done. This is a classic example of unfulfilled expectations. Rather than fall into the blame game, we, as leaders, need to look internally and ask how we might communicate more effectively to minimize misunderstandings. Our leadership role is directly tied to our business success. As Frank Robbins likes to say, “Eliminating unfulfilled expectations is the path to effective management”.

      Unfulfilled Expectations

      3 tips on how to do this right:

      1. Have either a department or company-wide session where you share your top three 2018 goals. Consider as a group what must happen to make them a reality. Business success is tied to everyone understanding and supporting these goals.
      2. Discuss expectations that EVERYONE needs to understand. State clearly what is non- negotiable. Be clear regarding the rules of your game. These should be tied into your values.
      3. Have honest, open, 1-1 or small group discussions to make sure everyone is on board with the game plans. Do not fall into the mistake of thinking that telling someone what you expect means they agree, or worse, that silence is agreement.

      When done right, this can solve these 3 problems:

      1. End the Blaming and Shaming game you are playing.
      2. Prevent thinking that just because she/he heard you, she/he understood you and agrees with your request.
      3. Help you recognize that when breakdowns occur (and they happen with all of us). You will be able to see what you missed and how next time you can do the “set up” better (call and we will explain this).

      PS: What to expect from us this year:

      Partnership and, to the best of our ability, making sure we eliminate unfulfilled expectations between us.

      Call us today for support in communicating your expectations! 773-775-6636.

      Speaking Leader to Leader – Is Your Leadership Plan in Place?

      Posted by & filed under Leadership, Professional Development.

      I asked myself what I must do as the leader of my business (and life) to complete the year well and be prepared for this year. Developing my leadership plan is a key part of my business success and growth.

      My answers:

      1. Stop and review this year from both a personal and business standpoint. I give myself 60 days to do this right.
      2. Get honest, open input from others.
      3. Design and support my yearly Game Plan in the right way. That means it is built on a very solid foundation which includes my vision, my goals, my mission, purpose and values. I put this in writing so I can review it frequently.
      4. Get the support I need so my year end continuous personal and business projects are done right. (The holidays can make this a challenge so the answer for me is the right support.)
      5. Ensure I have the space, time and needed structure to do all of the above right. I think we all know when we do not plan well we generally do not get the outcomes we want.

      Ending the Blame Game

      Posted by & filed under Leadership.

      Does this sound familiar?

      You ask an employee, “Why is there a problem with your performance?”

      The employee answers:

      • “It’s the market”
      • “It’s my pay”
      • “It’s the lack of support you are giving me”
      • “It’s the clients”
      • “It’s the Republicans”
      • “It’s anybody but me”

      If this conversation sounds like it might have taken place in your company, then you might be infected with a potentially fatal disease we call “The Itsies,” and it can put you out of business.

      It’s a commonly accepted principle that businesses will only achieve peak performance when their people take full responsibility for their actions, but few companies state this as a core value, nor do they do any training or coaching on exactly what this means in terms of acceptable behavior.

        Test yourself for the “Itsies” – Do the people in our company:
      Yes No
        Have an “It’s somebody else’s fault” mentality?
        Look for excuses instead of taking responsibility?
        Make a complaint rather than offer a solution?

       

      If you answered YES to any of the 3 questions above, you may have the “Itsies”. Understand this disease will kill your chances for company success because when no one takes responsibility, nothing much happens.

      P.S. Do you want us to come to your company and do one free session to discuss solutions to this business disease? If so, contact us today.

      John M. Ruh and Associates partners with growth oriented leaders at creating the support they truly need so their vision, goals, mission and values are alive and well.

      DISC Leadership: Empowering Success Through Self-Awareness

      Posted by & filed under DISC.

      Overview

      DISC Leadership is a transformative approach to understanding and optimizing your unique leadership style to maximize its effectiveness across diverse personalities. It equips you with the tools to empower others by adapting your communication and leadership styles to achieve desired outcomes with different people

      In today’s high-performing organizations, leadership is not confined to a title—it’s an expectation for everyone. Effective leadership requires the ability to connect with, support, and inspire others, even when these skills don’t come naturally. Your professional growth and success often depend on mastering these abilities.

      Three Key Questions to Reflect on Your Leadership Style

      1. Can you clearly articulate your natural leadership style?
      2. Do you understand how your leadership style positively and negatively impacts those around you?
      3. Are you equipped to communicate effectively to engage, support, and empower all behavioral styles?

      Step 1: Start with Self-Awareness

      Your behavior is the most visible aspect of your leadership, observed by everyone you interact with, unlike your values, beliefs, or expertise. To gain deeper insight into your leadership style, consider completing a DISC behavioral profile. The first profile at your organization is complimentary and provides a detailed evaluation of your natural leadership behaviors. This assessment will help you identify how your style may challenge others and highlight actionable adjustments to enhance your ability to support and empower your team.

      Evidence of Impact
      Explore the over 100 DISC testimonials on our website, showcasing feedback from leaders worldwide who have leveraged the DISC tool across our 10 specialized applications.

      Further Validation

      For global insights, contact us to access comprehensive statistics on DISC profiles used across various countries. You can also explore the origins of the DISC model, developed by William Marston, inspired by Carl Jung’s 1921 work, Psychological Types. Visit www.johnruh.com/global-disc-behavioral-profiles-research-statistics/ for additional research that we’ve collected over many years of work with the tool.

      About John M. Ruh and Associates
      John M. Ruh and Associates are mission-driven business advisors dedicated to partnering with growth-oriented leaders. We focus on delivering the right People, Structure, and Tools to drive sustainable success.

      Stay Informed
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      How to Interview Like a Pro

      Posted by & filed under Recruiting.

      Recruiting Like a Pro means you must Interview Like a Pro

      What Does That Mean?

      1. Determine if the interviewee’s vision, goals, mission and values align with yours.
      2. Do an in-depth interview to discover their true skills, experience and education.
      3. Determine if their hard-wired behavioral traits, strengths and weaknesses align with what the position requires.

      Over the next three months we will be discussing each of these topics and offering you a free, one-time, mini (60 min) session on our 5 Step Interviewing Process for you and/or your team.

      Interviewing and Testing for Right Traits

      “You hire people for what they can do and you fire them for who they are.”

      How can you avoid this?

      1. Ask the following open-ended question (Using our 5 step model):
        • What do you perceive are your behavioral strengths and weaknesses?
        • Listen carefully to what they say and write it down
      2. Then after some small talk ask the question this way:
        • What would your direct reports or peers say are your behavioral strengths and weaknesses?
      3. Then after more small talk ask the question this way:
        • Assume you want to join us and we want to hire you. If we had all your former bosses in this room, speaking candidly, what would they say are your behavioral strength and weaknesses.

      Do a reality check to prove your findings. Here is how:

      1. Do a DISC behavioral profile on your final candidates.
        It will, in most cases, give you an accurate appraisal of what you are getting from a behavioral standpoint. Decide if you can live with their hard wired behavioral strengths and weaknesses. (We will provide your company one free profile to get you started and so you can see the value of the DISC process.)
      2. Do Behavioral Reference checks.
        If you don’t know how to do this, email me at john@johnruh.com. (Don’t tell yourself you can’t get this information because you can.)

      Making mistakes in hiring we all know is very costly. This 5 Step Interviewing Process and assessing people on the A. B.C. requirements, listed at the top, can make it more scientific and increase your percentages of making the right hire.

      We are here to help and support you. Please call/email 773-641-9631 or john@johnruh.com.