Sales strategy and the future of customer engagement is in my DNA. As we all see and know, agility, automation and artificial intelligence is changing the profession rapidly.
Transitions are tough. Most of us dislike change, particularly when it’s thrust upon us unexpectedly. But even when we know it’s coming, we dread its arrival.
David Heath, the co-founder and CEO of online sock company Bombas, was an entrepreneur early on. His advice? Focus on one product before branching out. Don’t copy your competition. And Heath, who meditates daily and brings his Jack Russell terrier named Cooper to work, emphasizes the importance of a healthy work culture.
Increasingly, companies are recognizing that by creating and maintaining a culture of continuous process improvement, they can fuel efficiency, engagement and innovation in the workplace. Just as importantly, a process improvement culture can set the stage for greater profitability and corporate growth.
Ask yourself: When was the last time someone seriously “dropped some knowledge” on you? Something that really grabbed your attention? Your imagination? Made you laugh, shed a tear, both? Something that possibly inspired you to, as Steve Jobs said in his famous Stanford speech, “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” Hopefully it wasn’t as far back as your college graduation. But, chances are, it wasn’t at work.
In less than two years, Millennials will become the largest employee demographic. They’ve already become a major influence shaping the future of work, and as 10,000 Baby Boomers reach retirement age every day, they’re quickly advancing in the leadership ranks as well.
Modern companies often strive to be more customer-centric. The more aware you are of customer needs and the more empathy you have toward their motivations, the easier it is to build a great product.
Member Jack Kemper asked the Business.com community, “How can you prepare your company for a change in leadership?” We spoke to experts to outline an efficient process for a smooth transition.
There comes a time in nearly every company when leaders either change positions or leave altogether. That “world’s best boss” mug is packed away and ready to be retired, and employees are left scrambling for answers. Who’s next in line? Will someone new take their place? And how will this affect their jobs?
In front of a packed room of MIT students and alumni, Vivienne Ming is holding forth in a style all her own. “Embrace cyborgs,” she calls out, as she clicks to a slide that raises eyebrows even in this tech-smitten crowd. “Really. Fifteen to 25 years from now, cognitive neuroprosthetics will fundamentally change the definition of what it means to be human.”
Small but strategic tweaks can have a dramatic effect on results.
