Business » Nonsense At Work

#490: Ripping off your purpose

Business, Customers/Service, Organization No Responses »

May 112011

Have you considered your organization’s purpose lately? You should.

Over time the day-to-day stuff of keeping an organization functioning tends to bloat until it seems as if the organization exists to keep itself going. Two things follow. The organization appears to be more complicated than it really is. And then the time and energy of key people are wasted on things unrelated to the real purpose of the organization.

Please don’t believe that your purpose is ‘to make a profit’. This only makes sense if you add ‘but not at the expense of others’, or some such qualifier. You see, unless you play a game where all parties win or somehow benefit, you will go out of business. In our society you will not survive by repeatedly ripping off others.

So, always consider your organization’s purpose from a win-win perspective. This will not only keep you honest. It will also keep things simple enough to secure ongoing success.

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Listen to the radio version of Ripping off your purpose (10 most recent radio files)

#468: The work of networking

Business No Responses »

Feb 232011

Going out and about and meeting people . . . sorry, I forgot, today that is called networking. Networking, I’ve been told, is something you must do if you want to grow your business and promote your personal brand.

In the old days, going out and about and meeting people was something we did because it was just the way business worked. In the era before web surfing and on-line searching, going out and about was a way of learning about new things and expanding your mind. Uncovering new business opportunities was a bonus, not your main intention.

And why was it a learning experience? Well, because of our attitude. We went out aiming to learn, not to talk about ourselves in 30 second sound bites.

So, the next time you’re out networking, turn the tables. Don’t talk about you. Ask about them. You might learn something interesting. You might even spot an opportunity or two.

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Listen to the radio version of The work of networking (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#456: Exuberantly back to irrational basics

Business, Goals No Responses »

Jan 122011

The economy is growing in a way that might finally benefit ‘we the people’ here on ‘main street’. However, I must warn you, here be dragons.

To prevent Mr Greenspan’s irrational exuberance getting the better of us again, I suggest that we get back to foundationals. Yes, you heard correctly. And yes, my nonsense word is meant to irritate you into paying attention. Foundationals.

We glibly say ‘get back to basics’ but we conveniently forget to clarify ‘which basics’. Getting back to basics only makes sense if you know which ones are fundamental to your business. And what is a fundamental? Anything that is key to the wallets of your customers.

Can you prevent exuberance from again corrupt your fundamentals? Yes, by linking them to a solid business foundation. Then you will know which basics matter enough to get back to.

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork dot com

Listen to the radio version of Exuberantly back to irrational basics (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#425: Mistakenly following right

Business No Responses »

Sep 222010

What is the opposite of ‘right’? Before you shout ‘left’, let me a bit more specific. What is the opposite of ‘right’ as in ‘correct’?

Once upon a time my immediate response would have been ‘wrong’ as in ‘incorrect’. With scratches and scars that tell of me not knowing my left from my right, I now believe that the opposite of ‘right’ is… learning… as in ‘teaching moment’.

I have never learned as much from being right as I have gained from being wrong. So I wonder, why do we only have positive role models? How about a few negative ones! Many of us will gain more by trying to be less like poor Mr. X rather than striving to be more like spectacular Mrs. Y.

This applies equally to companies. Don’t always compare yourself to a ‘better’ competitor. Compare yourself to a ‘worse’ one to see what you should avoid doing at all cost.

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork dot com

Listen to the radio version of Mistakenly following right (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#405: Business is not a sport (not even after the Soccer World Cup)

Business, Team Work/Building No Responses »

Jul 142010

The soccer world cup is over and the flood of team building articles is upon us. Enough already! Let me repeat myself – it is ridiculous for business teams to strive to be like sports teams. And it can be dangerous. Here’s why.

Sports teams are trained for only one sport. Team members know exactly which sport they’re playing, how to play it and which rules apply. How simple.

Sports teams wear uniforms so that you can easily spot the competition. They are introduced as your competition before each game. How polite.

Competing teams agree to respect the umpire. Sports umpires tend to be very visible, very loud and very strict. How reassuring.

Best of all, sports teams face only one competitor at a time, at a date and place agreed on well in advance. How convenient.

In business you do not have these luxuries. That’s why I think sports teams should study how business teams do it.

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork dot com

Listen to the radio version of Business is not sport (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#385: Expect robots if profit is your purpose

Business, Efficiency No Responses »

May 052010

With every job loss, business fails to do its civic duty. After all, the real business of business is to keep people busy and off the streets.

For centuries, businesses have been quite good at making money to pay for new jobs to keep more adults busy. But somewhere along the way business leaders began to believe that their purpose was to create profits, not busy-ness.

The road to profit is not the road to full employment which is why technology is so rapidly doing away with the need for workers.

Here is my favorite example of this trend, first celebrated in a business magazine in 2003. Somewhere in Japan is an automated factory which operates 24-hours a day, unsupervised for as long as 30 days at a time. Humans intervene only when there is no more space to store what has been manufactured.

And what has been manufactured? Other automation robots!

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork.com

Listen to the radio version of Expect robots if profit is your purpose (10 most recent radio files).

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#383: The business of business is busy-ness

Business, Work, Workers/Employees No Responses »

Apr 282010

What exactly is the business of business? After all these job losses, I hope you see it as clearly as I do. The real business of business is to keep people busy and off the streets.

Ever since people left the farm for the city, keeping people busy is an ongoing headache for governments. Farming is busy work – it never stops. And yet, with all the mechanization and productivity gains, fewer people are needed to keep the farm going. For the same reasons fewer workers are needed to keep the population fed, clothed and housed.

Our system has created a lot of bored people, a socially dangerous situation. How then does one create busy-ness in the towns and cities? You create ‘wants’.

Capitalism today is not based on what we need, but on what business can convince us that we should need, i.e., want. And so businesses have become nothing more than adult-sitters.

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork.com

Listen to the radio version of The business of business is busy-ness (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#380: To fail at networking, don’t buy, don’t ask

Business, Success No Responses »

Apr 192010

When it comes to networking and business development, here is my golden rule. Don’t waste my time by taking your time.

Yes, I do know that it takes time to build meaningful relationships. But networking and business development do not fall into that category. At least not in the beginning.

Here are three things you should do to set the foundation for a longer term relationship. One – if you want something from me, ask. Be clear and specific. Two – tell me why you think I can help you. Three – then make it easy for me to help you. Give me something on paper.

On the other hand, if you want to ensure that I won’t help you and that our relationship will end before it even began, then do these two things: Don’t buy me coffee even though you invited me to meet. And don’t ask if there is any way you can help me in return.

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork.com

Listen to the radio version of To fail at networking, don’t buy, don’t ask (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#379: In the land of the free, workers are not

Business, Workers/Employees No Responses »

Apr 132010

In the land of the free, workers too often are not. Even the Department of Labor knows this, hence their new campaign called ‘We Can Help’.

The problem is that abused workers are the ones least likely to ask for help. Let me remind you why not.

Workers are at the lowest output producing level. At this basic level, they are mere commodities – plentiful, cheap, inter-changeable and disposable. When there is more work, more workers are hired; when there is less work, workers are discarded until the number of workers matches the work to be done.

In other words, a worker is perceived as a cost and not as an asset. And we all know that a cost is a ‘bad’ thing which must be minimized.

Before you blame this on capitalism and not on the evil with us, let me remind you of a Polish proverb: Under capitalism man exploits man; under socialism the reverse is true.

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork.com

Listen to the radio version of In the land of the free, workers are not (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#377: Pay attention to the expected

Business, Management No Responses »

Apr 072010

(Radio piece begins with paper ripping sound.)

Were you surprised by that noise? If so, you’re probably paying attention, because something unexpected has happened. That’s natural. We pay more attention when something unexpected happens.

Dealing with the unexpected is said to be the most difficult aspect of business life. My experience has taught me the opposite. The most difficult thing to manage is the expected. Let’s face it. Business is boring. It’s the same nonsense over and over, day after day.

It’s like driving the same car on the same road to the same destination at the same time every day. You must do it. And if you take your eye off what you’re doing, bad things can happen.

The most successful managers I have worked with were those who had the discipline to focus on the same detail, over and over, day after day.

By the way, that sound was of paper being ripped and scrunched up – that’s the way to deal with nonsense.

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork.com

Listen to the radio version of Pay attention to the expected (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

Older Entries Newer Entries

#490: Ripping off your purpose

#468: The work of networking

#456: Exuberantly back to irrational basics

#425: Mistakenly following right

#405: Business is not a sport (not even after the Soccer World Cup)

#385: Expect robots if profit is your purpose

#383: The business of business is busy-ness

#380: To fail at networking, don’t buy, don’t ask

#379: In the land of the free, workers are not

#377: Pay attention to the expected

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