Growth. How big is big? How much is enough?

By G.A. “Andy” Marken

Growth—too much, too fast, too soon—can be a direct cause of failure. The problem is, no one wants to stand still. It’s not “The American Way”. Each of us starts a company with one objective: to grow...to gain greater stature and increase profits. And why not? We’re constantly bombarded with “bigger is better”.

Look at the business pages of your newspaper. You never see an item on a company that’s growing slowly or maintaining status quo. But financial editors aren’t to blame for covering the growth of companies, growth of stocks, and growth of industries. People want to be associated with the winners. And when they invest, they want their companies to grow in sales, profits and market value.

As a result, the desire to grow becomes almost compulsive. And it’s true that most of the time, when a business stops growing, it begins to wither and die. Unfortunately for many management groups, growth for the sake of growth has become the all-consuming objective. Nearly every other consideration takes a back seat to this golden grail.

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One-Minute Corporate Reputation Management

By Mr. Marken

Business in the Internet era demands quick thinking and even quicker action. Especially when a company’s reputation and possible future hang in the balance. In this new environment, managers at every level suddenly have a new set of pro-active responsibilities.

They must protect and enhance the company’s reputation. At the same time, they must help management create new business models. Rather than simply propping up existing business models they have to contribute to the organization’s growth. They have to take an active role in helping the organization achieve radical innovation that often changes the parameters of competitive performance.

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Ten Commandments for Managing People

By G.A. “Andy” Marken

It’s an asset that is difficult to find, difficult to retain and difficult to manage. But if you manage the asset properly it can produce exceptional results for your company…and for you. Following are some simple guidelines you can follow to manage people more effectively, more easily and with better results. Think of them as your 10 commandments to better management.

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