July, 2008

Greetings!

Welcome to our summer newsletter. With summer comes the anticipation of vacations and what the summer months will bring. The economy may have gray clouds but focusing on our customers' needs can bring renewed optimism to our businesses. Enjoy the summer and look for our fall letter.

In this issue:

Courage in a Time of Economic Uncertainty
Executive Search and Recruiting Services
Diane published in UK Industrial and Commercial Training Journal

Courage in a Time of Economic Uncertainty

"Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage." Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

The signs are all around us. The morning and nightly news, the headlines in the Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe and local newspapers shout the news at us for what is ahead. Stops at the gas station and grocery store are visible reflections. Announcements of slow growth, sluggish housing market, job cuts and businesses being put up for sale or foreclosure confirm what we know we are facing.

We have been here before and will probably be here again. We ignore that aspect in the moment, though. We look to how we can survive what is eminent and even possibly thrive in the face of economic uncertainty. The April issue of Harvard Business Review reflects titles that get our attention in times like this: "The Four Things a Service Industry Must Get Right" by Francis X. Frei, "Can You Say What Your Strategy Is" by David J. Collis and Michael G. Rukstad and "The Right Way to Manage Unprofitable Customers" by Vikas Mittal, Matthew Sarkees and Feisal Murshed. Every business magazine and newspaper directs are attention to assessing and evaluating our efforts.

What will it take to survive in these uncertain times? As I am working with organizations, what I see and hear is a refocus on strategies that strengthen the core business or service. This is only the beginning. Organizations, whether public, private or non-profit or educational institution can meet the challenge by embracing the following:

Assess who you are and what your core business or service is at this time. Ask yourself, what trends are impacting your customers and how can you best meet their challenges? Are you providing an accessory for your customers or are you meeting their basic needs?

Explore different ways of approaching your business and accomplishing how to get work done. Engage employees in how best to achieve results. Ask questions like, are we doing this because we have always done this? Are there better ways to get this done? Utilize process mapping as a means to look at what is complicating how you get things done.

Be creative. Explore opportunities and new ways of doing things that stay the course and yet will provide possibilities for meeting customers' needs. Hold internal "think tanks" with employees to generate ideas. The people closest to your customers have great insight. Tap into their potential!

Do not overreact in the moment. During tight times, employee development and new plans are put on hold or cut. Yet, employees can be your organizations' best asset. Give them the skills, tools and attention that are critical to the business.

Be resilient. Tap into resources that you might have let go of in more positive times. Having resiliency and realizing that "this too will pass" will encourage your employees to be resilient and not fear the future.

Most importantly, have courage.This means the courage to make the tough decisions as a leader. This means making decisions that may not be viewed as popular. This means a willingness to model what it is to be courageous in uncertain times.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson so clearly stated, "To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage." Begin mapping out your course now. For more information on setting strategies, contact Diane Dunton at 207-892-9292.

Executive Search and Recruiting Services

In my last newsletter, I indicated that we are adding new services to our selection. The intent is to provide our clients with a more comprehensive firm to meet their management and human resource needs. We are actively involved in assisting organizations with their searches through the efforts of Jennifer Hawkes Morris who is an expect in recruiting.

Our goal is to enhance your business strength and competitive advantage by delivering the right candidate with a demonstrated history of excellence. Our process will be managed with the highest degree ofprofessionalism, confidentiality and integrity. We look forward to speaking to you about this in the near future.

Diane Published in UK Industrial and Commercial Training Journal

Diane was approached for writing a business article for Emerald's Industrial and Commercial Training Journal after she presented at the American Society of Training and Development's International Conference in June of 2007. For more information, click on the link below and search for ISSN 0019-7858.