Business Archives

How to Identify Bottlenecks: Where’s the Holdup?

What’s slowing down your business? How could your morning routine be more efficient? Every system has slow parts that drag the whole system down. Identifying bottlenecks is key to maximizing a system’s efficiency. In The Great Mental Models Volume 3, authors Rhiannon Beaubien and Rosie Leizrowice explain what bottlenecks are, how to identify them, and why bottleneck management is a necessary ongoing process in any system. Let’s look in detail at how to identify bottlenecks.

Body Language in Presentations: Tips for Speakers

Should you stand or sit when delivering a presentation? Is it better to move or stand still? What about eye contact? Most communication is nonverbal, which also applies to public speaking. Your body language and your facial expressions communicate your confidence, your level of comfort, and your engagement. One rule of thumb to follow is to display openness and confidence with your body and make occasional eye contact with members of the audience. Here are some presentation body language tips to keep in mind.

Simply Said: Book Overview (Jay Sullivan)

What is Jay Sullivan’s Simply Said about? What is the key message to take away from the book? In his book Simply Said, communication expert Jay Sullivan provides a blueprint for effective business communication. Top-notch communication skills are essential to success in any professional field—after all, you can only get clients, colleagues, and audiences to buy into your ideas if you’re able to communicate them clearly. Here’s a brief overview of Jay Sullivan’s book Simply Said: Communicating Better at Work and Beyond.

How to Improve Your Oral Communication Skills

Do you want to level up your communication skills? What are some things you should keep in mind when it comes to oral communication? Effective oral communication is one of the most important skills you could develop. One rule of thumb to keep in mind is to use the same techniques whether you’re talking with one person or a roomful of people—maintain the same level of confidence, attention, and engagement. Here’s how to improve your oral communication skills, according to author Jay Sullivan.

Written Business Communication: 3 Rules of Thumb

Do you write a lot for business or work? What are some things you should keep in mind when writing any kind of business documentation or correspondence? Writing is a necessary part of any professional field. When it comes to written business communication, you should write in a manner that’s concise, clear, and to-the-point. Nobody likes to waste their time reading long emails that beat around the bush. Here are some tips on how to write documents and emails that people will actually read.

How to Pay Less in Taxes: Tips to Minimize Your Tax Bill

What kind of investments provide tax breaks? Should you hire a tax consultant? What kind of loan can lower your tax burden? You might be paying more taxes than you need to. In The Wealthy Barber, David Chilton discusses ways to save money. Minimizing your tax bill is one of them. He shares recommendations for reducing how much you pay in taxes each year. Keep reading for advice on how to pay less in taxes.

How to Write Good Emails: Proven Tips for Success

Do you often write emails? What are some things you should keep in mind when writing a professional email? Writing emails is an essential skill in the modern-day professional milieu. Most people read dozens of emails a day, so it’s critical that your emails convey the message with the recipient in mind—consider your goal in writing the email and make it crystal clear to understand what you want them to do with it. Here’s how to write good emails every time.

Safi Bahcall: The 4 Rules for Generating Loonshots

What are loonshots? How can organizations cultivate a culture where innovative ideas thrive? Loonshots are innovative ideas that change the world (e.g., insulin, radar, computer animation). Initially, loonshots are dismissed as crazy and overly ambitious. For this reason, loonshots almost don’t make it. In his book Loonshots, Safi Bahcall argues that organizations can deliberately cultivate these kinds of ideas. He presents four rules for nurturing loonshots and explains how organizations can keep innovating no matter how big they grow. Let’s explore Bahcall’s four rules for generating loonshots.

Organizational Decision-Making: 3 Ways to Set the Tone

When it comes to decision-making in your organization, how much power do you and your employees have? How fast are decisions made? What happens immediately after a decision is made? In his book What You Do Is Who You Are, Ben Horowitz discusses how decision-making is an aspect of your organization’s culture. As the leader, you set the tone for how decisions are made. Horowitz identifies three choices you make that determine what kind of decision-making culture you build. Keep reading for details on these three choices.

Balancing Growth and Continued Innovation

Why do large organizations struggle to innovate? How can you sustain innovation in your organization as it grows? Maintaining innovation is a major concern for organizations as they grow. According to Safi Bahcall, the author of Loonshots, it’s possible to balance growth with continued innovation. The key, he says, is to balance stake with rank. Here’s how organizations can keep innovating no matter how big they grow, according to Safi Bahcall.