Everyone needs to work from home sometimes. We’ve discussed how to best present and prepare in this post and the same goes for working remote. Whatever the case, there are definite do’s and don’ts of working from home in order to stay productive and the golden rule is “don’t do anything at home you wouldn’t in your office”. Let’s take a look!
Please Don’t Pass the Buck!
– Kirsten Austin
The Cambridge Dictionary defines “pass the buck” as leaving a difficult problem for someone else to deal with or to blame someone or make them responsible for a problem that you should deal with.
As we start off 2020, I try to stay positive but one thing that frustrates me most as a business person is people who consistently pass the buck. This is not only frustrating for me, the person being passed from one department to another, but slows down necessary progress and projects for my business and clients. Let’s face it; we all have certain skill sets and hold a certain level of authority which means, indeed, at times we must reach out to others to get an answer, solve a problem, make a decision or accomplish a task. However, it does not mean that people get a free pass. So what’s wrong with using common sense and some personal accountability if you actually care about your job? This seems to be a growing phenomenon so let’s discuss how to avoid passing the buck:
2019 – A Year In Review
Wow 2019 flew right on by! We hope our readers had just as an amazing year as we did. Despite all the negativity in the news, we are proud of some very positive things we accomplished and the partners, clients, and associates who took the journey with us this year.Read More
Black Friday Preparation for Distributors
“Black Friday” sounds a little sinister, but its name comes from the famous Friday after Thanksgiving when folks take a day off work solely dedicated to Christmas shopping; a noble cause but the sheer volume of people can cause all sorts of mayhem. People in the United States have been conditioned to spend their hard earned consumer dollars on these events laden with special discounts and super deals. Every year this is a major shopping event that retailers and distributors must prepare for and has even expanded to “Cyber Monday” as digital transformation and e-Commerce continue to dominate the markets. Hectic stores plus quick-selling online deals – Whew this could go really wrong. What can you do to get it right?
DCSC Customer Summit – Post Play Recap
A huge thank you to our Vendors, Team Members, Partners and Sponsors for our first ever Customer Summit in Estes Park, Colorado! Everyone seemed to enjoy the YMCA of the Rockies! Not only did we see deer and other wildlife blended into an ideal location, the staff really knows how to accommodate group events and the relaxed atmosphere was a welcome change to stuffy over-priced hotels elsewhere. We were delighted that many of our clients and vendors brought their significant others to take advantage of this gorgeous location and make a mini-vacation of it. Of course there was excitement as several of us witnessed an amazing Elk Rut from a relatively safe distance. Trust us, we did not stick around to figure out the winner but certainly know that both of those guys meant business.
Be Unique, Don’t Try To Imitate
The other day I was at a restaurant and it seemed like the entire staff was just following the motions. I was once a server, so I was a little surprised. I remember hard days, issues in the kitchen, and crabby customers and yet I still put my little spin on the job. I tried my best to be positive (hey while at work, work) and even signed my “bills” with a little cartoon moon saying Goodnight and Thank You. Even in the most structured, menial, or meaningful job you can still be you! Let’s take a look at why this can help you with success.Read More
Block Chain vs. Good Ol’ Data Integration
According the the Oxford English Dictionary, a blockchain is a “system in which a record of transactions made in bitcoin or another crypto-currency are maintained across several computers that are linked in a peer-to-peer network”. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction data (generally represented as a Merkle tree).
It seems like Blockchain is all the rage. In my humble opinion it may be right for some companies but not all. Let’s talk about something that’s been around for a long time and is still extremely necessary for suppliers, distribution and manufacturing companies; Data Integration. There are many reasons for integrations. Let’s take brief look into this.
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How to “Get ‘er Done”
Years back I was camping with some friends and we heard all sorts of laughing and splashing a little ways down the river. We decided to check it out and found some young kids climbing up a challenging tree, manipulating a rope swing, then kicking really hard to the side and somehow out before dropping down into the river. One of the little boys, you could tell he was the leader of the pack, said, “When you let go of the rope yell “Get ‘er done!” before you drop in the water.” I just stared for a while in amazement. Needless to say, I’m not a kid anymore and I just kept thinking about everything that could go wrong. I think the forerunner saw that on my face and he simply said, “Lady you can do it. You just have to start.” So I did. And I yelled “Get ‘er done!”
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Practicing Gratitude
grat·i·tude
/ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od /
noun
The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
(As defined by The Oxford English Dictionary)
We talk a lot about the importance of kindness, no matter the situation, especially when it comes to things like customer service and business practice. But how do we show our appreciation towards those that show us kindness? It’s simple, say thank you and return the favor. Let’s look at how this can impact your business relations inside and out.
Presentation and Preparation
First of all, if you have not read Why My Mom Would Have Been a Good Warehouse Manager, please do so. This will give you a very quick understanding of Helga. Now, a quick story; I make these homemade meatballs that are extremely labor intensive and well worth it. My Mom and I joined a church pot luck event one year and upon arrival, one of the ladies grabbed my meatballs in the crock-pot and immediately put them on a lower shelf as if to say they weren’t good enough to be displayed. So the following Christmas, Helga bought me a beautiful serving dish with a sterno underneath. The card read, “No one will ever poo poo my daughter’s meatballs again.” What does this have to do with presentation and preparation? Let’s take a look at it.
