Large projects can make you feel like you are trying to eat an elephant. If you look at the whole elephant, you will toss your hands in the air and walk away. You can’t imagine eating the whole thing. The only way to eat an elephant is to start with one slice, then another and another until you finish. Over time the elephant will disappear.

The army uses experienced sergeants and captains as the heart of what makes the army work.  These are middle managers. When these people are effective, the army runs well.  If not, problems will abound.

Business is similar. The Pareto distribution formula indicates that 20% of the bosses will be effective.  Unless you work under one of the 20% good bosses, you will learn little management skills.

Regular readers know that I believe there is power in a money back guarantee.  (http://bit.ly/1sqLUVu   ). This is different from guaranteeing results. 

A client asked if I would guarantee that his business would increase after our meeting together. My short answer was no. I do offer money back after every session if my client believes that it wasn’t worth the time and money invested.  What I can’t guarantee is a result over time because I can’t guarantee how a client will implement my recommendations. 

Recently, a client asked me for advice about how to hire a manager for a gym facility. The client owned two exercise gyms, both doing very well. He wanted to hire a manager to free time up so that he could work in ministry. He needed to look outside his present staff because he had no current employees who could handle the task.

Managers encounter a frustrating situation when an employee messes up.  They schedule a candid conversation with the employee and want to believe them when they say they have learned from the situation and will improve in the future. Frequently, however, the person slides back into the same pattern.  As King Solomon observed, “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.” (Proverbs 26:11, NIV)  We have a natural tendency to slip back into old, familiar habits.