Unless you think you have all the answers, developing a suggestion box or other feedback loop can help to strengthen your business. At one time or another, every business leader has looked for ways to encourage employees to come up with new and better ways to connect with customers and reduce costs, without creating a hard to manage administrative headache. Seeking counsel is prudent and wise, according to King Solomon: "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel" (Proverbs 12:15, NASB). If you want to make the most of your staff's ideas and expertise, consider establishing a formal suggestion system.

Mike was in hot water. He had ordered 25,000 sales brochures from the printer and now his boss, Peter, was livid:

"To team, or not to team," that is the question Shakespeare might have asked were he writing a play on the subject of establishing strategic partnerships. In the early days of industrialization, most companies in the United States opted not to team up with others. Henry Ford believed that the Ford Motor Company should not rely on other businesses. Consequently, Ford owned its own steel mill, iron ore boats, and mines-even it's own electrical generation facility. Today, however, most companies-including Ford-realize that partnering often makes sense. It allows companies to work together, each focusing on what it does best, and spreading the cost and the risk of expensive projects.

Firing an employee is one of the more gut-wrenching, painful, and distasteful management tasks. However, by embracing a biblical model for managing employee performance, you can reduce the number of terminations and ensure that every dismissal is necessary.