Plan B – Snow Maker & Manure Spreaders

Linda LaitalaBusinessLeave a Comment

Linda here. Last weekend was big in our community.  It was the Mora Vasaloppet Cross Country ski race.  People from all over the world come to Mora (Population 3571) to ski the race; the size of the town literally doubles on race weekend.   

Do You Have The Guts To Be Candid?

Linda LaitalaBusiness, Employees, Management, SalesLeave a Comment

Linda here. I am often struck by comments people make when they miss an opportunity to speak up. “That man pushed right in front of me without even an ‘Excuse me’.  I wish I’d have told him how long I’ve been waiting.” “She knows I don’t like to reprimand people, so she pushes the rules a hair past the limit

How do you know the Price is Right?

Linda LaitalaBusiness, ManagementLeave a Comment

Linda here. Harold owns a plastic injection molding company.  They ship millions of parts each month to customers all over the country.  One of his biggest customers demands special packaging, just-in-time delivery and small batch quantities.  At the same time, they have been paying late, aggressively negotiating price and taking discounts that had not been earned.   

Where everybody knows your name

Linda LaitalaBusiness, ManagementLeave a Comment

Linda here. Boyceville, Wisconsin – my home town. Most months I spend a weekend in Boyceville with my 90-year-old father and nephew Charlie.  Our Friday night ritual is to go downtown for fish and chips at the Buckshot Bar. As we sat waiting for our food last Friday, I watched people come in, greet each other by their first name,

Are you the sharpest tack in the pack?

Linda LaitalaBusiness, ManagementLeave a Comment

Linda here. Of all the jobs I’ve had in my career, my favorite (other than Raven Performance Group) was with Job Masters in corporate recruiting.  The owner, John Sherman, had been a Vice President of Human Resources in a Fortune 500 company.  To Mr. Sherman’s credit, he was intelligent and hardworking, but he thought he knew it all: every idea

Cats That Jump On Hot Stoves

Linda LaitalaBusinessLeave a Comment

Linda here. Mark Twain was fond of saying, “When a cat jumps on a hot stove, he’ll never jump on a hot stove again.  He’ll also never jump on a cold stove.” Twain was sharing an example of over-generalization, something we humans do regularly.    

Santa’s Secrets To Success

Linda LaitalaBusiness, EmployeesLeave a Comment

Linda here. I received a wonderful book this year called “The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus” by Eric Harvey.  I’ve always loved Santa; even as a kid I wondered how he could accomplish so much with just a few elves and Mrs. Claus. The book explains all.   

On The Edge Of Tomorrow

Linda LaitalaBusinessLeave a Comment

Linda here. Here we stand, on the brink of a new year, peering over the edge trying to figure out what 2017 holds in. If you read industry leaders like Seth Godinand Clay Hebert it becomes clear connections are important and why.   

December Is Lost Only If You Want It To Be

Linda LaitalaBusiness, Employees, ManagementLeave a Comment

Linda here. I’ve heard many people lament over the years, “We might as well close down in December.  No one’s mind is on their business; it’s all about the holidays”. If you follow that thinking, then you can’t do business in January because no one has any money, summer’s bad because everyone is on vacation, spring and fall are bad