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Larry Mandelberg Articles

Written by: Larry Mandelberg

Unsustainable Sustainability - Going green can be good - Click To Read Article
The environmentalists seem to be gaining ground now that Wal*Mart has begun qualifying vendors based on the degree of sustainable operating and manufacturing practices they employ. Green is here for good, but don't let the tears fuel images of profits being washed away by expensive materials and useless recycling efforts. Like it or not, green is good. But until you look at your business from a long term perspective instead of the on-demand environment we all seem to be chasing, all you'll see is expense. Slow down, read the article, and learn how to turn green into green!

It's not about who you know... - Click To Read Article
For years smart people have been saying "It's not about what you know, it's about WHO you know!" Well, I'm here to disagree. I know lots of people that have absolutely no value to my business. How much is my favorite grocery clerk going to help my business? What about the lawn service that cuts my grass, or the staff at the local Kinko's? Yeah, I know, they MIGHT be able to make a referral some day. And the worlds is going to be destroyed by a global nuclear war. And I'm not waiting around for either. Personally, I don't think who you know is nearly as important as who knows you. If you want to make change happen and move mountains of bureaucratic crap that make us all a bit crazy, making sure others know you is where you need to focus.

Performance Management in the Public Sector - Click To Read Article
Performance management is the systematic process by which an agency involves its employees, as individuals and members of a group, in improving organizational effectiveness in the accomplishment of agency mission and goals. This white paper discusses the use of performance management in the Public Sector.

Partnering – the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - Click To Read Article
Partnering is a common approach to launching or growing a business. Some people swear by it, some swear about it. While partnering is a valuable tool, far too many entrepreneurs dive into partnerships without fully understanding their complexities. In this column, Mandelberg talks about the critical to-do's and the common uh-oh's entrepreneurs seem to make over and over again. Learn how to escape from the pull of bad partnerships and create faster, bigger, sustainable success using partnerships the right way.

Employee Freedom, A New "Old" Paradigm - Click To Read Article
In 1994 Jim Belasco and Ralph Stayer wrote Flight of the buffalo which focuses on learning to let employees lead. In 2009 Brian Carney and Isaac Getz wrote Freedom, Inc. which focuses on how to free your employees and let them lead your business to higher productivity, profits and growth. These are two examples of books that explain why a "flat organization" is better and how to build or transform an organization with it. As Gen-Y begins to take over leadership in the majority of American business, these concepts of employee empowerment, self-management and flat structure will be their demand. They care more about work-life balance than money, and they just might be able to salvage the mess we boomers have made of things. Success in the 21st century demands employers embrace this new "old" paradigm.

The Magic of Measuring - Click To Read Article
When you hear the word magic, what's the 1st thing you think of? Peter Pan? Harry Potter? For me, magic immediately evokes something so powerful that even I can't screw it up. And that's exactly how magic numbers and measuring work. My goal with this article is to help you get a perspective quite different and apart from what your accountant or financial adviser may suggest. And it's probably the best thing you could ever do for your business - making it fool-proof. Even better, it's MAGIC!

Defining Value from the Customers Perspective - Click To Read Article
Some 'best practices' are too important to assume they are understood...and 'practiced.' This article talks about one of my personal favorites. It involves two radio stations and a buggy whip manufacturer. Oh yes, and a website developer that struggled for 6 years before she got the memo on this best practice. The concept is simple, execution tough. Every business must understand why their customer's buy from them, something few bother to do. And consultants are the worst. Stop talking about 'What You Sell/Do' and start explaining 'What's In It For ME (the customer!).

Send workers home to boost productivity - Click To Read Article
No, I'm not talking about getting rid of the deadwood, I'm talking about telecommuting and a virtual workforce. Think about it. Fewer bodies, less space, lower rent. What else don't you need? Well, electricity, heat, air conditioning, water, paper, phone, fax, copier, pens, notepads...you get the idea. It's time to cross that chasm and send your people home! Let's get your staff working remotely and watch your margins AND productivity soar!

Make money like Google by selling it for free - Click To Read Article
Google has recently been trading in the mid-$500's. Their market cap is approx. 180b...yes, b, like billion. And when was the last time you paid for a search??? You can read my article on selling for free, or you can listen to Chris Anderson's book "Free - The future of a radical price." Better yet, do both!

Decisions based on emotion = BAD for business - Click To Read Article
In recent years, there has been a rise in discussion and research around what makes a good leader good. From those discussions, a new field of study and measurement has arisen,. It is called Emotional intelligence, or EQ. (Don't ask me why it isn't EI, but it's not.) In simple terms, EQ is the ability to know and control your emotions, and the ability to recognize and empathize with the emotions of others. For the expertrs in this field, please, don't get your feathers ruffled. Defining EQ is not the point. The point is, emotion does NOT belong in business, and often leads to really bad decisions. Emotion seems to play the biggest role in family owned business where family members are either co-owners or employees. This article talks about how to handle these situations, whether you are on the verge of wading into one, or already there.

8 steps to organizational efficiency - Click To Read Article
Success in business depends on the effective use and leveraging of available resources such as people, time, money and facilities. Those businesses that are able to do this seem to consistently win over those that cannot. After all, when you are taking 1 step back for every 2 steps forward, your progress will always be limited. This article outlines 8 steps every business should take to ensure operational efficiency. If you do these 8 things, you will be well on your way to competitive advantages and sustainable, profitable growth.

The Sad State of Customer Service or How to lose customers! - Click To Read Article
With an economy limping along and businesses struggling to survive, what happens when things start to change for the better? Has your organization cut to the bone? Can current staff make the time to handle new customers? Will they be too stressed out and time constrained that first impressions are bad impressions? Before we can recover, we have to learn how to do better, not just more, with less. This article highlights the real problems that lie ahead...

Don't expect an invitation to the recovery - Click To Read Article
When recovery begins, you aren't going to get an invitation, and it's not going to happen overnight. It's a slow process, like watching water boil on a campfire made of sticks and limbs. It won't change while you're watching. But when it does, will you be ready? You can't turn your best efforts at the snap of a finger, you have to be prepared. When new customers start coming and old customers start returning, you're going to have ONE chance, so you better be prepared.

Know yourself before you decide to buy someone else - Click To Read Article
According to a survey conducted by the Hay group and published in 2007, 91% of all M&A efforts fail to meet their pre-transaction goals. How many activities can a business undertake that fail 91% of the time, yet keep doing them over and over again? That is what happens with mergers and acquisitions. The sad truth is making these growth strategies work is not hard - it is complicated, but not hard. If you do your due diligence, and pay close attention to all the myriad of details, you will succeed. This article talks about what you need to know about your business before you try to buy someone else’s!

Good business plan serves as road map of companys goals - Click To Read Article
Business plans are often seen as a necessary evil. Something to be done when you start a new business, or make major changes in an existing business. Unfortunately few organizations use business planning as the powerful tool it can be. This article talks about what makes a good business plan good, and the key elements for success. It is a must read for anyone thinking of taking control of their future and crafting a roadmap to get them there.

Good Boss Bad Boss - Click To Read Article
What kind of boss are you? The kind that brings out the best in his staff, or the kind people talk about behind your back? If your staff was interviewed about the management in your organization in general, and about their boss (you) in particular, how would you rate on a list of the 10 worst bosses they have ever had? Read on to find out how to deal with good bosses and bad bosses, and what kind of list you belong on!

Clarify Your Purpose with a Business Plan - Click To Read Article
One reason people ask if you have a business plan is because they don’t understand your business. You might not care if asked by a stranger, but what if the question came from an employee? You would be surprised how poorly your staff understands why clients keep coming back and buying. In this article, Mandelberg takes the reader through three critical steps to help you create a meaningful business plan for yourself. First, he discussed why you need a business plan. Next he talks about components of the plan. Finally he explains how to put your business plan to work. For the leader committed to success for his team, group, department, division, location, or the entire company, this article is a must read!

Balancing Authority and Responsibility - Click To Read Article
As a leader, assigning responsibility to people also carries a substantial burden of providing an appropriate level of authority, enough to do the job. Conversely as an employee, you have the obligation to ensure you do not accept responsibility for a task or project without adequate authority. Unfortunately these are simple ideas that are difficult to master in the real world. This article provides some insights as to how to avoid the difficult situation where these two inter-connected attributes end up out of balance.

3 Secrets to Creating More Time - Click To Read Article
Opportunity comes and goes, lost time can never be replaced. If you're frustrated by the number of hours you work and the need for another hour or two each day, this article is for you. Be forewarned; the processes are easy, it's the self-control and personal accountabiliity that's tough.

Technology can be a profit center for you - Click To Read Article
For too many years technology has been used to solve problems that don't exist. Finally there are ways to turn an IT department from a cost center into a profit center. Technology can work for you and your business and can create hundreds of thousands, if not millions of additional dollars in revenue with little or no additional cost. This article provides some concrete B2B and B2C examples and one case study.

Time to Update Your Strategic Plan - Click To Read Article
Feeling caught in a no win situation? Don't feel bad, no one anticipated the economic trauma we've recently gone through. The economy has changed, people aren't buying, you have opportunity but can't get credit to take advantage of it, and your existing client base is slowly melting away into retirement, bankruptcy or sale. If you’re in react mode, you'll never get ahead of the changes taking place - things are moving too fast. It's time to re-evaluate your opportunities and update your strategic plan.

No leader is master of everything - Click To Read Article
One of the key failures senior executives and leaders tend to make early in their careers is acting with hubris. This affliction recurs with even the best who have had marvelously successful careers and begin to act without appropriate caution or due diligence. The best way to solve this problem is to look for outside input just to be sure your thinking is clear. The key is knowing when to seek input to avoid making bad decisions. In this article, I talk about how to get input from others and improve your decision making, and ultimately your success as a leader.

Do I have to blog, tweet or link-in? Social networking unmasked. - Click To Read Article
If you're anything like me, you've been bombarded with requests to get on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. Being the Boomer I am, I really don't want to tweet, peep, or anything else that sounds like making friends online...just too creepy for me. None the less, reality is that social networking is here to stay. To understand why, and how critical it is to the future of your business, please read my article that describes why social media is here to stay, and why it's time to jump in.

The Executives Dilemma - Click To Read Article
Executives are commonly thought to be experts in their fields, people who have all the answers to all the problems. But that is an unrealistic expectation. When a serious problem arises, how does an executive decide whether it is better to look for a solution within him or herself and their team, and when to go outside to a 3rd party professional? Find some guidance below.

Change can be a Rewarding Journey - Click To Read Article
Change is always present, something we must face throughout our lives to some degree or another. It is human nature to resist change. It can be a frightening thing, a place where we have little skill or experience, much like the unknown or a dark black hole where we feel lost. This article uses the letter J as a metaphor and using the J-Curve, presents an interesting visual and tactical approach to instituting change in a positive, productive way for your organization.

Building Leaders: From top performer to gifted manager - Click To Read Article
Those of us who depend on others to help make our businesses successful know the feeling of having one of your top managers tells you it is time for him or her to move on. You are suddenly faced whit the difficult task of replacing a key member of your team. This articles talks about the do's and don'ts and will help you avoid making a critical mistake.

Keep It Simple - Click To Read Article
The world is a pretty hectic place these days, and things are moving faster and becoming more complicated every day. The more we can step back and break down the complexities of everyday life into some basic, simple steps, the easier it becomes to manage them and to excel at them. This article explains some of the basics on how to do just that, Keep It Simple!

Put passion into your business plan for investors - Click To Read Article
If you are one of the successful entrepreneurs that have made it to the point where you need outside investment to make your idea and business really fly, this article will give you insight into what investors such as Angels and Venture Caplitalists are looking for in a business plan. One thing is clear - investors invest first in the person, 2nd in the idea. Make sure you put your passion, your heart and soul and spirit, into your business plan. It will be your first, best opportunity to reach them and make a strong, personal connection that may lead to investment.

High Performance Project Teams - Click To Read Article
One of the realities of running a business is that the organization will face tasks from time to time that need to be accomplished. As these tasks become larger and more involved, they tend to be more time sensitive and have a greater impact on the organization. When they reach a certain level of importance and complexity, we tend to refer to them as projects. The larger the financial impact of the project the greater the urgency. As these projects reach farther into the organization touching numerous individuals and departments they become much more complex and have far reaching impact. For these 'high impact projects', using a project team often leads to better results, faster execution, and greater creativity. This article talks about how to build high performance project teams and some of their risks.

Need Capital? Have a solid business plan. - Click To Read Article
When good things happen to small businesses, they tend to run out of cash. Between customers who pay slowly, vendors that want to be paid fast, marketing and building your team, growth is expensive. If you’ve been successful growing your business, you’re eventually going to need more money, and a banker is often your best source of funds. This article talks about what drives your banker and helps you understand how to make a compelling argument in favor of loaning you money...assuming you need and want it!

Staff Transition - Problem of Opportunity? - Click To Read Article
The relationships, knowledge and experience that reside in the minds of staff are what make an organization. Yet turnover is a constant in doing business, and maintaining that talented, knowledgeable team is a factor leader’s deal with daily. People get bored, lose focus, and feel unchallenged or under appreciated. When staff moves on, you often lose your best and brightest. How do you capture the knowledge they have accumulated, retain relationships they have developed, and transfer the skills they have mastered? Do you look for someone to replace them or is this a good time to look at organizational structure and re-evaluate job responsibilities? When a staff member leaves, is it an opportunity or a problem?

Want Vacation Time Learn to delegate - Click To Read Article
Either you did a lousy job hiring, or you have a good staff: Use them. In the world of the small-business owner, life can be very challenging and rewarding. Don't get caught by your business and loose your freedom. If you have beaten the odds and created a successful small-business, now is the time for you to leverage that success into bigger and better things.

Should Leaders Ask Questions or Have Answers? - Click To Read Article
Most people feel that being a leader means having all the answers. Truth is, most leaders have few answers. What they have is wisdom, giving them the ability to handle anything that crosses their path whether they have answers or not. The know how to find the answers they need. This article talks about 'a different approach to leadership.'

Good Decisions, Bad Decisions - Click To Read Article
Why is it possible for two identical businesses in the same market selling the same products and services to the same prospects have radically different outcomes? There are two key reason; First, staff and how the employees of the organizaton do their jobs, second, the quality of the decisions being made on a daily basis. I'm not foolish enough to believe anyone is capable of making the right decision every time, but there are times when the right choice is just not that hard to identify. When those decisions face us, it is imperative we do the proper due diligence and make the RIGHT decision. This article talks about some of the core reasons bad decisions get made, and talks about how to avoid getting caught in that trap. Enjoy!

Want growth? Now is the time for an Acquitision - Click To Read Article
What everyone knows is that money can be made in the stock market whether it is going up or down. The questions is, as a business owner, how do you grow when the economy is on its way South (sound familiar?). The last time the market has been so ideally primed for growth through acquisition was in the early 70's. It probably won't be this good again for another 20 or 30 years. In this article, I talk about how this works.

When should you fire poor performers? - Click To Read Article
Every business has someone who just doesn't seem to be working out. Whether they were a bad hire, or suffering from personal issues outside the job, it really doesn't matter. Sometimes people just get tired, or bored, and uninspired. When people are not engaged, it is time for them to move on. Sometimes it's clear, more often it's not. And few people like to fire staff. In this article, I talk about when to bite the bullet and do what's right for you and your employee - termination.

When Two Rights Make A Wrong - Click To Read Article
Ethics have always been a major concern in business, and with the current Washington (D.C.), banking and Wall Street failures, ethics have taken a prominent place on the national stage. Associations are beginning to help their members development ethics training and codes of conduct. Awards for good ethical businesses are being awarded. It is time to understand exactly what ethics are, and how they affect your business. Ethics is not about right vs. wrong - it is about right vs. right, or even worse, wrong va. wrong. This article explores the meaning of ethics and how they apply in a business environment.

The Impact of Culture on Acquisitions - Click To Read Article
In another article, I talk about the rate of failure of mergers and acquisitions being 91%. What I did not talk about was the primary cause of these failures. It is actually quite simple. Most of these transactions, commonly referred to as M&A, are driven by finances and financial calculations. Unfortunately that has nothing to do with the daily business of doing business for any organization. It is the people that matters, and it is a failure of recognizing the people, or culture, that cause most M&A transactions to fail. In this article, I talk about how to avoid this fatal mistake.

When times are tough, Market, Market, Market! - Click To Read Article
Tough times drive most business owners to look for ways to cut costs. The fact is, there are two ways to maintain viability when the economy is bad. You can either cut costs, OR, increase sales! I know it sounds a little wacky, but think about this for a minute. If everybody is cutting costs (marketing/advertising), then those vehicles for delivering marketing and advertising are hurting too. Not only that, there are fewer messages out there screaming at your prospects than normal. This is when you want to spend money to tell people you want to do business with them. Don't go into a shell and hide. This article will look at this idea in greater depth.

Good help is hard to find. Retain the best, improve the rest. - Click To Read Article
The single most valuable asset any business has is its employees. Finding good people is always tough, even in times when unemployment is high. Even then, finding a good match of skills and culture for your business is tricky at best. And labor laws give leverage to the employee in most states. Therefore, before your employees have a chance to go stale, look for the best and recognize them. And take the rest and make them better! This article talks about how to do this, and why it is so critical to the long term stability and profitability of your organization.

The right business can prosper in any economy - Click To Read Article
If you are trying to shield your business from the vicissitudes of economic fluctuation, there is a simple rule you must live by: Focus on customers’ needs. Because of current economic conditions (February 2009), this article focuses on how to ride out a recessionary environment.

Big Business Tactics for Your Small Business - Click To Read Article
If you are a small business or even a good sized business that wants to get bigger, you must first develop the systems and structure, or the foundational components that will allow your business to support a larger organization. For that to happen, you must find ways to work on your business, not just work in it. This is an old saying. The question is just exactly does that mean? This article talks about things you must do in order to help your business prepare for becoming a large business.

Who do you report to? - Click To Read Article
If you are a business owner, who holds you accountable? This is a major issue most small business owners never think about. Larger businesses have Boards of Directors who are legally responsible for oversight. Even many smaller business have them as well, and others prefer to use a Board of Advisors. Regardless of how you create accountability, it is a proven fact that you will do a better job as a leader within your organization if you have an external individual or body of people you are accountable to. This article provides insights into how you can create and utilize some form of Board governance for your business.

Entering the ‘go-go’ zone with your eyes wide open - Click To Read Article
The Go-Go zone is that place a business can find themselves in that sounds like heaven. In reality, it is more often hell. It is the place where you have more business than you know what to do with, where it is all you can muster just to get orders processed and shipped. Keeping customers happy gets left by the wayside. This article is my effort to help you understand the pitfalls of this seemingly idyllic situation, and help you prepare for it if and when it occurs.

Falling Off the Economic Cliff - Click To Read Article
Economy, economy, economy... Stimulus, stimulus, stimulus... Reminds me of 'location, location, location', and I am pretty sick of hearing that too. If you're tired of hearing about the economy and stimulus, do something about it. This article talks about the permanent change facing businesses today and what you must do if you want to survive. Remember, no good crises should be left unexploited - opportunities abound.





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