Not just a word. "NO" is an effective business strategy

The humble "No" is not just a word, expression, exclamation or symbol of denial. "No" in itself is a very effective business strategy.

Just like in life, in business too, we often fail to say "No".

The failure on our part to say "No" could have a huge impact on the overall business outcome.

It is very important to have absolute clarity regarding:

• The category of clients you should work for
• The service boundaries for each client
• Strict service level agreements for all stakeholders including the client

Image by Claudio Scott from Pixabay

A few scenarios when we need to say "No"

• No to a new business opportunity when the scope and brief does not fit the ideal client profile. For example, Preeti is the owner of a small website development firm. High quality design, well written original content and an easy to use user interface are the key promises they make and deliver. Low Price is not a promise they make.

The Monster HR Challenge

Managing employees and inspiring them to give their best has always been a challenge for businesses. Most businesses would score just about average points, a few just mess it up while a very very few find the secret sauce.

Why is managing employees such a challenge? What makes it so difficult?

Image by Robin Higgins from Pixabay

The Mismatch: Skills vs Expectations

Most employer and employee conflicts at work are a result of employee skills and employer expectations mismatch. Honestly, there is no clear formula to fix expectations and hence it is often difficult to locate the sweet spot. Both the employers and the employees, need to be more liberal and accommodating to each others' expectations.

We should refrain from trying to find a direct correlation between employment benefits and outcomes. The more you pay does not impact the outcome or results in the same proportion. Variance between human resources doing the same job is very unpredictable compared to variance between non-human resources doing the same job. There are processes and tools to standardise the work process and hence have a better control on the outcome, however the human factor is still at play and hence will produce variations.