C-Suite | The Barefoot Spirit

C-Suite Network – 7 Ways to Improve Your Business Communication

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 18:57:16 +0000

Thanks to tweets, texts, posts, and very short attention spans, we have become a society constantly looking for the shortest way to communicate a thought.

That may be fine for the captions on a cute kitten picture, or texting your friend a remark, but it’s counter-productive in business communication. In fact, just the opposite is true, especially when you are working with outside services that depend on explicit explanations. Read more…

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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7 Ways to Spot Entrepreneurial DNA – Part 2

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 00:17:08 +0000

How do you spot the candidate with entrepreneurial DNA? Here’s part 2 of our discussion on the 7 things to look for during the interview.

4. Resourcefulness. Ask them how they solved a professional problem when they lacked the time, support, or funds they needed. Listen for how they used their imagination, asked for help, and thought outside the box. Listen for how they identified, re-purposed and used unlikely resources to achieve their goals in spite of the obstacles. Take note of how they rephrased the problem, saw the bigger picture and enlisted the help of strategic allies who would also benefit from the solution. See if their solution solved more than one problem. Those with entrepreneurial DNA will demonstrate their resourcefulness.

5. Preparedness. Does the candidate expect you to ask all the questions? Do they just react to your initiatives? Do they wait for you to tell them about your company, its goals, successes and challenges? Or do they ask you questions? Candidates with the entrepreneurial DNA will treat you like a prospect for their services. They think of everyone as a customer for them, their service or their product. They know that the best sales pitch is, “I can help you sell your product,” and they can’t do that unless they thoroughly understand their prospect and how they can help. They have carefully researched your company in preparation for the interview. They know your products, your challenges, and your history. They come to the interview with a pen and notepad, and a list of questions.

6. Teamwork. Contrary to popular opinion, entrepreneurs are not loners. Realistically, they know that they must build, depend on, and be an essential part of a team. This requires respect for how each player is key to the overall success of the company. They are keen on understanding all the jobs, procedures, outsourced services and suppliers that keep the customer loyal. Listen for candidates who show an interest in this process. Ask them how their last job fit in to their company’s big picture. Ask them how they worked with their teammates and improved communication both inside and outside their previous company.

7. Organization. During the final interview, you do all the talking. Tell the candidate more about what the job entails, who they will be working with and why, how their job supports the customer experience, how your company is organized, and what the expectations are of their performance. Be sure to include how the funds get from the ultimate consumer to the company to cover their paycheck. Then ask them to write a one page summary of your company, the money trail from the end-user consumer, how they will be working with their teammates and why they qualify for the job. Then, tell them it’s due by 5PM tomorrow. This summary will tell you volumes about their comprehension, organization, communication, and ability to hit a deadline. These are all attributes of the entrepreneurial DNA.

There are other key “tells” that can help you spot the entrepreneurial DNA, such as assertiveness, dependability, sociability, humility, practicality, tenacity, empathy and humor. Asking the right questions will bring these attributes to light.

Also remember, it’s not enough to say you are looking for the entrepreneurial DNA in your candidates. You and your company have to walk the talk. You must build a culture of permission, enthusiasm, inclusiveness, recognition, and acknowledgement, and have a performance-based compensation plan to provide the environment the candidate with entrepreneurial DNA needs to flourish and remain with your company. If you want your employees to be more entrepreneurial, create the fertile ground in which they will bloom!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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7 Ways to Spot Entrepreneurial DNA -Part 1

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 23:30:21 +0000

Today there is a loud buzz about the entrepreneurial spirit, the entrepreneurial culture, and even the entrepreneurial DNA. Corporations realize that in order to stay relevant, engage and empower their people, and create a positive and innovative culture they must learn to spot entrepreneurial DNA in their job candidates. This topic is so interesting and involved that we have divided it into two parts.

We have a friend who runs the school of entrepreneurship at a major university. She says that, surprisingly, large corporations are now very interested her grads. Why? The answer is because entrepreneurial grads are more self-reliant and creative compared to grads who do not possess these business acuities. Most importantly, they have their eyes on the money and they understand that the money comes from the customer. You have to remember that entrepreneurship students are not pursuing a degree in entrepreneurship to show it to an employer. In fact they often have no intention of taking a job, but they sincerely want to learn what they need to know to be successful in their own enterprise. They are, by their choice of study, self-reliant.

But if you want to hire someone with entrepreneurial DNA, what do you look for?

Here’s the short list:

1. Performance Pay. Ask them if they want to get paid on attendance (salary), or are they willing to bet a portion their compensation on their own performance. Entrepreneurs don’t have any income unless they are constantly satisfying their customers. Seek out someone who knows they can add significant value to your bottom line. Look for self-confidence and self-reliance. Entrepreneurs are always looking for ways to increase income, profits and growth. They bet their income on themselves because they know their performance will mitigate the risks they are taking and abundantly reward them. So, make sure your company has some kind of profit sharing plan if you want to entice someone with entrepreneurial DNA to work for you.

2. Body Language. Watch how they move. Ask them to get a file from the next office. Do they lumber out aimlessly, take too long, shuffle back slowly, flop down in their chair, and lean on their elbows? Is their posture like a question mark? Or do they move with hustle, determination and purpose? When people sit erect and lean slightly forward, that indicates their engagement and interest. Entrepreneurs exude confidence and it shows in their posture and their body language. They have prepared themselves by learning about your company, and display confidence when they are interviewed and scrutinized by strangers like you. These “tells” are important to recognize because they are physical evidence of your candidate’s attitude and self-esteem.

3. Mistakes. Ask them to describe the biggest mistake they ever made professionally, and more importantly, what they did about it. Listen for whether they fixed it fast and quickly went on with their project, or ultimately blamed others and were “victimized.” Note if they took responsibility. Successful entrepreneurs know that blame is disempowering, while doing what can be done to prevent reoccurrence is staying in control. Learn if they analyzed what happened and modified signs, labels, contracts, job descriptions, policies, or procedures to prevent it from happening again. Entrepreneurs can’t afford to make the same mistake twice. They build their successes on the backs of their mistakes.

Next time we will discuss how you can spot candidates who exhibit resourcefulness, preparedness, teamwork and organization, all essential ingredients of the entrepreneurial DNA.

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Should Some Clients Be Fired?

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 19:30:18 +0000

With the New Year upon us, we are all reflecting on our past and how we can improve our future. In the early days of our business, we took any client or customer we could get. We had to stay in business. It’s humbling and sometimes we had to put up with a fair measure of abuse. Clients, after all, are human with all the strengths and weaknesses that go along with that. They are in a position of power and they know it.

Good clients realize that treating their vendors (you) with respect will result in you doing an even better job for them because your are more concerned about their needs. They understand that developing a genuinely positive and friendly relationship will pay dividends over the years. Some clients, however, may use their position of power to further their own agenda which may not have anything to do with business or getting the job at hand done. Every salesperson knows this.

As an entrepreneur, you are in sales, no question about it. So the question is, how long do you put up with guff before you fire an abusive client? Well, certainly not in the first few years if you depend on their fees or purchases to stay in business. But eventually you will achieve a positive cash flow and have the luxury of choosing what clients you want to do business with.

Sure, it takes a lot of courage to fire a client. It seems counter-intuitive and counter-productive, but look at it this way: You can do a much better job for your remaining clients when you are working under less emotional stress. Removing fear and negativity from your mind share will do wonders for your ability to perform.

Michael’s father once told him when he was a young boy complaining about a schoolmate, “You are like a space station orbiting the earth. You only have 3 or 4 ports where visiting space ships can dock. When all the ports taken, no new ships can get in. First, you have to open up a port.”

Bonnie’s mother, a Rosie-the-Riveter type from World War II, lived with us for 7 years and supplied us with salt-of-the-earth wisdom and common-sense insights. She used to tell us that seasonal pruning makes the trees grow stronger and produce more fruit. This basic gardening philosophy, along with Michael’s father’s advice, can be applied to your company as well.

As the year comes to a close, take a good look at what clients you love to work with and those that give you that pain in the pit of your stomach. Are you still at that desperate stage where you can’t afford to let them go? Or are you now in a position to take a chance on filling that vacancy with a new client who may be more rewarding to work with? If you are, maybe it’s time to prune. You may just open up the opportunity for the right client that you now have time for. You may find that when unhampered by negative emotions, you can give your company and all your clients your very best.

You have a life too. And your work takes up a major chunk of it. If you’re anything like us, you work hard because you sincerely want the best for your clients. Why not pare down to the clients who really appreciate your efforts and encourage you to be your best? Why not open up a port for the ideal client to dock at your space station?

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Spark Entrepreneurial Culture in Your Business with The Barefoot Spirit

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 19:30:50 +0000

After we sold our business, our acquirer asked us to come to work for them as brand consultants to, as they put it, “keep the Barefoot spirit alive.” We liked the term “the Barefoot spirit” so much we named our first book, The Barefoot Spirit, How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand.

Since then we have spoken at more than 30 universities that teach entrepreneurship throughout the country and internationally. We also have given many keynote addresses for conventions and conferences of all types, where they see us as real-life examples of successful entrepreneurs. They all want to know our secret.

We have branded our guiding principles, many of which we learned the hard way outlined in The Barefoot Spirit, and we encourage our audiences to use this to build a positive company culture within their own organizations.

Last week we were honored to speak at the 2^nd C-Suite Network National Conference. Over 400 C-Suite executives gathered at the Ritz Carlton in Marina del Rey to hear the latest disruptive business approaches, best practices, and emerging business philosophies. They heard from real people with real successes about how they did it.

We told them our story and a few of the guiding principles we used to engage and empower our people, disrupt a staid and stogy industry, and make work more fun and inclusive. We started out with our mistakes and misconceptions that took us by surprise and cost us plenty. Then we told them what we learned and how we applied a new and different spirit of entrepreneurship to our staff, vendors, customers and community to build a best-selling product.

The backbone of the Barefoot spirit is the two-division company. The popular thinking is a top-down pyramid structure with the president and CEO on top, followed by the senior vice-presidents, junior vice-presidents, division chiefs, department heads, teams, groups and so on. One of silos in the pyramid contains sales and customer service. We asked, “How can you put the customer on top if you put sales and customer service on the bottom?” We think pyramids are for dead pharaohs.

Our company had only two divisions: sales and sales support. Everyone who was not in sales was in sales support, from the CEO to the receptionist, from marketing to production, from accounting to compliance. All received bonuses based on sales, growth, and profitability.

Our corporate culture was based on permission, acknowledgement and fun. People had permission to contribute because we practiced know-the-need rather than need-to-know. Our best marketing solutions came from our own people. They also had permission to make mistakes as long as they came forward, identified how it happened and improved our procedures. Instead of hiding our mistakes, we celebrated them. We built our business on the backs of mistakes.

On each individual’s anniversary we sent out a memo to all our people that publically validated and appreciated them by acknowledging what they did in the past year to improve sales, growth, and profitability. Now, the rest of our team knew better what their co-worker did, and how they could likewise be acknowledged.

We enjoyed a fun and playful spirit. We made a game out of adversity and what could be more adverse than getting told “no?” So we invented the “no game” where each person kept track of how many “NOs” they got. The average number of “NOs” was 7. You couldn’t even begin playing the game until you were over 3, and if you were at 15 you were overdue for a “YES!”

We chose the C-Suite Network Conference to release our second book written especially for corporate leaders who want to infuse the Barefoot spirit in their own companies. The Entrepreneurial Culture, 23 Ways to Engage and Empower Your People is now available at www.thebarefootspirit.com. Enjoy!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Maintaining an Entrepreneurial Spirit in the C-Suite

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 03:50:55 +0000

We were mentioned in a Huffington Post Article by our friend, Jeff Haylzett.

To read the article please visit the Huffington Post on Maintaining an Entrepreneurial Spirit in the C-Suite

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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What it Takes to be a “Good” Boss

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 18:30:43 +0000

October 16^th was Boss’s Day. Traditionally it was established to show appreciation to your boss for being kind and fair throughout the year. Of course there are differing opinions about the appropriateness of the celebration based on people’s experiences with their current and former bosses.

Nevertheless, the holiday has been gaining in popularity since it was first registered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1958. In 1979 Hallmark produced its first Boss’s Day cards but in 2007 increased its offerings by 28%. Boss’s day was originally established in an attempt to promote positive relationships between managers and their employees. The thought was to recognize bosses for the hard work, dedication, and challenges they face on a daily basis.

We think it is something more. We think Boss’s Day should also serve as a reminder to bosses at every level that to be deserving of that recognition they must practice certain policies that promote the respect and admiration of their people. Remember, everybody is some sort of a boss at some time. Whether it’s asking an outside vendor or customer for something you need in order to do your job, or whether it’s training a new employee, you are the “boss.” Here then is the short list of what it takes to be a “good” boss when you are the one in charge:

1. Clarity. You know what you want but can you explain it in no uncertain terms to a third party? A good boss will explain it several different ways with examples. They will put it in the larger context of “why” it is necessary, not just what is necessary. Then they will ask the person from whom they are requesting the action to repeat it back to them so they can clear up any misunderstandings.

2. Respect. Your employee, or the party from whom you are requesting action, has a brain. They can help you achieve your goals. So share your challenges with them and they will surprise you with out-of-the-box solutions. We practiced know-the-need, rather than need-to-know. When you do employ their workable solutions, they feel more engaged and empowered, resulting in a greater desire to help solve more problems

3. Appreciation. When you are the boss, you are in the role of surrogate parent. The people you depend upon look to you as an authority figure not unlike a parent. They want and need acknowledgement and validation. Don’t be afraid to give recognition for a job well done in writing. When you do, you will receive more of what you have shown appreciation for.

4. Encouragement. Again like parenting, bosses must tell their people “You can do it!” Show them how far they have come. Tell them that you have confidence in their ability to improve their skill set, achieve the deadline, or produce the deliverables. And again, when they do, be sure to thank them and acknowledge them for their achievements

5. Permission. Give your people permission to experiment, have fun, and make mistakes. Permission is probably the most important ingredient in employee engagement. When you look at mistakes as building blocks and not as blame centers, the people you are depending on will get the message and endeavor to learn from every mistake.

These are just a few of the best practices of “good” bosses, but feel free to add to this list. If it sounds a little parental, it is. Showing concern for the people you rely on and their needs is the basis for a positive company culture. By the way, Patricia Haroski, who founded Boss’s Day? Her boss was her dad!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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7 Ways to Improve Your Business Communication

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 06 Sep 2014 18:30:16 +0000

Thanks to tweets, texts, posts, and very short attention spans, we have become a society constantly looking for the shortest way to communicate a thought.

We now have a new generation entering the workforce who, because of the technology they grew up with and take for granted, often try a minimalist approach in business communication. They are really surprised when the projects they handed off come back just plain wrong. They are dumbfounded by the misunderstandings and tend to blame the outside vendor.

Business communication should be maximized, not minimized. By spending a little more time on the front-end thinking about the ways in which you could possibly be misinterpreted, you save tons of time, recrimination and embarrassment on the back end.

Here are some guidelines we use to reduce misunderstandings in business communication:

1. Say it Both Ways. State what you want and then state what you don’t want. Ask them to confirm that they understand. Say, “Just so I’m sure I didn’t leave anything out, please tell me what you understand about this project.” You’ll be amazed at what they didn’t get and you’ll be glad you asked.

2. Deadlines. Be clear about deadlines. Schedule a reminder when half the time has passed and again, when 3/4 of the time has passed. Say, “Just checking in to see if you need anything more from me,” and then, “Are we still good for the finish date?”

3. Don’t A-s-s-u-m-e. Don’t assume anything except to be misunderstood. Anticipate how your message could be misinterpreted and head that off at the pass. We like to read our business communications out loud before we send them. We are often surprised at what we hear!

4. Phone ‘Em. Don’t rely on email. It’s better to explain what you want in person or over the phone, and then memorialize it in a written email memo, for the record. And always say, “If this is not your understanding of our discussion, please call me today so we can get it right.”

5. Provide a Cushion. Give yourself and the vendor some wiggle room. Don’t wait until the last minute. Whatever time you think they need, double it. In fact, give them a deadline that is several days before your deadline. You’ll be thankful you had the time to check their work, and more importantly, have time to fix it if necessary.

6. Specific Details. Be specific on the details including wording, functionality, design, and even font type and size. When you don’t, they will have license to be “creative,” and often will not realize that you have a more comprehensive project that their job is only a part of.

7. Acknowledge Good Work. If and when they get it right, thank them and tell them specifically what you liked about what they did. The next time they will be much easier to work with. They will also then be more interested in paying close attention to what you want, ask better questions, and make your job a priority.

Business communication requires thinking ahead about what could be misinterpreted, what could possibly go wrong, and how to achieve your deadline. A few more minutes of thoughtful time spent on what you really want – and don’t want -will save you days in the long run.

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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The Entrepreneurial Culture is In Demand!

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 23 Aug 2014 18:30:54 +0000

The “entrepreneurial culture” is suddenly all the rage in, of all places, the C-Suites of large corporations. Why? Because they see small, agile companies moving quickly and seizing fleeting opportunities. They see an increasing number of start-ups disrupting entire industries with fresh, new takes on consumer demand with innovative products and services to satisfy them. And they don’t want to be left out.

Corporations want to know why they can’t have that culture in their own companies, and they’re under increasing pressure from board members and stockholders to make it happen. They find they have become over-organized and staid in their policies, procedures and structure. They are beginning to realize the very efficiencies of scale, standardization and mitigation of liability they built over so many years have actually disengaged and disempowered their own people.

Employees cannot be pressured into being engaged and empowered, nor can C-Suiters take a magic pill and create an entrepreneurial culture. This is not a fad or an item to be checked off this year. This is an on-going commitment that is contrary to some sacred corporate cows, such as compensation, compliance, and corporate structure. This change will require the introduction of a few new wild mustangs:

1. Pay for Performance. Unless your people are paid commensurate with their performance, they will be skeptical of any other initiatives to foster entrepreneurial culture. Some portion of their compensation must be based on production measured by sales, growth, and profitability. It’s nice to think that your people are driven by factors other than compensation, but the good ones always seem leave for higher paying jobs. Paying for attendance alone says “You get paid the same, whether the company makes a profit or not!” Entrepreneurs simply can’t afford to pay for attendance alone. Entrepreneurs have to hire entrepreneurial thinkers who are willing to “bet” their income on their own productivity.

2. Put Legal on a Short Leash. Too many corporations are virtually “run” by their well-meaning legal departments, who, in their desire to mitigate corporate liability, have actually hamstrung creativity. Instead of finding ways to make things happen, they tend to find ways to stop things from happening. We think legal should be required to develop parameters inside of which formal compliance reviews are not necessary. Further, their compensation should be based, at least in part, on sales, growth, and profitability. Why should they get paid the same whether the company stays relevant and competitive or not? “How can we do this legally?” should be the challenge, not, “Can we do this?”

3. Act Like a Two-Division Company. If the customer truly is on top, how can sales and customer service be on the bottom? All entrepreneurs know that no matter how their companies are officially organized, there is an overriding two-divisional structure and mindset: sales and sales-support. Everybody who is not in sales is in sales-support. This includes marketing, production and administration. Why? Because entrepreneurs are painfully aware of how everyone gets paid. It’s from the customer through sales. Sales and customer service know most about what the market needs, so provide a regular feedback loop that keeps marketing and production informed and relevant.

We’ve distilled out the essentials of the entrepreneurial culture we created at Barefoot to be applied to any corporation in our new book, The Entrepreneurial Culture, 23 Ways to Engage and Empower Your People. It will be released in early September, 2014, with the launch of Jeff Hayzlett’s new on-demand C-Suite TV, and will be available through the C-Suite Book Club. It’s the perfect companion to our New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit, How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. Check it out!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Corporate Structure, Compliance, and Compensation Plans Can Stifle Employee Engagement

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 18:30:22 +0000

Corporations today say they want a more entrepreneurial culture. Some of the top search terms coming out of the C-Suite today are: entrepreneurial culture, employee engagement, and employee empowerment.

We have been asked to write a companion to our book, The Barefoot Spirit, which distills out the essentials necessary to create a positive, productive, and growth-oriented culture in corporations. Our new book, The Entrepreneurial Culture, 23 Ways to Engage and Empower Your People will soon be released. This book specifically targets the corporations and provides them with tools that successful entrepreneurs use to engage and empower their people.

Many of these tools can be applied directly to the existing corporate structure. But all culture and all change starts from the top, and the top execs have to be willing to change in order for these tools to work their magic. Many C-Suiters are fearful of change. They feel that it might cause a “revolution,” result in legal challenges, or run-away costs. So they stifle methods that can empower and engage employees that, in their minds, step on the three sacred corporate cows:

1 Corporate Structure: The basic structure of most corporations resembles a pyramid and is ipso facto top-down by its basic architecture and function. Within the pyramid are silos which are mini-pyramids. Each mini-pyramid’s turf is fiercely defended from perceived infringements by the other mini-pyramids. This top-down, turf-war-prone structure can prevent the upward mobility of good ideas and interdepartmental cooperation necessary for real breakthroughs. How can employees be empowered and engaged if they think their boss will sit on their idea, change it, or claim it as his or her own? How can employees come up with comprehensive solutions that involve changes to other departments if they are perceived as “off-limits?”

2 Compensation: Most corporations today pay a salary which is basically paying for attendance, not necessarily production. Raises tend to be based on tenure, not great ideas, sales, or profits. This results in employees being viewed as “labor,” and as a cost center to be reduced, not as an asset to be appreciated. If two or more employees are responsible for doing the same job, they get equal pay regardless of the imbalance in their production. This discourages employees from working harder or being more engaged. Why bother? It’s not going to make a difference in their paycheck, or even in the appreciation and recognition they receive. Real producers tend to leave for better pay commensurate with their production. How can employees be truly engaged if their compensation plan discourages them?

3 Compliance: Corporate legal departments, in their well-meaning effort to mitigate liability, want “everything” to go through compliance. They look for reasons why things should not be done rather than ways in which things can be done. Of course this takes a long time, because when everything must go through compliance, that creates a backlog. Corporate employees know this and are discouraged from requesting approval for an idea or project. Legal doesn’t want to offer “safe” parameters inside of which ideas can flow without formal review since legal also gets paid by the hour. Some legal departments even recommend against any public written acknowledgement for a job well done in the fear that it may be used against the employer in a wrongful termination dispute. Yet public acknowledgement engages employees by validating their productive behavior, increasing respect from their colleagues, and demonstrating to others what garners appreciation.

Tune in next time to see how we recommend corporations achieve an entrepreneurial culture by removing the fear and introducing a few new cows!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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