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business leadership

The Right Way to Receive Criticism if You’re a Leader

By Meny Hoffman // Let's Talk Business // 3 min read

A business owner once told me she had to let go of an employee for creating a toxic work environment. This employee had been sharing personal complaints about the owner with coworkers, rather than bringing them up directly with her. It soon became popular to talk behind the owner’s back, and before long, the circulating negativity caused a rift between her and the team. Obviously, morale and productivity suffered greatly.

Was this employee a liability? Definitely. But there’s also more to the picture. It’s possible that this business owner created an environment that discouraged people from speaking their mind productively.

The Two Hardest Words to Say: I’m Sorry

By Meny Hoffman // Let's Talk Business // 3 min read

Do you believe admitting you’re wrong is a sign of weakness or a sign of strength?

Do you think apologizing hurts your credibility or enhances it?

How hard is it for you to apologize to someone you may have hurt?

This One Thing Will Destroy Your Happiness

By Meny Hoffman // Let's Talk Business // 3.5 min read

Has this happened to you?

You’re walking down the street with your morning coffee, feeling great. Your family, your work, your health—all great. You’re happy, optimistic, and ready to take on the day.

Why Being a Perfectionist is Bad for Your Business

By Meny Hoffman // Let's Talk Business // 3.5 min read

Do you ever sit for hours (or days or months) tweaking something—a product, an email, an article, a presentation—but no matter how many times you think it’s final, there’s always “just one more thing” to change? It’s a familiar struggle for so many of us, but it’s costing much more than our sanity.

Listen to What You Just Said

By Meny Hoffman // Business, Leadership, Let's Talk Business // 3 min read

A few months ago, I was experiencing a challenge in my business; I had been going back and forth on different possible solutions, but when all was said and done, I felt stuck.

A few weeks into this challenge, I got a call from a friend and fellow business owner. He asked me for my advice on an issue he was having in his own company and wanted my opinion on what the best path forward would be. The answer seemed pretty clear to me, and I guided him the best I could. After about 25 minutes of talking, we hung up the phone.

Are You as Effective as You Want to Be?

By Meny Hoffman // Let's Talk Business, Productivity // 5 min read

Two lumberjacks were competing in the finals of the annual lumberjack competition. One was older and more experienced, the other a younger and stronger lumberjack. The rules were simple: Whoever can fell the most trees in a day, wins.

The younger lumberjack, full of enthusiasm, immediately got to work. He could hear the other lumberjack in the distance. At regular intervals, the sounds of trees being felled would stop. The younger lumberjack grew even more confident, because he knew that meant the older lumberjack was taking a rest, while he had the stamina to keep going.

Without any ONE of these, your business is in trouble.

By Meny Hoffman // Leadership, Let's Talk Business // 5 min read

What makes a business a business?

I can’t count how many times I’ve sat down with people who asked me to sign an NDA because they had a Big Idea that they wanted to share with me, only to discover during our meeting that there is no viable business to back it up. Either it’s not a market fit, or there are similar products out there doing the same thing for a much cheaper price, or the cost of developing the idea would far outweigh the profits gained.

You Gotta Love the Competition

By Meny Hoffman // Leadership, Let's Talk Business // 3 min read

It’s an old story.

Two friends, Joe and Dan, move to a new town. Both being entrepreneurial guys, Joe decides to open a pizza shop, and Dan opens a grocery store.

After a few months, they meet and start chatting about their new business ventures. Joe is distraught. His pizza store is not doing well at all, and he fears he’ll have to close his doors. Meanwhile, Dan’s grocery business is booming. They discussed what led them to create their businesses.

Joe says, “When I was looking to move to the area, I saw that there were no pizza stores in town, so I figured it would be a great opportunity.” Dan responds, “That’s funny, my thinking was just the opposite: I saw that there were a few grocery stores in town already, so I figured there’s probably room for one more.”