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Leadership

The Food Truck Challenge

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

Recently, I took the Ptex Team on a surprise outing just a few doors down from our office. We came to a large, empty hall with chairs arranged in a circle. As the team filed in, no one knew what was going on, why they were there, or what we’d be doing.

Then, our moderator explained that we would spend the afternoon competing in “The Food Truck Challenge.” We divided into four teams and each team was tasked to create their own food truck according to their assigned cuisine (Mediterranean, Asian, South American, and desserts), complete with branding and marketing, three dishes plated for 20 people, and of course, the truck itself. Everyone had a blast!

You 2.0: Your Update Is Now Available

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

You turn on your phone, and a familiar message flashes across the screen. It’s a request to update to the new and improved version of some app or software. You ignore it.

The next day, the same message comes up during an important meeting. And once again, you hit “not now.”

Then, a few days later, it happens again. Annoyed, you ignore the message, telling yourself that you’ll deal with it later.

A couple of weeks later, you find out that some of your friends and colleagues have certain helpful features on their phones that you don’t have, making you feel outdated. The only difference? They took action—they clicked “update.”

How to Lead Your People to High-Performance– with Chester Elton

By Meny Hoffman // Podcast // 15 min read

If you could motivate your people to perform at their peak every single day, how would you do it?

I’m excited to share my interview with one of today’s most influential voices in workplace trends, Chester Elton. Chester has spent two decades helping business owners engage their employees in their organizational strategy, vision, and values. He provides real solutions for real leaders looking to build culture, manage, change, and drive innovation.

In this episode, Chester covers the best practices of successful leadership and breaks down the five disciplines every leader needs to have in order to empower and motivate their team. Chester also shares practical tips for developing a company culture that supercharges employee performance and serves as a key differentiator for you in your industry.

Listen and enjoy!

Don’t Make Things Harder than They Need to Be

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

I was once discussing with two business partners how to upgrade their company’s technology. When I suggested we first examine their current order processing system, one partner launched excitedly into a detailed explanation of how it all works: Orders are taken by phone, then someone handwrites an order form, then it goes to billing, and so on and so forth. He explained the ins and outs of their complicated system for tracking orders, packing and shipping items at their warehouse. Read more

Don’t Make This Mistake at Your Next Trade Show

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

With winter fast approaching, I’ve heard from many business owners that they’re planning to attend trade shows and conferences. So I thought I’d tell you a story.

I’ll never forget our first trade show. We were so excited about connecting with some great prospects. After the show, we got back to the office, and someone asked, “Who’s got the bag with the business cards?” (Mind you, this was back in the pre-digital age.) After a heart-wrenching search, we realized that the hard-won cards had been completely misplaced, probably still attending the trade show under a forgotten table.

What I Learned from My Family Trip to an Amusement Park

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

I took my family on a trip to an amusement park a few weeks ago, and like most parents, I had a vivid picture in my mind of how the day would go. I saw the smiles and laughter on my kids’ faces. I heard their happy squeals as they went on the rides. I felt the good vibes from the amusement park staff as they helped my kids onto the rides.

So you could imagine the disappointment I felt when, as we waited in line for the park’s most thrilling rollercoaster, I noticed that the attendant, a young man in his late teens, was helping kids get on and off with a look of total and utter boredom and indifference—even a little resentment. For someone whose job it is to give kids a good time, he showed zero signs of enthusiasm.

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.