RECUPERATION
Short and Intense Wins
There seems to be a belief that a “proper” vacation requires at least a week off. But as psychologist Thomas Gilovich told the Boston Globe recently, “If you have to sacrifice how long your vacation is versus how intense it is, you want shorter and more intense.” That’s because we remember and judge our experiences not in their entirety but according to how they felt at their emotional peak. Yes, time feels scarce. But you have no excuse for not having a memorable vacation this year. Start planning!
MANAGEMENT
Does and Donuts
Want to add some fun to your store? Take a tip from Sherrie’s Jewelry Box in Tigard, OR, where “you’re never late to work if you bring donuts,” owner Sherrie Devaney says.
HIRING
Add Value to Interviews
Anand Sanwal, the co-founder of tech company CB Insights, has an interesting take on the best question to ask a job candidate: “Tell me how you prepared for this interview.” Not only will the reply reveal the person’s commitment to the position — does she care? — but it hints at her work ethic and analytical capabilities, he told The Twenty Minute VC podcast.
TRADE SHOWS
Good Expo Days
Headed to Global Pet Expo or one of the other expos or fairs this month? Follow the advice of marketing consultant Andrea Hill and take along a collapsible instant hot water carafe “because coffee is the beginning of a good day,” and those Starbucks lines can be brutal.
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MANAGEMENT
Ask This Question
According to the management guru Peter Drucker, the one question that will trigger more improvement than any other in your staff: “What do I do that wastes your time without contributing to your effectiveness?” Ask it without coyness.
MARKETING
Insider View
Want to give customers the feeling of being inside your store? Do as Blue Collar Working Dogs in Los Angeles, CA, does (bluecollarworkingdog.com/location) and use Google Maps extension of Street View, called Business View. Look for a local photographer who specializes in the 360-degree imagery needed here: google.com/streetview/hire.
CUSTOMERS
Passing the Buck
A neat — and cheeky — way of dealing with overly demanding customers from a fellow independent retailer in the vision business: BJ Chambers of Carrera Optical in McQueeney, TX, keeps business cards of other optical shops on hand and gives them to problem patients and suggests they “go visit.”
MANAGEMENT
Remove Emotion from Meetings
Stride into a meeting, dominate the dialogue and just repeat your point insistently, and you’ve a good chance of winning the day, thanks to a human weakness for interpreting confidence as expertise or competence. But it doesn’t mean you’ll arrive at the best solution for whatever challenges are facing your business. To prevent this happening at your meetings, reframe them as fact-finding exercises, says Bryan Bonner of the University of Utah. Keep a running list of conclusions on a whiteboard, or do anything else to switch the focus from who is being convincing to what they’re saying.
