Our Blog
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Will Your Vision Ensure Your Company’s Survival?

Author - Jerry Olson - February 2020
Every business faces an existential dilemma. Its founder(s) conceived the business with a plan for where they want to go. They’ve dreamed of making a difference in the world but in most cases, that dream never becomes reality. Small Business Administration (SBA) statistics show only half of new businesses are still operating five years after they start and only one…
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Perfecting Your Message

Guest Author - David Mann - Nov 2019
Ultimately, what’s the goal we’re all chasing? Closing the sale. Plain and simple. That’s where everything we do in our businesses is aimed. We’d love it if everyone who heard about our products or services would simply see the greatness and sign on. But we know that doesn’t happen. You can have the most valuable and unique services imaginable but…
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How Great Leaders Engage Their Followers

Author - Jerry Olson - Sept 2019
A leader’s habits and behaviors have a significant impact on the engagement and effectiveness of their followers. In fact, at least 10 of the 12 core elements of engagement identified by Gallup in the book First, Break All the Rules, are directly or indirectly dependent on the leader’s behaviors and habits. Good leaders plan ahead, prioritize and act with forethought…
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“Followed by All” Culture Chaos

Author - Steve Wilcox - Sept 2019
I once worked with a Leadership Team at a manufacturing company that prided themselves on top-notch processes and procedures. They shared with me their SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures) and spoke glowingly about how they followed procedures, thus improving efficiencies overall.  At the same time, they were also discussing an issue with work output on the floor. It seemed one of…
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The Recruitment Balancing Act

Author - Terri Wilcox - May 2019
There has been a shift in today’s tight labor market that's forced us to think about how we view our employees and our working relationships. In fact, RiseSmart recently reported the employee relationship economy is on the rise. RiseSmart states, “it's emerging in response to the evolving concepts of work: how it's done, where, by whom, for how long and…
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5 Ways to Drive Employee Engagement

Author - Peter Beaumont - April 2019
Why is everyone talking about employee engagement? And what exactly is it? Well, simply put, employee engagement measures how passionate employees are about the work they do, how loyal they feel towards the company they work for and whether or not they're willing to go the extra mile. It is NOT the same as employee satisfaction, though it IS just…
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A Reason to Celebrate

Author - Jane Drigans - March 2019
Has March Madness taken hold of you yet? It’s been described as “one of the biggest, most exciting and most fun events in all of sports.”  With the NCAA Final Four men’s championship coming to Minneapolis, there's no doubt there will be great displays of teamwork and much cause for celebration around here. Whether or not you’re a sports fan,…
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Go Further with Faster Decision-Making

Author - Jerry Olson - Jan 2019
Do you have a vision of growing your business into more than it is today but feel like you keep getting stuck? Accomplishing your goal of a bigger and better future will require changes to how your business is run. Hand-in-hand with those changes come all the decisions to be made. Unfortunately, as businesses grow and become more complex, especially…
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Why It’s Important to Laugh at Work

Author - Peter M. Beaumont - November 2018
When I was just starting out in my career, it was frowned upon to laugh at work. Work was serious business! And it still is but sometimes, work can get a little too serious. According to a 2007 study performed by University of Missouri-Columbia researcher Chris Robert, humor “has meaningful impact on cohesiveness in the workplace and communication quality among workers.…
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Can You Get and Keep Joe?

Author - Jerry Olson - October 2018
In his article originally published on page 36 of the October issue of the BATC-MN Housing First Digest, Jerry Olson talks about an issue most of us can currently relate to, employee retention. In today's full employment economy, good employees have lots of options. So, what can you do to ensure they'll choose to work for you?
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The Entrepreneur’s Foundation

Author - Terri Wilcox - September 2018
The basic Merriam-Webster definition for entrepreneur is “one who organizes, manages and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise”. The Resultants tend to question that definition. If you take it at face value, then all owners would be considered an entrepreneur. However, from our perspective, that definition is too general. Our experience working with owners of small and medium-sized businesses…
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People Strategies in a Full Employment Economy

Author - Jerry Olson - June 2018
How One Company Achieved a Nearly-Full Employee Capacity During a Full Employment Economy Like many businesses, an RFB client was having a difficult time hiring for a few key positions that pay well but are hard to fill. As a small business, having 12 open positions was severely affecting their productivity. Fast forward one year and they have achieved and…
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Right People. Right Seats. What Does it Really Mean?

Author - Paul Moen - April 2018
We often hear company leaders credit their success to having “good people,” but what does that mean? Simply put, it’s about getting the right people in the right seats, which is easier said than done. Paul Moen explores this concept a bit further in his article featured on the BankBeat guest blog.
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The Leadership Gap in the Green Industry

Author - Terri Wilcox - Feb 2018
Are you feeling the impact of an industry-wide leadership gap? In her article originally published in the February issue of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association (MNLA) Scoop, Terri Wilcox identifies five leadership challenges that many business leaders are facing as over 3.6 million Baby Boomers set to retire in the next few years. Check out pages 18-23 for insights…
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Right People, Right Seats Starts with These Questions

Author - Jerry Olson - Jan 2018
Right People, Right Seats. You’ve heard it over and over but do you know what this short phrase really means? Understanding how this concept affects your business is pivotal in accelerating your organization forward, reaching your long-term vision and building value. Right People, Right Seats is not simple. Finding a great candidate for a currently open position is a short-term…
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Leading People: The Foundation of Business Strategy

Author - Jerry Olson - October 2017
In his article originally published in the October issue of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC) Digest, Jerry Olson explains how business success is built on a foundation of people working together as a great team toward a common goal. Unfortunately, only about 20% of employees feel they are part of a great team. Great teams require strong…
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