Dennis McCafferty, a writer for USA Weekend magazine wrote an article that discussed "first time management mistakes". While you might think this is directed only to people working in offices, the information can also apply to our industries. Let's look at the list of six management mistakes.

Flunking office politics #101 - Even if you are the owner of a business, you need to realize there will always be office politics. You can fight their very existence, or you can work to have them work for the good of your company.

Employees to be carbon copies of you - I am the best employee; therefore I want to hire those who think and act like I do. However, a group of employees should be like the ingredients of a cake; it takes all of the ingredients to get the good taste at the end.

Failure to communicate - This is probably the number one problem in business; and it is not just the communication downward. It takes a strong effort to make sure that employees are talking with each other and with management.

Sprint out of the gate instead of pace - So you become a manager of a store, and suddenly you have a list of 100 things you want to get done. Only you want them all done now. You will frustrate yourself and your employees if you do not work at an even pace. I know you think you have the energy to do it, but trust me on this one. Pace yourself!

Try to be Santa Claus to all - This idea did not work as Mom was raising you, and it is not going to work in your business. There must be rules, and a price to be paid for not following them. However, when employees do follow the rules, they need to be recognized for it and rewarded. It is as simple as that.

You think getting there is good enough - Improving yourself or your business is an ongoing process. If you have worked hard to earn a position as manager, the battle has just begun. Think of it as a mountain; it is easier to fall off the mountain that it was to get to the top of the mountain.

Stop overseeing people. Find comfort in what you are doing, and observe from a distance what your employees are doing. Allow them the opportunity to think and try things on their own. If you are going to micromanage everyone, you will soon find employees who are standing around waiting for the next set of directions.

From the website. The August article of the month, the 21st in our ongoing series, deals with the techniques utilized by master salespeople. From a story in the Seattle newspaper, we find that IQ, people skills, background, and just about any other possible trait you can think of, have nothing to do with a person becoming one of those exceptional salespeople.

Read at the Profits Plus website for August, our feature article about masters of legendary service. With many internet service providers, you can click on the link at the end of this sentence to go immediately to that page on our website. Masters of Legendary Service

Want a free copy of our new, "What does Tom say?" We are looking to hear from you about the assistance you have received from our monthly feature articles. Tell us about your experience using these ideas, and if we put your quote on the review page of the new book, we will send you a free copy.

We are making additions and changes to our website this month. There are updates for magazine editors, and meeting planners. And, for business owners and managers we are adding a lot more to our resources page. There are additions of some of the transparencies from the seminars as well as links to some our business partners. One of our new links is to Direct POS. Direct POS is a quality vendor of computer systems and programs to assist you in better managing your business. As often as we speak about understanding your inventory turn, GMROI, department and fineline margins, you need to have a quality computer to assist you. Work smarter, not just harder.

Welcome to all the first time recipients of the e-ret@iler. We appreciate the opportunity to visit with you.
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Tom Shay