A puzzle of endgame patterns

White to play and win.

A puzzle of middlegame patterns

White to play and win.

A puzzle of endgame patterns

Black to play and win.

A puzzle of middlegame patterns

White to play and win.

A puzzle of middlegame patterns

White to play and win.

Tactical Motifs

Tactical Motifs

Advanced Pawn
The threat of pawn promotion posed by an advanced pawn is often seen at the heart of tactical possibilites. Resources required to prevent the promotion are not available to help elsewhere on the board and this can be exploited to create tactical opportunities.

Attraction
Attraction occurs when a player entices a piece to a square (often using a sacrifice) where it will later come under attack. This can sometimes also be called a Decoy tactic, although some users apply that to luring a piece AWAY from a square instead of towards one.

Avoiding Perpetual
A tactical line where the correct move sequence prevents the opponent from giving perpetual check.

Avoiding Stalemate
A tactical line where the correct move sequence requires you to avoid stalemating the opponent king.

Back Rank Mate
Back rank mate occurs when the opponent mates a king that is trapped on the back rank by it's own pawns and has no pieces to interpose or take the opponent's attacking piece (usually a rook or queen).

Blocking
Blocking occurs where one piece is forced to a position where it blocks the path of another. The difference between Blocking and Interference is that interference blocks the impact of one piece on another piece or square, but blocking tactics block the previously available escape path of a piece.

Capturing Defender
The player captures an opponent piece that was previously defending a piece or square, leading to the previously defended piece or square to come under attack. This is often called removing defender, but to avoid overlap with the distraction motif (where the defender is removed by distracting it away rather than taking it), the more specific, "Capturing Defender" is used instead.

Clearance
Clearance comes in two forms, the first is where a player moves one of their own pieces to clear a square for another of their pieces. The second form of clearance occurs when one player forces a piece away from a diagonal, rank or file (often using a sacrifice) to make way for another piece to utilise or attack the cleared path. Note that clearances where the player clears a piece to make way for a piece behind it to attack another square or piece is sometimes referred to as clearance, however on Chess Tempo these should be considered discovered attacks.

Coercion
Coercion occurs when a player forces a piece to a square where it will later come under attack. This tag is designed to differentiate two situations where the attraction tag has been applied in the past. The Attraction tag is to be used where the piece is attracted to a square via a sacrifice. The Coercion tag is to be used when the piece is forced to the square without a sacrifice.

Counting
A tactic occurring due to a mistake in evaluating the material balance arising after a series of takes.

Desperado
A situation in which both sides have a piece (or pieces) hanging, and you capture material with your hanging piece in order to gain a more favourable material balance at the end of the sequence of captures.

Defensive Move
The opponent has a serious threat, and you must meet it in the correct manner. Other methods of meeting the threat do not win.

Discovered Attack
A discovered attack occurs when a player moves a piece which opens up an attack that was previously blocked by the moving piece. This attack may be on either another piece or an important square.

Distraction
Distraction (sometimes called deflection) involves forcing the opponent to move a piece that was previously guarding important squares or pieces.

Double Check
A move that checks the opponent king with two pieces at the same time. These will involve a Discovered Attack, and it is acceptable to use both tags on the problem.

Exposed King
This is not really a tactical motif as such, but is used to explain positions where mate or other tactics are possible due to the exposed nature of the opponents king. For this tag to apply, the king should be exposed at the start of the problem, rather than being exposed during the problem. It should not be applied where the exposed nature of the king has no impact on the tactical outcome.

Fork/Double Attack
Forks/Double attacks occur when one player's piece attacks multiple opponent pieces (or important squares). The opponent can't counter all threats so loses material. This tag is only to be used where a single piece attacks multiple opponent pieces, it is not be used in discovered attack situations where one piece moves to attack another piece, while creating a discovered attack from a second piece.

Hanging Piece
This is not a real tactical motif. It describes the initial position of a problem in which the opponent has left a piece to be taken for free, or has left a more valuable piece to be taken by a piece of lesser value. The tag should not be used when a piece is hanging after some other tactical motif has been applied, such as a Fork or Skewer or Pin.

Interference
The player cuts the line between an opponent bishop, rook or queen and a square or piece it is defending by either interposing one of the player's pieces, or forcing the opponent to interpose their own piece. The difference between this and blocking is that Interference blocks the impact of one piece on another piece or square, but blocking tactics block the escape of a piece.

Overloading
Overloading occurs when a defensive piece is required to protect more than one piece or square at a time, but can only perform one of the defensive tasks adequately. Overloading tactics almost always include a distraction tactic.

Mate Threat
The opponent loses material due to having to protect their king from being mated. This should not be applied to problems where the king is actually mated, and should not apply to weak back rank problems which are a special case of this motif.

Pin
A pin occurs when an attacked piece cannot move without exposing a more valuable piece or square behind it to attack.

Quiet Move
A move which is not forcing, i.e. a move which does not directly attack or capture an enemy piece. In tactics problems, a quiet move is often used to control important squares or guard your own pieces from future capture, before launching a more direct attack in subsequent moves.

Sacrifice
A sacrifice is a move where the player deliberately loses a piece to gain advantage in subsequent moves. Tactical sacrifices usually result in an imminent material gain. Sacrifices are often used in combination with other tactical motifs.

Simplification
Simplification occurs when a player decides to swap material to emphasise an advantage already gained. Often used tactically in the endgame to assist in pawn promotion.

Skewer
The player attacks a piece of the opponent, which cannot move without exposing a less valuable square or piece behind it to attack. The front piece usually moves, allowing the piece behind it to be captured.

Smother
A smother occurs when a piece is unable to escape an attack due to being hemmed in by their own pieces. The term is usually applied to the situation where a knight mates a king trapped behind it's pawns and hemmed in by a Rook or other piece.

Trapped Piece
A piece is trapped when it has no safe squares to escape to thus making it highly susceptible to capture. While mated kings are technically trapped, this tag should only be applied to non-mate situations.

Unpinning
Removing a pin on a piece so it can be used for tactical advantage.

Unsound Sacrifice
A sacrifice made by the opponent on the false assumption that they will later get the material back. Unsound Sacrifice is often the reason for a Hanging Piece problem, and it is acceptable to use both tags in that situation.

Weak Back Rank
In some situations back rank mate might not be possible , but the threat of a bank rank mate may be enough for a player to win material.

X-Ray Attack
An X-Ray attack occurs when one piece attacks a square or piece through another piece. Note that this is not the same as a skewer as the relative value of the piece being attacked through is irrelevant.

Zugzwang
Zugzwang (a German word meaning compulsion to move) refers to the situation where a player would prefer not to make a move as all legal moves would make the player's position worse.

Zwischenzug
Zwischenzug (a German word for between move or intermediate move) refers to a tactic where the player postpones an anticipated move in order to make a forcing intermediate move (the 'zwischenzug'), which results in the anticipated move being stronger when executed. The intermediate move is often overlooked by the opponent.

Making Decision and Avoiding a Checkmating Blunder

Prescribing a remedy for an aircraft emergency requires making consistent and timely decisions. A pilot can only make decisions based on what is seen, heard and felt (airframe vibrations, extra weight on the flight controls, and others). In many cases, a wing-man can take a look at crippled airplane to give any more data. Otherwise, it is time to analyze the problem and move toward a solution. Decision-making is an obvious skill that any successful business person will have. A wise leadership instructor once said that intent counts for more than technique. His point was to make timely decisions for the good of the organization. The only people who have 100% of the data for a decision are historians (and that might even be debatable). Don’t overly labor on a decision, just make it. It is guaranteed you will learn something from it if you are open. This is particularly true if the choice turns out to be a blunder. If you are not making very many decisions, you are likely not learning much. Stay aligned with mission, vision, and values but, by all means, make a decision.

Starting a Business or a Baby

Anyone who has started a business comes to see that organization as his or her baby. The entity is like raising a child and is very dear to the creator. With this in mind, it is then often very difficult to mostly disengage while keeping the business viable and successful. The loss of nuts-and-bolts control is scary for most entrepreneurs to say nothing of how and who to hire to make it happen. Not only that, what can an owner do to make sure customers continue to receive the quality and personality of service and product they expect? So how does someone move from being a business owner to chief executive officer? While each transition is unique, there are some basic parts that remain constant.One of them is Making a decision This is usually a hard call for the successful business owner as changing to chief executive officer is not for everybody. A businessman has worked with business owners who expressed an intention to disengage from the daily operations but when it came down to letting go, they just couldn’t take the plunge. Again, either way is ok but you must be intentional. Talk to close friends, family and business associates. Seek perspective from anywhere you respect the advice.

Area of small business

One of the most fascinating topics is the area of small business. Your country may have a rich history of many entrepreneurs over the years who have worked hard, failed, learned, succeeded and flourished. There are many obstacles and challenges for the successful small business but one especially hard task is when an owner wants to move beyond being an indentured servant to the business for other interests, retirement, growth, diversification, quality of life, and others. Many business owners are happy to stay fully engaged in the business operations and do not want to change or grow. This is a perfectly acceptable option. However, perhaps you should aim at those who want to move into a big picture oversight rather than keep the organization fully dependent on the owner for daily operations.

Ignorance and Efficiency

Ignorance is a killer in today’s fast-paced marketplace. Either not asking appropriate questions or making too many assumptions will result in a more expensive cost model although the impact is usually insidious and not easily split out from other expenses unless a senior manager decides this is important. The manager may assume that things like honesty, respect and teamwork are natural traits for many seeking new positions. Do not make these or similar assumptions. A famous man once said, “trust but verify. Efficiency is another important word. It’s easier to immediately see competence than character attributes. For instance, if your résumé says you can run a drill press, your potential boss can easily test your skills in a matter of minutes. If you insist you are honest, he must be more creative to verify your statement and it will likely take a bit more time. One method to test for character traits is to constantly ask in an interview for past examples of behavior in a variety of situations.

Competence and Talented Character

One of the interesting things is the tendency of managers to hire mostly based on competence and later judge by character. Perhaps this is based on a naïve assumption that most people possess higher character quality than reality or maybe on the fact that it is harder (although still possible) to measure character. Whatever the reason, this process of hiring based on competence while expecting high levels of character often leads to misunderstandings and unneeded conflict. Usually the casualty is the new hire and the company suffers in the lost productivity, wasted payroll and training dollars and, ultimately, organizational results. You can consider many important possibilities on why managers mistakenly hire for competence while wishing for better or different character.

Character Traits

Character traits refer to the values a person uses to make decisions, especially in difficult times. Number one on a successful businessman's list of preferred skills in this category is integrity. This is about consistently (as possible) doing the right thing in public and private settings. Another character trait on the businessman short list of favorites is excellence. Doing a task well, diligently and thoroughly is imperative for enterprises to thrive. It is related to work ethic but goes farther in the sense of working and thinking at the same time. In other words, this means employing more than just his hands to complete a job. Of courses there is a long list of things to consider in the character area. Another critical area to consider for employees is the competence. You can fully trust a new hire’s character but if this person does not have or cannot readily learn the skills required for the position, you will have shot yourself in the foot by bringing this new one on board. Examples of competence traits include trade skills, computer abilities and communication attributes to name a few. Keep in mind, competence is easier to teach than character.

Growing Employees

When hiring for and growing employees within an organization, it is important to consider both character and competence traits. Considering only one or the other could be like being stuck in a fence. The single best strategy for helping a company improve results starts with hiring the right people for the right business needs. It is far better to leave a vacancy unfilled rather than fill just because any warm body in the chair will help. The pain and cost of making poor hiring decisions is unnecessary. Sprinkle the hiring process with a bit more deliberation and patience and watch the long-term results take an upward course. Too often, managers or would-be leaders blur the lines between character and competence partly out of fear and partly out of ignorance. The fear factor comes from our litigious society that promotes fudging or hiding the truth. The ignorance comes from a lack of intellectual curiosity that leaves us with too few leadership thinkers. For best use to any organization, character and competence need to be viewed in all their distinctiveness of meaning and use. Before talking about the people side though let yourself think about the position.

Bad Moves of Unexpected Obstacles

Periodically, senior managers mandate big change or else. While the commitment is admirable, current culture may see the policy as a win for management and a loss for the workers. Bad move. As one wise mentor said, “Involve them.” Please, do not under-estimate the status quo culture. Don’t be afraid but be intentionally wise. The following questions are to help navigate the risky waters. What are the values of the current culture and will they need to change to ensure success? Where is the overlap between current methods and future techniques? What is the best way to capitalize on mutual goals? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the change plan? Of the current culture? Pick battles where change is the strongest and status quo is weakest. With any serious change movement, there will be setbacks, mistakes and unexpected obstacles. Activities that might have seemed trivial may suddenly become rallying points for the status quo culture. Keep going, carefully choose battles and take alternative paths as necessary. The lesson is to be willing to change the change. In other words adapt to the dynamic environment in method while remaining committed to the goals in principle.

Comfort Zones

Good intentions alone are incomplete. Wishing, discussing or even goal-setting for the expected change isn’t enough. One of the comfort zones during uncertainty is to stay busy with outdated activities or simply stay in a planning mode. This may not be from resistance so much as fear. Most of us like to get As on our tests which means making few or no mistakes. In change management, it’s normal to make mistakes in technique but the follow-through must focus on the goals until reached. The lesson is to repeatedly explain the ‘why’ of change and give reassurance about mistakes in technique. Be consistent about checking on goal deadlines and agreements. Find those who follow up naturally and appoint them as it makes sense. Lack of follow-through will kill a change effort.

Making Holes below the Waterline

Change is a healthy part of any enterprise intent on thriving long-term. History, and even present day, is littered with countless examples of those who failed to change in timely response to the market and disappeared as a result. In short, failure to adapt eventually means irrelevance, regardless of the organization type. To successfully meet new demands requires anticipating customer needs and expectations because once market share begins falling off, the time may have passed for reinvention. There are some important definitions you have to study. You have to understand mistakes in technique with any change management effort, plan on mistakes in technique. This is the ‘how’ of change, the specific methods and experiments to move toward the vision. One speaker compared a technique mistake to accidentally making holes in a boat above the waterline. While not ideal, the boat can take a few without too much trouble. And you also have to understand mistakes in principle. Although techniques can evolve readily, there should be underlying principles that remain constant. For example, team members should treat each other with respect, even when there’s disagreement. To use the boat analogy again, ignoring a principle is like making holes below the waterline. This is much more serious.

Leadership

Over time, the word "leadership" has become abused and yet still has an uplifting sparkle. From some practitioners' point of view, leadership is critical, not because it’s the only thing but because it’s under-taught and under-used. The ability to think long-term and bring that perspective back to the present in a constant search for more complete paradigms is a critical, competitive advantage for any organization. All too often, it is easy to become used to the way things are and fall into a rut of doing like we’ve always done it and forgetting the original reasons why. Leadership jars those of us in the status quo quagmire into new ways of thinking and doing. Preserving the core and after that innovating everything else is sage advice for the organization desiring to stick around.

Opportunity to Lead

Providing others with the opportunity to lead reminds both leaders and their employees that it’s not about those in charge, nor is it about those who served on the team the longest, or any external, unrelated roles or functions. Rather, it’s about what they all want to collectively accomplish as a team and community. Regardless of what field or industry you operate in, the ability to build and empower constantly-evolving teams while maintaining team harmony has become a leadership necessity, one that the old command-and-control model cannot help leaders to effectively address. By adhering to these interconnected principles of leadership and teamwork, leaders will be more successful in guiding their employees and organizations forward towards achieving their shared purpose, while embracing both the rapid pace and demand for change required by today’s global economy.

Being A Good Follower

Leaders should become comfortable with accepting the reality that they don’t need to be the smartest person in the room to effectively lead others. Another key principle to successfully managing an ever-changing team dynamic is accepting the fact that you need to be a good follower in order to be an effective leader. Perhaps you have worked on teams where one of the members has experience leading other teams and insists on using that experience to rationalize their efforts to continually point out how they’d run meetings or come to make decisions. While they might be thinking that they are helping others to become better leaders by imparting some of their experiences, the reality is that they are simply trying to be another leader at the table by focusing more on what works for them than on understanding what works for the team. This is why so many of today’s successful leaders not only encourage delegation of key projects and decisions, but why they also make a habit of letting others lead the teams they serve on. They understand that to be a good leader, you have to be a good follower by putting the needs of those you serve ahead of your own interests.

What They Contribute

It is important not to overlook the fact that each person is on that team because of what they contribute, of how their insights, experiences and knowledge can help inform and shape the decisions made by the team as a whole. It is a point that leaders need to communicate and evoke by treating each member with the same level of trust and respect, irrespective of what their roles might be outside your team. This is especially important when new members join an existing team, as there can be concerns over whether long-time team members would be willing to hear an outsiders point of view. By reminding your team through your words and actions that everyone rightfully deserves a place at the table, you will not only help empower all your employees to create and add value to the discussion, but you will also facilitate a sense of ownership in their collective efforts. People may not remember exactly what you did or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

Leading Others

One of common false perceptions surrounding leadership is the notion that in order to lead others one has to be the smartest person in the room. This is why employees often resist change as those in charge spend little time explaining the measures or trying to understand the concerns of those they lead, opting instead to use their authority to simply push their decisions from the top down. While those in leadership positions do carry the burden of responsibility for the outcomes of their team’s decisions, leaders still have to bring their team members into the discussion, openly welcoming and soliciting their input because they understand that their team as a collective will be far smarter and capable of determining the best course of action than if they were to simply chart it on their own.

More Time Listening

If you are the team’s leader, your focus should be on spending more time listening and observing what your team members have to say. You have to understand what they hope to accomplish, what would make them feel like they are contributing in a meaningful fashion, and how to make them outward-focused on the team’s needs instead of inward-focused on their own. Remember that irrespective of what title, role, or expertise you bring to the team, the simple truth is that all of you are members of the same team. For those in charge, that means making sure you’re not using your authority to try and control the process to suit yourself. Rather, your goal should be to empower everyone at the table to be full contributors and participants. How leaders can go about achieving this can be seen in many important business principle and experience.

Collaborative Environment

A leader’s ability to create a collaborative environment through open communication and mutual understanding is undoubtedly becoming a critical leadership skill in today’s faster-paced, increasingly interconnected world. But how do you establish and maintain team harmony if those team dynamics are in constant flux? As team life spans continue to shrink in response to faster industry and market changes, how can leaders not only ensure team cohesion, but adapt to the changing team and personality dynamics that inevitably occur when old team members leave and new ones join? You might be familiar with the goals and challenges you will have to address in a team. Regardless of whether you’re the team’s leader or one of its members, it’s easy to come into these team efforts armed with what you personally want to accomplish or focus mostly what matters to you. You have to listen and observe to understand team dynamics and individual motivations.

Business Partner

There are many good reasons to bring a partner into your business. It may be as simple as the desire to collaborate with a colleague, or the need for additional financing, a particular skill set you don’t have, or other resources. Creating a partnership can be a fruitful way to grow your business, but to create a healthy partnership that endures, you have to consider many important suggestion. A shared vision for your business is critical and matters in very concrete ways. A vision is a clear, specific, focused articulation of exactly what success means to you. Productivity, time, and financial loss can be significant if a business vision is not clearly stated and agreed upon by all potential partners. You have to define the resources and relative value of those that each partner brings to the business, such as money, office or retail space, equipment, time, energy, contacts and many other important assets. Also clearly define the proportion of profits to be distributed or invested back into the business. Think about what you want to put into the business and what you will take out.

Another Person’s Point of View

You sometimes have to express empathy. Empathy is the ability to identify with another person’s point of view. Although you may disagree or have a different perspective, it is important to hear the other person’s point of view and let them know that you appreciate what they are saying. When you act in an empathetic way you are saying to the other person, “I understand what you are saying, and I understand why you are saying it”. Empathy opens the lines of communication, aligns the listener and the speaker with one another, and leads to productive conversations. Better communication skills can be learned. Communication training with skilled consultants can stop interpersonal conflict before it mushrooms out of control and inhibits productivity. Let yourself understand beautifully what communication strategies have worked in your business.

The Same Page of Mind Readers

Focusing on the facts and finding common ground are important skills for businessmen and working employees. Do not assume everyone is starting from the same page. Clearly stating your view of the facts creates a common ground for understanding. For example, if there is a conflict on a project you are working on, stating the facts, such as the project goals, milestones we have reached so far, the resources we need to complete the project, and the due date, begins the communication at a point of common understanding. And, if there is disagreement on the facts, you can work that out before the project is underway. Ask for what you want. People are not mind readers. Communication often breaks down when we assume people know what we want or need. When you clearly, directly, and respectfully ask for what you want you increase the likelihood of getting it and defuse conflict before it begins.

Effective Communication

Effective communication in the workplace solves many issues before they turn into unhealthy conflict that disrupts teamwork. Unhealthy conflict can arise when communication breaks down within any size organization or team. And, when interpersonal conflict arises, people are unhappy on the job. There are some simple ways to communicate more effectively to help your team move from impasse to productivity. You should recognize that you can only control yourself. When conflict arises there are always at least two people involved, and it is very easy to blame the other person. However, blaming others, keeps you stuck in a “conflict whirlpool” because you are focused on changing the other person’s behavior. If you recognize from the outset that the only person you can control is yourself, you shift your mindset to moving forward and resolving conflict. You can ask yourself how can you interact, respond, communicate differently with this coworker so that you don’t feel so frustrated or angry? Is there a different conversation you can have with you co-worker to explain your position? Is there someone within your team or organization who can facilitate a conversation to help resolve these conflict?

Having a Great Idea

You may have a great idea, but does anyone know about it? You may have a brilliant concept, a unique service, or a gorgeous product, but if no one knows about it, they are not going to buy it. There are many great ways to market your business that don’t cost a lot of money. A simple but professional looking website is the place to start. Creating a facebook group, writing a blog, and sending email newsletters and promotions are easy and effective ways to get the word out. What you know is important, but it’s who you know that will catapult your business from great idea to profitable enterprise. Is it what you know, or who you know? And, we believe that it’s important to network with anyone who will meet with you. Over time, you have learned that people who you least expect to be helpful for your business, turn out to be just the ones who help you move it forward. Ask the mom who volunteers with you in the classroom to have coffee and learn that she has a friend who owns a store and is dying to have your product. Networking is essential to getting your product or service promoted. Network with as many strong business units as possible on many blogs and share the lessons you have learned about promoting your business.

Starting Your Own Businesses

Many people are starting their own businesses, and you may be thinking about it too. The lure of controlling how you spend your time, money, and energy is motivating more of us to become entrepreneurs. And the range of businesses is very broad from home based jewelry and craft businesses, to restaurants, skin care, computer-engine technology and law offices. Many years ago, some businessmen created consulting groups to provide career coaching and small business consulting to individuals in transition. Although they each had 20 plus years experience in their respective fields of psychology, management consulting and law, they had much to learn about promoting and marketing a small business. There are some things they learned about moving a small business forward and you can also learn from them. Ask yourself, is it vitamins or aspirin or is the product or service I am providing something people want, like vitamins, or something people really need, like aspirin? When you have a headache, you really need an aspirin. This question is really important. When the economy is flush, people spend a lot of money on things they want. But, when times are tough, people tend to pull back and spend mainly on things they need. The bottom line is that during a recession, it is easier to sell a product or service that people really need. You can still create a business based on something people want but you must understand that you will have to invest extra time, energy, and money to market it.

Telling People

Sometimes you have to decide what you want to tell people. Whether it is looking for a new job, expanding your brand, launching a new venture, or promoting your current business, you need to be clear on what you want to accomplish. Take into account who you are talking to and tweak your pitch. You might tell an entrepreneur how you helped someone grow their business, but you might tell an acquaintance who you run into at the bookstore about a new workshop you are running. Who is your audience, and what is most important for them to know? In addition, you should use words that laypeople can understand.  If you tell people at a cocktail party that you are a scientist developing  high temperature superconductors for fault current limiters, most people do not understand what that means, and therefore cannot refer you business or contacts. However, they will understand that you are a scientist developing a market for new energy technologies, and will ask for more details if they are interested.

A New Business Way

When you work with owners of a small business that wants to grow, they probably often tell you, “We want to grow our business, but we just don’t see how we can be working any harder than we are already.”  You get it. However, more often than not, simply working harder and doing more of the same things that you do every day, is not going to result in the growth you desire. As small business owners ourselves, we understand the hard work that goes into making a business thrive. Instead, try looking at your business in a new way. You can ask yourself or your clients “what is your unique value to others?” This is more than just defining what makes your business unique.  Your business can be incredibly unique but that uniqueness may have little value to the customer. The real question is, “what makes your business unique and how does that unique quality create value, or provide a benefit for others?” This can do more for growing your business than any other strategy you know.

Personal Business Story

Everyone loves a personal story. Then tell your story. Be prepared to talk about the inspiration for your new business and what you imagine it will look like when it becomes a reality.  If your vision grew out of a personal struggle, share that. It shows that you are resilient and can push through when the going gets tough. Ask people directly to help you. Share your vision by letting people know specifically how they can help you. If you are ready for customers, let people know what kind of referrals you are looking for. When you share your vision with friends, ask them to “like” your Facebook business page. Be specific about what you need, and you will be surprised at the results. A clear compelling vision moves your business forward and you need to communicate it to everyone you know.

Energy, Skills and Hardwork

You have a great idea. You have energy, skills and the drive to work hard.  You have crafted a clear, focused, compelling vision of what you plan to create.  The next step is to let people know about it. There are some tips for getting the word out about your new vision. One of these is to share it with everyone.  This may see obvious, but for some people, it’s very difficult.  Some new business owners perhaps you work with tell you that it feels “braggy” or self-absorbed to be talking about their new idea, business, or direction.  But, you need to let people know that you have started a new venture, because people will want to help you achieve your vision. You can say that you are so busy.  You have launched a new business that  provides elder-care services for aging seniors so they can stay in their homes. It has been so fulfilling to use, for example, your nursing skills in a new way.

You Are Not Alone

If you are a new small business struggling to get clients, or even an established one whose business seems to have plateaued, you are not alone.  And, you probably do not have the resources to maintain a long term print or direct mail marketing initiative that will tell people about your fabulous product or service.  Having  relationship-building suggestions are incredibly effective for helping you land new clients or customers. The most reliable way to get a steady stream of client referrals was to be a part of a reciprocal referral sharing network.  Many inviting women entrepreneurs are running their own businesses to join the group and attend bi-monthly meetings. As the women business owners built relationships with one another at the meetings, they began referring each other business. Build relationships with other businesses that share your target market.  If you join in a promotion together, or co-promote an event, both businesses double their outreach to potential customers. There are many examples of excellent co-promotions with businesses that share the same market.

A Flood of Work

If you’re a small business owner, you are probably looking forward to the day when you have more clients than you can handle, and a flood of work.  But when it actually happens, it can be very overwhelming. Your current clients want their needs met yesterday, you have new business leads that go untapped, and some work is beginning to fall through the cracks.  Worst of all, you don’t have time to sit down and figure out how to improve the situation.  Seasoned managers and business owners usually know to call in business consultants when they are dealing with change management situations such as downsizing, merging or restructuring.  However, it is just as important to ask for expert help when your business is scaling up and you want to maintain this high level of growth. Many business units worked with small marketing firms that has more clients and work that the team could presently handle.

Senior Leader’s Vision

The ideal leader doesn’t have to be a health zealot. In fact, that can backfire because employees may feel that leader has more resources than they have available but one that understands how the health of their people can improve business results. Everybody in an organization plays a major role and every level of leadership should be held accountable. Front-line supervisors support and direct the program and middle managers are role models in helping their staff think about wellness and act upon it. Good communication also includes information flowing upwards from all employees and is important to a thriving and sustainable workplace and workforce. But a key is that senior leader’s vision. If gaps exist between that vision and how the program is being executed by operational leaders, that must be dealt with from the top of the organizational chart. If not, the program has already become inadequate by the time it trickles down to the front-line supervisor.