Recommended Reading: Don’t Say “Super Bowl!”
There are so many new articles, books, profiles, and the like written each week that it’s impossible to keep up! But with our recommended reading, you can track some of the most important and most interesting news and ideas for small business owners today.
Books:
Many of the world’s most successful groups have been characterized by their culture—the “culture eats strategy for lunch” concept. But what goes into developing a great culture? Where does it come from? Daniel Coyle’s new book The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups looks at some of the most successful organizations in the world and looks for common threads that go into creating that kind of culture.
Many people look at “potential” as something to be measured in isolation; it’s something an individual may or may not achieve, on their own. Shawn Achor’s new book Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises Our Achievement, Happiness, and Well-Being takes a different view. When we pursue success and “reaching our potential” on our own, we are actually less likely to succeed. The key instead is about connections with other people, growing the pie for all rather than seizing a larger piece for ourselves.
Tips:
Business owners are always looking for ways to promote their business by connecting to relevant news and events; surely the upcoming Super Bowl is another such occasion, right? Don’t do it! The NFL’s trademarks on the Super Bowl and related terms mean that you need to stay away from doing any promotions directly referencing the event.
Jumping from task to task can reduce efficiency, with your brain constantly changing modes and interruptions costing time. Setting aside time specifically dedicated to your most demanding responsibilities, blocking out all but the most urgent interruptions, can help increase your productivity and use of time.
Are you a morning person or a night owl? Do you follow a strict daily routine, or do you just wing it with each new day? Some studies, and anecdotal evidence, suggest that top leaders are often early-risers who follow a regular morning routine to be more productive and less stressed.
News:
After a year on the job, Linda McMahon, Administrator of the Small Business Administration, talked about what she’d learned and what she hoped for the future. Her key area of emphasis for the future, she says, will be in making sure more business owners know about the opportunities and services provided by the SBA, especially disaster relief loans.
Features:
Amazon is bringing another revolution to the retail world, with its new Amazon Go store. There’s no need for checkout lines, because cameras track every item you pick up (or put back), and automatically charge your card when you walk out the door—giving the company more and more information about individuals’ shopping habits and cutting back on the need for human cashiers.
