Smoothing Out Misunderstandings

Even those people who fancy themselves great communicators occasionally run into situations where they get into misunderstandings with customers and clients. For the rest of us, who might not kid ourselves into thinking we are excellent business communicators, misunderstandings can be a regular occurrence. So, what can be done to address and smooth out difficulties when misunderstandings occur? For some reason, I am one of those people who often finds myself in a peace keeper role. It happens less now that I am working on my own than it used to. In my many years of working with nonprofit organizations, … Continue reading

When Customers and Clients Try to Make Their Problems Yours

There is a difference between great customer service and getting sucked into taking on someone else’s problems. There is a place for good limits and boundaries in business too and just because our clients and customers have problems and “issues” does not mean that we always have to take them on… One of the most common “problems” that customers or clients try to pass on is when they have difficult time management—they delay taking care of something, do not manage their own affairs until they are in crisis, etc. and then they want someone else to come in and bail … Continue reading

Dealing with Differences

So, you have trouble getting along with your neighbor or someone in your church? Or maybe it’s someone in your own family? What can you do about it? It’s a fact of life that at times, some people rub us up the wrong way. Even other Christians can aggravate us and be hard to get along with. Why is that? Years ago I was involved in a Christian group and having difficulty with one of the other ladies. I commented to a friend about how hard I found this woman to get along with. My wise friend said, ‘I’ve found … Continue reading

Are You Taking Things Way Too Seriously?

I know this is serious business, this whole home-business thing. For many of us, we have a lot at stake on our businesses and it is incredibly important that we succeed and that we learn how to be “serious” business people. BUT, are we in danger of taking ourselves and our businesses too seriously? Are we losing perspective or becoming so tense that we are not having any fun at things? What can be done if we feel we are getting far too rigid and uptight? I know that I am taking things in my business way too seriously when … Continue reading