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The first part of this article assumes that your company is listed on the stock-exchange. Please stay tuned…

As consumers we are continuously seduced by advertisements. And luckily we all know what we want and what we need so we can handle this continuous stream of challenges.

Perhaps less sexy but even so often, your business is seduced in the same way. You should buy this, you should go for six sigma, implement CRM, open in a new market, develop a new product, add additional services, and the only thing you know for sure is that your budget is limited.

One mistake and your opponent will catch up easily.

So how would you minimize business mistakes?

The first pillar is about minimizing these mistakes. It is the pillar of credibility.
You know that when you company is listed on the stock exchange, that all actions are observed by the market. If your company announces a business strategy that is not credible, the stock price will decline (which will impact future resource management opportunities).

The first pillar of successful resource management is therefore that you should obey to credibility. All actions should be credible.

How would you know that this will be true?

Think again about the consumer market. You are offered a cream that will rejuvenate your skin (they say). Do you buy it?

• No, because you are only twenty!
• Yes, because you are nearly sixty and you will look like you were forty again (they say).
• No, because the offer doesn’t fit your profile; you don’t care how old you are perceived by others, you are still young inside.

Why is it so easy to manage your personal budget, but for your team or organization you have to struggle so much?
That’s because your company might suffer an identity crises.

The second pillar is about your company profile. About style and character. The last defining the credibility of the first.

We all want to look like George Clooney or Brad Pitt, but we are just Peter, Warren or George.

Once you know what actions and decisions fit your organizational profile your organization is ready for the next pillar. Discipline.

If you have found out what rules have been successful and your credibility is accepted by the market, it comes to the discipline to act and organize accordingly.

If your company is not listed on the stock market, the same will still apply. Your actions should be credible for both management and employees. You can communicate what is coherent and credible. The real difference a company makes is not about flashing advertisements and new year’s speeches.

The real difference is in the discipline to act according to this (corporate) identity.

© 2006 Hans Bool

Hans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management advice. Astor Online solves issues in hours what normally would take days.
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When I look at an industry association (by that I mean my professional industry meetings no those of my clients) conference I am never sure whether I want to go or not to some or all of them. Most of the time it seems like “same old” and I am wondering whether it’s just me or whether or not there is an objective way to evaluate the decision to go or not go.

It has occurred to me that maybe there was - so I started considering them and I hope you will add your comments regarding how you decide whether to attend or not.

I start with a list of all events in my field and then rank then in order of my desire to attend - you I might see, what’s possible to learn etc. What criteria do you use here?

Those that seem to hover near the bottom the list I look to see if there are any “must dos” within the industry, i.e., everyone
assumes I will have gone. When you are known in your industry you do have an obligation to show up - if for no other reason than to assure your competition that you’re still around.

Look at where they are held, and think about whether you can schedule other appointments in, near, or on the way (back or forth) that will make a “drop in” to at least say “I was therI attended one such event last year, where I simply arranged for an eight hour time between when I arrived at the host city and when I was scheduled to leave - I was on my vacation. I dropped by the event say a few people, visited the exhibit hall and dropped my business card in every fishbowl before returning to the airport. It was a perfect solution.

So, when you can go - when you can make an appearance do so. Also participate on industry conference calls and webinars. You can do a lot of them, keeping your name in front of your colleagues and competitors - for the price of a couple of airplane tickets.

I have never done this but some people I know send an associate, someone they feel represents the firm and someone who will connect with a whole different group of industry people.

Always buy the CDs, proceedings, whatever they are selling, listen to the parts of interest, and never ignore any major industry events.

By now I hope you are thinking about the implications of what you’ve just read and I also hope you will take a few seconds and post your comments for the rest of us. By sharing your experiences and insights here you will be adding to the richness of the conversation.

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I received an email recently from Katherine Ritchotte the Technical Editor for Tree Care Industry Association (non-Profit) monthly Manager e-newsletter.

The Tree Care Industry Association is a 70-year-old public and professional resource on trees and arboriculture representing approximately 2,100 tree service and affiliated company members.

The members recognize stringent safety and performance standards for quality and safety. They maintain trained, professional arborists on staff and are dedicated to ethics and quality in business practices.

TCIA provides accreditation and certification services for tree care companies and professional arborists. We also provide safety and educational programs, guidelines for tree service operations, ANSI A300 tree pruning standards, and much more.

Established in 1938 as the National Arborist Association, today’s Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) has a mission to transform the industry and her request to reprint our article, Company histories for Family Business by Marian Calabro is an example of their extensive reach - far beyond the technical, to connect with their members on a more personal level

Here is the article about the cataloging of family histories as reprinted in the Tree Care Industry Association online newsletter.
http://www.tcia.org/e-newsletter/Oct08/mom_pop.htm