Posts by Mark Morgan Ford
In Times Like These, Resist the Urge to Gripe
A business owner friend of mine was telling me about his plans to lay off some of his employees. He said he had prolonged the decision as long as he could, because he found the task so unpleasant. I asked him how he was going to make the cuts. He said a few of the…
Read MoreHow Fit Are You?
You can get a pretty good idea of your fitness level with the following quick self-assessment test. I read about it several years ago in one of Dr. Sears’s newsletters. And I still refer to it today. 1. How many push-ups can you do? (a) more than 40, (b) between 10 and 40, (c) 10…
Read MoreRecognize the Buttons
If you want to accomplish your business goals, you need to be able to inspire all sorts of people to work harder and smarter than they would otherwise. To do that, you need to figure out what motivates them. Granted, no one is entirely motivated by one single thing. That said, if you can figure…
Read More“Planting Seeds” in Someone’s Mind Pays Off — Sometimes Big Time
Want to get someone to do something he doesn’t want to do? It’s amazingly easy. All you have to do is plant a seed and wait for it to sprout. This is a phenomenally powerful business secret I learned from JSN when I worked with him many years ago. He used it to acquire many…
Read MoreThe Secret of Calculated Enthusiasm
When I began consulting with my current largest client, I was surprised to discover that some of the marketing people had a habit of making condescending remarks about their customers. These were bright people who cared about quality. But somewhere along the line, they had decided it was okay to demean the customer in absentia.…
Read MoreIs Your Fear of Failure Holding You Back?
Most people refuse to set goals. I don’t know why. Maybe it seems daunting. Or threatening. Or just silly. But it works. If you set wealth goals, you will increase your wealth. But don’t just pull a number out of the air. Be realistic. Start with your income. If you are earning $50,000 a year…
Read MoreHow to Avoid Becoming a Fat Thin Person
Whether you want to lose weight or just tone up, your objective should be the same… to lose fat without sacrificing muscle. Otherwise, you’ll end up as a fat thin person. To burn fat without losing muscle, base your meals on a healthy source of protein. And add resistance exercise to your workout routine. Recent…
Read MoreHow to Make Tough Decisions Easy
Several years ago, a professor of philosophy introduced me to an idea I have used to clarify my thinking and make the right business decisions time and again. You may find it as useful as I do. We were having lunch, and the conversation turned to Nietzsche, the German philosopher and poet. I knew a…
Read MoreThe Good News About Being the Bearer of Bad News
Good leaders handle bad news quickly and personally. Step 1: They make an immediate assessment of what went wrong, the extent of the problem or damage, and the causes. Step 2: They put in place a temporary solution to stem the blood flow, and set a schedule for follow-up remediation. Step 3: They notify the…
Read MoreReducing Stress Is Worthwhile
The most effective way to reduce stress is to find an efficient way to deal with the problem or challenge that’s causing it. If a new client is a royal pain, figure out how to handle him or pass him off to a competitor. If a new set of regulations is making your routine work…
Read MoreWhat to Think About If You Want to Succeed
If you want to be truly successful, you can’t spread your energy and intelligence too thin. You must devote your time and attention to a limited number of things. You must strive — as best you can — to live in the real world. Studies show that happy people live in the here and now.…
Read MoreUnderstanding the “Optimal Selling Strategy” of Your Business
Norm Brodsky wrote something in Inc. magazine several years ago that has stuck with me. It echoes a belief I share with him about the fundamental nature of business: “If you don’t really know what’s driving your success, you have to be careful about the strategy you adopt. There’s a risk, after all, that you…
Read More