Every day, all around me are business lessons. I do my best to stop and listen once in a while and I do learn from the experience. Here is my latest lesson: Finish a job well. Let me explain. We have hired a local caterer on numerous occasions – the flowers are gorgeous, the food is delightful, the arrangement spectacular, the service timely…and then she doesn’t pick up the dirty dishes FOR DAYS. No matter how much you loved the food and service, you get bloody tired of smelling old food on Day 2 (or 3). I started grumbling about it last night and it wiped out every good memory of the event.

So, we’ll have a discussion – I’m going to give her an opportunity to finish the job well, but her next client probably won’t. Lesson learned.

From Seth Godin’s Blog

I’m about meeting-ed out. I remember working at a pharma company – we met from dusk until dawn – how the hell we accomplished anything, I have no idea (oh yeah, I got home at 10 p.m.) It’s nuts. Except when our hosts serve food – that’s a different gig, then I’ll meet with you, no problem.

Here’s the deal: we have great ideas, and everyone agrees the ideas are great around the table – and then…nothing. And you meet again, only to agree, yup, the ideas really are amazing – this is cutting edge stuff – let’s schedule another meeting. I need to figure out a business model that gets us paid to meet, eat and spew great ideas – anyone game for that?