Overheard whilst having a bite to eat earlier this evening …

“She forgot to turn the phone night service off this morning. We didn’t notice till gone 5 O’Clock. We were wondering why it was so quiet (laughing) A customer rang afterwards and moaned that thought there was something wrong with the phones. Why she couldn’t have just emailed us I don’t know. Good job the boss is out for the day.”

The young lady in question continued to question the competence of some of her colleagues with her friend as I finished my meal and departed.

It got me thinking about how dysfunctional some workplaces can become and why?

A great team starts with strong leadership. The leader doesn’t have to be a dictator or tyrant. It’s not the style of leadership but the quality which is important. What is important is that the leader shows passion for the business and takes total responsibility for what happens, good and bad.

Common goals, a great company culture and comprehensive systems are equally important to the success of any organisation.

I wonder what will happen in that business when the owner finds out the night service wasn’t turned off?

Many of the business owners I speak to have shared similar issues. How would you rate your business and how can you improve it?