https://rickbaker.ca/category/family-business-and-cffb/ Rick Baker's Thought Posts — plain-spoken writing on leadership, business values, communication, habits, and the people side of building a business. Publishing since 2008. en-ca https://rickbaker.ca/post/the-essence-of-business-is-exchange-of-value/https://rickbaker.ca/post/the-essence-of-business-is-exchange-of-value/Sat, 26 Jun 2021 07:52:00 -0500The Thinking Behind The Tweet Stephen R Covey taught - the essence of business is relationships . I believe the essence of business is exchange of value . I… https://rickbaker.ca/post/never-give-upyou-owe-it-to-yourselfyou-owe-it-to-your-familyyou-owe-it-to-life/https://rickbaker.ca/post/never-give-upyou-owe-it-to-yourselfyou-owe-it-to-your-familyyou-owe-it-to-life/Fri, 28 May 2021 07:38:00 -0500The Thinking Behind The Tweet Of course, Sir Winston Churchill comes to mind, “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or… https://rickbaker.ca/post/about-influencing-powerful-people-1/https://rickbaker.ca/post/about-influencing-powerful-people-1/Thu, 27 May 2021 07:05:00 -0500Here's a quote from Dirk Schlimm - “ I learned that influencing powerful people is a better and more effective route than complaining about them. ” This… https://rickbaker.ca/post/its-okay-to-yell-and-scream-at-workcelebrations-do-not-have-to-be-subdued/https://rickbaker.ca/post/its-okay-to-yell-and-scream-at-workcelebrations-do-not-have-to-be-subdued/Sun, 04 Apr 2021 07:04:00 -0500The Thinking Behind The Tweet Baby Boomers , an interesting ' generation ': grew up under pressure ...watched the first steps on the moon...survived disco… https://rickbaker.ca/post/when-you-observe-the-how-the-why-either-resonates-and-amplifies-the-peaks-or-dis-harmonizes-and-diminishes-the-peaks/https://rickbaker.ca/post/when-you-observe-the-how-the-why-either-resonates-and-amplifies-the-peaks-or-dis-harmonizes-and-diminishes-the-peaks/Wed, 10 Feb 2021 07:58:00 -0500The Thinking Behind The Tweet First, it is essential to do a good job of observing in order to properly perceive the How. Then, with the How understood, the… https://rickbaker.ca/post/if-we-had-not-learned-the-word-no-when-we-were-young-we-would-spend-a-lot-less-time-ruminating-about-our-mistakes/https://rickbaker.ca/post/if-we-had-not-learned-the-word-no-when-we-were-young-we-would-spend-a-lot-less-time-ruminating-about-our-mistakes/Sun, 24 Jan 2021 07:58:00 -0500The Thinking Behind The Tweet When we were young a lot of people started to say "No" to us. We were made to believe it was wrong to say and do certain… https://rickbaker.ca/post/courage-breeds-confidence-and-confidence-breeds-conviction-creativity-attitude/https://rickbaker.ca/post/courage-breeds-confidence-and-confidence-breeds-conviction-creativity-attitude/Sat, 09 Jan 2021 07:56:00 -0500The Thinking Behind The Tweet It takes courage to face adversity . It takes courage to face criticism . It takes courage to face change. Children are born… https://rickbaker.ca/post/you-worked-in-your-business-then-on-your-business-now-work-on-yourself/https://rickbaker.ca/post/you-worked-in-your-business-then-on-your-business-now-work-on-yourself/Thu, 31 Dec 2020 07:30:00 -0500The Thinking Behind The Tweet About Baby Boomers ... Over the last 4 decades, small-business owners naturally understood what it meant to work in your… https://rickbaker.ca/post/if-we-had-not-learned-the-word-no-when-we-were-young-we-would-spend-a-lot-less-time-thinking-about-our-mistakes/https://rickbaker.ca/post/if-we-had-not-learned-the-word-no-when-we-were-young-we-would-spend-a-lot-less-time-thinking-about-our-mistakes/Sun, 20 Dec 2020 07:32:00 -0500The Thinking Behind The Tweet When we were young a lot of people started to say "No" to us. We were made to believe it was wrong to say and do certain… https://rickbaker.ca/post/if-our-ancestors-thought-and-acted-like-they-were-too-busy-they-would-have-been-eaten-then-where-would-we-be/https://rickbaker.ca/post/if-our-ancestors-thought-and-acted-like-they-were-too-busy-they-would-have-been-eaten-then-where-would-we-be/Fri, 18 Dec 2020 07:36:00 -0500The Thinking Behind The Tweet The next time you feel inclined to complain about being too busy think of your ancestors . Wonderful heritage - Evolution… https://rickbaker.ca/post/about-influencing-powerful-people-3/https://rickbaker.ca/post/about-influencing-powerful-people-3/Tue, 10 Nov 2020 07:22:00 -0500Talking About Influencing Powerful People - here's another Dirk Schlimm quote: “What makes these geniuses so powerful is not ground-level expertise or… https://rickbaker.ca/post/creativity-feeds-and-growsdepending-on-the-calibre-of-its-dominating-questions/https://rickbaker.ca/post/creativity-feeds-and-growsdepending-on-the-calibre-of-its-dominating-questions/Mon, 09 Nov 2020 07:39:00 -0500The Thinking Behind The Tweet Curiosity is the precursor to Creativity . We see Curiosity in young children...they approach life as if it is a question… https://rickbaker.ca/post/if-you-think-time-flies-try-holding-your-breath-while-your-boss-is-telling-a-story/https://rickbaker.ca/post/if-you-think-time-flies-try-holding-your-breath-while-your-boss-is-telling-a-story/Sat, 10 Oct 2020 07:16:00 -0500The Thinking Behind The Tweet Einstein showed us that time is relative. [Maybe that's why it's easier to hold your breath when a relative is telling a… https://rickbaker.ca/post/no-means-no-well-maybe-we-need-to-think-a-bit-more-on-that/https://rickbaker.ca/post/no-means-no-well-maybe-we-need-to-think-a-bit-more-on-that/Fri, 05 Jun 2020 07:43:00 -0500The Thinking Behind The Tweet When I was a kid I heard the word "No" so much I expected to hear it, as a matter of habit . When I was a kid I was told to say… https://rickbaker.ca/post/about-influencing-powerful-people-2/https://rickbaker.ca/post/about-influencing-powerful-people-2/Wed, 20 May 2020 07:55:00 -0500Here's a quote from Dirk Schlimm, clarifying his perspective on 'Powerful People' - “Depending on where you are, the managing director of your local… https://rickbaker.ca/post/when-my-granddad-went-to-war/https://rickbaker.ca/post/when-my-granddad-went-to-war/Mon, 11 Nov 2019 06:30:00 -0500100 years ago my grandfather joined the Canadian army...volunteering for what turned out to be a brutal war experience. https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-13/https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-13/Sat, 20 Apr 2019 08:15:00 -0500This is the 13 th and final Thought Post in a 'Baker's Dozen series', with Dirk Schlimm's wisdom being the main ingredient. Here's the 13 th quote taken from… https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-12/https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-12/Sat, 13 Apr 2019 08:36:00 -0500Probably, most people should not work for powerful people . When I use the words powerful people , I mean people who: hold positions of power over us, are… https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-11/https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-11/Sat, 06 Apr 2019 09:45:00 -0500Here's a Dirk Schlimm quote that goes beyond 'influencing powerful people': “Use every opportunity to observe and learn. It is a lot less costly to learn… https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-10/https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-10/Sat, 30 Mar 2019 07:56:00 -0500“Understand that powerful people think of others as their helpers first and foremost. Let them know that this is what you are there to do. However, don’t let… https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-9/https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-9/Sat, 23 Mar 2019 07:55:00 -0500This week's Dirk Schlimm quote - “Remember that powerful people identify greatly with their work and their enterprise. They expect the same from you. Show… https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-8/https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-8/Sat, 16 Mar 2019 07:50:00 -0500Here's another quote, taken from Dirk Schlimm's book - “The terms balance and restraint rarely come up as descriptors of powerful people or are cited as… https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-7/https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-7/Sat, 09 Mar 2019 07:32:00 -0500Dirk Schlimm wrote: “The tremendous energy of powerful people is sustained by a deep-rooted drive to succeed, especially against the odds and in the face of… https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-6/https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-6/Sat, 02 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0500This week’s Dirk Schlimm quote: “The fact is that many powerful people successfully overcome conventional wisdom and have the resources to keep their… https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-5/https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-5/Sun, 24 Feb 2019 10:29:00 -0500For a month now, I have been writing short thought posts sharing quotes from Dirk Schlimm, who will be CFFB 's special guest and keynote speaker on April… https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-4/https://rickbaker.ca/post/influencing-powerful-people-4/Sun, 17 Feb 2019 08:05:00 -0500Here's another quote from Dirk Schlimm: “The genius, who sees opportunity with outside-the-box ideas, gets easily frustrated if he or she feels surrounded by… https://rickbaker.ca/post/honesty-and-the-other-persons-feelings/https://rickbaker.ca/post/honesty-and-the-other-persons-feelings/Mon, 10 Apr 2017 07:55:00 -0500As a child I was admonished to be respectful and take care not to hurt other people’s feelings. In general, that’s OK advice. Regardless, I have found it… https://rickbaker.ca/post/dont-crow-when-you-knowat-least-dont-always-crow-when-you-know/https://rickbaker.ca/post/dont-crow-when-you-knowat-least-dont-always-crow-when-you-know/Tue, 18 Oct 2016 07:21:00 -0500Some humans cannot help themselves - they have a bad habit - they always crow when they know. When humans crow what they know it tends to be off-putting. It… https://rickbaker.ca/post/about-our-family-business/https://rickbaker.ca/post/about-our-family-business/Thu, 22 Sep 2016 07:12:00 -0500We enjoy solving sticky problems. Wrestling down sticky problems until they give up their solutions - that's where our people and our family business are at… https://rickbaker.ca/post/victims-transactional-analysis/https://rickbaker.ca/post/victims-transactional-analysis/Mon, 22 Aug 2016 08:06:00 -0500During a discussion with a friend, the topic of ' victims ' arose. I thought it would be interesting to see a written summary of his thoughts on why many… https://rickbaker.ca/post/family-business-leaders-versus-managers/https://rickbaker.ca/post/family-business-leaders-versus-managers/Mon, 16 May 2016 16:39:00 -0500Managers outnumber leaders in business, by orders of magnitude. Managers outnumber leaders in families, my orders of magnitude. So, of course, managers… https://rickbaker.ca/post/know-people/https://rickbaker.ca/post/know-people/Wed, 23 Dec 2015 07:30:00 -0500Father-to-Son Business Lesson #19 Below is a note sent by me to my son, over 5 years ago. This note was #19 in a long series of father-to-son Business… https://rickbaker.ca/post/money-family-business-anxiety-anger/https://rickbaker.ca/post/money-family-business-anxiety-anger/Tue, 13 Oct 2015 08:57:00 -0500Each person in a family business has an opinion about the value of his or her services. Put another way, each person has an opinion on how much he or she… https://rickbaker.ca/post/taking-another-swot-at-strategic-planning/https://rickbaker.ca/post/taking-another-swot-at-strategic-planning/Mon, 06 Jul 2015 07:06:00 -0500...creating simple tools to help expand the use of SWOT . For example, the following simple table helps focus thinking and discussion on S & W & O & T while… https://rickbaker.ca/post/quests-questions-cats/https://rickbaker.ca/post/quests-questions-cats/Tue, 23 Jun 2015 21:32:00 -0500Shame on the people who admonish, “Curiosity kills the cat”. How many spirits have those people confined? How much motivation have those people stifled? How… https://rickbaker.ca/post/automation-family-business/https://rickbaker.ca/post/automation-family-business/Thu, 26 Feb 2015 13:02:00 -0500Excerpts from a Son-Father Chat Robots do tasks. Robots do processes, step-by-step, moving in a straight line. Unlike People, Robots are linear 'doers'… https://rickbaker.ca/post/our-cffb-roundtable-things-happy-people-never-do-cffb/https://rickbaker.ca/post/our-cffb-roundtable-things-happy-people-never-do-cffb/Mon, 22 Dec 2014 07:10:00 -0500Rely on indulgences to feel better T ry to change other people Blame others Show up to prove, instead they show up to improve https://rickbaker.ca/post/stop-focusing-on-peoples-weaknesses/https://rickbaker.ca/post/stop-focusing-on-peoples-weaknesses/Thu, 06 Nov 2014 13:35:00 -0500Our habit of ‘focusing on weaknesses’ may have started in our family homes when we were infants or toddlers. Or, our habit of ‘focusing on weaknesses’ may… https://rickbaker.ca/post/bosses-can-easily-be-lured-into-the-parent-trap/https://rickbaker.ca/post/bosses-can-easily-be-lured-into-the-parent-trap/Mon, 26 May 2014 08:21:00 -0500Bosses can easily be lured into the Parent Trap...I mean the trap where they treat the people who report to them like Children. I have heard bosses say they… https://rickbaker.ca/post/some-day-you-and-your-business-will-part-company/https://rickbaker.ca/post/some-day-you-and-your-business-will-part-company/Fri, 29 Nov 2013 08:38:00 -0500Some day you and your business will part company. Based on our Spirited Leaders’ experience, it appears about 2/3 of small-business owners do not realize… https://rickbaker.ca/post/succession-planning-allying-for-success/https://rickbaker.ca/post/succession-planning-allying-for-success/Mon, 25 Nov 2013 08:30:00 -0500Regardless of what you are trying to build in your business, you will need the effort and results of other people. If you mention that to business people… https://rickbaker.ca/post/thought-tweet-812/https://rickbaker.ca/post/thought-tweet-812/Tue, 27 Aug 2013 09:37:00 -0500Thought Tweet #812 Money can separate people. Money can separate family members. And the damage can be deep and broad. The Thinking Behind The Tweet That's… https://rickbaker.ca/post/did-our-ancestors-have-thicker-skin/https://rickbaker.ca/post/did-our-ancestors-have-thicker-skin/Thu, 01 Aug 2013 08:16:00 -0500Our skin is about a millimetre thick. That's thick enough to protect our soft and vulnerable internal things from most damage. Yet, far too often, it is not… https://rickbaker.ca/post/3-ideas-for-repairing-damaged-relationships/https://rickbaker.ca/post/3-ideas-for-repairing-damaged-relationships/Fri, 26 Jul 2013 09:50:00 -0500When it comes to repairing damaged relationships, three simple tools provide a great deal of value. Here's an introduction to the 3 tools... Tool #1 - from… https://rickbaker.ca/post/when-emotional-work-gets-too-heavy-we-cry-out-for-help/https://rickbaker.ca/post/when-emotional-work-gets-too-heavy-we-cry-out-for-help/Thu, 28 Mar 2013 08:25:00 -0500When Emotional work gets too heavy, we cry out for help. Using the Transactional Analysis “Parent- Adult -Child Model”…and some facts-of-life thinking: when… https://rickbaker.ca/post/family-business-success-story-knapp-fasteners/https://rickbaker.ca/post/family-business-success-story-knapp-fasteners/Sun, 17 Mar 2013 08:30:00 -0500Isn't it tough to argue with a success rate like that! And, that's just the introduction to the Knapp Fasteners' family-business success story. Jenny Knapp… https://rickbaker.ca/post/gkwcc-ceop2p-family-business-ceo-i-like-my-family-fabricating-the-time-money-combination-the-flexibility/https://rickbaker.ca/post/gkwcc-ceop2p-family-business-ceo-i-like-my-family-fabricating-the-time-money-combination-the-flexibility/Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:00:00 -0500A related article… Do Family Businesses Have Better Values? The @GKWCC #P2P series of thought tweets contains ideas, quotes, & suggestions provided by local… https://rickbaker.ca/post/larry-smith-visits-our-centre-for-family-business-cffb/https://rickbaker.ca/post/larry-smith-visits-our-centre-for-family-business-cffb/Mon, 18 Feb 2013 12:16:00 -0500Larry Smith is an economist at UW. About Canada's economy: we face rising competitive pressures millions of Latin American people are not our competitors… https://rickbaker.ca/post/jim-beretta-visits-our-centre-for-family-business-cffb/https://rickbaker.ca/post/jim-beretta-visits-our-centre-for-family-business-cffb/Tue, 22 Jan 2013 08:00:00 -0500Jim Beretta spoke at our last CFFB breakfast...at The Hub. The topic of the day was " Customer Attraction in the Google Era ". Here's a summary of some of… https://rickbaker.ca/post/mark-weber-visited-our-centre-for-family-business-our-20122013-kick-off-event/https://rickbaker.ca/post/mark-weber-visited-our-centre-for-family-business-our-20122013-kick-off-event/Tue, 09 Oct 2012 08:40:00 -0500As always, Mark educated and energized the 100+ folks who attended CFFB's 2012-2013 kick-off breakfast event. Mark, a social psychologist, talked about…