Based on the best-selling book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni, the single most untapped competitive advantage is teamwork. To gain this advantage, teams must: Trust one another: When team members are genuinely transparent and honest with one another, they are able to build vulnerability-based trust. Engage in Conflict around ideas: When…
Are You on the Same Page? – How to Get Your Entire Business Aligned Most entrepreneurs understand on some level that they need to have a clear and succinct vision for their company. Who are we? What do we offer? Who are our customers? A business is largely defined by its vision, and its success…
It is easy for salespeople to lose hope when the sales pipeline looks bare, especially when hard economic times make every sale seem that much more difficult from open to close. However, effective sales practices are all about creating a solid system and sticking to it, no matter what the general economic climate is like….
How well (or not-so-well) your business handles a customer complaint can make or break your success, as well as your company’s reputation. The truth is, even if a customer is legitimately unsatisfied with your product or service, how you handle their complaint could make the difference in whether they continue to be your customer. Unsatisfied…
I grew up on a grain and cattle farm on the Prairies. Coming from a family farm, business and rural community has always been something I am particularly proud of. During my regular visits back, I can’t help but gaze across the land to see the surrounding farm operations. Some seem to be thriving and…
Patrons who walk through the door of Edmonton’s Corso 32 are almost inevitably assured of impeccable home-style Italian fare created by owner/chef Daniel Costa and his team. But it’s what’s not on the menu that plays an equal role in the accolades heaped on the Jasper Avenue restaurant, which has won multiple awards since opening nearly six…
In order for a company to put its best foot forward, it must set an example of customer service behaviour from the top. Implementing a positive and fun company culture will instill loyalty, drive, and ambition in all employees and ensure that they work hard for the company that they ‘love’ to work for –…
This story is often attributed to Chinese leader, Chou En Lai, and has been rewritten in multiple forms by authors unknown. As the story goes, there was once a farmer and his only son in the days just before the Civil War. Having only one horse, the farmer and son worked long hard days, sun up to sun…
Christmas eve has arrived! It’s hard to believe that Christmas 2015 is upon us and 2016 is just around the corner. As the team at X5 Management reflects on the past year, we are taking the time to think about all of the things we are grateful for in 2015. We are especially grateful to…
I am blessed to call Bruce Kirkland, Dealer Principal at Lexus of Edmonton, a friend. I am in awe of his community support and how he continually instils excellence in his team by delivering Remarkable Service to Lexus of Edmonton’s valued customers (a.k.a. guests). During an interview with X5 Management, Bruce shared his perspective on Customer Service…
