Monday Manna

Spanning the Generation Gap

By Robert J. Tamasy In recent years it has been my privilege to write several books telling the histories and legacies of multi-generational, family-owned companies. Two of these trace their beginnings to the early 1930s, and today they are transitioning into a fourth generation of family leadership. Their stories are inspiring.
Category:  Monday Manna
Tags:  Generation Gap, Business, Mission, Values

Who Are You Trying to Please?

By Rick Foster Many products are designed to imitate the real thing. There is plastic decking that looks like real wood, and vinyl flooring that appears to be ceramic tile. We can purchase fake fur or jewelry, phony noses, hairpieces, and other body parts. The purpose behind all of these items is fairly obvious, but what about a canned product called “Spray-on Mud”?
Category:  Monday Manna
Tags:  Pleasing God, People-pleaser

Advertising: Pleasing Aroma or Bad Odor?

By Rick Boxx

It seems the typical consumer holds a high level of skepticism toward advertising. According to the results of a study published on a marketing website, more than three in every four consumers – over 75 percent – believe most of the claims made in advertisements, regardless of the communications medium utilized, are exaggerated or intentionally misleading.

Category:  Monday Manna
Tags:  Advertising

Actions That Speak Louder Than Words

By Robert J. Tamasy We live in a world in which prominent leaders in every field of endeavor make loud and brash promises. They tell us what we want to hear and presume that will earn our trust. Unfortunately, too often words are not backed up with the levels of performance we were led to expect.
Category:  Monday Manna
Tags:  Actions, Words, Work, Working

The Number One Financial Mistake

By Austin Pryor An approach we occasionally use in marketing my organization, Sound Mind Investing (SMI), is to ask, “What is the No. 1 financial mistake many Christians make?” Our answer: They ignore biblical principles when managing their money and follow advice from other sources instead.
Category:  Monday Manna
Tags:  Finances, Money, Biblical Principles

The Character of Leadership

By Robert J. Tamasy What is true leadership? Or to ask the question a different way, what are qualities of a good leader? Countless books and articles that have been written about leaders and leadership. Speakers have made careers traveling from city to city, speaking at dinners, meetings and conferences, offering their opinions about effective leadership. So it would be hard to find a definitive answer on which everyone could agree.
Category:  Monday Manna
Tags:  True Leadership, Leadership, Character, Leaders

Accountability in a Compassionate Enterprise

By John D. Beckett Dr. Gonzales was a highly skilled dentist who presented himself to his patients as unusually caring and compassionate. He took extra time so clients were reassured and understood the procedures they would be experiencing. He occasionally provided services without charge for those who could not afford them, and typically followed up to make sure his patients were making good progress after major procedures.
Category:  Monday Manna
Tags:  Accountability

The Purpose of Business

By Jim Mathis In 1968, at the start of a class on financial management at Kansas State University, my professor entered the room and wrote on the board, “The purpose of every business organization is to increase the wealth of the owners.” This statement appeared on every exam. Owners of a publicly traded corporation are the stockholders, the professor explained, so the purpose of a publicly traded corporation is to increase the value of stocks or dividends to benefit them.
Category:  Monday Manna
Tags:  Business

Do Your Homework First

By Rick Boxx Watching a TV “reality” show called “Shark Tank,” in which five accomplished investors consider funding a number of innovative ventures, a young entrepreneur made a major strategic error. He failed to properly prepare for his presentation to gain their interest and support.
Category:  Monday Manna
Tags:  Homework, First things first, Prayer, Trust

The Value of Having Many Advisors

By Robert J. Tamasy Some time ago I received a phone call from a friend who told me about a new business venture he was planning. He asked if I, being a writer, could come up with a catchy, marketable title for the enterprise. My friends know me as the guy who is never at a loss for words. Before starting to think of clever names for the business start-up, I asked my friend if he had done his due diligence in researching the pros and cons of this particular type of company. He said he had already done that, and was eager to get underway. I had no background in that type of business, but two of my friends had engaged in ventures like that in the past. So I urged my friend to contact them and ask for their feedback. My desire was not to discourage him or change his mind, but to ensure he had examined all aspects of the proposed business to avoid problems in the future.
Category:  Monday Manna
Tags:  Value, Advisors