Whether you’re running a mega-agency or a boutique, following these proven management guidelines makes sense.
Learn what motivates each of your employees
Use this information to help manage their performance. Although status, power, or additional authority might motivate some people, others might be more excited by the opportunity for tapping into their flair for creative, job-related activities or more face-to-face contact with customers. Rewarding good employees with assignment that speak to their unique motivations, interest and long-range career goals can help you retain them.

Referring to Wal-Mart's upcoming redesign of its Web site, one analyst said it will give retailing a "jolt" and another said it will "change Internet retailing." Evie Black Dykem, of Forrester Research, Inc., said, "It will be the shot heard round the retail world." When the world's largest retailer stakes its claim on the Internet, many predict that life will never again be the same. "The power to navigate the world at the click of a mouse is a force that is transforming our lives like none before," wrote the editors of Business Week. A few paragraphs later, they added, "Anyone with a computer is a citizen of the world-and a richer world at that."

ADDING VALUE TO A FAMILY BUSINESS by Pegi Flahault A long time ago, agencies thrived by simply writing enough policies, attending enough meetings, making enough contacts, and re...

Your benefits package from work probably includes dental insurance. With this valuable coverage, you can access regular preventative care and dental procedures that protect your smile and health. Your dental insurance coverage may not extend to your spouse, children or other dependents, though. Consider several affordable ways you can meet your family's dental needs and protect their health, too.

The changing marketplace is presenting several new pressures and challenges for the owners of independent agencies. The success...

AGENCY MANAGEMENT: THE GREAT COMPROMISE by Chris Burand Chris Burand defines the great compromise as working smarter, rather than harder. Of course, 12 hours of working smarter is alwa...

AGENCY SURVIVOR: OUT-SELL, OUT-MARKET, OUT-COMPETE! by Robert C. Smith Make sure that your agency doesnt get voted off the island. Mor...

ARE YOUR CSRsSELLING MORE YET? by Grace Bauer Are you maximizing your agencys ability to touch your clients? In this article Grace Bauer offers guidelines t...

ARE YOUR PRODUCERS DIAMONDS OR LUMPS OF COAL? Are your sales results less than exciting? Maybe your salespeople just don't have the right stuff . . . and never will. One leading psychologist, Mark ...

ASPECTS OF PERPETUATION MANAGEMENT by Catherine Oak and Bill Schoeffler Most agency owners do not have a structured plan to perpetuate their lifetime's work-the firm. It wo...