Articles by Kenny Chapman

Motivation. It’s something we all need and want, but that’s where the commonality ends. Each of us needs different things to motivate us to get things done. That means that when you talk about motivation, you need to know what kind of motivation your specific team member is interested in and what they will best respond to.

When faced with decisions, we humans are wired to seek out patterns to help make our choices. However, when we're faced with countless decisions — many of which do not offer a pattern to follow — we tend to develop what's called "decision fatigue."

Many people run a business because they love to create and share with others. Others are driven to earn money. Some are driven by respect from others and ego. But sometimes, all it takes to run a fun and profitable business that people enjoy is to change the way you think about it.

It's easy to fall prey to mediocrity. But, when you’re willing to put in the hard work and do what many people will not do, you'll find that the payoff is well worth it.

At the end of the day, if you want your business to be truly successful, you need to look after your people — that means giving them the tools to succeed, the resources they need to perform and a clear vision of where they’re going.

From being able to get things done to staying on track, distractions can sabotage productivity in ways that we don’t even realize.

Business lessons are everywhere. I’ve long been a student of the game of life, and one of my biggest curriculums of education is business. Due to the rapid changing landscape and structures of the plumbing and mechanical industries, we all have a lot to learn. The lessons exist regardless of the size, location or current structure of your business. 

The Lovely Christy and I have had the great fortune of walking many piers in our time together. One of our favorites is in Huntington Beach, California. The energy of a pier is great, with many different types of people, all doing what they came for.

We’ve all been taught that the most important things we can do in business are taking the best possible care of our customers and running the business operations as efficiently as possible, right? 

You’ve certainly heard all the cliché statements around taking a “30,000-foot view” of the business or your department. How taking this view can help you see things you weren’t able to see “from the ground” when it comes to process, procedure and daily activities.