Monday 18 April 2016

Margaret Kronfeld - Three Keys to Building a Solid Business Plan

Margaret Kronfeld worked in the corporate world in Auckland, New Zealand for over 30 years. During that time, she has assisted many large businesses such as BK Enterprises in business planning, staff development, budgeting, and more. Kronfeld helped many of the companies she worked for see real results in their bottom lines due to her diligence and expertise in designing business strategies and project management tools. She has three keys for formulating a business plan that any new entrepreneur can use:
  • Don’t ignore your competition. The competition should be an ever-present force driving your business plans. Margaret Kronfeld always adjusted her business strategies on behalf of the companies she has worked for to what their competitors were doing in the same industry. Other company’s actions will always affect what you have to do to respond. Don’t take them out of your business plan.
  • Plan for the short term, envision the long term. Most entrepreneurs think of their business plan as the long term goals for their company. This is a major element, but, as Margaret Kronfeld knows, envisioning what long term success looks like and planning how to get there can’t be the only strategic plan for your business. Make sure you have your short term goals properly defined and actionable as well.
  • Sell your business, don’t oversell it. Sometimes entrepreneurs and other business leaders can make promises they can’t keep by trying to make their business sound more viable. Stick to your main selling points and don’t oversell them.
Margaret Kronfeld lives with her husband in Auckland.

Wednesday 13 April 2016

Margaret Kronfeld - The Three Pillars of Successful Project Management

For Margaret Kronfeld, her success as a project manager for the many companies she worked for over her 30 years in the Auckland big business world was measured by her ability to move projects from pending to complete. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? There are many factors that govern whether or not a project is completed or not, however. Since a project manager like Kronfeld can’t do everything that a project requires by herself, she has to rely on her team to complete the project, and to make sure they’re effective at completing projects, she has to rely on these three pillars of project management success:
  • Communication. Workers can’t get things done if they don’t know what they’re expected to complete by what time. Margaret Kronfeld made sure that her expectations of all of her subordinates were clear and that the reasoning behind her orders was clear as well.
  • Teamwork. Every single team member doesn’t have to like each other and hang out all the time to be effective. What’s more important, as Margaret Kronfeld knows, is how well the team works together as a cohesive unit. Building a talented team with a multitude of complementary skills is a key part of this, but so is team-building and a sense of belonging from all team members.
  • Problem solving. Not only do project managers have to be able to solve problems as they come up, but individuals of the teams they lead also have to be empowered to solve their own problems when they appear.
Margaret Kronfeld has helped many companies and their workers succeed over her long career in project management.

Wednesday 6 April 2016

Margaret Kronfeld - Three Avenues to Influential Leadership

Margaret Kronfeld worked as a corporate leader for over 30 years at several large businesses in Auckland, New Zealand. She has worked with all kinds of employees during her career and she has effectively managed and led them all to further success and prosperity during that time. Different leaders are thrust into their positions in different ways. Some are arbitrarily put in power by higher superiors, others take the mantle. Kronfeld was not to be denied leadership positions at almost every company she has worked for. Here are her three avenues to influential leadership you should employ in your workspace:
  • Persuasion. True leadership doesn’t come from fear or arbitrary authority. Margaret Kronfeld earned her subordinates’ trust by explaining the pure facts that their work makes a difference in their personal success as well as the company’s success in its goals. Once everyone is on board, they can start working as a team to achieve company goals.
  • Commitment. One way or another, all subordinates have to have some level of commitment to your goals as a leader. Margaret Kronfeld inspired high levels of commitment to the company’s goals by giving everyone a sense of belonging. This “we-ness” is the tool by which corporate leaders reach their goals and help their subordinates.
  • Strategic Control. You can’t control and dictate everything. At some point, you’ll have to trust that your vision is being carried out by your team. Let your team work out its issues on its own rather than trying to control and influence every detail of their individual professional lives.
Margaret Kronfeld lives and works in Auckland.