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“Change is inevitable―except from a vending machine.” – Robert C. Gallagher The past decade has been an incredible time of change, not all of it positive. And I’m confident most of us would have chosen different changes or circumstances instead of two recessions, two wars, multiple natural disasters, and terrorist attacks on American soil. None of us has the ultimate power to change global events. We can, however, make changes in our businesses to make this our best year ever. So, here are a few changes I suggest you make right away:

• Start quoting higher rates or fees, even if it’s just a little bit more.  Some people may just say yes.  And you can always negotiate down from there, knowing you did not leave any money on the table.
• Hold yourself, your colleagues, and your team to a higher standard.  For example, the bigger money earners in our business spend at least half their day attempting to connect to or in conversations with their clients and candidates.  Yet, more than 50 percent of people in our business spend less than two hours daily in these activities. Step it up!  Make more calls.  Visit more clients.  Spend more time with your best candidates.
• Stop booking bad business.  And don’t waste time with unqualified and unwilling candidates.  This starts with taking better, more thoroughly vetted orders and digging deeper in candidate interviews.

Decide today which of these and other changes you will make this year.  Then, take a few minutes each week to monitor the progress.