Who is this Terri L Maurer you see online on social media sites? Or, that you hear speaking about small business topics across the country? Good questions for those looking for someone to help them get their small business on track. It is important to build that Know-Like-Trust relationship before hiring someone for something so critical to your business success.
One of the best things to ever happen in my professional life was my time serving in leadership for The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). I had the privilege of serving in leadership positions for ASID both locally and nationally. The pinnacle of my volunteer services for ASID was serving as it’s national president.
Over the years I met designers from all over the country, in Canada and around the world. The majority of those designers were also small business owners like myself. We spent hours talking about our businesses and clients after board meetings. We shared the ups and downs, challenges and successes, we faced every day. Most of all, we helped each other.
Fortunately, many of those designers became very good friends that I treasure to this day. One of those good friends is Jim Marstiller, FASID, a designer from Texas. As is the ASID routine, following a year serving as national president, a roast is held for the out-going officer. It is an ‘interesting’ event where fellow board members, friends and colleagues gather to remind you of all your shortcomings. Some are kind; others enjoy sharing experiences you tried so hard to forget.
At my roast, Jim graciously presented me with a special framed piece of custom ‘art’. It was clear to see that he spent quite a bit of time trying to come up with something he felt would best describe my ‘essence’. Jim had declared Terri L Maurer to be the Queen of Questions. The image above was Jim’s interpretation. I have to admit, his vision was spot on. Jim deemed me the Queen of Whys based of my habit of continually asking questions. It is my habit to dig down – deep – to uncover all the necessary answers upon which to base my solutions and actions.
Jim’s astute recognition of my management style aligned well with the results of my Myers-Briggs behavioral test. According to that management style system, I finally arrived at where I was meant to be. Here is what Myers-Briggs determined:
“Frank and decisive, you assume leadership readily. You quickly spot illogical and inefficient procedures and policies, and you like to find systematic ways to solve problems. You enjoy long term planning and goal setting, and are most likely well read and well informed. You like expanding your knowledge and passing it on to others. You tend to be forceful in presenting your ideas.”
That’s exactly what I now do. I spot inefficiencies in small businesses by asking a lot of questions. I dig down until I know everything, then recommend ways to solve problems. By clearing barriers out of the way, a focused path can be developed to move a small business toward its vision of success.
Hopefully, by staying on track with my questioning approach, you will find topics here to help you discover your own challenges and break down barriers that hinder your progress. Please use the RSS feed above to bring blog updates to your desktop on a regular basis. I hope you will use this site and blog as a valued resource for your business.
