Everyone has their own best practices and tools for getting the job done. Some include holding onto their iPhone for dear life or learning how to stay organized even during the chaotic times. Our recurring segment “It Works for Me” features business professionals sharing their secrets on how they get the job done. Next up is Chuck Busick, Managing Director of The Busick Group, LLC.
Company Name: The Busick Group, LLC
Job Title: Managing Director
Where do you live? Washington, D.C.
Where do you work? Globally: Europe, the Middle East, India, and China
What is your office environment like? My office is wherever I am. It’s an airplane, an Uber, or a high-speed People’s Republic of China train. Wherever my laptop, iPad, and iPhone are, that is where my office is located. I do have an office at my company as well. The corporate office is a sanctuary for strategic thought and tactical reflection.
What technology do you use at work? After 25 years of PCs I am now an Apple user because they enable my mobility. I use a MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iPhone, and a multi-functional wifi printer: print, copy, and scan.
What technology do you use at home? At home I use my iPad Air, iPhone, Kindle App, and the descendent products of that early information technology “Gutenberg printing press” such as newspapers, periodicals, and books.
On a scale of 1 (never) to 10 (always), how often are you connected to your smartphone? 10. I am a 10. My iPhone is the heartbeat of my worldwide network, it is my Library of Congress, and it holds management Apps that make me more efficient, enable my mobility, and keep me informed or “au courant” as the French say.
What is your favorite organizational tool? It would have to be Mac Mail or Outlook. The fusion of information in mail, calendars, contacts, maps, photos, cut and paste, scans, and attachments is an organizing enabler for me.
What website/app/tool are you obsessed with at the moment? My favorite “app” at the moment is WhatsApp. WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app, which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. Many of the people in my network live and work outside of the United States in Europe, South America, Middle East, and Singapore. WhatsApp is a no-cost way for them to text with me.
Can you recommend a book? I would recommend Negotiating Globally by Jeanne M. Brett. This is more than just a primer on negotiation. In today’s global markets, business leaders who understand cultural differences and negotiation fundamentals have a competitive advantage when attracting customers and competing with competitors. Understanding corporate culture, country culture, government culture, and national cultural differences will enable you to make profitable strategic decisions for domestic and international market expansion.
What’s your best time management tip? Develop and stick to an information protocol. I check email three distinct times a day. I respond to text messages as quickly as my schedule will permit. I answer all phone calls within 24 hours. I set aside at least 60 minutes a day to read the Wall Street Journal, a periodical, or a book. Don’t let information be a distraction. Use information as a business enabler.
What’s the strangest thing in your office? That would be a cowboy hat rack that holds four custom made cowboy hats. It was an inspiration from an invitation to be best man at my friend’s wedding in Jackson Hole, Wyoming many years ago. I needed a dress cowboy hat to go with my best man western wedding attire. I purchased a custom made hat from the Jackson Hole Hat Company for the wedding. I returned to Jackson Hole many more times after that and always picked up a new hat and needed the hat rack. Perhaps instead of being a global leader and International Business consultant deep down I wanted to be a cowboy.
Mr. Busick is an innovative leader and pragmatic problem solver who creates and shapes domestic and international business opportunities to optimize long-term profitability. He relies on 25 years of international experience and his recent 14 month, 4 continent, 6 country global business tour and analysis, to bring strategic leadership to organizations planning to expand their presence in international markets. Much of his success in strategic business transformation for his clients comes from his passion for foreign language, understanding of cultures, leveraging information technology tools, and imagination.