How to Get Out of Your Own Way There are three situations guaranteed to land you and your business in the mud. The only way to get out is to see these problems for what they are and move forward. Ready?

From issues of cash flow to audience apathy, from poor sales to personnel matters, business problems usually start as you problems. There are three situations guaranteed to land you and your business in the mud. The only way to get out is to see these problems for what they are and move forward. Ready?

Stop being so damn nice. Thanks to an internal censor button frozen in the "on" position, you've stopped speaking up about issues with your employees or clients. Maybe you're afraid you'll come across as a jerk if you tell people you're not happy with the way things are going. It's time to embrace honesty and start speaking your mind.

Take, for example, that regular customer who treats your employees like crap. Enough. Stop smiling and pretending it's OK. Your business won't fold just because you give one customer the what-for. When you fire a rude customer--or, fingers crossed, get him to change his behavior--it's a win for team morale. Great businesses thrive in part because the people powering them have the confidence to engage in tough conversations about uncomfortable topics.