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Monday, October 8, 2007
First Impressions – blink
I am reading the book “blink” by Malcolm Gladwell and he starts by talking about how people draw conclusions about other people in the first few moments of meeting.
First impressions, we’ve heard it all before: be ready, be prepared, this is a lasting impression, etc. But how can how be proactive about how you project your first impression? Think first. How you act is how you think. Before you meet that person for the first time think about how you feel about that person (it should be positive if you are trying to make a sale), think about what you would like from the encounter (good dialogue, agreement to negotiate, etc.), and think through the process. When you actually meet this person it may or may not go as you constructed in your head, but your attitude will shine through as they draw a conclusion about you in these first few moments.
Use this technique for any first meeting – how you act is how you think – what are you thinking about the people you are meeting?
First impressions, we’ve heard it all before: be ready, be prepared, this is a lasting impression, etc. But how can how be proactive about how you project your first impression? Think first. How you act is how you think. Before you meet that person for the first time think about how you feel about that person (it should be positive if you are trying to make a sale), think about what you would like from the encounter (good dialogue, agreement to negotiate, etc.), and think through the process. When you actually meet this person it may or may not go as you constructed in your head, but your attitude will shine through as they draw a conclusion about you in these first few moments.
Use this technique for any first meeting – how you act is how you think – what are you thinking about the people you are meeting?
Friday, October 5, 2007
Be courageous
The quality of your mind or spirit makes you courageous. (definition adapted from dictionary.com ) I want to draw your attention to the fact that it doesn’t say you are not scared or nervous or frightened – it simply talks about the quality of your mind or spirit.
A previous blog talked about leaders walking the unknown path…this takes courage. Are you a leader? Do you know the quality of your mind or spirit?
What types of characteristics make up this quality? Post a comment and let me know what you think.
Here are some of the qualities I think make up a courageous person:
-Integrity
-Strength of conviction
-Optimism
-Well grounded beliefs
A previous blog talked about leaders walking the unknown path…this takes courage. Are you a leader? Do you know the quality of your mind or spirit?
What types of characteristics make up this quality? Post a comment and let me know what you think.
Here are some of the qualities I think make up a courageous person:
-Integrity
-Strength of conviction
-Optimism
-Well grounded beliefs
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Hone Your Instincts
I was teaching a course the other day that involved decision making techniques. It turned out that the folks in the class with years of experience felt secure about making instinctual decisions. And, it turned out, that those faced with the same decisions for the first time question their ability to make instinctual decisions.
I was advocating avoiding making instinctual decisions. However, I do believe in them and they can serve a leader very well if you understand where this decision making process is coming from.
An instinctual decision, sometimes called a gut decision, comes from some emotional side of you in a rational world. It is a very rapid process and if you trust your instincts you can make quick decisions. The peril is that these are not reliable decisions. Sometimes it can be a good decision and sometimes a bad decision. So how do improve your odds at making a good instinctual decision?
Listen, read, and learn. The more you understand your subject matter the better you can determine what works and what doesn’t work. Figure out how your experience generates common threads on different subjects. Is there a way that dealing with your kids is similar to dealing with your co-workers? These common threads create behavior patterns in your mind that become tools for you to use to make decisions. Read about other people’s experiences, read the newspaper, internet postings, watch tv, read a book, or read a magazine – just something everyday. Listen to the story and think about what worked and what didn’t work? Someone else has made a mistake and now they are sharing it, learn from it and grow.
How does this help? You are building a toolset in your mind of different patterns so when a new experience comes up it is likely you are already familiar with some of the elements. You appear to make a quick and rapid instinctual decision but that is only possible because you did your work to develop your mental toolsets.
If you make a bad decision you can go back and take a look at the information that went in to the decision making process and compare it to your toolset. Learn from your experience and next time you will likely get better results.
I was advocating avoiding making instinctual decisions. However, I do believe in them and they can serve a leader very well if you understand where this decision making process is coming from.
An instinctual decision, sometimes called a gut decision, comes from some emotional side of you in a rational world. It is a very rapid process and if you trust your instincts you can make quick decisions. The peril is that these are not reliable decisions. Sometimes it can be a good decision and sometimes a bad decision. So how do improve your odds at making a good instinctual decision?
Listen, read, and learn. The more you understand your subject matter the better you can determine what works and what doesn’t work. Figure out how your experience generates common threads on different subjects. Is there a way that dealing with your kids is similar to dealing with your co-workers? These common threads create behavior patterns in your mind that become tools for you to use to make decisions. Read about other people’s experiences, read the newspaper, internet postings, watch tv, read a book, or read a magazine – just something everyday. Listen to the story and think about what worked and what didn’t work? Someone else has made a mistake and now they are sharing it, learn from it and grow.
How does this help? You are building a toolset in your mind of different patterns so when a new experience comes up it is likely you are already familiar with some of the elements. You appear to make a quick and rapid instinctual decision but that is only possible because you did your work to develop your mental toolsets.
If you make a bad decision you can go back and take a look at the information that went in to the decision making process and compare it to your toolset. Learn from your experience and next time you will likely get better results.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Office Politics Getting You Down
Some days it seems as if there are so many agendas and side deals going on that no productive work can get done. Office politics will happen as long as there are people working together. Many times the politics are destructive but sometimes it can create productive synergies.
Today I was involved with a bunch of different agencies designed to help out business development in the local community. All the parties recognize that they need to work together to make the town stronger yet something is holding them from collaboration.
A friend of mine is working with a project team that is supposed to have the best and brightest working to a common goal. Instead it is slow going and it seems to be a long way from true collaboration.
Why does this happen? The answer is easy, actually, there is no trust. The tough part is what to do about it. This is the toughest part because the first person to start a trusting relationship is you. You need to learn to recognize how your communications can lead to mistrust. And you must learn how to be transparent in your goals.
Will politics ever go away? No. But trusting each other can help make the politics less frustrating and maybe even lead us to high performance teams.
Be strong. Be transparent.
Today I was involved with a bunch of different agencies designed to help out business development in the local community. All the parties recognize that they need to work together to make the town stronger yet something is holding them from collaboration.
A friend of mine is working with a project team that is supposed to have the best and brightest working to a common goal. Instead it is slow going and it seems to be a long way from true collaboration.
Why does this happen? The answer is easy, actually, there is no trust. The tough part is what to do about it. This is the toughest part because the first person to start a trusting relationship is you. You need to learn to recognize how your communications can lead to mistrust. And you must learn how to be transparent in your goals.
Will politics ever go away? No. But trusting each other can help make the politics less frustrating and maybe even lead us to high performance teams.
Be strong. Be transparent.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Effective Writing – What’s the point?
This article provides you insight into the most important part of writing your business document to get the action you desire. If you have been following the “effective writing” threads you know that you are writing a business document to guide the reader into taking action. You are writing the document to their viewpoint and you are including only enough information to support the reader’s decision to take action. The next step is crafting a single statement that tells the reader exactly what to expect from your document.
Purpose
Your document must serve a purpose and that purpose needs to be communicated clearly and succinctly. As an example I began this blog with a purpose statement which states for your action (writing a business document) I will give you (reader) a tool to be more effective (my objective).
This is the most important step in wiring and is the key step to link your thought process to your writing process. The purpose statement is the very first sentence in your business document. It communicates the message to the reader that you are certain about the action this document is meant to influence. It communicates to the reader that you are empathetic to their viewpoint. It communicates that you are not going to waste their time. In the very first sentence you can build credibility and improve the likelihood the reader will read the entire document. The purpose statement tells them why it is important.
Imagine something simple like an email – the first sentence in your email to a colleague is crafted as a purpose statement. “The email contains the new business proposal for your review and comment by Thursday at noon so that we can submit this to production on Monday.” What does this do for me? It tells me that my opinion and critique is important, it has a timeline and production is dependant on my review. It tells me I need to open up the attachment and do my part of the job. This example is not fancy, not complicated and that is the best part. Written communication borders on information overload most days so how do you stand out? Write an effective purpose statement for all your business documents. People will notice and appreciate you taking the time to understand their point of view and as a result more people will take the time to read what you have written and hopefully take the action you expect.
Purpose
Your document must serve a purpose and that purpose needs to be communicated clearly and succinctly. As an example I began this blog with a purpose statement which states for your action (writing a business document) I will give you (reader) a tool to be more effective (my objective).
This is the most important step in wiring and is the key step to link your thought process to your writing process. The purpose statement is the very first sentence in your business document. It communicates the message to the reader that you are certain about the action this document is meant to influence. It communicates to the reader that you are empathetic to their viewpoint. It communicates that you are not going to waste their time. In the very first sentence you can build credibility and improve the likelihood the reader will read the entire document. The purpose statement tells them why it is important.
Imagine something simple like an email – the first sentence in your email to a colleague is crafted as a purpose statement. “The email contains the new business proposal for your review and comment by Thursday at noon so that we can submit this to production on Monday.” What does this do for me? It tells me that my opinion and critique is important, it has a timeline and production is dependant on my review. It tells me I need to open up the attachment and do my part of the job. This example is not fancy, not complicated and that is the best part. Written communication borders on information overload most days so how do you stand out? Write an effective purpose statement for all your business documents. People will notice and appreciate you taking the time to understand their point of view and as a result more people will take the time to read what you have written and hopefully take the action you expect.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Effective Writing – How much information?
You have started with the most important first steps in writing your business document: You understand that the purpose of the document is so that the audience can take an action. And you are writing to the reader's viewpoint and not to yourself. The next question is how much information needs to be included in the document?
Again, this is another area where you need to keep the reader in mind. Ask yourself, “What information does the reader need to know to make the decision?” Create a list for yourself and guard against including things on the list that you just want to share. Stay focused on what information the reader needs to make a decision.
Now that you have your subject areas outlined, the next step is to decide how much information to include to support the decision making criteria. Is your reader knowledgeable about the subject matter from their point of view? They do not need to be a technical expert, just an informed consumer – keep those separate. Include just enough information to support the decision making criteria and no more. Sometimes this information will be very detailed, sometimes less, it depends on your reader every time – know your reader.
Will the reader generally believe the information you provide? Surprisingly you should answer “Yes” most of the time. If the reader believes the information you are providing to them, then don’t spend time justifying your information. There are times when you will need to justify the informative elements but realize that you need to make a deliberate choice and know why you are providing justification.
Why do you need to carefully analyze the level of detail to provide? It is your job to keep the reader engaged, understand the decision making criteria and lead them to a decision. Too much information and your message can get lost leading to no decision. Too little information and the reader cannot make a decision. Both cases lead to inaction and frustration.
If you want to know more, drop me a line. I am happy to help.
Again, this is another area where you need to keep the reader in mind. Ask yourself, “What information does the reader need to know to make the decision?” Create a list for yourself and guard against including things on the list that you just want to share. Stay focused on what information the reader needs to make a decision.
Now that you have your subject areas outlined, the next step is to decide how much information to include to support the decision making criteria. Is your reader knowledgeable about the subject matter from their point of view? They do not need to be a technical expert, just an informed consumer – keep those separate. Include just enough information to support the decision making criteria and no more. Sometimes this information will be very detailed, sometimes less, it depends on your reader every time – know your reader.
Will the reader generally believe the information you provide? Surprisingly you should answer “Yes” most of the time. If the reader believes the information you are providing to them, then don’t spend time justifying your information. There are times when you will need to justify the informative elements but realize that you need to make a deliberate choice and know why you are providing justification.
Why do you need to carefully analyze the level of detail to provide? It is your job to keep the reader engaged, understand the decision making criteria and lead them to a decision. Too much information and your message can get lost leading to no decision. Too little information and the reader cannot make a decision. Both cases lead to inaction and frustration.
If you want to know more, drop me a line. I am happy to help.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Effective Writing – Dear Reader,…
You are writing a document to your audience because you need to tell them something that is important to you. You are passionate about your subject – are you writing a proposal, and you creating a sales sheet, educating your customer, etc? I know you just want to share your passion but hold on, there is more to consider before you begin to write.
What does you reader need to know to make a decision? Remember a business document is supposed to cause an action. It is important to determine what information is needed to cause this action. Before you start to write consider, from your reader’s viewpoint, what do they need to know to make the decision you want?
You might find that what the reader needs to know is not the same as the information you so passionately want to share. It is important to recognize this distinction. When you begin to write in the way the reader needs information, you begin to become a more effective writer.
Try it – let me know if it helps.
What does you reader need to know to make a decision? Remember a business document is supposed to cause an action. It is important to determine what information is needed to cause this action. Before you start to write consider, from your reader’s viewpoint, what do they need to know to make the decision you want?
You might find that what the reader needs to know is not the same as the information you so passionately want to share. It is important to recognize this distinction. When you begin to write in the way the reader needs information, you begin to become a more effective writer.
Try it – let me know if it helps.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Effective Writing, the beginning
Did you know that every document you write in a business setting is supposed to cause an action? This applies to presentations as well.
When you write to friends, family, or creatively it does not require anyone to do anything. They can read or not – no expectations.
Business is all different.
We write or present to communicate a message that creates action. This includes emails, proposals, reports, position papers, etc. Take a look at the things you write this week. Is there a clear call to action in each document (or presentation)? What do you want the audience to do with the information you just provided? You do want them to do something, right? When you read this blog do you know what action I want you to take? I want you to look at your writing and ask yourself, “So what? What do I want?” and make sure that you answer the question.
Try it – let me know if it helps.
When you write to friends, family, or creatively it does not require anyone to do anything. They can read or not – no expectations.
Business is all different.
We write or present to communicate a message that creates action. This includes emails, proposals, reports, position papers, etc. Take a look at the things you write this week. Is there a clear call to action in each document (or presentation)? What do you want the audience to do with the information you just provided? You do want them to do something, right? When you read this blog do you know what action I want you to take? I want you to look at your writing and ask yourself, “So what? What do I want?” and make sure that you answer the question.
Try it – let me know if it helps.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Foundations and Dreams
“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble.” Helen Keller
I came across this quote from Helen Keller and it made me think about how I run my business. I am a dreamer, new ideas fall out of my head all the time. I imagine being able to solve complicated business problems with simple elegant solutions. This quote reminds me that my passion for the big dreams need to be the same passion that cares for the fundamentals of my business. Or put another way – pay attention to the details.
So I’m sharing with you to say dream big and stay passionate to your vision and to the care of your foundation.
I came across this quote from Helen Keller and it made me think about how I run my business. I am a dreamer, new ideas fall out of my head all the time. I imagine being able to solve complicated business problems with simple elegant solutions. This quote reminds me that my passion for the big dreams need to be the same passion that cares for the fundamentals of my business. Or put another way – pay attention to the details.
So I’m sharing with you to say dream big and stay passionate to your vision and to the care of your foundation.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Destructive Communication – how we enable it.
One way to look at the negative relationships we find ourselves in is to take a look at how we communicate. A definition for negative communications that Dr. Roger Allen uses is a term called collusion, “a circular and mutually reinforcing negative interaction.”
It goes like this: Boss doesn’t trust Staff to make decisions and so becomes involved in the details of the decision-making. Staff sees Boss as lacking confidence in their decision making so lets Boss make more of the decisions. Boss sees staff not working through the decision making details so takes more responsibility. Staff sees Boss taking work so stops working on the same thing. The Staff stop making decisions.
Wow, that spun out of control fast! Have you seen that before? (If you have teenagers I know you have.)
There are two viewpoints in this downward spiral, Boss and Staff. Each party has viewed the situation from a different perspective and behaved according to their perception. It creates a cycle and we continue to feed it. We continue to view this from our point of view only and don’t realize there could be another reason for this series of interactions.
So as you read this think about difficult relationships you may be in and could you break the cycle? Could you look at communication the other person’s lens?
It is not easy and the secret is trust. If you want to know more send me an email.
It goes like this: Boss doesn’t trust Staff to make decisions and so becomes involved in the details of the decision-making. Staff sees Boss as lacking confidence in their decision making so lets Boss make more of the decisions. Boss sees staff not working through the decision making details so takes more responsibility. Staff sees Boss taking work so stops working on the same thing. The Staff stop making decisions.
Wow, that spun out of control fast! Have you seen that before? (If you have teenagers I know you have.)
There are two viewpoints in this downward spiral, Boss and Staff. Each party has viewed the situation from a different perspective and behaved according to their perception. It creates a cycle and we continue to feed it. We continue to view this from our point of view only and don’t realize there could be another reason for this series of interactions.
So as you read this think about difficult relationships you may be in and could you break the cycle? Could you look at communication the other person’s lens?
It is not easy and the secret is trust. If you want to know more send me an email.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Business Goals vs. Personal Goals?
Do the personal goals you have for life align with the goals you have for your business? Have you not ever thought about it like that? Or do you not even know?
If you feel frustrated, unhappy or unproductive at work (or running your business) a contributing factor may be that the things that are important to you are not what is expected of you at work.
For instance, it is important for you to be home for dinner every day to spend some time with the family. Well, maybe you haven’t thought about it that way but your spouse sure gets angry when you keep showing up late or not at all. You have missed your dinners with the family because work has kept you later and later. Those late nights at work are really not very productive for you because you know that when you get home you are in trouble for not being home earlier. Your work output in those late hours is not your best. In fact you can’t focus and you become snappy to your co-workers as the clock approaches 5:00 PM.
What is going on? Subconsciously you are committed to family first or, heck, maybe even those are the words you say but your actions have you putting work first. You have given work the time that they have paid for and now you are giving them free time at the expense of your most important life priority. Well no wonder you are snappy and not so productive! No wonder your spouse is upset, it looks like work is your number one priority!
The great news is that you have choices and can make conscious decisions.
Step 1: Recognize if you personal life goals and your work life goals can live happily together.
Step 2: Let people know what your goals are.
Step 3: Communicate compromises you have to make and give those compromises timelines. If you keep up the same behavior as above you really have chosen work as the first commitment. If it is to finish a project, that project must end and family will be first. Your family will know it because you are home for dinner.
Step 4: Reward yourself for make conscious choices about your life. You are in charge.
Step 5: Repeat.
This isn’t easy and sometimes not very clear at all. If you are frustrated, unhappy, or unproductive take a look at the goals in your life and see if it makes sense to you. This is the beginning of a work-life balance.
If you need help figuring it out, drop me a line, I’d be happy to help.
If you feel frustrated, unhappy or unproductive at work (or running your business) a contributing factor may be that the things that are important to you are not what is expected of you at work.
For instance, it is important for you to be home for dinner every day to spend some time with the family. Well, maybe you haven’t thought about it that way but your spouse sure gets angry when you keep showing up late or not at all. You have missed your dinners with the family because work has kept you later and later. Those late nights at work are really not very productive for you because you know that when you get home you are in trouble for not being home earlier. Your work output in those late hours is not your best. In fact you can’t focus and you become snappy to your co-workers as the clock approaches 5:00 PM.
What is going on? Subconsciously you are committed to family first or, heck, maybe even those are the words you say but your actions have you putting work first. You have given work the time that they have paid for and now you are giving them free time at the expense of your most important life priority. Well no wonder you are snappy and not so productive! No wonder your spouse is upset, it looks like work is your number one priority!
The great news is that you have choices and can make conscious decisions.
Step 1: Recognize if you personal life goals and your work life goals can live happily together.
Step 2: Let people know what your goals are.
Step 3: Communicate compromises you have to make and give those compromises timelines. If you keep up the same behavior as above you really have chosen work as the first commitment. If it is to finish a project, that project must end and family will be first. Your family will know it because you are home for dinner.
Step 4: Reward yourself for make conscious choices about your life. You are in charge.
Step 5: Repeat.
This isn’t easy and sometimes not very clear at all. If you are frustrated, unhappy, or unproductive take a look at the goals in your life and see if it makes sense to you. This is the beginning of a work-life balance.
If you need help figuring it out, drop me a line, I’d be happy to help.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Create Hope
I was reading in the paper today about the fluctuating economy and the worries it creates about continued employment. Leaders must create hope for future success.
We all know that businesses face the potential of adverse cash situations and there are times when considering layoffs are essential to saving the business. How can you keep your staff focused on delivering quality services and products? Create hope about the future.
Your staff wants to help. They want to make a difference. They can see the risks and the challenges. If you give them hope, a reason to believe that some hard work will help turn the company fortunes around the staff will dig in and perform.
But creating hope is more than words. You act how you think. Let me say that one more time; you act how you think. As the leader of your organization, if you do not believe in your mind that the company can turn around then your words of hope will be empty. Your body language will betray your words and you will lose the focus of your staff.
In tough times create hope for the future. Make plans. Be committed. Tell the staff. Together you will pull through the tough times and be a stronger company and a stronger person.
We all know that businesses face the potential of adverse cash situations and there are times when considering layoffs are essential to saving the business. How can you keep your staff focused on delivering quality services and products? Create hope about the future.
Your staff wants to help. They want to make a difference. They can see the risks and the challenges. If you give them hope, a reason to believe that some hard work will help turn the company fortunes around the staff will dig in and perform.
But creating hope is more than words. You act how you think. Let me say that one more time; you act how you think. As the leader of your organization, if you do not believe in your mind that the company can turn around then your words of hope will be empty. Your body language will betray your words and you will lose the focus of your staff.
In tough times create hope for the future. Make plans. Be committed. Tell the staff. Together you will pull through the tough times and be a stronger company and a stronger person.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Systems create money
There are a lot of activities going on in your business. You have the main operations to run, customers to stay in contact with, bills to pay, bills to send, employees to manage, employees to develop, etc. How do you keep this going without losing any critical steps? Build systems.
Systems create order out of chaos. Systems are about the big topics in your business: one for customer relationships, one for inventory, one for accounting, one for sales, etc. And in each system there are many different processes. It is possible to have processes and no system design. In fact, this is very common.
What do systems do for you? It makes sure that you have sufficient inventory to serve your customers. It makes sure that your invoices are sent out timely and your taxes are paid. A system makes sure that each employee is evaluates every year and given opportunities for development.
And how does this create money? Time is money and systems help you create time and manage time. For instance a systemized invoicing process helps this get done faster and invoices sent out sooner. That means money comes back to your business sooner. Money in the bank collects interest.
Creating systems takes some time investment but once it is done you should reap the rewards of efficiency.
Systems create order out of chaos. Systems are about the big topics in your business: one for customer relationships, one for inventory, one for accounting, one for sales, etc. And in each system there are many different processes. It is possible to have processes and no system design. In fact, this is very common.
What do systems do for you? It makes sure that you have sufficient inventory to serve your customers. It makes sure that your invoices are sent out timely and your taxes are paid. A system makes sure that each employee is evaluates every year and given opportunities for development.
And how does this create money? Time is money and systems help you create time and manage time. For instance a systemized invoicing process helps this get done faster and invoices sent out sooner. That means money comes back to your business sooner. Money in the bank collects interest.
Creating systems takes some time investment but once it is done you should reap the rewards of efficiency.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Thinking Inside the Boxes
Yes. It is important to think inside the boxes. I'm talking about the boxes that make up your organizational chart. These charts that seem silly to many, important to a few, or maybe just a necessary evil to most; tell a great deal about your leadership and the health of your organization. That's a lot from a bunch of little boxes.
Have you ever been involved in an audit? Always one of the first items requested is the company or department organization chart. It becomes the company's first impression and this is what it can say:
No organization chart exists - this company likely does not have processes in place and consistency, reliability and quality need to be carefully looked at.
The chart looks like a Dilbert cartoon - the company has no clear lines of authority and lack trust in the leadership.
The chart is very detailed with the technical side of the company but is not balanced with quality functions and business functions - there is likely inconsistent quality, if any. If the product is good it is like the business is not healthy because the focus, looking at the chart, is so lopsided to the technicians.
The actual linking of the company's departments - tells lines of authority, responsibility, communication channels, expected processes and systems, oversight, and departmental ranking to company.
The leadership team - this can be deduced from the chart and then observed in practice which will give insight into the believability of documents versus reality.
So what are the outcomes of these types of first impressions?
There is no right way to create an organization chart though there are many wrong ways. This document conveys a first impression to stakeholders in your company. Take a look at your chart again and think about the message your boxes are sending. Is this the message you meant to send?
Have questions? Email me, I'll be happy to help.
Have you ever been involved in an audit? Always one of the first items requested is the company or department organization chart. It becomes the company's first impression and this is what it can say:
No organization chart exists - this company likely does not have processes in place and consistency, reliability and quality need to be carefully looked at.
The chart looks like a Dilbert cartoon - the company has no clear lines of authority and lack trust in the leadership.
The chart is very detailed with the technical side of the company but is not balanced with quality functions and business functions - there is likely inconsistent quality, if any. If the product is good it is like the business is not healthy because the focus, looking at the chart, is so lopsided to the technicians.
The actual linking of the company's departments - tells lines of authority, responsibility, communication channels, expected processes and systems, oversight, and departmental ranking to company.
The leadership team - this can be deduced from the chart and then observed in practice which will give insight into the believability of documents versus reality.
So what are the outcomes of these types of first impressions?
- If you are in an audit it might change the audit agenda (for better if your chart is great and worse if you have some of the characteristics above) and lead to findings.
- If the chart is part of a due diligence analysis (a bank lending money, a major contract, possible acquisition) the impression from a bad organizational chart could break the deal because of the message about the health of the company.
There is no right way to create an organization chart though there are many wrong ways. This document conveys a first impression to stakeholders in your company. Take a look at your chart again and think about the message your boxes are sending. Is this the message you meant to send?
Have questions? Email me, I'll be happy to help.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Processes decrease stress
Do you have processes in your business? Of course you do. Do you have your core processes documented? "Mmmm, well some, no, I don't know." You should; let me tell you why.
Your customers expect consistent quality and consistent results. You may have a system for delivering to customer expectations but is it documented. Why document this system? So that you can leave the office once in awhile and the staff can carry on with consistent service. If a problem comes up then the documented processes can guide the staff to resolution, they won't need to call you.
Maybe you don't have a staff. Writing your processes down can still help. Write down all the essential things that must get done, when, how, and with whom. If you do this then those times where you feel completely overwhelmed or have a scatterbrain or feeling lost you can use your processes as a guide to keep business on track. You don't have to keep track of the details in your head.
Documenting processes gives you a tool for ensuring tasks don't get forgotten and customers receive quality products or services. Not having to rely on your intervention for this to happen every day should take some of the anxiety and stress off you day and allow you to focus on other aspects of your business. It might even let you have a full nights rest without worry.
Consistency, quality, reliability, and delegation result from documented processes and this should give you peace of mind.
If you need help please contact me. It is important for you to focus on growing your business, let me show you how.
Your customers expect consistent quality and consistent results. You may have a system for delivering to customer expectations but is it documented. Why document this system? So that you can leave the office once in awhile and the staff can carry on with consistent service. If a problem comes up then the documented processes can guide the staff to resolution, they won't need to call you.
Maybe you don't have a staff. Writing your processes down can still help. Write down all the essential things that must get done, when, how, and with whom. If you do this then those times where you feel completely overwhelmed or have a scatterbrain or feeling lost you can use your processes as a guide to keep business on track. You don't have to keep track of the details in your head.
Documenting processes gives you a tool for ensuring tasks don't get forgotten and customers receive quality products or services. Not having to rely on your intervention for this to happen every day should take some of the anxiety and stress off you day and allow you to focus on other aspects of your business. It might even let you have a full nights rest without worry.
Consistency, quality, reliability, and delegation result from documented processes and this should give you peace of mind.
If you need help please contact me. It is important for you to focus on growing your business, let me show you how.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Strategy and a box of crayons
I've been through many facilitated strategy sessions, I have reviewed many small business strategy plans, and I have read many books on different strategy methodologies.
Conclusion: Setting strategy for your business is like drawing a picture using a box of 64 crayons.
Here's what I mean: There are some gifted people that can pull just one color out of the box and create beautiful masterpieces. (These are the companies with no written strategy document and achieve wild success anyway). There are some people who can use every color in the box and create a beautiful masterpiece with all the colors. (These are companies with very detailed and specific strategy documents and execution plans.)
For most of us, assuming we have the gift of "coloring," we could do well with 5, 8, 16 colors to make a successful drawing. To express our thoughts we need some colors but not too many.
A strategy planning session and document is the same thing to me. You don't have to have one, I know many, many companies don't. But if you don't, you will need that special talent of articulating all the elements of running a business to anyone you interact with: customers, staff, bankers, lawyers, accountants, investors, etc. And be able to know when you are doing well or not doing well to make course corrections. The entire success and failure of the company depends on your participation and without you there will be no strategy, no drawing.
I have seen companies spend 5 figure dollars for an extremely detailed strategy document tracking all the minutia of running the company. It had the answer to everything. Expect that by the time it was built life had moved on and it wasn't so relevant or required too much time to maintain. And I have experienced a series of these documents created each year to take their place of reverence on a bookshelf, never to be opened again.
I believe a strategy document that is somewhere in the middle suits most of us. We need to write down where we want the company to go (mission and vision) and we need to write down, at some level, how we are going to get there. Depending on your company and your leaders this document is going to be different - it is your picture.
Strategy is important. It communicates your goals and how you want to get there. Why do you need to share? The accountant may be able to structure a more favorable tax approach. The banker may be willing to give you a lager line of credit or more favorable rates. Your customers will "get" your business because your staff "gets" your vision.
Strategy doesn't need to be complicated but it needs to be written. Your business is your masterpiece, pick your colors wisely.
Conclusion: Setting strategy for your business is like drawing a picture using a box of 64 crayons.
Here's what I mean: There are some gifted people that can pull just one color out of the box and create beautiful masterpieces. (These are the companies with no written strategy document and achieve wild success anyway). There are some people who can use every color in the box and create a beautiful masterpiece with all the colors. (These are companies with very detailed and specific strategy documents and execution plans.)
For most of us, assuming we have the gift of "coloring," we could do well with 5, 8, 16 colors to make a successful drawing. To express our thoughts we need some colors but not too many.
A strategy planning session and document is the same thing to me. You don't have to have one, I know many, many companies don't. But if you don't, you will need that special talent of articulating all the elements of running a business to anyone you interact with: customers, staff, bankers, lawyers, accountants, investors, etc. And be able to know when you are doing well or not doing well to make course corrections. The entire success and failure of the company depends on your participation and without you there will be no strategy, no drawing.
I have seen companies spend 5 figure dollars for an extremely detailed strategy document tracking all the minutia of running the company. It had the answer to everything. Expect that by the time it was built life had moved on and it wasn't so relevant or required too much time to maintain. And I have experienced a series of these documents created each year to take their place of reverence on a bookshelf, never to be opened again.
I believe a strategy document that is somewhere in the middle suits most of us. We need to write down where we want the company to go (mission and vision) and we need to write down, at some level, how we are going to get there. Depending on your company and your leaders this document is going to be different - it is your picture.
Strategy is important. It communicates your goals and how you want to get there. Why do you need to share? The accountant may be able to structure a more favorable tax approach. The banker may be willing to give you a lager line of credit or more favorable rates. Your customers will "get" your business because your staff "gets" your vision.
Strategy doesn't need to be complicated but it needs to be written. Your business is your masterpiece, pick your colors wisely.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Culture Takes Effort
I hear people talk about good culture, bad culture, relaxed culture, uptight culture, etc. But what is this thing we call culture? One definition is that culture is your reason for "being" and your "heart and soul."
I like this definition, it focuses on the foundation that the business is built on and the core ideologies of the leaders. But practically defining culture is not easy and is hard to find tangible evidence for it improving work productivity. Let's explore further why culture is so important.
1. All other business processes, systems, and customers are influenced by the culture.
If it is built on trust, your company is trustworthy.
If it is built on integrity, your company is reliable.
If it is built on profitability, your company is looking to improve sales, etc.
But these are not inter-related unless the leaders make them this way. You could have a company that focuses on integrity but tends to give away product to please the customer. You may have a company that focuses on profitability, seemingly at any cost to the customer (selling them product they don't need so you meet your quota).
2. Setting and changing culture requires effort. If the leaders core ideology is trust, integrity and profitability - all together - then how do they develop that culture within the company? Establishing or changing culture is a long and repeated education process. The leaders need to define what is important, give examples, provide rewards, be consistent, and take all opportunities to act in this manner to set examples. And this should flow down to the next line managers and down to the staff.
3. Culture makes vision, mission and strategy clearer. With a core ideology to guide the leaders, the direction the company must take to be successful shapes itself and helps to align the strategy with the culture.
4. Culture helps define what type of people you need to hire and retain. The people working for you not only need to have the appropriate skill set but they also need to match your culture. If not you will have a bad fit and the supervisory headaches to follow.
5. Culture then helps define your processes and your organization design.
Around and around it goes, your culture is the foundation of your success. Do you know how you define your culture? Do you work at ensuring this culture permeates the entire organization? We can measure the impact of your culture.
I like this definition, it focuses on the foundation that the business is built on and the core ideologies of the leaders. But practically defining culture is not easy and is hard to find tangible evidence for it improving work productivity. Let's explore further why culture is so important.
1. All other business processes, systems, and customers are influenced by the culture.
If it is built on trust, your company is trustworthy.
If it is built on integrity, your company is reliable.
If it is built on profitability, your company is looking to improve sales, etc.
But these are not inter-related unless the leaders make them this way. You could have a company that focuses on integrity but tends to give away product to please the customer. You may have a company that focuses on profitability, seemingly at any cost to the customer (selling them product they don't need so you meet your quota).
2. Setting and changing culture requires effort. If the leaders core ideology is trust, integrity and profitability - all together - then how do they develop that culture within the company? Establishing or changing culture is a long and repeated education process. The leaders need to define what is important, give examples, provide rewards, be consistent, and take all opportunities to act in this manner to set examples. And this should flow down to the next line managers and down to the staff.
3. Culture makes vision, mission and strategy clearer. With a core ideology to guide the leaders, the direction the company must take to be successful shapes itself and helps to align the strategy with the culture.
4. Culture helps define what type of people you need to hire and retain. The people working for you not only need to have the appropriate skill set but they also need to match your culture. If not you will have a bad fit and the supervisory headaches to follow.
5. Culture then helps define your processes and your organization design.
Around and around it goes, your culture is the foundation of your success. Do you know how you define your culture? Do you work at ensuring this culture permeates the entire organization? We can measure the impact of your culture.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Transform Your Business - 7 steps
There is only one overarching business system for every business. It has 7 steps.
1. RESULTS
2. ENVIRONMENT
3. SYSTEMS
4. STRUCTURE
5. CORE PROCESS
6. STRATEGY
7. CULTURE
The first two elements are external to your control.
1.The results are what happen and are measurable. If we use a black box analogy, the results are outside the box and occur as a result of what happens inside the box.
2. The environment is the world in which you operate. Is it a small local business, on the Internet, highly regulated, a corporate political club, seasonal, real estate affected by rate changes, etc. The environment is all the outside influencing factors on your business, primarily the things you have no direct control. I like to think of these as my constraints.
So we get results which are constrained to a degree by our environment. The remainder of the steps are completely within our control and is the difference between poor, good, and great business performance. Systems, structure, core processes, strategy, culture are sequential yet inter-related steps that we can evaluate, define and measure. Tomorrow we will discuss these steps. Today think about what results you measure and what constraints you have on your business.
1. RESULTS
2. ENVIRONMENT
3. SYSTEMS
4. STRUCTURE
5. CORE PROCESS
6. STRATEGY
7. CULTURE
The first two elements are external to your control.
1.The results are what happen and are measurable. If we use a black box analogy, the results are outside the box and occur as a result of what happens inside the box.
2. The environment is the world in which you operate. Is it a small local business, on the Internet, highly regulated, a corporate political club, seasonal, real estate affected by rate changes, etc. The environment is all the outside influencing factors on your business, primarily the things you have no direct control. I like to think of these as my constraints.
So we get results which are constrained to a degree by our environment. The remainder of the steps are completely within our control and is the difference between poor, good, and great business performance. Systems, structure, core processes, strategy, culture are sequential yet inter-related steps that we can evaluate, define and measure. Tomorrow we will discuss these steps. Today think about what results you measure and what constraints you have on your business.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Find your center
Yesterday I had the opportunity to listen and watch to some great motivational speakers. One of the topics they talked about was success and how to visualize success. Basically, you cannot just visualize the "finish line" you need to see what it looks like when your done. I absolutely agree as this keeps you from stopping short of your ultimate goals.
For an example the speaker used an analogy of breaking a pine board. Now, if you have done this before this task isn't that hard, but it isn't easy either. There is some technique required to be successful.
So the speaker brought up a volunteer and told her to visualize having broken the board, told her to practice the basic move, told her to act like she was Arnold Schwarzenegger and off she tried. 1, 2, 3 ka-bam - the board did not break. The speaker coached her some more and she tried two more times. She was a focused student but the board did not break.
This is what I saw. The speaker gave her a goal and showed her how to use the tool of a punch but he did not show her how to find her center, her foundation. See the trick to this task is to use the power of your core and drive that power through the board. Sure, if you are a strong person you can bust a board with just the strength of your arms, but that is not the point of harnessing your strength.
Find your center. Which means know where you come from, know where your strength lives inside you. Set up this foundation as the basis of beginning. If you don't have a solid foundation you decrease your chances of success at the end.
This women needed to set her feet, bend her knees and feel the power that runs through her body. This power is what needed to be focused on the spot just past the board, not just her hand. Be strong and focus your strength just past the finish line. You will find success.
For an example the speaker used an analogy of breaking a pine board. Now, if you have done this before this task isn't that hard, but it isn't easy either. There is some technique required to be successful.
So the speaker brought up a volunteer and told her to visualize having broken the board, told her to practice the basic move, told her to act like she was Arnold Schwarzenegger and off she tried. 1, 2, 3 ka-bam - the board did not break. The speaker coached her some more and she tried two more times. She was a focused student but the board did not break.
This is what I saw. The speaker gave her a goal and showed her how to use the tool of a punch but he did not show her how to find her center, her foundation. See the trick to this task is to use the power of your core and drive that power through the board. Sure, if you are a strong person you can bust a board with just the strength of your arms, but that is not the point of harnessing your strength.
Find your center. Which means know where you come from, know where your strength lives inside you. Set up this foundation as the basis of beginning. If you don't have a solid foundation you decrease your chances of success at the end.
This women needed to set her feet, bend her knees and feel the power that runs through her body. This power is what needed to be focused on the spot just past the board, not just her hand. Be strong and focus your strength just past the finish line. You will find success.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Synergy - Growth - Success
Synergy, how we work together.
Growth, how we learn from each other.
Success, the fruits of our labors.
I named my company based on these principles because it is so important to remember. We cannot make it all alone, we must interact with others. This is fortunate because the people you meet add color and flavor to your life. You can use this interaction to learn or you can ignore it.
Interaction with other people is sometimes pleasant, sometimes not so pleasant but all times a learning opportunity for both of you. You can become a stronger, smarter, more centered individual if you accept the lessons of life and act on them.
Acting on the lessons lead us to success. Success has different meanings for each of us. Each definition success requires effort.
How do you create synergies in your life, in your work? Are you taking the time to learn from these opportunities and grow? Share your successes with others. Let me know how it's going.
Growth, how we learn from each other.
Success, the fruits of our labors.
I named my company based on these principles because it is so important to remember. We cannot make it all alone, we must interact with others. This is fortunate because the people you meet add color and flavor to your life. You can use this interaction to learn or you can ignore it.
Interaction with other people is sometimes pleasant, sometimes not so pleasant but all times a learning opportunity for both of you. You can become a stronger, smarter, more centered individual if you accept the lessons of life and act on them.
Acting on the lessons lead us to success. Success has different meanings for each of us. Each definition success requires effort.
How do you create synergies in your life, in your work? Are you taking the time to learn from these opportunities and grow? Share your successes with others. Let me know how it's going.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Chance favors an open mind
I have had the fortune of meeting two strangers that became friends in the last month, each providing a new outlook on the meaning of accomplishment and success.
How do strangers become friends? Be ready.
It is so easy to get caught in your usual routine, doing the same daily tasks you always do. There is comfort in a predictable life and that is understandable. But consider, once in awhile, peeking over the clouds of routine and look around to see the unknown.
My life is usually booked, minute to minute, that's how I like it. But last month I stopped to talk to someone that I may usually miss because I felt opportunity. I didn't know what it was but I stopped for a moment and spent some time with this person. It turns out this is a friend I had not yet met and we have many things to share. I feel very lucky for taking the time.
And then again this week, for some reason I contacted another stranger, no particular agenda, but just to stop and listen to opportunity. And again, it turns out we have many things to share and learn from each other. I think this meeting might turn out to be another special relationship.
But it would have been easy to keep my head down and do those things that are comfortable. What I know is that if we want to grow we need to embrace change, opportunity, and be willing.
Open your mind to possibilities that you do not know - you might find just the thing you were missing.
How do strangers become friends? Be ready.
It is so easy to get caught in your usual routine, doing the same daily tasks you always do. There is comfort in a predictable life and that is understandable. But consider, once in awhile, peeking over the clouds of routine and look around to see the unknown.
My life is usually booked, minute to minute, that's how I like it. But last month I stopped to talk to someone that I may usually miss because I felt opportunity. I didn't know what it was but I stopped for a moment and spent some time with this person. It turns out this is a friend I had not yet met and we have many things to share. I feel very lucky for taking the time.
And then again this week, for some reason I contacted another stranger, no particular agenda, but just to stop and listen to opportunity. And again, it turns out we have many things to share and learn from each other. I think this meeting might turn out to be another special relationship.
But it would have been easy to keep my head down and do those things that are comfortable. What I know is that if we want to grow we need to embrace change, opportunity, and be willing.
Open your mind to possibilities that you do not know - you might find just the thing you were missing.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
How do you know it's better or worse?
Change happens every day. We hope that it is improving performance. Sometimes we claim it is making things worse. How do you know?
Measure the things that are important.
As humans, we like to know how much better and how much worse things are. We like to seek approval or avoid punishment. As a manager, as a leader, you need to give this feedback to your staff.
Define activities that matter to your organization. What results do you expect and how do you know those results are met? Set those measures as performance standards. Set a baseline. Communicate the measures and performance expectations to your staff.
Now, enforce those performance expectations. When the staff does work to make things better - reward them. If the staff does work that makes things worse - counsel and coach them. Everyone will know when it is better and when it is worse.
Measure the things that are important.
As humans, we like to know how much better and how much worse things are. We like to seek approval or avoid punishment. As a manager, as a leader, you need to give this feedback to your staff.
Define activities that matter to your organization. What results do you expect and how do you know those results are met? Set those measures as performance standards. Set a baseline. Communicate the measures and performance expectations to your staff.
Now, enforce those performance expectations. When the staff does work to make things better - reward them. If the staff does work that makes things worse - counsel and coach them. Everyone will know when it is better and when it is worse.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Diminishing Returns
Are you working your backside off and never catching up? Sometimes, does it seem like the more you push the less you get done? Then you have discovered the law of diminishing returns!
This law states that at some point of continued investment the value received will begin to decrease. In English please... When you start a task that outcomes are a direct reflection of the amount of effort you put in. But we are human and if we continue work on the task at a machine pace the outcomes will be less significant. In fact, we may start to introduce errors into the task which requires us to go back and fix it. If we keep pushing, little if anything will get accomplished.
So have you caught yourself working late every night at the office but you never ever get through your emails, can't get the reports complete and don't know where to begin writing that proposal? Perhaps you need to realize you are caught in the law of diminishing returns and break the process. Stop working to the point of exhaustion - it isn't doing anybody any good any way. Take that extra hour and nurture the rest of your body. Spend time with friends, family, your hobby, exercise, whatever, just walk away.
Why do that when you have all this work do to? Because we are not machines and we need to balance our lives. Give your brain a break from the grind and your brain will reward you with improved productivity - more efficient, more effective. Overwork your brain and it will grind along with minimal returns. You deserve better - take a break and improve your performance.
This law states that at some point of continued investment the value received will begin to decrease. In English please... When you start a task that outcomes are a direct reflection of the amount of effort you put in. But we are human and if we continue work on the task at a machine pace the outcomes will be less significant. In fact, we may start to introduce errors into the task which requires us to go back and fix it. If we keep pushing, little if anything will get accomplished.
So have you caught yourself working late every night at the office but you never ever get through your emails, can't get the reports complete and don't know where to begin writing that proposal? Perhaps you need to realize you are caught in the law of diminishing returns and break the process. Stop working to the point of exhaustion - it isn't doing anybody any good any way. Take that extra hour and nurture the rest of your body. Spend time with friends, family, your hobby, exercise, whatever, just walk away.
Why do that when you have all this work do to? Because we are not machines and we need to balance our lives. Give your brain a break from the grind and your brain will reward you with improved productivity - more efficient, more effective. Overwork your brain and it will grind along with minimal returns. You deserve better - take a break and improve your performance.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Cherry Picking Checklists
Do you find that even despite your best efforts you are unable to get your chores done? I sometimes get caught without enough time to do tasks that I know need to get done because I need to “clean off my desk first” or “find the right pen” or “look up this one thing” or …. So I make up additional items on my list of things: clean desk, find pen, pay bills, etc. But my desk is never clean. I work at it but it never really gets done and then I do the important tasks in a last minute panic.
So I call my actions “cherry picking my checklist.” I do those things that seem easy but don’t add value to what’s important. Since I discovered how I make things harder on myself I try to recognize when I do this and stop for a minute to ask myself what is the most important? What adds value and needs to get done? And then, even if I go kicking and dragging my feet, I do what must be done. I feel better in the end and it turns out I have more time to clean my desk (but that’s not important so it does stay a mess, but I have time!).
Are you cherry picking your checklist and not getting things done? Start with the tasks that add value and stop putting it off because I have to….whatever.
So I call my actions “cherry picking my checklist.” I do those things that seem easy but don’t add value to what’s important. Since I discovered how I make things harder on myself I try to recognize when I do this and stop for a minute to ask myself what is the most important? What adds value and needs to get done? And then, even if I go kicking and dragging my feet, I do what must be done. I feel better in the end and it turns out I have more time to clean my desk (but that’s not important so it does stay a mess, but I have time!).
Are you cherry picking your checklist and not getting things done? Start with the tasks that add value and stop putting it off because I have to….whatever.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Say Thank You
I read today about how Japan has made Internet access 17 times faster than the US. Information is moving faster and faster and pushing us to act and react faster and faster. It seems that in our effort to keep the pace we forget to stop and say "Thank you."
Even as we move faster we need to remember that it is still people we communicate with and people appreciate it when they are sincerely appreciated. So today take a moment to recognize when someone gives you their time, a precious commodity, and thank them.
A sincere thank you is not often heard any more and you might be surprised by the reaction. People appreciate sincerity and appreciate being recognized for doing something good.
Even as we move faster we need to remember that it is still people we communicate with and people appreciate it when they are sincerely appreciated. So today take a moment to recognize when someone gives you their time, a precious commodity, and thank them.
A sincere thank you is not often heard any more and you might be surprised by the reaction. People appreciate sincerity and appreciate being recognized for doing something good.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Mentors needed
Sure. We have heard it before. Find a mentor to help you grow. Today I challenge you to find a way to be a mentor, even if it is just for a moment.
A mentor can be a trusted advisor or one who shares the wisdom of experience or a teacher.
It is not easy to find a good mentor. Have you been so fortunate in your life? Early in my life I was gifted with a guide to help me make better choices. The path my life was on was not a bad path but not allowing me to reach my full potential. My guide gave me suggestions to try a few new experiences that I would not have ever considered (in this case it was really tough college courses). I chose to take this advice and it has completely altered what I belive is possible in my world. I am truly blessed.
Each of us have lessons in life that we have learned from to become better people. Are you sharing these lessons with the people that look up to you? Are you available as a guide to the generation behind you? People give the world its character. You can make a difference. Teach your experiences - formally or informally - help us all grow.
A mentor can be a trusted advisor or one who shares the wisdom of experience or a teacher.
It is not easy to find a good mentor. Have you been so fortunate in your life? Early in my life I was gifted with a guide to help me make better choices. The path my life was on was not a bad path but not allowing me to reach my full potential. My guide gave me suggestions to try a few new experiences that I would not have ever considered (in this case it was really tough college courses). I chose to take this advice and it has completely altered what I belive is possible in my world. I am truly blessed.
Each of us have lessons in life that we have learned from to become better people. Are you sharing these lessons with the people that look up to you? Are you available as a guide to the generation behind you? People give the world its character. You can make a difference. Teach your experiences - formally or informally - help us all grow.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Be Here Now
I have heard this statement many times and it is worth repeating – Be Here Now.
Live in your present moment. It is the only moment that you can directly affect.
Yesterday is a memory and great for learning and building.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed, so live in right now.
I often think of this when I supervise people and they require my attention. No matter what else I have going on; this person deserves that I am in the moment to listen to them. Sometimes I feel the stress of work piling up while I am talking to my staff, but I consciously set it aside and give them my full attention. I put my pen down, turn away from my computer, and look straight at them with my ears open. When I remember to do this the moment seems to change, in good ways, right in front of me. I see appreciation from my staff for my time, they take more responsibility so that they can better use my time, and it helps me focus on the important stuff and reminds me that it is the people I work with that really make a difference.
Sometimes I can say, “Be here now;” to help me sort out what needs my immediate attention.
Be here now.
Today. What can I do today that makes a difference?
Are you here now?
Live in your present moment. It is the only moment that you can directly affect.
Yesterday is a memory and great for learning and building.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed, so live in right now.
I often think of this when I supervise people and they require my attention. No matter what else I have going on; this person deserves that I am in the moment to listen to them. Sometimes I feel the stress of work piling up while I am talking to my staff, but I consciously set it aside and give them my full attention. I put my pen down, turn away from my computer, and look straight at them with my ears open. When I remember to do this the moment seems to change, in good ways, right in front of me. I see appreciation from my staff for my time, they take more responsibility so that they can better use my time, and it helps me focus on the important stuff and reminds me that it is the people I work with that really make a difference.
Sometimes I can say, “Be here now;” to help me sort out what needs my immediate attention.
Be here now.
Today. What can I do today that makes a difference?
Are you here now?
Friday, August 24, 2007
Key Moments
Every day many events occur in your life where you must make a choice in the way you react.
Someone showed up late again - You lost your data on your computer - You have a performance appraisal - You are presenting to a group of people - You struck out at the plate again...
Do you choose to see opportunities or barriers? These are Key Moments and you have a lot of them in your every day.
Our minds are a wonderful tool that allows us to interpret the world (reality) based on our personal views. So how do you view the world? Is it a place where you see adversity as a challenge to improve or do you see adversity as someone else is screwing up again? Maybe it's different based on the event.
Consider that your actions to the event send a message about your character. If you respond to an event by accepting the facts and taking responsibility you are acting from personal integrity. If you respond to an event by selecting facts and looking for the person responsible you are acting from fear. Integrity or fear - not both.
Do you confront your life and own your actions or are you avoiding responsibility?
Think about the key moments in your day and realize that there are at least two ways to respond. Consciously think about which path you chose and why. Now consider that the others around you are having their own key moments and they must also choose. Can you empathize with their choice? Do you understand where they are coming from during interactions with you?
There is a lot to learn about yourself and the people you associate with when you understand how key moments affect us. Give it a try.
Someone showed up late again - You lost your data on your computer - You have a performance appraisal - You are presenting to a group of people - You struck out at the plate again...
Do you choose to see opportunities or barriers? These are Key Moments and you have a lot of them in your every day.
Our minds are a wonderful tool that allows us to interpret the world (reality) based on our personal views. So how do you view the world? Is it a place where you see adversity as a challenge to improve or do you see adversity as someone else is screwing up again? Maybe it's different based on the event.
Consider that your actions to the event send a message about your character. If you respond to an event by accepting the facts and taking responsibility you are acting from personal integrity. If you respond to an event by selecting facts and looking for the person responsible you are acting from fear. Integrity or fear - not both.
Do you confront your life and own your actions or are you avoiding responsibility?
Think about the key moments in your day and realize that there are at least two ways to respond. Consciously think about which path you chose and why. Now consider that the others around you are having their own key moments and they must also choose. Can you empathize with their choice? Do you understand where they are coming from during interactions with you?
There is a lot to learn about yourself and the people you associate with when you understand how key moments affect us. Give it a try.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Satisfy
I was listening to a great bass player describe what makes a great bass player and he used the words "to satisfy." This really took me by surprise, being a great player is to satisfy. He went on to explain that: of course you needed to be technically proficient, of course you needed to be thoroughly familiar with the genre but after that you need to satisfy your first audience which is the rest of the band.
It struck me that this is true in business teams as well. You need to be proficient in your discipline, this is why the company hired you. You need to be familiar with your company processes, this occurs over time. But moving from good to great means you need to satisfy your co-workers. They don't need to hear all your best solos. They don't need to hear how great you were in your last job. They need to know how you will satisfy them with the work at hand.
And strangely enough he said that the "audience" was the second audience. It turns out that if you are not satisfying to your first audience, your band mates, than the music will most likely not be satisfying to those people paying to watch you perform. I believe this is true at work as well. If you cannot satisfy your co-worker team mates than you likely will not be satisfying to you customers.
Think about this for awhile. You might find it freeing because you do not need to be perfect, you do not need to be right every time, all you need to do is to satisfy.
It struck me that this is true in business teams as well. You need to be proficient in your discipline, this is why the company hired you. You need to be familiar with your company processes, this occurs over time. But moving from good to great means you need to satisfy your co-workers. They don't need to hear all your best solos. They don't need to hear how great you were in your last job. They need to know how you will satisfy them with the work at hand.
And strangely enough he said that the "audience" was the second audience. It turns out that if you are not satisfying to your first audience, your band mates, than the music will most likely not be satisfying to those people paying to watch you perform. I believe this is true at work as well. If you cannot satisfy your co-worker team mates than you likely will not be satisfying to you customers.
Think about this for awhile. You might find it freeing because you do not need to be perfect, you do not need to be right every time, all you need to do is to satisfy.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Synergy
Synergy is about working with others. It’s about the influence you have on people and the influence they have on you. In my last post I mentioned that some of us are gifted as visionaries and some of us are gifted at action. When these two work together the results are better than the parts.
I’d like to offer an alternative dimension to this view of synergy. Consider that human synergy is related to the influence of people you have met over your lifetime. From your friends in your childhood to the friends and co-workers you have today. How have they influenced you?
When I was young I played with groups of friends and lots of team sports. Today you can find me working to develop teams, setting goals, and improving communication.
In college I met several people that had incredible task-oriented focus and discipline. Today I use their traits and stories to help stay action oriented to completing tasks.
My life has also had its share of ups and downs and from these experiences I am able to relate to other people on many levels. I can understand and be empathetic to different points of view, different learning styles, and different life goals.
Each day people influence my life and each day this synergy makes me a stronger person than I might be without the influence of people. I am collaborating with people through time, collecting experiences and offering the lessons I have learned back to the world. I believe we all do this to some extent and this is what I believe is the power of human synergy.
“I am a part of all that I have met.” Lord Alfred Tennyson
I’d like to offer an alternative dimension to this view of synergy. Consider that human synergy is related to the influence of people you have met over your lifetime. From your friends in your childhood to the friends and co-workers you have today. How have they influenced you?
When I was young I played with groups of friends and lots of team sports. Today you can find me working to develop teams, setting goals, and improving communication.
In college I met several people that had incredible task-oriented focus and discipline. Today I use their traits and stories to help stay action oriented to completing tasks.
My life has also had its share of ups and downs and from these experiences I am able to relate to other people on many levels. I can understand and be empathetic to different points of view, different learning styles, and different life goals.
Each day people influence my life and each day this synergy makes me a stronger person than I might be without the influence of people. I am collaborating with people through time, collecting experiences and offering the lessons I have learned back to the world. I believe we all do this to some extent and this is what I believe is the power of human synergy.
“I am a part of all that I have met.” Lord Alfred Tennyson
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Binding Vision and Action
I read a quote today that states “Vision without action is daydreaming and action without vision is a nightmare.” How many times have you seen these two scenarios?
My friend and I were talking about focus and the dangers of short term focus or long term focus only. I think this quote sums up these dangers.
Some of us are great at getting things done. We put our heads down and plow through the tasks at hand. This is a necessary trait and if this describes you please be aware that when you pick your head up you might have missed your original goals. Tips for you: Take the time to state your goals while working on your tasks to ensure that your short term focus is aligned with the long term goals.
Some of us are great at seeing tomorrow. We have ideas and plans that we communicate to others how to make things better for tomorrow. This is where innovation comes from and thinking out side the box. The caution for these folks is that at some point you will need to roll up your sleeves and do some of the daily incremental work to reach these visions. Tips for you: Continue to think long term but each day complete some short term goals to keep momentum towards your vision.
And if you are fortunate, partner with someone that has a complimentary focus with you. This way you can balance the short term (action)and long term (vision), work to your strengths, and we will know tomorrow will be better because the work got done today.
My friend and I were talking about focus and the dangers of short term focus or long term focus only. I think this quote sums up these dangers.
Some of us are great at getting things done. We put our heads down and plow through the tasks at hand. This is a necessary trait and if this describes you please be aware that when you pick your head up you might have missed your original goals. Tips for you: Take the time to state your goals while working on your tasks to ensure that your short term focus is aligned with the long term goals.
Some of us are great at seeing tomorrow. We have ideas and plans that we communicate to others how to make things better for tomorrow. This is where innovation comes from and thinking out side the box. The caution for these folks is that at some point you will need to roll up your sleeves and do some of the daily incremental work to reach these visions. Tips for you: Continue to think long term but each day complete some short term goals to keep momentum towards your vision.
And if you are fortunate, partner with someone that has a complimentary focus with you. This way you can balance the short term (action)and long term (vision), work to your strengths, and we will know tomorrow will be better because the work got done today.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Honor Your Feelings
Have you been in a meeting with someone and it seemed as if something was not right? Maybe you were uncomfortable or nervous; maybe the other person seemed agitated or upset...
Have you tried mentioning the uneasy feeling to that other person? You might be surprised by the results. Honor your feelings. More times than not when you honor your feelings and state what feel, the other person will respond with sincerity.
~~You are in a meeting and the tension is thick. You feel like you are just failing your presentation miserably. So you ask, "I feel like this is not what you expected. Is there something else you would like?"
"No, sorry, um, this is what I needed. I had an emergency call from corporate today. I apologize." comes the reply. ~~ So it turns out that the tension in the air has nothing to do with you and you can relax, maybe even help out.
But if you don't honor your feelings and ask you will never know. This is hard to do because it makes you feel a bit vulnerable but I recommend giving it a try. You may find that you will yield some very sincere and refreshing conversation and decrease that tension in the room.
Have you tried mentioning the uneasy feeling to that other person? You might be surprised by the results. Honor your feelings. More times than not when you honor your feelings and state what feel, the other person will respond with sincerity.
~~You are in a meeting and the tension is thick. You feel like you are just failing your presentation miserably. So you ask, "I feel like this is not what you expected. Is there something else you would like?"
"No, sorry, um, this is what I needed. I had an emergency call from corporate today. I apologize." comes the reply. ~~ So it turns out that the tension in the air has nothing to do with you and you can relax, maybe even help out.
But if you don't honor your feelings and ask you will never know. This is hard to do because it makes you feel a bit vulnerable but I recommend giving it a try. You may find that you will yield some very sincere and refreshing conversation and decrease that tension in the room.
Friday, August 3, 2007
What did you learn today?
Did you learn something today? What was it? How might this lesson apply to a future situation or a related situation?
You are your best teacher and often your worst student. The good news is that you can change that. Each day you do many activities that provide opportunities to learn and grow. You can borrow other people's experiences, read, attend classes, ask questions - all giving you more knowledge than you had. To become your own teacher you need to know what to do next. So ask yourself those questions above and teach yourself how to learn and let the student inside you come out.
I have a great example of how to be a stubborn student. I burn my mouth on hot pizza almost every time I order it. I know the sauce is hot. I know that it will burn my mouth. I eat it early anyway. But, I recognize what's going on and I could change my behavior if I don't want the consequences.
But to be a teacher to yourself you need to apply your lessons beyond the situation you were in. In my example above I have also taught myself that pierogies, potatoes, anything with hot cheese will also burn my mouth. I taught myself this because these foods have the same properties as pizza. They are hot and have something that retains heat for a long time. So I have the potential to avoid known consequences. It's now up to me to listen to my teacher and be a good student. (Patience, I won't starve to death!)
So, what did you learn today? Did you listen to your teacher?
You are your best teacher and often your worst student. The good news is that you can change that. Each day you do many activities that provide opportunities to learn and grow. You can borrow other people's experiences, read, attend classes, ask questions - all giving you more knowledge than you had. To become your own teacher you need to know what to do next. So ask yourself those questions above and teach yourself how to learn and let the student inside you come out.
I have a great example of how to be a stubborn student. I burn my mouth on hot pizza almost every time I order it. I know the sauce is hot. I know that it will burn my mouth. I eat it early anyway. But, I recognize what's going on and I could change my behavior if I don't want the consequences.
But to be a teacher to yourself you need to apply your lessons beyond the situation you were in. In my example above I have also taught myself that pierogies, potatoes, anything with hot cheese will also burn my mouth. I taught myself this because these foods have the same properties as pizza. They are hot and have something that retains heat for a long time. So I have the potential to avoid known consequences. It's now up to me to listen to my teacher and be a good student. (Patience, I won't starve to death!)
So, what did you learn today? Did you listen to your teacher?
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Have fun and smile
We all like to be around positive energy people and people that are having fun. Are you having fun and giving off positive energy?
We don't feel great everyday but we can take the time to smile. Smiling is a great way to turn attitudes around. I remember walking down Pier 39 in San Francisco and I deliberately chose to smile at those people I could make eye contact with. Not a cheesy fake smile, but a sincere nice to see you type of smile. It was amazing the number of sour faces that turned into smiling faces because I sent a little positive energy their way. I was 14 and this has stuck with me since.
As I carried this thought further along in my life I determined that if I give off positive energy to people (I smile, I laugh, make eye contact, act silly when needed) that positive energy people find me and it becomes a renewable energy source. I think this might work with negative, sour energy but I don't practice that.
So think about smiling and having fun, even in little ways, and see if you can change the attitudes of those around you.
Note: I will be practicing having fun next week - off to adult jazz camp - traditional jazz outdoors in the sierras. Whoo-hoo, I'll have a big smile for everyone.
We don't feel great everyday but we can take the time to smile. Smiling is a great way to turn attitudes around. I remember walking down Pier 39 in San Francisco and I deliberately chose to smile at those people I could make eye contact with. Not a cheesy fake smile, but a sincere nice to see you type of smile. It was amazing the number of sour faces that turned into smiling faces because I sent a little positive energy their way. I was 14 and this has stuck with me since.
As I carried this thought further along in my life I determined that if I give off positive energy to people (I smile, I laugh, make eye contact, act silly when needed) that positive energy people find me and it becomes a renewable energy source. I think this might work with negative, sour energy but I don't practice that.
So think about smiling and having fun, even in little ways, and see if you can change the attitudes of those around you.
Note: I will be practicing having fun next week - off to adult jazz camp - traditional jazz outdoors in the sierras. Whoo-hoo, I'll have a big smile for everyone.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Simply communicate
An enduring statistic - 2 out of 3 people believe that their managers do not communicate. However this seems to never be the case to the managers I ask about communication. So what's going on?
It may be that management believes they are communicating to the staff. The staff may hear management talking but believe they are not telling them what is going on. It turns out that the group responsible for this communication breakdown is the manager. If you are a misunderstood leader you are not leading. So consider the following:
1. Use the common language of your audience. You are providing direction, clarity, guidance, instruction; not reporting to a professor to prove how much you know. Speak to the people you are talking to in their terms and your deep knowledge will come through in your ability to relate.
2. Say what action you expect, don't imply it. If you are not clear it makes people feel like they need to read your mind. If you want something done in the next fifteen minutes, tell them that exactly.
3. Tell them what you can't tell them. If you have to protect confidential data (mergers and acquisitions or bonus time) tell them that you are not privileged to share all the information but this is what you can say, and say it. Tell them when more information will be available and stick to those promises. People will accept these positions if you keep your promises.
4. Listen. Listen to how your message is received. Does the receiver's face, body language, questions, actions, ecetera make sense to the message you just communicated? If not, ask questions and get feedback. You, the manager, needs to ensure clarity, so listen to see if the message was received.
Communication is work to ensure your message is heard. Make communication simple and improve your chances so that you are not the 2 out of 3 managers that fail to communicate.
It may be that management believes they are communicating to the staff. The staff may hear management talking but believe they are not telling them what is going on. It turns out that the group responsible for this communication breakdown is the manager. If you are a misunderstood leader you are not leading. So consider the following:
1. Use the common language of your audience. You are providing direction, clarity, guidance, instruction; not reporting to a professor to prove how much you know. Speak to the people you are talking to in their terms and your deep knowledge will come through in your ability to relate.
2. Say what action you expect, don't imply it. If you are not clear it makes people feel like they need to read your mind. If you want something done in the next fifteen minutes, tell them that exactly.
3. Tell them what you can't tell them. If you have to protect confidential data (mergers and acquisitions or bonus time) tell them that you are not privileged to share all the information but this is what you can say, and say it. Tell them when more information will be available and stick to those promises. People will accept these positions if you keep your promises.
4. Listen. Listen to how your message is received. Does the receiver's face, body language, questions, actions, ecetera make sense to the message you just communicated? If not, ask questions and get feedback. You, the manager, needs to ensure clarity, so listen to see if the message was received.
Communication is work to ensure your message is heard. Make communication simple and improve your chances so that you are not the 2 out of 3 managers that fail to communicate.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Big Picture – Vigilance Required
Have you got caught running down a familiar path only to find that, this time, the path was not leading you to the right destination? It is so easy to find yourself in these circumstances letting familiarity cloud your thoughts and hinder your view of the entire map so you can see that you are navigating to the right destination.
I have seen this in responding to customer inquiries. There were times that the Number One Client asked the Contracting Company for a cost benefit analysis for a new idea in the current project. The Contracting Company leaders responded, delivering a cost benefit analysis for that specific new idea. In going through the routine steps they never stopped to look at the big picture, at least see how the new idea fit in the end-to-end project lifecycle and evaluate if the new idea be in-line with the final outcome objective. Rather, they evaluated the new idea for a point in time and how it impacts just the surrounding tasks. So many times following this style the Number One Client would get frustrated when, acting on the Contracting Company’s recommendation, to find that it has moved the project slightly off target.
It is so easy to fall into this trap. There are many forces pushing towards the “right here and now” answer – time, demand, over-worked load, expectations, lack of clear priorities. To combat these forces we must be constantly vigilant of this situation. If you find yourself doing things without thinking, pause and ask yourself if the actions you are about to take are aligned with the big picture. If you are unsure, further investigation is warranted and absolutely necessary. Making a minor course correction now will lead to happy customers down the road when you have reached the planned final destination.
I have seen this in responding to customer inquiries. There were times that the Number One Client asked the Contracting Company for a cost benefit analysis for a new idea in the current project. The Contracting Company leaders responded, delivering a cost benefit analysis for that specific new idea. In going through the routine steps they never stopped to look at the big picture, at least see how the new idea fit in the end-to-end project lifecycle and evaluate if the new idea be in-line with the final outcome objective. Rather, they evaluated the new idea for a point in time and how it impacts just the surrounding tasks. So many times following this style the Number One Client would get frustrated when, acting on the Contracting Company’s recommendation, to find that it has moved the project slightly off target.
It is so easy to fall into this trap. There are many forces pushing towards the “right here and now” answer – time, demand, over-worked load, expectations, lack of clear priorities. To combat these forces we must be constantly vigilant of this situation. If you find yourself doing things without thinking, pause and ask yourself if the actions you are about to take are aligned with the big picture. If you are unsure, further investigation is warranted and absolutely necessary. Making a minor course correction now will lead to happy customers down the road when you have reached the planned final destination.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Doubt is a devilish demon...
"Doubt is a devilish demon, always lurking in a dimly lit corner of our minds, that cold thought against which we try to build the bonfire of confidence, hoping against hope to hold indecision at bay." writes Ron Sirak for ESPN about Michelle Wie.
What a great description of how we can sabotage ourselves from the great work we have inside us. Ron Sirak is describing a golf game, but this comment could easily be describing you at your next public speaking event (the big meeting), or delivering that report your client has been waiting for, or that first counseling session now that you were promoted to manager. You started out confident and now that the milestone approaches, doubt creeps in and slowly you have a paralyzing uncertainty gripping you.
At some point we all have this experience and know how frustrating it can be to begin to question yourself and your capabilities. How can we recover? First breathe and relax. You are here because you are capable. You are here because you are the right person for the task. You are here because you know that you are ready for the challenge. Check your list of things that must be done to consider whether your task is complete. Did you do your homework? Did you put your best effort towards completion? If you answered yes, then jump in and you'll be fine. You don't need to be perfect, but you need to be prepared. If you answered no, then go back and do your homework. If you didn't put the background effort in then the people you must perform for will not be as tolerant. It is these unprepared times that it seems like you will never have the right answer.
Confidence comes from hard work and homework towards your objective, sports or work. Building confidence in one area of your life spills over into other areas. The more times you prepare and are successful, the more times you will reach success. Find ways to build your confidence and keep that devilish demon tucked back in the recess of your mind.
What a great description of how we can sabotage ourselves from the great work we have inside us. Ron Sirak is describing a golf game, but this comment could easily be describing you at your next public speaking event (the big meeting), or delivering that report your client has been waiting for, or that first counseling session now that you were promoted to manager. You started out confident and now that the milestone approaches, doubt creeps in and slowly you have a paralyzing uncertainty gripping you.
At some point we all have this experience and know how frustrating it can be to begin to question yourself and your capabilities. How can we recover? First breathe and relax. You are here because you are capable. You are here because you are the right person for the task. You are here because you know that you are ready for the challenge. Check your list of things that must be done to consider whether your task is complete. Did you do your homework? Did you put your best effort towards completion? If you answered yes, then jump in and you'll be fine. You don't need to be perfect, but you need to be prepared. If you answered no, then go back and do your homework. If you didn't put the background effort in then the people you must perform for will not be as tolerant. It is these unprepared times that it seems like you will never have the right answer.
Confidence comes from hard work and homework towards your objective, sports or work. Building confidence in one area of your life spills over into other areas. The more times you prepare and are successful, the more times you will reach success. Find ways to build your confidence and keep that devilish demon tucked back in the recess of your mind.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Motivate your staff!
Maybe you have a staff of one, 30, or more - you are their leader to guide them and in turn they will help your business prosper. What can you do to motivate them to deliver results? Make them relevant.
It is a simple tool, if used properly, will yield exponential results. On any team or organization their is some objective that needs to be accomplished. Does your business develop high-tech equipment to sell to customers or do you run a car dealership? It doesn't matter what your objective is, what matters is telling each employee how they are important to that objective. People want to feel they are relevant, they want to know what they do makes a difference. It's up to you to tell them.
For instance, at our example high-tech company it is easy to figure out how the engineers are relevant but what about the accounting department or other support functions? You have them because business would sink without them - tell them that. Tell them that accounting is important because it keeps track of our vendors payments so we can have a good relationship with the vendors which helps us get our supplies on time so we can manufacture and deliver to our customers. Tell them their importance with conviction and sincerity. You will find wonderful results. Vendor management will become reliable and consistent. You will have better supply chain control. Your production forecasts will be better because of it. Your customers will return because you are reliable. Your business will make more money.
Show you staff that they matter and you will find a staff that becomes more productive.
It is a simple tool, if used properly, will yield exponential results. On any team or organization their is some objective that needs to be accomplished. Does your business develop high-tech equipment to sell to customers or do you run a car dealership? It doesn't matter what your objective is, what matters is telling each employee how they are important to that objective. People want to feel they are relevant, they want to know what they do makes a difference. It's up to you to tell them.
For instance, at our example high-tech company it is easy to figure out how the engineers are relevant but what about the accounting department or other support functions? You have them because business would sink without them - tell them that. Tell them that accounting is important because it keeps track of our vendors payments so we can have a good relationship with the vendors which helps us get our supplies on time so we can manufacture and deliver to our customers. Tell them their importance with conviction and sincerity. You will find wonderful results. Vendor management will become reliable and consistent. You will have better supply chain control. Your production forecasts will be better because of it. Your customers will return because you are reliable. Your business will make more money.
Show you staff that they matter and you will find a staff that becomes more productive.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Making Sense = Making Cents
Business happens at an incredibly fast pace and requires that you have a broad range of knowledge to make rapid decisions. How can you keep up and keep moving in the right direction? Simple common sense.
It seems in our highly technical world we sometimes forget that a simple "gut check" of the situation may be the key to the answer.
I spoke with a retired hardware store owner and he described to me all the things he had to make decisions on every day: cash flow, sales, inventory, customers, staff, vendors, bankers, accountants, etc. His expertise in hardware was way down the list, an important foundation, but no longer a hot topic he got to enjoy every day. So was he an expert in all those other areas - No way! He said what kept him moving towards his business goals was good old fashioned common sense. If something seemed out of place, odd, or caught his attention, he would stop to ask if it made any sense. Why was bulk inventory of widget A being ordered when I see some on the shelf? How do I position my financials to get lines of credit with my vendors? Why did lawn mowers sales drop off? Simple questions but all tied to his business strategy to run a profitable store.
Moral of the story - Remember Common Sense is a very powerful tool to deliver cents - or dollars - to your business.
It seems in our highly technical world we sometimes forget that a simple "gut check" of the situation may be the key to the answer.
I spoke with a retired hardware store owner and he described to me all the things he had to make decisions on every day: cash flow, sales, inventory, customers, staff, vendors, bankers, accountants, etc. His expertise in hardware was way down the list, an important foundation, but no longer a hot topic he got to enjoy every day. So was he an expert in all those other areas - No way! He said what kept him moving towards his business goals was good old fashioned common sense. If something seemed out of place, odd, or caught his attention, he would stop to ask if it made any sense. Why was bulk inventory of widget A being ordered when I see some on the shelf? How do I position my financials to get lines of credit with my vendors? Why did lawn mowers sales drop off? Simple questions but all tied to his business strategy to run a profitable store.
Moral of the story - Remember Common Sense is a very powerful tool to deliver cents - or dollars - to your business.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
What do you do when no one is watching?
A couple directions to go to answer this question, but I'm talking about at work...
When the pressure for results are high...
When you have a lull...
When you are angry or frustrated...
Do you act from your core values and act with integrity?
Why do I ask? Wow, because the professional sports world has really seemed to have a few high profile failures of integrity. Sports are interesting an microcosm of work towards defined performance measures that are routinely evaluated. The pressure to meet those metrics is immense and provides opportunity to measure yourself against your values. It also provides temptation for quick payoffs and recognition.
At work, fortunately, you are not being watched as closely as the professional athlete which means you need to be your own evaluator. When you have choices of which actions to take, check with yourself to see if your action is in line with your core values. Making decisions from your value base will reflect on the quality of your character and, in turn, garner the respect of the people you associate with.
When the pressure for results are high...
When you have a lull...
When you are angry or frustrated...
Do you act from your core values and act with integrity?
Why do I ask? Wow, because the professional sports world has really seemed to have a few high profile failures of integrity. Sports are interesting an microcosm of work towards defined performance measures that are routinely evaluated. The pressure to meet those metrics is immense and provides opportunity to measure yourself against your values. It also provides temptation for quick payoffs and recognition.
At work, fortunately, you are not being watched as closely as the professional athlete which means you need to be your own evaluator. When you have choices of which actions to take, check with yourself to see if your action is in line with your core values. Making decisions from your value base will reflect on the quality of your character and, in turn, garner the respect of the people you associate with.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Things that must be done
We all have our lists of "Things To Do." So how is it that at the end of the day it feels like you missed something? That's because we do not focus and prioritize our list.
We have things on the list because our boss needs it, our staff needs it, our customer needs it, our spouse needs it, I need it. We have things on the list that we enjoy doing, don't mind doing, and "isn't there something else I can do to put this off." So how can you focus and feel more productive?
You have priorities in your life, write those down. It could be that your number one priority is family, number two is work, number three is etc... This action already is helping you see how to focus on the things that must be done.
What are "Things That Must Be Done?" These are the tasks and actions in your day that cannot wait one more day to fulfill your life's priorities. This is not the list of most important things. For instance paying bills is imporant but it doesn't make the "Things That Must Be Done" list until the due date.
ACTION:
1. Prioritize the goals in your life.
2. For each day make a list of the Things That Must Be Done that day to meet your goals.
3. You can add other important things to the list, but at the bottom.
4. Start on the acting on the item at the top - it must be done!
Notice: This does not take into account whether you like the action or not. It simply focuses you on the steps required to meet your goals.
Check it out and see if at the end of the day you feel as if more stuff that mattered got done. Let me know if it helps!
We have things on the list because our boss needs it, our staff needs it, our customer needs it, our spouse needs it, I need it. We have things on the list that we enjoy doing, don't mind doing, and "isn't there something else I can do to put this off." So how can you focus and feel more productive?
You have priorities in your life, write those down. It could be that your number one priority is family, number two is work, number three is etc... This action already is helping you see how to focus on the things that must be done.
What are "Things That Must Be Done?" These are the tasks and actions in your day that cannot wait one more day to fulfill your life's priorities. This is not the list of most important things. For instance paying bills is imporant but it doesn't make the "Things That Must Be Done" list until the due date.
ACTION:
1. Prioritize the goals in your life.
2. For each day make a list of the Things That Must Be Done that day to meet your goals.
3. You can add other important things to the list, but at the bottom.
4. Start on the acting on the item at the top - it must be done!
Notice: This does not take into account whether you like the action or not. It simply focuses you on the steps required to meet your goals.
Check it out and see if at the end of the day you feel as if more stuff that mattered got done. Let me know if it helps!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Leaders walk the unknown path
Are you a leader? What's the toughest part of leading for you? I have noticed that the hardest part is being the first to walk into the unknown. Your staff or your team are looking to you for direction when faced with uncertainty. Your measure as leader will be taken when you brave the unknown to determine which direction to go next.
Will you be right? Not all the time and maybe not often at all. But there are no rules that say you must be right everytime. People expect leaders to try and if they stumble, try again. The more times you try the more times you becomes successful and the easier it gets to take that first step.
And when you step out will have found your measure of leadership to achieve success.
Will you be right? Not all the time and maybe not often at all. But there are no rules that say you must be right everytime. People expect leaders to try and if they stumble, try again. The more times you try the more times you becomes successful and the easier it gets to take that first step.
And when you step out will have found your measure of leadership to achieve success.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Transitions
Just jumped ship from my nice cozy, predictable life inside a Fortune 500 company to begin a brand new adventure! I am now an entrepreneur with all the joys and challenges that fit that title. The roller coaster has been more up and down during week one than I expected. Work gets done slower - no staff to delegate it to...I make all the decisions - what happened to my team??...I have no more routine - what am I supposed to be doing now?
I am so excited to being this new adventure and share the journey with you.
You can visit my website at www.SGSInstitute.com
I am so excited to being this new adventure and share the journey with you.
You can visit my website at www.SGSInstitute.com
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