Category Archives: Results

Next Year Will Be Great! Won’t It?

“Next year” is such a comfortable phrase. It promises hope, new adventures, a renewed entrepreneurial spirit and the future of producing new results. ”Next year” means putting away past disappointments and failure—a new beginning filled with creation and light.

We feel good when we say it. It’s like a universal pass to productivity and success for “not now” but “Next Year”. With all of its possibility and light, we need to be cautious about that phrase and know what we are saying and what we mean when we say it. It gets us off the hook for what we can do now and lulls business people into thinking they are being productive when actually they are putting something off instead.

Unless the phrase and your mindset has been conditioned it can derail you and cripple your progress as you build your business success. What conditioned means in this sense is to adapt the phrase in such a way that it means something active and conscious as in pinning it down with a “by when date”, with specific actions and expected results.

Without proper conditioning the phrase “next year” becomes something that gets you off the hook for now but will actually cripple your success for the time the real next year rolls along. Here are some things that clients have said recently that they are doing “next year”: build a new web site, re-write their sales proposition, re-write their business plan, develop a contact management system, and add a new currently undeveloped offering to their clients.

It all sounds so good on this side of Next Year. But is it really going to happen? Doubtful without intentional, truthful conditioning.

This is the time, now, right now, to write down all the things that you are going to do next year and with a 2015 Calendar condition each item with a “by when date”, expected actions and results. The conditioned list is your pathway to your future that you are creating now. With a pathway that is clearly marked with dates and actions, you will be way ahead of the business people who are letting themselves relax right now and who are promising themselves that they really are going to do “that thing” next year.

Let’s start now, in the space provided below, share what you will do Next Year and say by when you will do it as well as what the expected result will be. I look forward to hearing from you.

Does Coaching Work? A Golf Story

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Yesterday my husband told me, “Susan, I finally understand what coaching is all about.”

Until this past May he had not hit a golf ball for almost 50 years. Now he is playing again and last week he actually won a round.

What he said was that one of his golfing partners started to very subtly give him some coaching. He did what the “coach” said and his game improved. The next time they went out together to play, the “coach” pointed out some more things about his swing. My husband says he listens carefully to the coach, puts in the correction—and his game improves. The last time they played, he won a round. He was delighted. “I beat the coach,” he said—but then he laughed, “Of course on the back nine he slaughtered me.” He went on to say, “This is what you do with your coaching clients—you point out things they can’t see, and when they put in the correction they win at the game of business.”

He is right. Coaching is all about listening to the coach then being in action with whatever the coach says to do. It works like magic when the client does it that way.

So then, why do people continue to hire a coach? If this is all so easy, one would think that there would be thousands of successful businesses and thousands of unemployed coaches. What is the factor that stops the magic of coaching? Resistance.

What is resistance? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as: refusal to accept something new or different: effort made to stop or to fight against someone or something: the ability to prevent something from having an effect

Think about it. As humans we are a huge resistance machine. We don’t like change, and we certainly don’t like being told what to do. We work very hard at avoiding the domination of another person, even if we are paying this person to advise us. Crazy huh? And yet, you know I am right.

When we give up resisting the coach, our game gets better; when we don’t give it up we continue to play the same old golf game.

I look forward to your comments. What do you resist? What are willing to give up in order to experience success? I look forward to hearing from you.

If Profit Isn’t the Purpose, What Is Its Cause?

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Profit isn’t a purpose, it’s a result. To have purpose means the things we do are of real value to others.

-Simon Sinek

The passing of Labor Day has signaled the end to summer and perhaps, for most, the end of summer holidays, leisurely passing time in the vacation mode. It is time to ease our way back into the business of our business. September allows us to transition to a more focused back to work mode. It is a time to consider what it is that we have accomplished so far this year in our work and what it is that we still want to or will accomplish before the end of the year.

It is the perfect opportunity to reflect on the quote from Simon Sinek about purpose and the place profit has in examining our purpose. For some entrepreneurs, profit is the all-encompassing measurement of our entrepreneurial success. For some it is as if profit is synonymous with purpose. However, as Sinek points out: “Profit isn’t purpose, it’s a result.”

If what Sinek says is true then it is best to look at what your purpose is in business. Is it, as he says, to provide “real value” to others? If so, what is real value? Only our specific target market can speak to what they see as valuable. That is why it is very important to get to know your target market to the point where you see that market not as a group but as a person, who, at least to you, has a name, gender, marital status, a specific income, certain worries, concerns, and lives in a specific place. If you pass over this step in doing your target market research, and developing the target market profile, your intention to be of service or to provide real value will be diminished. And mostly likely, since profit is a result not a purpose, your profit will also be smaller than you had hoped.

Fortunately, we have the time now in early September to make changes in our business that can impact our bottom line for the year. If you find that your target market isn’t defined enough, now is the time to do that. There is plenty of information about doing so on the internet.

What is your response to the Sinek quote? And what exactly is he pointing to, from your point of view? I look forward to reading your comments about this topic.

Do Your Emails Ruin Your Relationships?

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There are “about” 59,900,000 submissions regarding Email Etiquette on the internet, according to Google.

I suspect if you were quizzed about the proper etiquette for emails you would ace the test. That is, if you knew there was going to be quiz. However, every day the wonder of email is being abused. Feelings are hurt, people are misunderstood, and people are even being fired by email.

We see it all the time in politics, people publicly humiliated because some governmental committee has subpoenaed their emails. And there it is out in the open for everyone to see—how snarky and unprofessional the subpoenaed person is—all because of their emails.

And yet, we continue to use emails as a way to express ourselves without abandon. And email abuse continues on its merry way in our lives.

One of the times that our emails do not serve us is when we are angry. Say we have been sending emails to someone about something delicate. The money they owe you. And their only response has been silence. Often times we get angrier and angrier and so do our emails. Instead try this: pick up the telephone and call them—actually talk about the situation in real time. You may find out something has happened that prevented them from paying you. You may together find a solution that works for both of you if you talk it out.

There is something about being present, even on the telephone that can soothe hurt feelings and also give both parties an opportunity to work with each other instead of against each other.

If you think about it, world peace negotiations are done in person not via email. There is a reason for that. Face to face, person to person works. Granted you are not in disastrous situations but it may seem that way to you in your personal corner of the world. Imagine what you could work out with your staff, clients and colleagues, if you did the same thing—talk about the situation in person.

There is something about the personal touch that makes a huge difference with people. Please use it as much as you can. Think about this the next time you decide to write an angry email about some challenge or slight. It could make a huge difference in the quality of your business and personal relationships.

As always, I look forward to hearing from you about this topic. Your comments always enrich the conversation. Please write your comments below.

photo courtesy of Freedigitalphoto.net

Make The Mid-Year Review of Your Business Easier

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It is that time of the year. July marks the half year mark and is traditionally the time to do your mid-year business review. If you are a business professional who writes a detailed business plan, makes a financial forecast, and looks forward to meeting with your accountant each month, this blog is not for you. However, if you are an entrepreneur who writes his business plan on the back of a napkin and lets his bank balance be his indicator of profit, you may find this guide useful.

First step is to review what you intended to accomplish. It may be as simple as increase your revenue by $2000 each month, or increase the readers of your monthly tip newsletter to 500 each month. Whatever you have intended to accomplish, write it down and then see where you are now. This is NOT the time to beat yourself up with regret and remorse. Regret and remorse do not move the action moving forward—they stop action. This review is simply to determine what is so in your business as of July, 2014. Simple and factual.

Once you have determined what is so, make a list of what you want to change or accomplish. Brainstorm what actions you can take now to change what is already happening. It may be that some things are just sitting there waiting for your attention, or that some things are stagnant and need a push to go further. Usually you have potential clients who haven’t made a decision to buy whatever it is you are selling. You may have forgotten about them, or decided they were duds. Either way they linger on your potential sale sheet taking up space and sapping your energy. Contact them one more time, and if they make no signs of buying your product take them off your list. Set them free, and by doing so you will set yourself free. You may be surprised. Just last week one of my clients contacted a dud and the dud bought. Either way close them or take them off your list.

This is easier than you thought, Right? Make a list of what you wanted to accomplish in 2014; review the list; get into action with the stuff you forgot about or gave up on, and then make a new list of what you intend to accomplish by January, 2015. Then get back to work with no regrets, just a resolve knowing that you do know what to do and how to do it.

In the comments below, let me know how you did with your mid-year review. I look forward to hearing from you!

Photo compliments of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How Well Does Accountability Play with Responsibility?

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Give someone responsibility and they will do their best. Make them accountable and they will do even better.

Simon Sinek

What happens when you add the ingredient of “accountability” to “responsibility”? Simon Sinek, author and visionary thinker, suggests that these two traits combined result in a better way to get results.

Many of us are confused about the distinction between accountability and responsibility. Let’s look at how they are defined first by Merriam -Webster and see how they differ and complement each other.

Responsibility: the state of being the person who caused something to happen: a duty or task that you are required or expected to do

Accountability: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions

At first glance they seem like similar terms, don’t they? They are different in the way that they are used in that responsibility points to something that you are required to do, whereas accountability points to accepting the task and saying, “You can count on me and hold me to account to complete the task.”

When you begin doing some critical thinking about it, you will be able to consider that there is a merging of the two definitions that make them stronger together. Consider that taking responsibility is accepting that you are required or expected to do something, whereas adding accountability is a willingness to take on a task and be “count-on-able” to get that task done.

Put into everyday language: responsibility means, “I will take the credit if it works and the blame if it doesn’t”—whereas accountability is, “It will work!”

In looking at your life, can you see that when you are responsible and accountable for your actions that you are stronger and in a powerful position? And when you have been only responsible that the tendency to be victimized by accepting a task occurs. However, when you accept responsibility and accountability, the victim disappears and who emerges is a confident person who can deliver what they say they will deliver.

I look forward to hearing from you about this conversation. Please comment below. Have a terrific week!

What Do You Do To Handle A Big Challenge? Have You Tried Responsibility?

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We all have been there. Just when we think we have life handled, here comes a challenge, one that we haven’t had before and perhaps have no reference to look to for how to handle it. So what do you do?

The standard way of facing a challenge is the same way we handle most things that stymy us. We handle it in stages. The first stage is denial. You know, it’s not real, it will go away and leave you alone. However, no matter how long you deny it, it just sits there waiting to be handled. You peek out from under the covers, and there it is.

The second stage is blaming someone or something else for making this our problem. Again, this is another form of denial, and we search in some very creative places to find out what plague has put this challenge in our life. We resort to all sorts of information that will say that this challenge isn’t our fault, and perhaps look to the information for the answer. Ever tried reading Tarot cards, I Ching or astrological signs? Maybe a planet is in retrograde?

Of course, the challenge still sits there waiting for us to handle it. So there we are; we can’t deny it’s there, and even if the planet is in retrograde, it’s not going to make it go away. So what is next?

We could jump the stages and simply be responsible.

Be responsible and own the challenge. What do I mean by that? Be willing to say, “Somehow, and maybe I don’t know how, I caused this challenge to occur. I can own it and I am responsible for handling it.” Responsibility is a very powerful tool. Being responsible is powered by a power much greater than blame, guilt and shame. It gets you out of the blame/victim cycle, which is never creative nor energetic.

Once you can honestly say, “I am responsible for this challenge”, it releases much of the energy surrounding it and it becomes simply another problem that needs to be solved. Then you can call together your circle of colleagues and friends who have demonstrated their commitment to your success and ask them to “Master Mind” a solution with you. Notice that I said, with you, not for you. I am interested to hear from you about how you handle challenges and if you have tried simply being responsible for it. If so, please say how it has worked out for you. I look forward to your comments!

photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net(stockimages)

Do You Know One Reason Why You Resist Change? It May Surprise You.

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What makes people resist change? This comment from one of my clients made me think:

“Ah, resistant to change – who, me? My first thought about change is that I am too lazy to change. I’ve done something for so long I don’t have to give it much thought to continue doing it. If I make a conscientious decision to change something, I have to get out of my comfort zone, I have to give it more thought than I normally would and I have to hit up against not knowing how it will turn out. You’d think that if something I’d been doing hadn’t been working out well for me, I’d be more than willing to shake things up a bit, but human nature being what it is…”

But what if the resistance to change is simpler than that? What if it is simply the avoidance of the domination of the change?

If change is involved, then the ways that you have done things will have to be re-thought, you will have to put your attention on the steps to take to change whatever, since it will be new to you. Your old way of doing things has been comfortable; they required a minimum of thought. Now YOU will have to take concrete steps to make change occur. Change begins to dominate you, and YOU hate to be dominated. So, what do you do? You avoid the change. By the way, all of this reaction and inaction is not conscious, it’s was programmed into you when you were a little, tiny person. Probably about 2 years old. That was when bigger people started telling you “No” and you didn’t like it. Remember?

The best way to have change be easy is to first ask yourself: Am I resisting the domination of change? If the answer is yes, then ask: What’s in it for me? Get clear about the benefits of making the change. Are there any benefits?

Do you have things in your life that you have been putting up with, rather than changing them? Think about one thing that you would like to change, yet haven’t. See if you are avoiding the domination of change. Ask yourself: Is there anything in it for me—really—or is it just a good idea, my own or someone else’s? The answer may surprise you.

photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Are You Resisting Change?

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“Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.”
Legendary Basketball Coach, John Wooden

There you are looking at your results, knowing once again, clearly you failed. The results are there staring at you, pointing their fingers at the failure sign above your head. What do you do? Once you have determined that something in your approach has to change, do you make the change? Probably not. If you are like me, you most likely try the same thing again, hoping you will have a different result.

What is it about change that we resist so much? I did some research. Lisa Quast, in Forbes, summarized it succinctly:

Fear of the unknown/surprise
Mistrust
Loss of security/control
Bad timing
An individual’s predisposition

Bingo! If you have 3 out of 5 reasons residing in you, you resist change. So what are you going to do about it when you know that change is calling you?

I suggest that you do some work using the above 5 factors to be your guide. Set aside some time and grab some paper and begin to write down your answers.

Ask yourself:

What am I afraid of?
Am I surprised about the change required? And why?
Who do I not trust about making the change? And why?
What about this change makes me feel insecure and out of control?
How does the timing of the change affect me and my business?
How am I about change in general? Do I always resist change? Why is that?

Allow yourself time to reflect on the answers and you may be surprised by them. When you are honest with yourself, you can develop a strategy for the change that won’t be so jarring. You will feel in control, and you can plan the timing of the change. Who knows, you may even begin to like change.

I look forward to hearing your comments about this topic and what happened when you took a look at the change by answering the questions above.

Are You Using These Simple Questions to Bust Up Your Blocked Creativity?

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Does this ever happen to you? You have a great idea. You know it’s going to change the way you do business or live your life. You know it’s going to be great.

But—and this is a big BUT—you are stuck. How do I start? And how do I deliver on this great new idea? All of us have been there.

Well, here’s a tip to get you moving. Ask yourself these questions: What is my purpose? What are my three intentions in achieving my purpose? Write out your purpose and three intentions for the project. If you know both the purpose and intentions, the planning to execute it will come naturally.

Of course, you do have to do some critical thinking. It sounds easy at first, but at second glance maybe not so easy. The best way to go about it is to brainstorm the purpose. I doubt seriously if your first purpose is the one.

Here’s an actual example from one of my clients. She said to me that she was stuck in her email campaign for LinkedIn contacts. She didn’t know where to begin the email after “Dear”. She knew she wanted the contacts to know about a new program she had created; she wanted them to know how this program would enrich and enhance their lives, and she knew she wanted them to buy the program. But what could she say that would communicate what she wanted to say? The more she talked to me about it, the more upset and stuck she got. She was stuck in a loop of thinking about it, getting more upset (therefore even less able to think clearly) and thinking about it some more.

I suggested that she brainstorm with me about the purpose. She immediately said well, to make more money from having sales in the new program. Really? Is that the purpose or the end result? “Oh,” she said, “That would be the end result.” So, then let’s look at the purpose. Suddenly, it was as if the creative gates opened up. She said the purpose of the email was to introduce the new program to her list of leads, to tell them the about the availability and the benefits of the new program. That was it. That was the purpose. After landing on her clear purpose, the beginning of the email started to flow. The intentions were also clear. Her intentions were to build trust and relationship, to inform, and to create interest in her program. If she accomplished those three intentions it was a sure bet that they would contact her, and from there she would be able to enroll people in her program.

When you are stuck, please use this simple tip: Ask yourself “what is my purpose and what three intentions do I have?” You will find that this action will move you toward your goal with ease.

I look forward to reading your comments.