I was snorkeling about 100 yards off shore in the Caribbean. Having dived before I made a note of where I was in relation to my spot on the beach.
The water was warm, the sun was shining, the ocean was calm and the scenery was remarkable. Taking in the beauty of underwater scenery is a great way to spend a day. My snorkeling buddy was nearby and together we pointed out the cool stuff.
After what seemed like a short time we popped our heads above water and talked about heading back to shore and getting a bite to eat. That's when we noticed that our spot on the beach was gone! We were so "into" what was going on underwater that we failed to keep an eye out for where we really were. We had drifted several hundred yards from our original spot.
*****
Recently I sat down for a one-on-one coaching session with a gentleman who had hired me to help him become more strategic in his career. Those first sessions were very engrossing as we discussed crucial concerns that he had never really focused on previously.
We had a little hiatus over the holidays and then met again after the things settled down a little. He was all excited because someone had given him a motivational book to read for Christmas. He was encouraged to identify ten things he wanted and then to read them aloud every day for several weeks. In this way, he was told, he would keep his goals in front of mind and would get the things he wanted.
Something had changed since we had met last. Just a few months previous he had identified goals and desires that were not materialistic in the slightest. Now his list of pursuits included things like a bigger home, new cars, exotic vacations, and similar luxurious things. The contrast was striking. So I asked him about his previous list of pursuits that did not include any of these new things. "What happened?"
The response was equally striking — a classic deer caught in the headlights moment. It was like he had popped up out of the water and took a look around and realized that he had drifted. He needed to get back to where he wanted to be.
*****
The Growth Coach process emphasizes a 90-day refocusing because we all drift. When the minutae of daily "to-dos" and the tyranny of the urgent take the reins of our business and personal life, the current carries us away from where we really want to be.
The answer is not to let the current decide where we go. The answer is to take charge and make strategic choices. The answer is to take a periodic retreat. Pop your head up out of the water and reassess where you are at and where you want to be. To work ON your business and life instead of getting caught up IN the pull of the current.
It seems so simple that we are tempted to think we can do it on our own. The reality is that we all need someone who can keep us accountable and ask the right questions. Knowing that someone objective is going to be asking you the questions that get pushed aside incentivizes us to pay attention and give ourselves to doing the important things.
When you engage in this kind of coaching process, the results are truly awe-inspiring!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Life in the Fast Lane
Doug moves fast.
In the past year he has been promoted three times. With each move there is more responsibility and new challenges. A lot can change in 12 months!
In the past year he has been promoted three times. With each move there is more responsibility and new challenges. A lot can change in 12 months!
- Now he goes into work before breakfast with coffee in hand and comes home well after dinner.
- Lunch breaks are fast and furious. If he takes one at all.
- Calls to family are "while on the run," stuck in traffic, or walking to and from a destination.
- Calls about work can occur any time of the day interrupting any activity.
- The paperwork on his desk gets deeper.
He is being promoted again to oversee a dozen systems. He only knows three of them. Doug will be hiring a team to work under him.
That's when I got the phone call.
I anticipated a discussion about time management or priority management. But that was not the question. Wish I had his energy and drive! Doug's question was about how to get ready for this promotion and how to go about learning nine new systems. To top it off, he called while driving to a quick lunch with his wife — I could hear the wind and the open car door "ringing" in the phone.
In the space between the words I could hear Doug's gears turning and trying to grind out a solution. He wanted to take on the responsibility of his entire team and master the 12 systems himself.
The underlying question was about what it means to lead.
*******
No one can play all the positions in a team. Each player must play his position well.
No business leader should do everyone's job.
Leadership is not being the jack-of-all-trades or the hands-on micromanager.
Identify what needs to be done.
Define what each player is to do.
Find the players with the right skill set to play each part.
Back off and let them do their work.
Lead by casting the vision.
Lead by defining the boundaries, obligations and responsibilities.
Lead by empowering employee choices.
Hold employees accountable for performance.
*******
Text message at 8:21 a.m. "Thanks for your help yesterday. You sparked a lot of ideas for me. I know what I need to do now. You have helped me look at life a lot differently."
Maybe we'll get around to time management and priority management next week. Time permitting.
What new responsibilities have you taken on in the past year?
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Strategic Marketing Referral Ladder
Our approach to getting more referrals needs to have a clearly understood objective. This diagram helps to give clarity to a strategic marketing referral approach.
The Five-Fold Objective of a Strategic Marketing Strategy are:
1. Turn Prospects into First Time Buyers.
2. Turn First Time Buyers into Repeat Buyers.
3. Turn Repeat Buyers into Members of our unique community.
4. Turn Members into Advocates for our products or services.
5. Turn Advocates into Raving Fans who can't stop talking about our products or services.
Your Raving Fans are those businesses or individuals that generate referrals for your business. Develop a plan that accomplishes the following for your Raving Fans:
1. Decide to contact them on a regular basis (once a month, once every 6 weeks)
2. Add value to your relationship
3. Affirm your relationship
4. Educate them on how to spot a good referral.
5. Decide how to treat all referrals with excellence
6. Show appreciation to your Raving Fan!
Your Advocates are one step away from becoming Raving Fans. Take time to think about what will move them into that new level of professional relationship. The key is two fold: 1. continue to exceed their expectations and 2. make them conscious of ways they can help you (for example, a testimonial, a review, a referral).
Members are loyal to you but are not motivated to advocate for your goods or services. What should your strategy for Members include? Show how you value their loyalty with the following strategies:
1. Listen to their feedback
2. Meet their expectations
3. Take one step beyond their expectations.
These top three rungs of the Strategic Marketing Referral Ladder are the most important and where you should be focusing your energy. Take a few minutes right now and identify who is on each rung. Make some action steps to start an upward movement on your Referral Ladder.
*****
Perhaps you need to schedule some time to break away and give some focused attention to your Referral Ladder. To help expedite your strategic thinking process, contact your Twin Cities Growth Coach serving Minneapolis, St. Paul and surrounding metro communities.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Beginning with the End in Mind
Today is the last day of 2010. By now you have looked forward and looked backward for the purpose of making significant decisions either professionally or personally.
I bet that on your list of goals some of these Top Ten Resolutions appear:
And all the people said, "Amen!"
**********
My career path has had me interact with the elderly. What I learn from those who have gone before me is like looking at a dirty GPS screen: I know the future is coming but it is not all that clear to me yet.
For example, I have heard many times how wonderful it is to be a grandparent. This year I get to find out for the first time for myself. It will not be someone else's story; I will own it. The GPS screen will get a little clearer.
We are all heading somewhere. As years fade away the playing field will level out dramatically regardless of money in the bank, letters behind the name, titles before the name, achievements and awards, and the number of pages in our experience journal.
Here are some of the things that I have gleaned from listening to those who have gone before . . . lessons that will be left standing when other things fade away in importance:
I bet that on your list of goals some of these Top Ten Resolutions appear:
- Spend More Time with Friends and Family
- Lose Weight (or Get Fit)
- Enjoy Life More
- Quit Smoking (or quit some other substance abuse/overuse)
- Get Out of Debt
- Learn Something New
- Help Others
- Get Organized
- Do Something You Love to Do
And all the people said, "Amen!"
**********
My career path has had me interact with the elderly. What I learn from those who have gone before me is like looking at a dirty GPS screen: I know the future is coming but it is not all that clear to me yet.
For example, I have heard many times how wonderful it is to be a grandparent. This year I get to find out for the first time for myself. It will not be someone else's story; I will own it. The GPS screen will get a little clearer.
We are all heading somewhere. As years fade away the playing field will level out dramatically regardless of money in the bank, letters behind the name, titles before the name, achievements and awards, and the number of pages in our experience journal.
Here are some of the things that I have gleaned from listening to those who have gone before . . . lessons that will be left standing when other things fade away in importance:
- Loving and caring relationships will always be important
- Contentment is great gain
- "Do as you would be done by" is still a curriculum to master
- Showing gratitude opens doors
- "No matter how much things change, some things never change." Happy are the people who know what things never change and respect them
- Pity is reserved for those who let faith die
- The right word at the right time by the right person can accomplish so much
- Accumulated money rots without generosity of heart
Steven Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, talks about the importance to "begin with the end in mind." "To begin with the end in mind is to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you are going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction. It's incredibly easy to get caught up in an activity trap, in the busy-ness of life, to work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover it's leaning against the wrong wall."
*******
We are all heading into the future ready or not!
Here is a prediction for 2011: The goals on your list that most closely align with your true values will be accomplished.
Happy New Year!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Benton Clyde Clark
The innate desire to be somehow noteworthy, memorable or at least noticed has motivated people to do . . . well, noteworthy, memorable or noticeable things.
Consider what it must be like to be one of ten children. How do you get noticed when so many are living under the same roof? My neighbor has multiple children who I cannot name. They range in ages from toddler to college grad. Large families cause me to imagine all kinds of things. When my mother got upset she would run down the list of her kids' names — first and middle names — until she got to the one she was after. Me. So it sounded something like this: Jeffrey Laurence Paul Frederick Alan Jack. What must that be like in a family with ten children?
I can only imagine.
Benton, however, did not have to imagine what it would be like. He had nine siblings. Growing up on the Mississippi farm meant they all had plenty to do. I suppose if a chore did not get done on the farm, it was not long before someone noticed. Stuff piles up pretty quickly on a farm.
All the chores could not keep Benton from eventually wondering if there was something more for him than farm life. It was an inner calling to do something noteworthy. At the tender adult age of 18 he left the farm to go work for his older brother at his jewelry store in Texas. Under his brother's professional care, Benton learned about jewelry and watch repair.
The desire to strike out and pave his own destiny kept Benton looking and listening. Stories of fortunes being made up north in Indian Territory intrigued him. His dreams of money and adventure propelled him to leave his brother's store and hop a train towards Chickasa in the Indian Territory with fifty dollars in his pocket.
Pulling to a stop in Purcell, Benton went to purchase a ticket for the remainder of the trip to Chickasa only to discover that his wallet was gone! Penniless and in a town where he knew no one, Benton was nowhere near noteworthy, memorable or even noticeable. A man of weaker resolve might have begged his way back home with his ego bruised to live a life unnoticed in the shadows of the familiar. The 23 year old son of a Mississippi farmer decided that going back was not an option.
Some might call it fate and others might call it Providence when Benton met up with a familiar face from Texas. A gentleman from down South had opened a racket store (a forerunner to the five and dime store) in Purcell and permitted Benton to set up a corner where he could fix watches. It was an opportunity.
Benton hung up a shingle proudly announcing his service.
The town of Purcell was a regular stop for trains from the North Division and the South Division. Railroads required all company watches to be inspected every fifteen days! Benton the watch repairman became a noteworthy stop for railroad employees and a business that moved out of the five and dime into a store of his own.
Within a few years a watch engraved with his name had the reputation of fine quality sought after by railroad employees.
Benton weathered severe economic times by diversifying what he offered in his store. He sold phonographs, player pianos, the first General Electric refrigerators and even cars. Even though jewelry and watch repair remained his core business, it became known that this father of six was resourceful and determined. It was his good business sense in responding to the needs of his market and his creative solutions that kept his business growing while many others shuttered their doors.
Benton's commitment to customer service, superior quality, resourceful and entrepreneurial spirit engraved his name in the territory we now call Oklahoma. A memorable and noteworthy business. A true American success story. Most people do not know this old family story when they pass by one of three jewelry stores that bear Benton's name in Oklahoma City today. Most shoppers are unaware that the fine store was the idea of a Mississippi farm boy.
Ask anyone on the streets of Oklahoma City about Benton Clyde Clark the jeweler and you might get a puzzled look in return. "You mean B. C. Clark?" followed by a warm smile.
B. C. Clark, the business that is known for it's Christmas jingle. A jingle so familiar and so endearing to Oklahoma that Christmas would not be Christmas without it. A jingle that has been sung every year since 1956.
I bet you'd like to hear it for yourself . . . the jingle that is so noteworthy, so memorable, so noticed that young and old alike sing it with a smile on their faces . . .
Noteworthy. Memorable. Noticed.
Consider what it must be like to be one of ten children. How do you get noticed when so many are living under the same roof? My neighbor has multiple children who I cannot name. They range in ages from toddler to college grad. Large families cause me to imagine all kinds of things. When my mother got upset she would run down the list of her kids' names — first and middle names — until she got to the one she was after. Me. So it sounded something like this: Jeffrey Laurence Paul Frederick Alan Jack. What must that be like in a family with ten children?
I can only imagine.
Benton, however, did not have to imagine what it would be like. He had nine siblings. Growing up on the Mississippi farm meant they all had plenty to do. I suppose if a chore did not get done on the farm, it was not long before someone noticed. Stuff piles up pretty quickly on a farm.
All the chores could not keep Benton from eventually wondering if there was something more for him than farm life. It was an inner calling to do something noteworthy. At the tender adult age of 18 he left the farm to go work for his older brother at his jewelry store in Texas. Under his brother's professional care, Benton learned about jewelry and watch repair.
The desire to strike out and pave his own destiny kept Benton looking and listening. Stories of fortunes being made up north in Indian Territory intrigued him. His dreams of money and adventure propelled him to leave his brother's store and hop a train towards Chickasa in the Indian Territory with fifty dollars in his pocket.
Pulling to a stop in Purcell, Benton went to purchase a ticket for the remainder of the trip to Chickasa only to discover that his wallet was gone! Penniless and in a town where he knew no one, Benton was nowhere near noteworthy, memorable or even noticeable. A man of weaker resolve might have begged his way back home with his ego bruised to live a life unnoticed in the shadows of the familiar. The 23 year old son of a Mississippi farmer decided that going back was not an option.
Some might call it fate and others might call it Providence when Benton met up with a familiar face from Texas. A gentleman from down South had opened a racket store (a forerunner to the five and dime store) in Purcell and permitted Benton to set up a corner where he could fix watches. It was an opportunity.
Benton hung up a shingle proudly announcing his service.
The town of Purcell was a regular stop for trains from the North Division and the South Division. Railroads required all company watches to be inspected every fifteen days! Benton the watch repairman became a noteworthy stop for railroad employees and a business that moved out of the five and dime into a store of his own.
Within a few years a watch engraved with his name had the reputation of fine quality sought after by railroad employees.
Benton weathered severe economic times by diversifying what he offered in his store. He sold phonographs, player pianos, the first General Electric refrigerators and even cars. Even though jewelry and watch repair remained his core business, it became known that this father of six was resourceful and determined. It was his good business sense in responding to the needs of his market and his creative solutions that kept his business growing while many others shuttered their doors.
Benton's commitment to customer service, superior quality, resourceful and entrepreneurial spirit engraved his name in the territory we now call Oklahoma. A memorable and noteworthy business. A true American success story. Most people do not know this old family story when they pass by one of three jewelry stores that bear Benton's name in Oklahoma City today. Most shoppers are unaware that the fine store was the idea of a Mississippi farm boy.
Ask anyone on the streets of Oklahoma City about Benton Clyde Clark the jeweler and you might get a puzzled look in return. "You mean B. C. Clark?" followed by a warm smile.
B. C. Clark, the business that is known for it's Christmas jingle. A jingle so familiar and so endearing to Oklahoma that Christmas would not be Christmas without it. A jingle that has been sung every year since 1956.
I bet you'd like to hear it for yourself . . . the jingle that is so noteworthy, so memorable, so noticed that young and old alike sing it with a smile on their faces . . .
Noteworthy. Memorable. Noticed.
Monday, November 29, 2010
fritzed
Fritzed is the word of choice in my family to describe what it's like when life and responsibilities get overwhelming. This past weekend I have heard it a lot.
Dictionary.com says that "fritz" is of obscure origin — possibly coming from the theater. Drama. That sounds about right. Maybe the stage show on that particular day when the phrase was coined headlined an actor named Fritz. He had too many lines to memorize, too many directives being thrown at him by too many people, too many things going on at home, too many critics scrutinizing his every move, . . . and then it happened. He collapsed on the stage. The audience gasped. The corners of the critics mouths curled up fiendishly.
On the front page of the paper the next day a journalist coined the phrase "fritzed out."
Sounds about right. Well, that's my take on it since the origin of the word is "obscure." (Maybe I will post that in wikipedia. After I get my other things done.)
When work and life get dramatic and you feel like you are fritzing out, what do you do?
I mean apart from letting someone be the recipient of some choice words. Or heading out to your favorite watering hole. How do you un-fritz?
I don't know if Fritz had the opportunity to step back, reassess and re-engage during an intermission or scene change. But maybe if he had, "fritzed out" might have an entirely different meaning.
Dictionary.com says that "fritz" is of obscure origin — possibly coming from the theater. Drama. That sounds about right. Maybe the stage show on that particular day when the phrase was coined headlined an actor named Fritz. He had too many lines to memorize, too many directives being thrown at him by too many people, too many things going on at home, too many critics scrutinizing his every move, . . . and then it happened. He collapsed on the stage. The audience gasped. The corners of the critics mouths curled up fiendishly.
On the front page of the paper the next day a journalist coined the phrase "fritzed out."
Sounds about right. Well, that's my take on it since the origin of the word is "obscure." (Maybe I will post that in wikipedia. After I get my other things done.)
When work and life get dramatic and you feel like you are fritzing out, what do you do?
I mean apart from letting someone be the recipient of some choice words. Or heading out to your favorite watering hole. How do you un-fritz?
- Step back. It is part of my daily discipline to step back. This is my perspective time of the day when I warm up my motor, assess the lay of the land, and make sure I'm ready for whatever snowballs are going to be hurled at me. But when the unexpected assault begins, I have to mentally make the choice to "step back" and get perspective before I do something that I will regret.
- (Re)assess. Here's one image of what it means to reassess: I am standing in the middle of my workroom facing all my tools and jars of nails and bottles of glue. Envisioning what I am trying to build, I gather together the tools I need to make it happen. Do I need to call on the glue of my people skills? Is it time to take out the hammer of persuasion? What would happen if I used the screwdriver? One huge help in assessing is being able to implement an objective ear to help me see things clearly before proceeding.
- (Re)engage. As much as I would like to retreat to an island in the Bahamas for a looooonnnnngggg time, I do have to engage with the matters at hand. The good news is that having stepped back and reassessed the situation, I can engage from a position of strength and control.
I don't know if Fritz had the opportunity to step back, reassess and re-engage during an intermission or scene change. But maybe if he had, "fritzed out" might have an entirely different meaning.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Too Busy
Always rushing. Too many things to do and not enough time to do them. Something is always screaming for attention. Not enough time to do those things that are most important. Stressed out. Out of control. What can be done?
Start by knowing that you are not alone. Many small business owners feel like their business has grabbed the reins of their lives and is calling all the shots. No one intends to have this happen. (Imagine someone's business plan stating the intent to have their business take over their life!) The solution, however, must be intentional. You have to make up your mind that something can be done, identify what needs to be done and then do it.
Here's an abbreviated list to help jump start your thought process:
1. Just say "No." If it's unimportant, just say no. If someone else can do it, let them. If it doesn't generate revenue, how important is it? If it's urgent, decide who is in control.
2. Prioritize. Some people mistake time management for priority management. Not everything that demands your time is a priority. That's how many people get caught. Identify your priorities based on your vision, your talents, your values, and your revenue generating strengths. Let everything else fall to the bottom of your list where it can be delegated or deep-sixed.
3. Manage your money. When was the last time you heard yourself say, "I'd do it if I had the money." This often feels like a catch-22. Make up your mind that you are in control of spending, earning, and managing.
4. Focus. How important is getting clarity to you? When you know where you are going and how you intend to get there, the journey is more like hopping on the interstate instead of taking all the dirt roads. Gaining clarity can have immediate positive effects on your business.
5. "To thine own self be true." Look inside the treasure chest of your talents, skills, limitations, and strengths. Chances are there is not a suit made of lycra with a bold S emblazoned on the chest. Give yourself to your strengths and let go of those areas where someone else can be more effective.
An essential key to being more effective and successful starts here.
*****
Making an investment in a coaching process can be the first definitive step in turning things around in your business and life. Take charge and start working "on"your business and life!
Start by knowing that you are not alone. Many small business owners feel like their business has grabbed the reins of their lives and is calling all the shots. No one intends to have this happen. (Imagine someone's business plan stating the intent to have their business take over their life!) The solution, however, must be intentional. You have to make up your mind that something can be done, identify what needs to be done and then do it.
Here's an abbreviated list to help jump start your thought process:
1. Just say "No." If it's unimportant, just say no. If someone else can do it, let them. If it doesn't generate revenue, how important is it? If it's urgent, decide who is in control.
2. Prioritize. Some people mistake time management for priority management. Not everything that demands your time is a priority. That's how many people get caught. Identify your priorities based on your vision, your talents, your values, and your revenue generating strengths. Let everything else fall to the bottom of your list where it can be delegated or deep-sixed.
3. Manage your money. When was the last time you heard yourself say, "I'd do it if I had the money." This often feels like a catch-22. Make up your mind that you are in control of spending, earning, and managing.
4. Focus. How important is getting clarity to you? When you know where you are going and how you intend to get there, the journey is more like hopping on the interstate instead of taking all the dirt roads. Gaining clarity can have immediate positive effects on your business.
5. "To thine own self be true." Look inside the treasure chest of your talents, skills, limitations, and strengths. Chances are there is not a suit made of lycra with a bold S emblazoned on the chest. Give yourself to your strengths and let go of those areas where someone else can be more effective.
An essential key to being more effective and successful starts here.
*****
Making an investment in a coaching process can be the first definitive step in turning things around in your business and life. Take charge and start working "on"your business and life!
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