Six Steps to Lead Your Business (And Yourself) Through an Unexpected Setback
Small business owners are vulnerable to major disruptions when life throws a curve-ball. We make ambitious plans with "permanent" deadlines, knowing that one unexpected event can derail everything and we will need to pivot.
“I Know You’re Busy But…”
“I know you’re busy, but….”“This may sound [crazy/stupid/silly], but…..”In one of my recent coaching sessions, I worked with a client who is having difficulty engaging with an aggressive, somewhat disrespectful colleague. Let’s face it; we all have to deal with difficult people at some point in our careers. They are as predictable and enjoyable as taxes.
BIG PR on a Small Budget: Five Surefire Strategies to Get the Buzz Your Biz Needs
As a small business owner, I know first-hand how important it is to have a PR plan, but I also know that time, money, and resources are scarce!So how does a business owner communicate their value - especially in an information-overloaded world, and rise above the noise?The two questions small business owners must always ask when trying to get good press is:
5 Luxuries No Business Owner Can Afford
I was paralyzed with indecision. Then, my coach and 20-year advisor snapped me out of it. "Marissa, you don't have the luxury of standing still." The word "luxury" struck a chord. In business, time is money. Energy is money. If a business isn't smartly applying these two valuable resources wisely, it means they are applying them poorly. There's no in-between. There's little margin for error.
F.O.C.U.S.
One of my favorite writers is Seth Godin. He has a way of framing brilliantly simple concepts in a succinct way that makes you go, “Why didn’t I think of that??”One of his blogs last week was Cracking the Pottery. He talked about how we need to be able to let go of what’s not working for us, even if we’ve invested a lot of time/money/energy in it, so that we can be free to work on what IS working.This is a conundrum that most entrepreneurs face for these reasons:
Boxed In? 4 Ways to Transform Your Corner into a Doorway
One of my favorite books when I was growing up was “Harold and the Purple Crayon.” With the stroke of a purple crayon, Harold designs the life he imagines. When he wants to go for a walk, he draws a moonlit path. When he’s hungry, he draws himself a lunch. When he becomes scared of his own illustrated dragon, he creates an ocean and a sailboat to escape just in time.Harold uses his creative thinking to escape from life’s corners that constrain him.People with big vision often find themselves painted into a corner. We set upon our path, often underestimating or unaware of the obstacles that may get in our way of progress. Or, we over-commit, and find ourselves completely overwhelmed with what we have promised to others. Wouldn’t it be great if we could draw ourselves an ocean and a sailboat, and simply sail away to a far-away land?We can’t do that, but when our backs are up against the wall, we can create additional paths to lead us out of our corners. We can transform our corners into a doorway.
Driving an Intrapreneurial Spirit and Mindset
I'm working with a great company who's committed to moving to the next level of growth. The owner/founder has done a very good job of establishing himself as a highly dependable and reputable subcontractor, but wants to triple the company size, and evolve into a prime contractor over the next 3 years. We have a lot of work to do. To make this pivot, we have to build his infrastructure, implement required processes, and align with the right people.One of our most immediate tasks is to evaluate and shift the mindset and commitment of his current team. Growth can't happen alone. It takes a village to build a business.
Avoiding SP-RH Syndrome
It's all coming back to me....the early days of building a business, and laying a solid foundation to support healthy growth. I find myself with lengthy to-do lists that require many sets of helping hands. It's tempting to simply throw new tasks over the fence to those that have already proven to be experts as I grow Successful Culture.But wait. I've been down this road before with Information Experts. I've bitten off more than I can chew, and then tossed the overflow to a team mate. Eager to please, they say yes, even though my new request is outside of their core expertise... setting us both up for disappointment.
It's Not Personal; It's Our Values
Values dictate every major decision and action in an organization - from the clients that a company engages, to the people that a company hires, to seemingly simple behaviors such as leaving a door open or closed. Values determine our behavior when others are not around to watch us. They are the core of integrity - which manifests when values are integrated with our actions. Personally and professionally, they frame the most important aspects of who we are, and what matters to us.
Who Is the Best Sales Person in Your Company?
One of my coaching clients called me this week, asking for advice on where to find a great sales rep. She's launching a start-up that has been in the works for months, and is obviously anxious to get her product to the market. My advice to her was to look in the mirror. That's where she would find her best sales rep.
Increasing Productivity by Taming the Daily Calendar
When Sunday arrives and you take a peek at the work-week ahead, what physical reactions occur in your body? Does your heart race a bit faster from anxiety? Does your stomach tighten? Do you feel stress in your neck and shoulders? Have you ever thought about these reactions?
The Most Dangerous Four-Letter Word
How many times a day do you mindlessly look at others that are different than you with a "THEM" frame of mind? This could apply to people who look differently, perform different jobs, practice different religions, engage in different hobbies, or any other type of difference. We probably all do it without being aware of it. Even though I strive to come to all experiences and people with an open mind, a blank canvass, and free of judgment, human nature causes all of us to evaluate those that we see based on societal prejudices that seep into our subconscious.
A Higher-Level Leadership Framework & Inspiring Through Adversity
As one who sees leadership and spirituality as two sides of the same coin, I often refer to Deepak's 7-Step Framework for LEADERS. Deepak describes a leader as "the symbolic soul of a group of consciousness." He says that group consciousness could be a family, an organization, a community, a country or the whole world. He explains that the leader represents the longings, the aspirations, the deepest desires of the group, so in a sense, "the soul." This is exactly why the CEO owns the culture of an organization, which is the organizational DNA.
Personal Development IS The Goal
Personal development is not a tool for reaching a bigger goal. Instead, becoming a "complete human being is already the biggest and most noble goal you can aspire to." Most of us are on a quest of continuous self-improvement, with the goal of attaining greater success. "If I attend this school, if I obtain this certification, if I achieve this milestone, then I will be able to attain another level of achievement." The personal development is often tied to a desired outcome that moves us from one level to another.
Leading From A Mindset of Abundance; Embracing Healthy Competition
There's no disputing the fact that business is cut-throat. One day your most important strategic partner is bringing you into a great business opportunity. The next day, they are submitting a proposal to win business from your client. To sustain the ups and downs of career development and business growth, you require a thick skin. So how do we stay tough and protect our interests, while maintaining a mindset of abundance and compassion?
Personal Development IS The Goal
Personal development is not a tool for reaching a bigger goal. Instead, becoming a “complete human being is already the biggest and most noble goal you can aspire to.” Most of us are on a quest of continuous self-improvement, with the goal of attaining greater success. “If I attend this school, if I obtain this certification, if I achieve this milestone, then I will be able to attain another level of achievement.” The personal development is often tied to a desired outcome that moves us from one level to another.
Starting 2014 Right With A Strong Marketing Strategy (That Won't Break The Bank)
I came across a compilation of 19 shoestring-budget strategies that will help you connect with your target audience without going broke - exactly what a small business needs to expand their presence and stay financially healthy.Here are my suggestions to move these ideas to implementation.1: Pick three out of the list and focus on them. If you try to tackle the entire list, you will do a mediocre or poor job for all of them. Then, once those are done, move to the next three. The greatest ideas fail at implementation because we bite off more than we chew.2: Determine what you can outsource, and what you need to manage yourself. For example, if you decide to join a Chamber, you personally need to cultivate those relationships, so ensure you have enough time to be present in the organization. If you decide to write a blog, you need to build your editorial calendar and write your blogs, but can outsource the mechanics of posting and sharing.As a small business owner, deciding how and where you will dedicate your very limited time is essential to your success.3: Finally, if an idea isn't working for you, pivot quickly. Drop the tactic and move on. It's all about figuring out what works best for you at this point in time.Here is the link to the complete presentation.Here are the tips:
Why Am I Here? Finding Your Path to Authentic Leadership
How do we define our deepest desire? And if we don't know it, how can we get to where we are supposed to be? How do we reach our destiny? It's so easy to lose sight of the "why" behind our daily deeds. When we lose connection to the "why," weariness and hopelessness creeps in. We often work in a reactive mode, answering phone calls, emails, and the needs of others. We envelop ourselves in deadlines. Every day that we go to work, we are slaves to checklists. What is our larger purpose behind it all?
Setting Yourself Up for 2014 Success
What can you do between now and January 1st to ensure your 2014 is your best year yet?One of my most impactful success strategies is having accountability partners. I have two accountability partners. One keeps me on track with all aspects of my life... My entire to-do list for Information Experts, Successful Culture, my writing, my media strategy, my family, my friendships, and my health & wellness. My whole life is organized according to the spreadsheet I deliver to her in preparation for our weekly Thursday morning calls.My second accountability partner keeps me on track with my Successful Culture growth strategy. We learn together, build our business plans together, share best practices, put deadlines in place for growth milestones; and we are even planning a series of co-branded live events in 2014. We have all-day monthly planning meetings, as well as twice-monthly phone check-ins.
Three Types of Focus and Three Exercises to Strengthen Your Focused Mind
It's no secret that the ability to pay attention is essential to our success. If our attention skills are strong, we can perform well on required tasks. If they are stunted, we perform poorly. Daniel Goleman is one of my favorite authors. His first two books explore the vital connection between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership: "Emotional Intelligence" and "Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence." His most recent book is "Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence."In the December issue of Mindful Magazine, Daniel discusses three types of focus that we all require to enjoy a connected, fulfilling life: Inner focus, Other focus, and Outer focus. Leaders especially require strength in all three areas to achieve their goals.