Change 1 BELIEF And You Can Change It All!

Your beliefs may be costing you time, energy and money!

If you spot yourself, or those around you dawdling, it just may be due to a belief that you ‘don’t know how to proceed.’

We don’t always have a buddy to turn to get unstuck, so I’d like to offer you a process to use on your own when you notice you’re stuck.

Ask yourself:

“What result or activity am I ‘certain’ will be impossible to sort out?”

Now that you’ve said it, it’s on to step 2. Envision someone you admire highly and create an imaginary list of the steps they would take to get into action and solve the matter. If you cannot think of anyone to use, call a buddy and have them brainstorm ideas out loud with you.

Don’t edit and don’t think, just write it all down.

Done? Take a look at the list. You’ll be amazed at how easily you spot realistic opportunities for action when you reread the list. Who knew those were hiding right there, waiting for you to spot them.

Now pick the easiest AND the most difficult and unfamiliar items from your list and get into action with them in the next 24 hours.

September 9, 2008 | Filed Under Catalyst Action Tip, Ideas | Leave a Comment 

Change 1 DIRECTION And You Can Change It All!

One of my clients told me this week “I pay those people too much to have to give them directions!”

He was caught in viewing the world through the lens of his personal career experience. As a result he’s spent months being frustrated that his team doesn’t prepare for meetings or even do the projects he assigns them in the way he expects.

At last he’s hearing me when I explain they’ve had completely different experiences and models in their work. He’s learning that there’s a higher payoff to actually giving his team an outline of the methods he’d like them to use, than waiting and berating them for not being mind readers.

Ask yourself:

“What process ‘should’ be being used, that no one is understanding?”

Now that you’ve said it, get off your high horse and call a meeting.

It’s time to inspire everyone to do the best work they can. Lay out the process you’d like people to use. Let them know that in 30 days you’ll all sit down together and revisit and refine it so everyone is vested in the success.

This process will ensure you all stay on the same page and your team can deliver to your  collective expectations.

September 5, 2008 | Filed Under Catalyst Action Tip, Processes | Leave a Comment 

Change 1 TASK And You Can Change It All!

Your daily tasks may be getting in the way of building your business. 80 percent of my clients report they’re so busy they don’t have time to work on ‘growing’ their company.

Ironically when we uncover what they are spending their time on, it’s usually tasks that other people ought to be doing. Some of my clients will start delegating within a month and clear their decks. Others need to be weaned gradually.

Here’s the key question that gets them shifted off of “I have to do it myself” and onto “Jerry, let me tell you what I’d like you to take care of.”

Ask yourself:

“What are the 3 lowest risk items on my own To Do list?”

Be honest about it. If you can list 53, 15, or 5 items, there will definitely be a way to rank order them. You may have planned to do the ‘easiest’ first, or later when you have ‘free time.” Either way, you just found things that you can hand off in the next 48 hours.

August 26, 2008 | Filed Under Catalyst Action Tip | Leave a Comment 

Change 1 DAY And You Can Change It All!

Are you thinking about your long-term goals for your business? Or are you spending most of your time fighting fires and tracking your daily tasks.

As a business owner and leader, it’s critical that you spend at least 20 percent of your time on the ‘long view.’

One of the core reasons to have a team and as staff is to delegate the vast majority of the ‘doing’ in your business to them so that you can lead the company forward.

Ask yourself:

“What percent of my time this week is on the long view for my business?”

If you’re spending less than 8 hours a week exploring the path to your 5-year goals, you’re not used to taking that long-view. Take out your calendar and put 4 or more hours on each of the next weeks for research, thinking, conversations with others that are not about fixing the daily challenges your business is facing.

August 19, 2008 | Filed Under Catalyst Action Tip | Leave a Comment 

Change 1 PRACTICE And You Can Change It All!

Are you a constant note taker? For some of us (I confess, that’s me too) our backgrounds required note taking so that we could create reports for others.

A funny thing happens along the way. We loose track whether the note-taking is still serving us, or is a habit that’s diverting our attention.

Unless you have a team you must report details to, it may be time to change your focus on the page to a focus on actual to do’s.

Ask yourself:

“What percent of my notes do I ever refer to again?”

If you’re anything like me, you may find it’s become barely 10%. For myself, I’m going to try on only writing down the actions that need taking, and see if I can’t free up my attention to use it on implementation rather than worry over what I might have in a note that I thought I was supposed to store somewhere.

August 11, 2008 | Filed Under Catalyst Action Tip, Productivity Tools | Leave a Comment 

Change 1 TANGLE And You Can Change It All!

One of my favorite exercises is the “Pretzel Test.”

We often spend our days taking care of business on automatic and not paying very much attention to the mutterings of our subconscious. Those mumblings come out as complaints or criticisms and stories we tell about others, rather than as clear issues that need solving.

If you watch someone else who is frustrated you can see it in their body, and if you ask them, they can describe the tension they feel in their muscles. I asked a client once if she was turning herself into a pretzel rather than dealing with the issue simply and directly and the light went off for her.

Once she had the label for the sensation in her body, she had a great signal for when something needed to be solved.

Ask yourself:

“What business issue has been tying me up in knots, like a pretzel?”

You’ll find that once you’ve named it you’re ready to toss it on the table and untangle it. Even better, once it’s untangled you’ll know if you want to straighten it out, stream line it, hand it off, or toss it out of your business altogether.

August 5, 2008 | Filed Under Catalyst Action Tip | Leave a Comment 

Change 1 VISION And You Can Change It All!

Releasing objects and ideas we’re holding onto is a very powerful process. When I coach clients and they step up to a big purge or shift their thinking, then I know our work is having impact at a deep level. Getting rid of old ‘stuff’ is a natural by-product of good visioning and planning work.

And that goes for old business models and actions tied to old visions.

By developing your Vision for your Future Self and your Future Business Model… you automatically and naturally start getting rid of things that are not a match. In effect, you make room for the new you that IS emerging.

While we can each be grateful for the role our business model has played in our success, sometimes we need to gracefully let go so we can attract other things that match our vision as it now is and is in the process of becoming.

Ask yourself:

“Is this really me, and the business model I want to use, now?”

Have fun and enjoy the exploration. Re-evaluating your model and sorting through your message can be a really fun process, when you keep the bigger picture in mind.

Remember that this seemingly mundane question is actually a very significant step laying the groundwork and foundation for your next success.

July 30, 2008 | Filed Under Catalyst Action Tip | Leave a Comment 

Change 1 COMMITMENT And You Can Change It All!

Have you ever tried working out alone. How did it compare to having a workout partner? With a partner you’ll find yourself exercising even when you might have slipped because you can’t let your buddy down. Having someone who is relying on you in business can produce the same results.

For example, if you want to really make sure your project is done on time, make a commitment to others. Let those folks know the deadlines you’re using and exactly what you’ll be delivering.

In other words, assign your own public accountability.

Read through your appointments, and the projects that have been sitting incomplere. Ask yourself:

“Who shall I make myself accountable to, for which items?”

Make yourself accountable to someone for what you want to accomplish. This could be a coach you work with or it could simply be a business friend.

Even more powerful, find a buddy who wants to create the same High Payoff result. They tell you their weekly goals and you tell them yours.

Now you know you’re going to asked about how you did.

July 22, 2008 | Filed Under Catalyst Action Tip, Goal Setting | Leave a Comment 

Change 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT… And You Can Change It All!

When was the last time you acknowledged yourself for what you DO get done?

I mean, taking the time to hit the “pause” button on your life and taking a good long look at what you HAVE achieved, created, succeeded in doing in your business and your life?

Take 10 minutes to flip back through your calendar starting last week and working back towards the beginning of the year.

As you read your appointments, ask yourself:

“What was the result I created from that effort?”

When you’ve filled a page, sit back and reread it from the top.

Now take a deep breath, and join me out loud as you say “Great Job!”

July 16, 2008 | Filed Under Catalyst Action Tip | Leave a Comment 

Change 1 WISH… And You Can Change It All!

Have you been wishing the world would just snap to it and provide you with the business solution you’ve been needing?

Very often the results are buzzing around you but you haven’t spotted them. That may be because you have yet to voice the solution you actually want… you’ve just been wishing things were ‘better.’

Now’s your chance to get yourself focused and get the targeted solution you really actually want.

Ask yourself:

“What is the specific challenge in my business I want solved today?”

Now eliminate all the other issues you’ve been focusing on and spend 15-minutes creating a list of 10 things you can do to solve that challenge. These may range from ‘set uninterrupted time to work on it’ to ‘hire an expert at solving this’ and so on.

Once you have your list, you’ll know the first step to take, and the next, and the next, and so on.

Let’s get you moved from wishing to taking High Payoff Action on it today!

July 13, 2008 | Filed Under Catalyst Action Tip | Leave a Comment 

« Previous Page — Next Page »