Team Building for Small Businesses – Can Your Really Serve 100 Clients In 100 Days? (Yes, You Can!)

The most important asset in your business is the solution you provide to your customers. The second most important is the team you have created to deliver that solution reliably and repeatedly.

The fastest way to serve 100 customers in 100 days is by expanding your thinking beyond “I do it myself.”

Let me give you just three steps. I’m known for breaking things into simple, easy to follow steps – as doable as can be. So here are the steps that are foundations for long-term success.

3 steps to build a team that serves 100 clients with ease:

1. Hire for expertise – Your clients don’t want you be the only person who can answer their needs (that’s just adding risk to their own business). They also don’t want to be the training ground for junior talent.

I recommend you hire ‘the most you can’ rather than ‘the least you can get away with’ when you build out your team. That way you’ll have competence on board to accelerate service delivery, problem solving and adding new lines of service for your customers as your business grows.

2. Design systems that leverage that expertise – A mistake many business owners make is hanging on to their own ‘know how’ instead of turning it into systems. With new folks on board you’ll want to incorporate your experience and theirs into fresh systems. Those systems guarantee your entire team can provide comparable excellent results to all those customers.

3. Sell your team to your customers – Have you caught yourself saying “I’m the only one who really understands my client’s challenges?” If you hire beginners you’ll be right.

On the other hand, hire people who have been ‘elsewhere’ and you gain the ability to sell that expanded ‘know how’ to your client’s business.

Bonus Tip – Productivity is created when you step out of the do-er role and into the leader role. The sooner you build your team, the faster you can fill your client roster. 100 clients can be merely the start of your vision for your business.

May 17, 2009 | Filed Under Productivity Tools, Teams | Leave a Comment 

Entrepreneur Tips – Discover How To Build Your Business Right, Or Else

Entrepreneurial business building can bring you endless waves of profit, freedom and fun, when you do it right. That is where the title of this article comes from – “build your business right… or else.”

Or else what?

One of the challenges of entrepreneurial business is that there are lots of ways to do it wrong. If you do not plan and execute your business strategy correctly, here are examples of what could happen instead:

Focus – All too often, people are starting their own business in order that “no one is going to tell me what to do.” That’s not the foundation for business success.

SO – be sure you’re in business to solve a customer’s needs, in a way you enjoy using your mind and your energy. That’s the way to get a business that can grow.

Customers – The smartest business builders have learned it doesn’t matter what you’re interested in – what matters is what the buyer is interested in. And you won’t learn that unless you get into the mind of your prospect

SO – devote at least 10 hours every week to getting away from working ‘in’ your business. You need to talk to prospects, current customers and invite them to share their most pressing challenges, frustrations and dreams so you’ll know exactly what to offer them.

Productivity – If you’re doing it all yourself, you better be a sole practitioner accountant or attorney, or creating an internet business. That’s about the only way to create enough sales revenue from the 2,000-3,000 hours of energy you’ve got to put into a business each year.

SO – if you’ve got a product or service with growth plans bigger than that, get others onboard NOW to start handing off the repetitive work, so you can be driving sales and marketing activities, and designing your next product or service.

Profitability – Remember that “so no one will tell me what to do” attitude. I’ve seen business owners actually keep paying to keep their doors open, operating at a loss, for years. Profits come from providing what someone wants to buy for more than the cost of being in business

SO – use your time, intelligence and energy to deliver what people want to buy at a price that will add to your bank account.

Get these business building gems right and you’ll have all the freedom you want for the rest of your live.

May 11, 2009 | Filed Under Ideas, Managing, Teams | Leave a Comment 

Business Management Tips – Top 7 Ways To Screw Up Your Business & What To Do Instead

In entrepreneurial and small business, the greatest challenge is to grow the business while at the same time stop doing everything yourself. This is an enormously important part of building any business successfully.

Over the years of consulting and coaching business owners and entrepreneurs, I’ve uncovered quite a few ways to mess up your efforts. Below you’ll find the top 7 ways to mess up, and what to do about it.

Top 7 Ways To Screw Up Your Business

1. It’s all about you – most people believe they‘re in business to sell what they’re interested in putting out in the world. Do you think your buyer really cars about this?

What to do instead – Your business is all about your prospective customer and what is in it for them. Tell them.

2. Being a “Do It All” – I also see professionals and business owners try to do everything so they’ll know it was done right. Silly idea.

What to do instead – Leverage others. Hire others to hand off lower level work so you can focus on business building.

3. Being a “Know It All” – I’ve seen people assume they know how to do everything. Yep, even thought they have no way of knowing the new and improved technique that might be out there.

What to do instead – Hire for the experience and expertise people have gained in other companies. Now that’s leverage!

4. Meeting hell – Yep, I’ve seen 100s of companies waste 1000s of hours of people’s time, energy and intelligence in worthless meetings. C’mon, you have too.

What to do instead – Never start a meeting if you cannot describe the single result you want to create by the end.

5. Ad Hoc Hell – I’ve seen it. People letting themselves be interrupted constantly by others who have ‘just a quick question.’

What to do instead – Use time blocking and create uninterruptible slots at least 3 times every day.

6. Technology Interruptions – Just because someone invented email and cell phones doesn’t mean they should command your attention.

What to do instead – Turn off both for 2 hours. Then check and answer what needs your attention AND turn them off again to keep working.

7. Getting lost in To Do’s – All too often our personal list becomes a mile long and swamps our attention.

What to do instead – Pick 3 to 6 items that will be the focus or your day. Delegate the rest.

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May 8, 2009 | Filed Under Managing, Productivity Tools, Teams, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment 

Team Building for Small Businesses – Endless Waves of High Payoff Productivity

High Payoff Teams are one of the best ways to bring endless waves of productivity to your business.

Whether your team consists of a handful of folks, or you have 50 people in different functional areas, when you use these techniques, you won’t be able to stop the productivity if you wanted to.

1. Hire for expertise – One of the greatest mistakes I see small businesses make is pinching their pennies when it comes to bringing on team members. The result is a constant drain on your time and attention as you try to train them in every aspect of what you want them to do.

I recommend you buy ‘the most’ you can rather than ‘the least you can get away with.’ That way you’ll have competence on board to accelerate problem solving and redesigning your business to run better as it grows.

2. Deploy for the challenges you are facing today – Another mistake business owners make is to try to hire for where the company will be ‘someday.’

You are much better off hiring people with experience and a proven track record and asking them to cross train to cover other spots until the business has grown.

3. Leverage other peoples’ experience – Have you caught yourself saying “I’m the only one who really understands my business challenges?” If you hire beginners and spend your time training you’re loosing the opportunity to learn on other people’s dime. That’s the money other business owners spent to build expertise and experience in the person you can hire.

Now is the time to hire people who have been ‘elsewhere’ and gain the insights and ideas and other options that you could use in your business.

Bonus Tip – Productivity is created when you step out of the leader role and into the inquirer role. Spend 20 percent of your time asking others for their ideas and you increase their dedication to making your business run more productively.

The key to creating High Payoff Teams is in unleashing the potential of others on behalf of your own business goals. Reward them with the challenges, the recognition and the appreciation and your business will soar.

And one way to grow your business to the next level is to join the Business Accelerator TeleSeminar Club at http://www.TheBusinessAcceleratorClub.com - come on board and join for $200 savings the first month.

Come join me and like-minded business builders and learn all about how to run your current business ever easier, AND how to take your experience & expertise and turn it into - Programs, Products & Services Your Clients Are Hungry For - with all the how to’s set out for you.

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April 11, 2009 | Filed Under Productivity Tools, Teams | Leave a Comment 

Business Productivity – How To Get The Most Leverage And Reach Out Of Every Hour

Would you like to get the most leverage and greatest result out of every hour of your day? How about the time, intelligence and energy of everyone on your team?

Here are 7 ways to get leverage working for you:

1. Leverage your time – Most of us have been trained to think in 60-minute hours. Well, studies have shown that we all tend to spread tasks to fill the allotted time. Break that habit by scheduling meetings for 27 minutes, and blocking off chunks of uninterrupted work time for 45 minutes.

2. Leverage your intelligence – Plan on doing a task 3 times: the first to work through the possible steps, the second to work on getting the kinks and obstacles solves, and the third to document it. Next teach it to someone else so you’ve transferred the ‘know how’ to others.

3. Leverage your energy – Many of us are working in office environments, doing very little movement of our bodies the entire day. Set aside 5 minute per hour to leave the desk, and walk briskly for 4 minutes. It’s even better if you’re in a building with stairs – go up and down the stairs for those minutes and your alertness will soar and the pounds will drop off from keeping your metabolism up all day.

4. Leverage your team – Begin every day by listing everything you want to accomplish. Then create a separate list with the 3 key goals you will focus on. Take all the other goals and assign them to other people to get done.

5. Leverage your systems – Assign each system for the work you do in your business to another person. Give them the task of evaluating “all the ways it might be done more efficiently, effectively, productively and profitably.” You’ll be leveraging everyone’s attention - stirring up the best thinking of everyone in the company AND their enthusiasm as well.

It’s really amazing! When you use “leverage” as the key to running your business, you’ll continually find ways of creating more results with less effort and energy.

And one way to grow your business to the next level is to join the Business Accelerator TeleSeminar Club at http://www.TheBusinessAcceleratorClub.com - come on board and join for $200 savings the first month.

Come join me and like-minded business builders and learn all about how to run your current business ever easier, AND how to take your experience & expertise and turn it into - Programs, Products & Services Your Clients Are Hungry For - with all the how to’s set out for you.

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April 3, 2009 | Filed Under Productivity Tools, Teams | Leave a Comment 

3 Ways To Break Deadlocks on Your TeamThere are times when business leaders I’m working with settle in face to face with their peers, arms crossed and accusations flying. I’ve found it helps to view myself as a referee on the grammar school playground during lunch break. Holding the image in my mind certainly helps me calm the disputes and get everyone refocused on the elements that have broken down and led to the finger pointing. I put on my ref’s cap this week with one of a CEO client and her heads of HR and Finance. For over six months the Finance department has had two critical positions open. In that time, fewer than ten candidates have walked through the door to interview for the positions. The source of the deadlock and finger pointing? Well, the Finance Department head is aggravated at HR taking months to find appropriate candidates. They’re frustrated that each of the candidates they interviewed, liked and had staff interview didn’t pass the background checks. And they know their staff is wondering why the candidates they speak with keep disappearing rather than being hired. HR is offended that the department heads don’t appreciate that the positions are hard to fill. The organization has a unique mission and wants people who share the same values in the management ranks. That mission pre-screens out many candidates who have the skill and experience to do the work. Everyone knows all of this. So why the pent up frustration? The breakdowns are actually a result of very different factors. 1 – There’s no shared sense of urgency 2 – The scope of the issue isn’t understood 3 - There’s no formal process 4 – There’s no systematic communication With the seats still unfilled after 7 months, I expect you could understand that the Finance folks feel insulted. They sure don’t feel like they’re valued clients of the HR staff. HR has hired hundreds (well probably thousands) of staff members. Every year the organization’s technical staff has turn over that need to be replaced. And they post the positions and sort the resumes and in short order the position is filled. The person in charge of searches knows exactly what to do for those typical seats. However, this time the Finance department positions are more complex. The HR staff tried the traditional sites for posting the positions. And found no takers. Weeks stretched into months. Two, then three, then five. The Finance managers kept looking at their calendars, and their empty IN baskets. No resumes arrived. No interviews were set. No word at all from the HR department. So the Finance managers started calling HR once every couple of weeks to ask what was going on. The HR staff then reported that the Finance staff were harassing them. Were the Finance managers actually being rude? Probably not. The underlying element in all of this is that the HR staff were unfamiliar and inexperienced with filling these high level roles. The Finance managers had never had to recruit and fill such high level positions before. Everyone’s embarrassment over ‘not knowing quite what to do’ lead to lots of doing nothing. You can see how it all deteriorated. And for all of those months, the Finance managers have been working double over time because key positions are sitting empty. So clearly a solution needed to be found. One that got everyone working at the same pace, with clear communication, and shared expectations being met. The first step - Put a shared system in place Regular discussions on the open positions between the HR staff and Finance managers now take place weekly; recruitment strategy and actions, interview appointment deadlines. Now HR’s client knows that actual recruiting activity is being observed and tracked. Within two weeks there were resumes available to be sorted. Clearly the urgency was at last being matched by both sides. The second step - Formalize the process so that it can be used again With the second open position, face to face weekly meetings are now being held to report on the recruitment activity. The Finance staff no longer has to debate whether to call and ask – every Tuesday they are told specifically exactly what activity is taking place. The third step - Institute customer satisfaction surveys of the internal customers The information being obtained from the survey is reinforcing the processes, and reminding the HR staff that the entire organization is their customer, even if positions come up infrequently in many departments. Knowing they are being tracked has accelerated the HR staff’s follow through in the recruiting process. It’s a new start and a new relationship between the departments that will get the job done to everyone’s satisfaction.

© 2008 Linda Feinholz.

There are times when business leaders I’m working with settle in face to face with their peers, arms crossed and accusations flying. I’ve found it helps to view myself as a referee on the grammar school playground during lunch break. Holding the image in my mind certainly helps me calm the disputes and get everyone refocused on the elements that have broken down and led to the finger pointing.

I put on my ref’s cap this week with one of a CEO client and her heads of HR and Finance.

For over six months the Finance department has had two critical positions open. In that time, fewer than ten candidates have walked through the door to interview for the positions.

The source of the deadlock and finger pointing?

Well, the Finance Department head is aggravated at HR taking months to find appropriate candidates. They’re frustrated that each of the candidates they interviewed, liked and had staff interview didn’t pass the background checks. And they know their staff is wondering why the candidates they speak with keep disappearing rather than being hired.

HR is offended that the department heads don’t appreciate that the positions are hard to fill. The organization has a unique mission and wants people who share the same values in the management ranks. That mission pre-screens out many candidates who have the skill and experience to do the work.

Everyone knows all of this. So why the pent up frustration? The breakdowns are actually a result of Read more

October 28, 2008 | Filed Under Teams | Leave a Comment 

Business Lessons From The Lazy River

© 2008 Linda Feinholz

If you’re like most of my clients, you’ve been working to smooth out the kinks in your business. You’ve put your time into systems for streamlining activities and installed processes that make the work flow efficient.

While I was on vacation, I was bobbing along on an inner tube on the resort’s ‘lazy river’. The sun, the flow of the water, the conversation of people around me all had me unwinding and relaxing. And for a kicker, I got to enjoy the periodic 4-foot waves that tore around the curves of the river when the staff turned on the wave machine.

Just like some of the surprises that crop up in business. Fun, interesting, a brief challenge.

After those waves, I noticed all the different ways people were using that river system. The basic experience was the same for everyone: a 15-minute loop around at a constant speed, inner tubes to rest on. What changed were the variables: how people used the water, the river, the flow, the tubes themselves.

I started thinking about the way our businesses can be humming along so steadily that we forget to notice the changes we could make to enliven our workday daylight hours, and even to create High Payoff results for ourselves.

Here are some options taken from the Lazy River: Read more

September 4, 2008 | Filed Under Processes, Teams, Vision | Leave a Comment 

SUCCESS QUOTES

“Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”

Vince Lombardi

February 13, 2008 | Filed Under Ideas, Quotes, Teams | Leave a Comment 

Change 1 Belief And You Can Change It All!

Are you ready to dump some of your own programming and let yourself step up to your own next level? Let’s take a look at what might be keeping you from leveraging what teams could help you create.

Turn off your email, put your phone line on hold, and grab a piece of paper and something to write with.

When you have, come back here and ask yourself:

“What do I believe about teams?”

Write down at least 50 things that you believe, positive, negative, and neutral. It may include things you overheard other say, lines from movies, words you read in a book.

When you’ve finished that list re-read it and find just one belief you’re ready to let go of. Say it simply and clearly, out loud, over and over again until you find you cannot stop laughing when you hear it. Then say it 10 more times and let it go.

Let’s see what possibilities show up for you with teams as you erase that programming!

February 11, 2008 | Filed Under Ideas, Teams | Leave a Comment 

ARE YOU MISSING OUT ON THE TRUE POWER OF TEAMS?

© 2008 Linda Feinholz.

Here’s an interesting fact…

According to one of today’s leading authorities on Attention Deficit Disorders, Tellman Knudsen, if you have ADD, you have been programmed since birth to actually NOT be able to do something you really need to do to succeed in life…

The thing you have been programmed not to be able to do is to participate effectively with others.

As I read his work, it struck me that the same programming that helps someone with ADD increase their productivity, are the very beliefs that all people need for success in teams. And you may not hold those beliefs.

Don’t believe me?

Tell me, how often have you ever heard,

“We all have to clean up after ourselves?”

or…

“You have to carry your own weight?”

or… The all-time winner:

“If you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself”?

If you heard those sentences, or ones similar to them, repeatedly then you have been programmed.

You’ve been programmed with beliefs so that you won’t let yourself draw on the power of the ‘teams’ around you. Those teams include your peers, your vendors, your clients, your mentors, and so on.

The programming affects your productivity on two fronts. Not only is it diverting you from learning how to delegate things you really don’t need to be doing, but it is also stopping you from having the time you need to do the things you really WANT to be doing!

And a single belief can derail an entire team.

My client, Charles, is the president of an international organization. He wants his team of managers to show up as better teammates to each other, and as better leaders of their company. He needs them to step up and take on management of their business so that he can focus on strategic issues in their marketplace.

He keeps waiting for them to raise important high-risk issues for discussion. And he wants each of the managers to offer input, insights and innovative thinking on each issue. And he watches to see if anyone will fight for what they believe is the right solution to problems the company is facing.

The problem is he’s been programming his senior management team to avoid the very behaviors he wants to see. Charles happens to believe that ‘Challenging is the best way to encourage people to show their capabilities.”

Because of that belief, rather than setting up the team for success he’s been making some key mistakes:

Letting the group ‘figure out’ how to be a team for themselves.

Charles believes starting topics and letting them roll from there helps his people gel as a team. Although his managers work together well outside of his all-hands meeting, when they walk in the door for his monthly meeting they don’t know the purpose of their time together. Is it to have the team think about the topic? To identify breakdowns? To figure out lessons to be learned? To suggest improvements that can be made?

So, they comment and quibble and jockey for position and approval like siblings around the dinner table.

Every ‘miss’ is a mistake

There is no standard for evaluating the impact when a manager’s results when they don’t meet the plan. Charles’s tone of voice is so critical that people shut down. Hoping to please him by copying the behavior they see, and in the hopes he won’t do the same to them that week, everyone else picks joins in the criticism and fault-finding.

As a result, the behavior in his management meeting is often like a college hazing.

Chasing bright shiny objects

Charles gives equal value to any remark made during the discussions. When his managers discuss one topic, their conversation ranges all over the place. Any comment can be inserted into the discussion, even when it’s off-topic. Meetings often last 10 or more hours and the team seldom comes to conclusions or decisions about next steps.

As you can probably guess, Charles keeps waiting for people to take responsibility, offer suggestions and step up… while his managers are often trying to stay ‘unnoticed.’ The managers keep waiting to be lead, to have conversations organized towards a purpose and to be given priorities for the hours they’ll spend together.

We’re going to work at changing Charles’ programming and management style so his folks in turn can get UN-programmed and come prepared, hold business-matter-of-fact discussions and build a high payoff management team.

February 9, 2008 | Filed Under Leadership, Managing, Teams | Leave a Comment 

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