Somewhere along the line, they had to manage the people. They had to deal with individuals getting to work late or not carrying enough of the work load. They had to deal with egos of the people they hired, and to resolve conflicts that naturally arise when people work together.

Somewhere along the way, they also realize that they also have to cast the vision for the company and to motivate the team to stay focused even during difficult times.  These aren’t skills that they had used before in their positions, and sometimes come up empty handed when trying to figure out how to handle these different but very important issues.

Recently, I had the pleasure of working with a CEO of a midsized company. This individual had had a very successful technology career as a programmer. He was successful finding solutions to complex problems and his customers grew to love his work. Finally, he went out on his own and recruited some others to join his company.

To meet this individual, you’d believe that he was smart. He just looks smart! But you’d have no idea that inside, is a very socially nervous individual who knows that he now needs to build relationships with the CEOs of other companies and needs to learn how to manage high level business professionals who even have more experience in the workforce than he does.

It can be intimidating! Even for a successful CEO.

When we spoke, I asked the CEO to determine where the biggest stress points in his business life were at the moment.  He felt like he had no relationship building skills when he first met a customer.  He always felt his sales staff had the upper hand and he wanted to appear to be confident like a CEO should!  His sales staff seemed so comfortable talking with strangers and he just didn’t know what to say!  Another issue was trying to develop a business strategy for creating a vision for where the company was heading and lastly, he felt he was bumping heads with his team because he knew how to do the work and they resisted being told what to do.

We started with the basics:  How do we want to treat the customers? I asked him to identify to consider the CEO as a person first, and to get to know the other leaders as people. What sorts of questions could you ask them?  What sorts of things concern them? Is it about leading his or her people or is it about the economy? Is there anything obvious about where they are meeting you can ask about?  Or something that you could congratulate him or her on about someone who works for the company? I presented the formula to my client of FORM (Family, Occupation, Recreation, Message= passion)  This is a good place to start when having a small talk discussion with anyone. I also shared with him that many people aren’t comfortable in small talk situations, but that it is important and just a way to break the ice before the real conversation takes place.

Next, we discussed leading meetings and the fact that he was always attempting to solve all of the problems and not allowing his team to do it so conflicts were arising on a regular basis. So, we discussed learning how to coach others. The main point that I drove home was that giving advice isn’t the best tactic because it’s always better for a person to come to the answer themselves and not to be told what to do. So, we practiced ways to get the staff to come up with the answers on their own instead of being told the correct answer. This takes practice, I shared, but over time, can become a very effective tool to getting more and more out of his staff.  It also allows them to feel they have some control over their job which is essential for any individual to feel valuable.

Lastly, as he was shifting into the visionary of the company, I challenged him to be more prepared for the meetings that he led. Instead of just asking for status reports, I asked what leaders inspired him and how they handled things. Then we discussed different stories that he could share about historical characters, or modern day success stories of how other companies were gaining success in their own businesses.  I asked if he had constructed a “mission statement” and did each of his employees have one for their own business life?  What were the values that the company was built upon?  Together we started constructing what will eventually be the mission statement and vision statements of the company.

Growing into the position of leadership takes time, but it’s important to understand that it is a shift of roles from worker to leader.  It may take learning and practicing new skills that aren’t so natural at first, but over time, the investment that the CEO makes in being a more dynamic and motivational leader and communicator, can only increase the morale and image of the company. And when the employees feel good about working at the company, they work harder and produce more.

*
*

*Don’t take it sitting down.. you have to get out there and take initiative! Make the rules.. don’t follow the old ones! We’re living in a new day… and the leaders are the ones who will survive!!!
*

/Bill Taylor, co-author of Mavericks at Work, and one of the best bloggers on the planet,
said this:
“Now more than ever, companies and their leaders have to figure out how
to stand out from the crowd, how to stand for something special, how to
offer a positive alternative to the status quo.
/
**

**

*Ask yourself: *Is your business stuck in a rut? Do you desire to attract more clients? Would you like to turn your current clients into RAVING FANS and have them refer you to their friends?

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 Perhaps they’ve found out how to do local internet marketing. I spoke with good friends Bruce and Ellen Fagan of Deltona who seem to have captured the attention of most of the local business in their industry and I drilled Bruce on how he took Ellen’s business, www.SteamCleanMyCarpets.com from “Ground Zero to Hero” in one month!  Bruce studied internet marketing techniques and doing searches in multiple ways on Google, Yahoo, Bing and others. He was able to increase her ratings and local presence to being a top listing in her city and now other cities (and customers!)- like Orlando, are noticing! 

Here is his strategy:

1)      Learn to use words on your website in terms of keywords or words people tend to use in searching the internet for your business.  There are several free keyword tools on the internet from which to choose.

2)      Make sure you are listed with the major search engines.

3)      Consider writing and updating a blog regularly.  These are rich in content and often include keywords that search engines love!

4)      Consider adding your company name & profile to the various free listing services.

5)      Ask your clients to provide testimonials that you can use on your site and see if they can include it on your internet listings.

6)      Google has a cool free tool based on keyword searches called Google Trends.  It                                                                       can be real useful when planning future products or forecasting sales.

If you add a valuable service, you’ve got to let the world know! And according to John D. Rockefeller who said it best:  “Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing!”

I recently connected with a former swimmer from WPHS on FaceBook– Dr. George Stanley who is a Radiologist.  I’ve known him and his darling wife Suzanne for many years but have been out of touch, so I decided to drop by their offices.

Walking into the offices of Dr. Stanley at University Diagnostic Institute in Winter Park, you’d think that the economy was in full swing and never better. His energy is contagious and he’s excited with what he’s doing in his practice after all of these years.  (He also shared with me that he just received his MBA from UCF; and graduated with a 4.0 GPA!) He shared how he’s concerned about the many health facilities that have come across bad times and are closing.  Then we talked about his desire to jump start the businesses around him, which in turn would help his own.

He shared with me that he’s facilitating meetings like crazy. For instance, he’s having a celebration in honor of his graduation and will be bringing many professionals together on a Sunday afternoon to network.  He’s also set on his schedule a few lunches and dinners every week to bring potential customers together so they can meet. He’s showing up at all sorts of events and spending more time getting to know how he can help THEIR businesses, and always makes sure to get their card and he follows up by email or a note in the mail.  Of course even though he’s gotten into the online social networking kicking and screaming, it is a part of his plan, as it was how we reconnected. Even old dogs can learn new tricks, and he’s living proof!

Another cool act of generosity I’ve witnessed is Dr. Andrew Hull, a chiropractor in Winter Park.  I brought him some art work to sell from a friend which he is now displaying, among other artists from the Central Florida area.  He feels that he has the space and wants to help as many other entrepreneurs that are out there, and so his waiting area is now splattered with different artist’s paintings.  He’s got the space, and has the ability to help others, so why not? I love that mentality!

Another new associate is Linda Raines who owns a cool little all natural shop called “The Nature’s Garden” in Maitland.  I dropped by her shop recently and found her so charming, I suggested that perhaps we hold some networking events there and she was completely open and excited about the idea.  It’s a different atmosphere from a restaurant and coffee, because you’re surrounded by health food products.  As we all know, health is becoming more and more of a trend, so places like this are natural to use as a gathering place on off hours.

Even entrepreneurs who have been settled and haven’t had to reach out to any new customers are getting back in the action and are generating ideas one after another! After spending some time chatting with David Rimback, of Insurance Benefits Solutions, he’s got plans to launch a local business/finance column that will help business owners with their personal and corporate insurance.  He keeps close tabs on what’s happening in the daily news in order to inform his customers and wants to be a good resource to them.

I have found in many of these cases, that each of them had events to invite me to, people for me to network with, as I did with them.  I’ve learned that by keeping my Blackberry up to date of all of the business contacts that I have accumulated is wonderful to be able to whip out a few numbers so people can contact friends or associates quickly, and I don’t have to wait to get back to my office.  Definitely trade cards and insert the information and a date to follow up immediately!  Additionally, having my day timer (I still use the paper kind since I’m visual) with me, always ensures that I know my calendar and can RSVP when I’m given an invitation. 

It just seems there is so much energy “out there” among entrepreneurs, but it really does feel like right after 9/11 in NYC. People came together and helped one another and supported one another and there was a sense of “we’re all in this together and we WILL get through it! ”.  I get this sense about Central Florida entrepreneurs now, and it’s an exciting time to be an entrepreneur here. People are reaching out, collaborating with others, facilitating meetings for their customers and doing what they can to help.

I’m proud to be a part of this exciting and amazing community of entrepreneurs.  We’re pretty darn awesome!

While I’m no different, I’m a bit fortunate in a way, that I’m an entrepreneur and don’t own a store front. That means, I don’t have to be committed to selling pools because I can quickly hang up a new “sign” on my website, and print up new free cards at VISTA PRINT, and transform into something new every day if I wanted. Of course the whole process of sales and marketing takes time, so that wouldn’t be wise, but I have definitely added to my services over the past few months. We’ve added newsletter services, direct mailings and marketing pieces, and are helping people get up to speed on social networking sites. Wherever there is a need, we’ll fill it. I have an arsenal of professionals just waiting to get to work.. and I’m out there promoting them.

Meanwhile, that process in between the marketing time and the sale, can be a bit frustrating. You throw a ton of stuff out there and promote, promote, promote, hoping to get a sale. And part of why a person will start work with someone new, is because they like their tenacity, their confidence in their product and they feel like they’re the “best man for the job”. They also pick up on their attitude, and if that attitude suggests that the well is dry, and that there is an air of desperation in the air, the buyer WILL go elsewhere.

So how does a person do it? When they’re marketing their law service or their accounting service and need and want to attract customers, how do they stay fresh and positive and confident that they ARE the best person for the job.

There are several tips that I have been following and am encouraging those that I speak with to follow as well.

1. Turn off the news. You don’t need to know it to promote your products and services.
2. Hang around positive people! Seek them out and make a coffee date with them.
3. Drag out the motivational books. There were tons of people who became millionaires during the depression, because they did what others were not willing to do. By doing a bit of research, I found that there were lots of people who did make money during the depression, through investments, and liquefying companies etc.
4. Prepare for the worst. Just like families in California have a plan in the event of an earth quake and those of us in hurricane states have a plan in the event of a hurricane, have a plan for what could happen.
A. Save some Cash- at least a few thousand $ and keep it hidden.
B. Have some skill that people will want to barter… just in case we get to the point where you barter for everything.
C. Keep learning, because there just might be the BIG idea lurking right around the corner that might make you your million!
5. Expect the best! Live in gratitude every day. Be thankful for what you have – your health, your friends, your home, and the little things. Our perspective needs to change a bit, and our expectations, but we can adjust and find the good in all of it.

We’re going to be fine! We’re a strong country! We’re survivors and we’re pioneers! Let’s get out there and make it happen!!

Keeping it real.. every day!

He told me this: “Focus on What Matters”

Wow… that was so enlightening to me at the moment! It means that I know clearly that the absolute most important thing to me is that my son has a safe and comfortable home, is eating well, and all of his needs are taken care of, and his body, mind, soul and spirit are nurtured. Because he has Sensory Processing Disorder issues, his body gets out of whack quite often and it causes a lot of disruption in our daily routine. If he has an overload of sugar, like one or two ice cream cones, his body reacts so severely that he wakes up at night, thrashing and in turmoil. Then the next day, clothes feel uncomfortable and then we’re late for school.

At this point, controlling our environment, and every single second of his life, is what I have to do in order for our lives to work. I monitor his food, his food intake, to make sure it’s healthy, nutritious and without preservatives. His clothes have to be soft and worn, his hair has to be short or it can cause us to spend an hour fighting it, and he has to do intense exercise every single day, which means swim practice, trampoline jumping or rip stick riding.

Homework is another challenge, and so depending upon the day, it might or might not get done. If he’s uncomfortable, there is no use trying to hurry him up, because he’d react to that, so we have to decide.. what matters more.. him being late or him being comfortable and feeling loved? I choose love.

I can’t say I was always like that! For years, before I knew all of this about my son, I would rush him and hurry him and stress him out… and be completely stressed over the situation. I worried about him getting to school on time, about being respectful of others times, of him getting to say the pledge of allegiance and him not getting a tardy remark. I think of all of the upsets we have had over the years with me not figuring out what would work for HIM first and having everything else come second after him and his special needs.

At this point, we’ve suffered through many years of NOT knowing, that now I’m completely dedicated to helping OTHER families find these things out early so they won’t have to stress and struggle with knowing what to do on a daily basis.

So what about you? What matters most to you? Is it a certain project that you’re working on? If so, what are you doing on a daily basis to support that to happen? Is it your health? Are you committed to being healthy or losing weight? Are you doing everything in your power to support that every second of every day? Is it your children? Do you want them to be excellent students or top notch athletes?

In order for me to be strong enough mentally and physically to handle all of the demands that my personal life takes, I’ve had to move my own health up to a very high priority in my life. I have to feel good in order to handle these complications so they don’t stress me out so I don’t also loose control. And because I’ve done this, I’ve found that I’ve found that I have EXTRA strength, that allows me to be there for my son, for my family, and to give energy to the work that I’m doing and the cause that I’m dedicated to.

So the thought for the day, is to Focus on What Matters! And by clearing out the STUFF that gets in the way of what really matters, and focusing your heart and soul in that direction, and take care of yourself so you have the energy to do what it takes to get it all done, you’ll actually be more effective at doing all of the other stuff that needs to get done.

Amazing, simple, easy, but life changing concept!

Focus on What Matters!

I. Introduction – What makes an interesting and dynamic and polite person?

II. The Introduction
A. My name is…..
B. It’s nice to meet you (NAME)
1. Show enthusiasm!

2. Look in their eyes when you say their name

C. Response- “it’s nice to meet you too (NAME)!
1. Show enthusiasm!
2. Look in their eyes when you respond.

III. The Handshake
A. Nice firm handshake
B. No squeezing – NOT NICE
C. NO wimpy hands either!

IV. Listening Skills
A. Ask questions of others and show interest!
B. Make sure if you’re talking – that you share the conversation like cutting a pie!

V. Be Sure that Everyone in the Group has someone to talk to
A. Don’t leave anyone out!

B. Be kind to all people- remember: “Everyone is Different”
C. Be a good friend to others and you will have good friends!

Here are some questions to ask yourself to see where the gap is:

Are you a master at your craft? Consider the length of time that you’ve been with the company. Do you know everything that you can about your product and your service? How are your relationships with those within the company? Are there people who can do you favors, even for your clients, that you should get to know better? What about your competition? Do you know them inside and out? Do you know their weaknesses and their strengths? Do you know how to get a sell away from them in a tactful manner by emphasizing your strengths where they are weak?

What time of day do you get in the office versus your co-workers? Are you wondering in the office at 8:30 or 9am and settling in to have your coffee? Are they at the office at 7:30 and getting coffee and catching up on the news an hour before you even get into the office? Are they on the phones already when you’re just getting ready to look at the paper? Consider getting in earlier or planning your day the night before so you can get into the office and start communicating with your clients the second you get to the office.

How much is email taking you away from your work? Are you spending part of your day reading jokes, and watching YOU TUBE videos that are entertaining, but are keeping you away from your work? Did you know that even if you DON”T read your emails, just having to delete them is taking valuable time away from your work and making a profit for your company? Consider putting everything in the JUNK file that doesn’t pertain to business and put a sign on your desk that you’ll only check email 1x an hour or late in the day. See if this addiction that has hit most people in America can free up some of your time.

Have you had instability in your life this past year? Have you had major stress or changes in your life? Has anyone closed to you died? Have you changed jobs? Have you moved? Have you gone through a major life transition like a divorce or become and empty nester? Has anyone close to you been relying on you emotionally and you feel drained? Sometimes, our emotions can be dragging us down and we don’t even know it. If this happens to be you, consider getting in a therapy group or counseling, or finding a support group to help you process these changes and the emotions that follow. You can be doing everything you’re supposed to be doing in business, but the sadness you feel might be leaking through your attitude. Get support where you need it. None of us is an island and no one expects anyone to go through tramatic times completely alone.

How is your attitude? Are you depressed that your sales are sagging and you get down about that? Are you angry about something at work or do you have problem clients that you’re trying to avoid? How is your relationship with your boss and those in the office? Your attitude may be negative if you’re going through a slump and it’s going to take dramatic measures to get your attitude back in a place that is positive and care free. Consider listening to motivational tapes every morning on the way to work , in your car or when you get up in the morning. If you’ve got the news on, you’re probably getting more negative messages than you are getting positive messages, so you need to take control. This tiny step can change your sales figures literally overnight. For a great resource go to: www.nightengaleconnent.com

Are you a gabber or a closer? How much time are you spending socializing and reading or doing busy work versus spending time with your top customers or reading about sales or learning about your product? Start putting a clock by your desk to monitor your phone conversations and evaluate where your spending your time throughout the day. If you’re socializing more than your making calls to customers or working, then it’s time to alter some of your habits. If you need to connect with others emotionally, schedule 15 minutes a day to make your personal calls and keep them short and sweet. Time management is one huge area to be constantly on top of for long term success.

What are you listening to? What are you reading? If you spent 1 hour a day listening to a motivational tape or reading a book to enhance your learning, in one year, you’d probably triple your income by learning success secrets of the superstars. Go to the library and check out books and tapes. Turn off the radio and TV and start educating yourself every day. Trade great books with others, and keep a book with you at all times so when you find yourself standing in line or waiting for someone, then you can use the time wisely. You can become an expert in your field and 5 others in one years time!

Are you getting enough sleep? Often times we might get into bed in plenty of time to get a good nights sleep, but spending time with Jay Leno is often more enticing than turning off the lights. Eating well, exercising and sleeping enough are basic self care items but if one of these is unbalanced, then your body isn’t going to have the energy to keep it going when things get slow. The body will slow down and stop and then it takes 2x as much effort to get it going. Make sure you get at least 7-9 hours of sleep, drink plenty of water, take your vitamins and exercise at least 3 days a week.

I’m Unorganized but I know where everything is. Organized Chaos? That’s just an excuse for those of us who don’t have great organizational skills. And when you’re not organized, you spend precious time looking for things and trying to GET organized. What you need is a good system. So sit down with someone who can help you get a system in place, and then do your best to implement it and use it every week. Some sales people have an administrative person come in weekly to file, or to throw away things that aren’t useful any more. But they keep on top of things and it helps them throughout the week. This precious time saver can not only save time, but loads of frustration.

Are you in the wrong field? . Is there a chance that you stand on the sidelines longing to do something different and feeling jealous that you’re in the wrong field? If this is you, no matter how organized you get, you might never have the heart, soul and passion for your job. This might take some time for you to discover your true passion, but it can be done in mini steps by talking with others in other professions or at other companies, going to the bookstore to see what subjects intrigue you, and by searching the internet for other careers and jobs that might suit your personality better. Try things out first.. read about them, and study about them and then talk to people who are doing them. Perhaps you might have to take a salary cut to start a new career, but in the long run, you’ll be happier with doing what you truly WANT to do, rather than just working to bring home a pay check.