Just Pick 3

Are your calendar and to-do lists overflowing to the point of overwhelm?  It's easy to convince ourselves that all the things we think we have to do, we have to do right now.  Although multi-tasking is truly necessary sometimes, in reality the things that have the biggest impact on our goals take some concentrated focus to the exclusion of all other distractions.

What are the tasks that are directly connected to reaching your goals?  Pick 3 a day that have the greatest opportunity to impact your bottom line and focus intently on doing those 3 things first.  Block time, turn off your phone and email, stay away from Facebook until you can cross those items off your list.

Get clear on what your priorities really are.  Is it essential for you to get in front of prospects?  Block time to make appointments.  Are close-in opportunities hanging because you need to follow up with more information?  Do it.

You'll feel more productive and less overwhelmed when you deal with what's essential first.  You might even find that you can eliminate some items off your to-do list all together.

What's Your "Why"?

Have you stopped to think lately why you’re in the business you’re in?  What is the pull about what you do that keeps you going when times are tough?

Having a strong “why” is the very foundation of success in business and in life.  It gives us focus, conviction, strength and courage to overcome objections, take action and go the distance.  The “why” makes the hard things easier and brings a sense of joy and accomplishment to make the victories sweeter.

So, what’s your “why”?  It needs to be more than just earning a paycheck and paying the bills.  What does success look like to you?  How does success enrich your life, and empower you to share with the people you love or the causes close to your heart?   What’s your BIG DREAM?  Write it down.

Being clear on your “why” will simplify goal-setting and priorities.  Shift your focus to the activities that are directly connected to your picture of a successful life!

Community for Treasure Valley Women in Business

Treasure Valley
Women in Business
Growing in Harmony…

Standing for Each Other

Does the idea of connecting with other women business owners to share experiences, compare notes and support one another’s growth appeal to you?

Open Lines Training is excited to offer Treasure Valley Women in Business (TVWIB), an exciting new membership forum for the purpose of helping each other strategize, stay balanced, strengthen our foundations and achieve success on terms that don’t compromise who we are. 

This is not a leads group, but rather a community.

Join us!  Space is limited to the first 20 women who register. 

When:
Monthly on the 3^rd Wednesday
Beginning May 16, 2012
3-5pm

Where:

ICON Credit Union

485 W. Overland Rd., Meridian 83642

Cost:

$49.99 per month
Refreshments Provided

Register today!  Click here.

Strategies for More Productive Networking

Have you ever left a networking event feeling like you’ve been assaulted? It’s an awful feeling to be smothered in schmooze, or dealt flying business cards ala drive-by style, or product dumped-on.  All of this by people you don’t even know!  It’s our civic and professional responsibility to stop the madness before it goes any farther!

Let’s get back to basics, shall we?  What’s the point of networking anyway?  Networking is about making meaningful connections with like-minded people.  It should not be viewed as isolated events, but rather a process of building relationships. 

If you get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about attending networking events, you need to connect with yourself first.  People typically behave in unusual ways when they’re uncomfortable or afraid of their environment…a.k.a. “assaulters”.  It definitely takes a respectable level of courage to walk into a room full of people you’ve never seen before and get involved.  I believe things go wrong when we go in with a preconceived notion of how we’re supposed to act instead of being who we are.   We’ve all heard it at one time or another…”just be yourself – everything will be fine.”  So – BE YOURSELF.  Understand how you best communicate and how you get your bearings in unfamiliar territory.  If you like to observe a situation before you jump in, then do that.  If you are more comfortable being introduced around a room, make arrangements in advance to have that happen.   Look for someone you’ve met before and break the ice with that person.  Your comfort level will rise as you acclimate to the situation.

Next, make sure you’re clear about your expectations.  Don’t put undue pressure on yourself or set unrealistic expectations for the outcome.  You’re setting yourself up for disaster and disappointment if you think you’re going to walk away from a networking event with new clients.   Networking is simply the venue, the forum, the opportunity to meet people and begin to build a relationship with them.  It’s up to us to decide which forums suit us and our situations the best, and to discern which relationships we are most interested in building.  This takes time, focus, a sincere interest in and curiosity about others, and a true appreciation for what it takes to earn another’s trust. 

Take some time to set your strategy for networking and devote time consistently to deepening relationships with people you’re connecting with.  You are creating an environment to foster referral business, which grows in value over time!

Showing Up

Did you ever consider how you’re showing up in your life and your business?  They’re connected, you know. 

A couple of weeks ago we talked about the ABC’s of Great Leadership.  How about the ABC’s of Having a Great Life and Business?  Authenticity, belief system and compassion are key components of living a fulfilled life and doing great work. 

Our lives begin in complete authenticity and freedom.  As children we make choices totally based on our own fulfillment.  And then the world happens to us, and we get conditioned to live based on other people’s choices for us.  It’s natural and has to happen to some degree to protect us and so that we can function in society.  At some point, though, we all have to reconnect with ourselves… rediscover ourselves… get back to the core of who we are and choose the beliefs that support the highest and best of ourselves.

I work with small business owners all the time who talk about potential – the business has potential, their staff has potential, this new idea has potential.  Reading between the lines of what isn’t being said, what I hear is “we could be successful if only…..”  I would be rich if only I could win the lottery Saturday night.  Does that kind of thinking help us confidently spring into action, or does it cause us to resist doing anything because we think we aren’t enough, don’t have enough and don’t believe enough to get it done? 

To be authentic and to show up that way, we need only to focus on now and recognize that we have everything we need at this moment to do what we can do today.  Then do it.  We are free to choose a belief system based our growing capacity instead of an “if only” potential mindset.  Show yourself some compassion – accept and love who you are.  You are the only person in the world who can do what you do in the way that you do it. 

When you can show up in your life and your business as the best YOU that you can be, the world will happen for you.

The ABC’s of Great Leadership

"Example is leadership." ~~ Albert Schweitzer

Take a look around our community and, like many other communities, you will see effects of the past few years’ economic conditions.  The question I’d like to pose to you today is how, under the financial stress of recent times, have some companies managed to not only stay alive, but to thrive?  Leadership is the key to what makes or breaks a company.

Having so recently lost one of our own great leaders, Steve Appleton, it’s natural to look at his example.  Micron has certainly not been exempt from hardship.  It’s how Mr. Appleton responded to hardship that made him a great leader.    How many business leaders do you know who have forfeited their own salaries for the good of the company?  That’s just one of a string of examples you could draw from in a discussion of Steve Appleton’s mettle as a leader.

What are the core qualities that separate great leaders from mediocre leaders?  Let’s call these the ABC’s of Great Leadership.

Authenticity:  Great leaders are real people first.  They are secure enough in who they are to surround themselves with talented people who are strong in areas they are weak in.  They lead by example and not a “do as I say, not as I do” mentality.  Great leaders roll up their sleeves and don’t expect their people do things they are not willing to do themselves.

Belief System:  Great leaders operate from a belief system based on integrity.  They know the right thing to do and they do it, even when it’s hard to do.  Great leaders engage in positive reinforcement and encouragement when times are tough.

Compassion:  Great leaders know that the strength of their organizations relies on the strength of their people.  They recognize that we are all people first, workers second.  Great leaders treat people with respect, compassion, courtesy and humanity in all situations.

Great leaders don’t profess to know everything, but they recognize that they have the capacity to learn the right things and assemble the right teams to get the job done.  Every challenge increases their capacity for greatness. 

Are you a great leader?  Do you have the capacity to be one?  Get clear on who you are, what you stand for and how you impact the other people in your organization.  Be the example you want your people to follow.

For a Big Impact on the Bottom Line, Invest in the Top

Climbing the corporate ladder usually results in good performers being promoted into management positions, or people striking out on their own.  In either case, people find themselves in charge of running the show and managing people without necessarily having the training or background to take on the new responsibilities effectively. 

Different skills are needed to motivate people, resolve conflict, translate strategies into action plans and evaluate performance.  These skills don’t come naturally to all people, nor are they developed quickly without guidance.  More and more companies are investing in executive coaching to shorten the learning curve and provide their key staff the tools they need to effectively transition into leadership positions.

When it comes to defining coaching, the International Coach Federation (ICF) states that coaching is about “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”   Coaches are trained to provide objectivity and accountability while building on individual and team strengths.  They provide resources in areas that need improvement.  In short, coaching promotes doing and doing impacts business results.

Studies conducted by leaders in organizational development have shown that companies realized significant improvements in productivity, organizational strength, bottom line profitability, customer service and quality, and reduced rates of staff turnover as results of executive coaching.  The value of coaching was considered far greater than the money and time invested.

Invest in your company’s leadership team and watch the bottom line grow!

Matters of the Heart

Running a life gets complicated. Our roles with families, friends, business, health, and community have a tenacity to become a blurred line. Sometimes it feels like we are underwater without much oxygen left. Being pulled in many directions is not productive nor is it very much fun. In matters of the heart, stepping back and evaluating what is most important and eliminating the more stressful aspects of what life throws out will keep you happier and healthier. Taking the time to reflect and qualify the areas that matter most to you will help keep the focus on what adds sanity and stability to a crazy life. Choice is about clarifying what is most important and not depriving or ignoring the people you have life commitments to. Balance, planning and taking a breath will clear the debris from your path and build momentum for the future. Take care of your heart, take care of your life.

Live well.
Becky

What's Bacon Got to Do With It?

Image via Wikipedia

My sweet husband only gets his favorite breakfast on the weekends.  It's not my favorite, but he loves it and I love to make him smile, so I figure over the course of 16 years I've made over 800 bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches.  A nice deli sandwich bun, lightly spread with canola margarine and broiled to a lovely light brown...topped with a hard fried egg covered with shredded cheddar cheese (melted, of course)...finished off with crispy strips of bacon.  Man's favorite food.

Bacon has risen to rock-star status over the last couple of years.  Bacon doughnuts, bacon flavored lip gloss, pork belly this and that all over the Food Network.  So wouldn't you think there would be some quality control?  This is what drives me crazy.

My sister-in-law uses the "dump it all in the pan and it'll work itself out" strategy.  I like to prepare the bacon in the microwave - it's super crispy, not greasy, and I feel it's somewhat healthier, somehow.  But in order for me to achieve bacon perfection, I need to be able to get the dang stuff out of the package in nice, neat little strips.  I've tried every brand...expensive, on-sale, store brand, out of the butcher's case...and still I find skinny little strips mixed in with super thick strips.  Either they won't come apart in the first place, or they don't cook evenly, and my husband's perfect breakfast is spoiled by the expletives coming out of the kitchen.

What would happen to all of us in our businesses if sometimes we did things consistently and sometimes we just cut things a little skinny?  What if the 16 oz. package really didn't hold a pound of bacon?  The latest bacon incident - fresh in my mind because it was just this morning - got me thinking about the parallels.  If there's no quality control in bacon, what's next?  There are whole restaurants focused on bacon - there's one here in Boise.  Wonder if they feel my pain?

I guess the only thing to do is raise my own bacon.  No, that won't work.  I know me. And I could never convince the neighbors it was a bulldog.  What do you feed live bacon anyway?

What About NOW?

It’s hard to believe it’s almost the end of January!  How are you doing with your goals so far this year?  Are you making progress?  Are you feeling stuck?   How are you talking to yourself?

Dictionary.com defines catalyst as “a person or thing that precipitates an event or change”.  Be a catalyst for your own growth! 

Rather than get caught up in thinking about what you don’t have that’s keeping you stuck, focus on the resources available to you right now – today – and use them to your advantage.  Acknowledge your skills and experience.  Remember challenges you’ve overcome in the past.  Stay connected with your support networks and others who are invested in your success.

Most importantly, when limiting thoughts pop up and have you convinced that you can’t achieve your goals, ask yourself this question.  “What evidence do I have today to prove that I can’t?”  I bet there is no concrete evidence.
  

Keeping your focus on what you can do today will help you be a catalyst for positive growth in your own life and the lives of those you touch.  You can do it!

Related articles

• The Catalyst (xtonycz.wordpress.com)
• Catalyst to Inspiration (lizawrites.wordpress.com)

Review and Change Eliminates Stagnant Quo!

January is a good time to review goals, mission and vision statements. There may be some changes that took place since your last review and some tweaking to be done. Status quo sometimes turns out to be stagnant quo. Are there some things that just are not working for you anymore? What is different in your company or your life this year? When was the last time you inventoried skill sets, products, direction, people and your customer base?  What is working well?  Where do you want to grow? What do you want to change? Start by reviewing one area at a time, taking on too much will stall progress. Read your vision statement, what does it mean to you? Does it still fit the vision of your company and the direction you want to go? Does your mission statement relay a clear message of how you deliver the product or service you provide and what’s most important? Do you feel in sync with the message you display for the world to see? Are your goals aligned with both your vision and mission statement? A good way to avoid stagnation is to take the time to review and update these important tools. 

A toast to getting out of the rut and moving past status quo!

How do you create lasting connections?

Becky McKinstry of Open Lines visited today with Carolyn Holly of KTVB about creating connections to build your business and help your customers build their businesses, too!

Check it out here!