Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Do you know where you're going?

Today I'm at a business meeting to discuss where we've been business wise so far this year, where we've stayed on plan, where we've missed our plan, but most importantly where we're going for the rest of the year and to start thinking about next years plan.

While doing all of this I happen to read an article about traffic issues in a major city and a report that the problems are caused by folks not knowing where they are going. Isn't that always one of the major causes of all of our difficulties in life?

Many people seem to float thru life, from problem to problem without ever pausing to consider where they are going and what they are doing to know how to get there. A GPS in your car is a wonderful tool, but only helps you if you turn it on and use it.

Same thing with your business plan or your personal life plan. First you must actually HAVE a plan, then you MUST USE IT! If you don't already have written goals for your business and personal life, the absolute most important thing you can do today is to stop whatever you are doing, pull off the road, and turn on your GPS to develop and write down your goals. Nothing else is more important!

You don't need too many, and they don't have to be fancy, but they must be clearly written and you must live with them and refer to them daily. I don't know one single successful person who doesn't have and use written goals. Not one!

Force yourself to know where you are going today..

These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve

Sunday, August 21, 2011

But it's NOT MY FAULT!

In today's times it seems that everyone from the President on down to the local businessman wants to fall back on that old line: "It's not my fault" "It was _______'s fault and I'm just stuck with the mess they created."


Whatever happened to the old standard of personal responsibility?
Whatever happened to taking the responsibility for who you are, where you are, and what you are doing (or not doing) that is causing the current situation you find yourself involved with?

I know several folks who are long term unemployed and they all have the same excuse as to why they are where they are currently - It's not their fault! One guy needs to speak Spanish to get the role that he is looking for, yet he's not willing to take the time and effort to learn the language, so he continues to get turned down for the jobs he apply's for.

There's an old quote about doing the same things over and over exactly the same way and expecting different results! Why not try something new and different today just for the fun of seeing what may actually happen?

Another fellow I know has a job but isn't earning the money he wants, but just sits at his desk and cry's about how people aren't coming in his door and buying. When I ask him about the old lost skill of "Prospecting" for new business he just stares at me and said: "What's the use? People just aren't buying today!" That's another way of saying: "It's not my fault!"

Funny thing is this - some folks ARE taking personal responsibility for their situations, even if it really isn't their faults, and making progress towards success on a daily basis. Somehow I just believe they will be the first ones to emerge from this recession on top of their fields and doing the most business.

My suggestion today is that you take time right now to think about your situation and make a list of just 3 items that you can do to improve it. Don't try to work on 5-10 items, just focus on 1 to 3 items and when you have changed those items repeat the process.

This is my thoughts about this subject, what are yours?

Focus and Stay in Business.

The past week has been a very difficult one for many people, and I wanted to discuss the need to focus on your business first and foremost. 3 Restaurants that we have frequented for the past 20+ years have closed their doors and gone out of business.

These folks all had fantastic products, they just lost their focus and forgot Business Rule #1, Stay in Business! Any small business owner will agree that it is the single most difficult thing they have to do - forget about doing the business and focus on staying in business. Allow me to explain as I have personal experience with this discussion.

Approximately 10 years ago I owned several small businesses in the tile and flooring industry, all in the retail segment. I became so engrossed in DOING the business everyday that I lost focus and sight of STAYING in Business. The "business" of doing business is absolutely the most difficult thing each business owner must do. Most of us that start our own small business do so in the field that we know and love. We forget that certain financial and business principals are necessary to stay on top of, no matter what business we are doing.

The restaurant that I hurt for the most this week is one that served fantastic quality food, in great portions, at reasonable prices. The business was crowded almost every single day they were open. Two weeks ago on a Friday evening 4 of us waited almost 30 minutes for a table. When we left several hours later there was still a line at the front door, waiting for a table! Now HOW could this business go out of business? If money was the issue they could simply raise every price of every meal by say $1.00 and resolve that issue. If help or personnel issues were the problem that could also easily be solved.

The big point here is that most likely the owner wasn't aware of the problem or problems until they were so HUGE that he couldn't overcome them. He was too busy doing the business on a daily basis to RUN and Manage the business. That skill, management, requires focus on solid business and financial principals that have nothing at all to do with the actual product or service the business provides.

Current economic conditions in this country will not allow any mistakes to continue for very long without driving you out of business extremely quickly. Back a few years ago everyone could make mistakes and hardly notice them due to the free flow of money and business that allowed businesses to become bloated and sloppy. No longer is that allowed. I was talking with another small business owner today and he confided to me that his almost fatal mistake was waiting too long before making required cut backs to survive. When he did make the needed changes his losses reversed but much damage was already done and due to the new banking environment today he isn't able to get a line of credit to help smooth over the rough times as he has always done in the past. Now he must work solely on his cash flow, personal savings, and suppliers credit lines.

No matter where you are in the business world picture today, retail level, wholesale level, manufacturer level, or even trade association, you need to focus daily on the solid business principals required to make any effort successful. Nobody is exempt, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Macy's and any other business of any size must absolutely focus daily on staying in business. Today it is mandatory that everyone, at all levels, set intelligent budgets and live within those budgets. Get focused on your business and stay focused daily so you too can stay in business.

These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve

Monday, August 15, 2011

Know and Use your Strengths

So many folks today tend to waste time and energy suffering and worrying about stuff they wish they could do, rather than understanding and knowing their own strengths. This "I Wish I could......." mentality is a killer to your optimism and energy. I saw a post on a blog recently titled "Are you a Duck or Eagle?" - and the whole theme was knowing and understanding what you are and then using your strengths to become the best YOU can be, rather than attempting to become something or someone that you aren't. Both the Duck and the Eagle are fantastic at what each of them do, and extremely poor if they ever attempt to do the other's role. Same with us humans.

When we were young we saw the world as our banquet table, waiting to conquer our dreams and desires. We generally ruled out nothing, and that was and is great for a young person, however most of us have long ago passed that point in life. This became extremely clear to me this past weekend at my 42nd high school class reunion. I saw folks who have "made it" and others still trying to "find themselves." It is highly unlikely you will ever make star status as a singer if you spend your time swimming every day, however, you make become the next Olympic swimming star if you continue going to your strengths and likes.

Many experts advise us to discover your greatest weaknesses and work to shore them up. I suggest the opposite, focus and favor your aptitudes, passions and talents then spend your time developing your skills there. You can become really great at something you love, while the best you will ever become if you focus on your weakness is possibly just mediocre at best. It is highly unlikely anyone will ever pay you for something you just due because you learned to be average at it, while many will pay for something you are fantastic doing and become one of the best at it. I never have been very good at being a handyman doing home repairs, but by following my strengths and likings I am blessed to earn enough money to pay others, who are good and happy doing that, while I enjoy (and earn money) doing what I do so well.

How do you discover your callings? Your strength's? I suggest you spend some quality time thinking about and listing the following:
1. What things are easy for me?
2. What do others tell me I do exceptionally well?
3. What things do I do that make me lose total track of time?
4. What do I find fun and fulfilling?

When you list activities that appear on all 4 lists then you will be focusing in on your strengths and know what to work on. I believe it is far wiser to explore and develop your aptitudes, passions, and talents and then you will quickly find tremendous enjoyment and satisfaction and become excellent in your field. That is when others will highly reward you for what you do.

This is my thoughts and opinions on this, what are yours?
Steve

Friday, August 5, 2011

Change Part 2. Discussion.

“If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?”
Rumi –Persian Philospher

Interesting quote to follow up my last Raving. I've had more comments on the last raving than any other I've posted, so obviously there is much interest in this area.

Today I want to remind everyone to focus on the solutions rather than the problems. It is an important part of dealing with tough situations. Our Atlanta school system has been blasted over approximately 130 teachers and administrators cheating and changing students scores. Now we all know that was wrong, and the students suffer thru no fault of their own, but the entire Atlanta School system is not bad - well over 800 good folks still work there and yet the media chooses to only spotlight the 130 rotten ones. Thank goodness another group has come forward to point out that the vast majority of the teachers and administrators in Atlanta are good folks.

So this sounds simple right? Focus only on the solutions and not the problems? It isn't that easy believe me. First of all you actually SEE the problem, and rarely do you easily see the solution. So as you SEE the problem, it tends to grow and increase. We start to focus on the problem and expend our energy on the problem and yet it still seems to grow. The solutions become few and I am most likely worn out and frustrated by the problem. Problems are in the world, have always been here and will continue to be here. So we much CHANGE.

The single most important way we can change is to choose to change from a "PROBLEM FOCUS into a SOLUTION FOCUS." Focusing on the solution, or possible solutions, tends to allow us to see our way out of the circumstances and allows us to find contentment and peace during the time of the problems.

Focus on the solutions, stay POSITIVE and actively seek those things that work towards the solution and stop focusing and wasting energy on the problem.

I hope this helps continue the process. Please let me know YOUR thoughts.

Steve

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Uncertain Times and Change

If you don't like drama then living in these times are really causing you an extremely unstable world! Washington politicians seem to thrive on creating drama, almost like a heckler in an audience, seemingly bent on destroying the act on stage. But, it is everywhere we look today.
Today's press release of TalkFloor by Dave Foster being bought out by BNP Media is yet another example.

My question to you today: Is that good change or bad change?

I suggest it completely depends upon your point of view, and your attitude. I can make strong argument's for both sides. Knowing Dave I realize this gives him a huge resource boost that will allow him to more fully provide more and better programing. Also for BNP it gives them yet another, different vehicle to reach more audience with all of their products/programs. To me this move seems to create stability via change.
Now I also see the less positive side, one that all of us in the Ceramic Tile and Flooring business see so often, another small guy gobbled up by a larger conglomerate group. Dave loses control (degree to be determined) and BNP gets bigger and loses more touch with their daily business. So the change has helped push another company towards the Wal-Mart status of control of the market. As I suggested earlier, good or bad depends upon your point of view and attitude. In my case, I say congratulations to both sides for an apparent win-win situation!

So back to my origional thoughts. Change and Drama. Uncertain times, unstable situations, etc. Why do we react to these situations with feelings of fear, doubt and anxiety? It's due to your AMYGDALA, a small, almond shaped structure in your brain that craves certainty and when it hears otherwise is shoots out chemicals to your body that starts the feelings of fear, doubt, and anxiety.

Now we can all use this small piece of knowledge to help stabilize ourselves in todays times. We control very little today, but we control the absolute MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR: HOW WE CHOOSE TO REACT!
We can use the knowledge about the amygdala to eliminate the feelings and the drama by knowing that again tomorrow, in spite of the uncertainty, the sun will once again come up and the day will start. How we face that new day is what we can control by creating our own stable environment and reduce the drama.

Here are a few steps I see to help us:
1. Learn to Know Yourself - be clear here - drama thrives on a lack of clarity. Master yourself first, and think about the emotions you are feeling before you react to situations.
2. Have written Values and Principles - understand what is important to you and then focus on those ideas. Written is critical so you can review them often. If you don't currently have a written "Life Purpose Statement" that outlines your values and principals you want to live by, I suggest you make that a top priority this month. No, you don't have to wait until Jan 1st to make a New Years resolution - do it now!
3. Listen and Think - critical step here also. Learn how to ask great questions. Instead of having all the answers, try truly listening to others and considering their viewpoints and perspectives, which most likely will be somewhat different from yours. It is tough to always have all the answers - remember James Bond and Columbo both solved all their cases, but in very different ways using very different methods. Both achieved success. I've always found it much too difficult for me to become a James Bond, but man I can handle that Columbo act very naturally!
4. Respect. If you communicate disrespect for others you will be contributing to the drama and uncertainty rather than helping with the solution. Every person and situation has something to teach you - some are lessons on what to do, some are lessons on what NOT to do - but both critically and equally important.

These tumultuous times offer huge opportunities if you choose to focus not on the outside circumstances but rather your own choices of how YOU choose to react. I plan to work on this skill today, how about you?

Steve