Perspective Part 2

In the last blog post, I let you know that there were 2 people who spoke to me about perspective, both from my breakfast group.  Well, here comes the story - every other week we chose words (pre-made flashcards we created!) by which to set goals for the coming week.  Because my word was 'goal setting', the moderator for the day - Alisson - decided that I needed a better word.  She gave me 'perspective'.

After each person around the table set their goals with their word for the week, Alisson (guest blogger)  came back to me - I discussed the perspective that had changed in my branding and new website design, she challenged me to take a look at my marketing plan for 2013 with a new perspective - underlining the 'why' for each activity or portion of the strategy and determining if this fit into a linear flow for product/service offering - was I going to be able to trade my clients through the service matrix I created.

It was amazing - that fresh look with a new underpinning or perspective helped me to see what needed work, what needed to be eliminated and what needed to be added.

See, even coaches need coaching!  How about you/  Review your next strategy in development with the perspective of 'why'.

It's about Perspective

Coming soon is my new brand and my new website.
There is a story of perspective here.
See - even in the image above - we know that the guy's hand is not as big as the Eiffel Tower, but it is our perspective because of the way the image is composed - we need to take a second look.

To tell my story of perspective, it is really 2 -fold.  Both, funny enough, come from great people in my breakfast group. (I will tell one story today and the other one later on).  First is Mark from Digital Media - we met last year at a Rotary Club meeting and quickly became fast friends.  About 6 months ago, he made a statement that made a lightbulb go off in my head - that people know me as the brand and not my company - it was so true.  I tested this out by asking some key people about my company - they knew me instead.  Interesting.

Thinking this through, and knowing that I was ready to invest in a professional website, I decided it was time to take the plunge.  When we had our initial meetings in his office with his creative director, the question "am I married to the name or current logo' the first answer out of my mouth was NO - that surprised me.  After discussing what I do and how I do it, I left feeling like I had been interviewed for a job...knowing that they needed this to do their jobs.

I went back after a few weeks and found a cool logo...and the word PERSPECTIVE on the first ad we were going to run.  Just a one degree turn of your head can change your perspective - and it was so true.  By evaluating, asking questions, listening and seeing me in action, Mark developed a great new logo and helped me to change my perspective about my company, my work and my future - elevating me to new thoughts, opening new doors and examining my processes and projects more closely.

Taking this time and working with some else has been invaluable.  When will you take this time?

The Fuzzy World

Okay.
It's Friday and I am back on the blog about 2013.  It is getting here faster than you think.
It is really time to focus.
The world of business and well, just the world itself can be fuzzy.
Time to take a moment for yourself and focus.
Do this:

1. close the door
2. put the phone onto voicemail
3. turn off the cell/smart/iPhone
4. take out a piece of paper and a pencil (or a pen)
5. now focus - write down the first 3 things you would like to happen  in 2013
6. next write down the first 3 things you would like to accomplish in 2013

See, with just 5 minutes of focus you have started to create a plan for the New Yea.

Now you job is to take 5 minutes every day for the next week and create the action steps that need to happen for you to get those 3 things done.

Ready, set, Go!

Sharing is Fun! Seriously, it is.

How much do you share?  and what specifically do you share?
Do you know that what you share comes back to you?  Not necessarily in the form it went out, but definitely and over time, I swear it does.

Great leaders share.  They share their knowledge, their enthusiasm, their passion, their focus, their minds and hearts.  They do this selflessly - not because they know it will come back, but because they know it will help the other person move forward.  That is true sharing.

Think about the last thing you truly shared.  What really motivated you to do that?  Is is simply the way you do business, the person you are?

So What's Next?

 What's next, huh?  Well, 2013 just keeps creeping closer....here is what I am working on in the 'What's Next?' category:

• new branding
• a vacation!
• new website
• promotional offering with website launch
• new programs - Goal Guru 1 & 2 (more on this to come, and it is a must do for your business, after all I am the guru of goals!)
• sticking to my wellness plan
• new database management system in place
• new apps in development for one of my other companies
• focused on streamlining process (and reducing stress) around implementing Leadercast 2013
• new clients in line for 2013
• redeveloping a few Mastermind Teams
• planning to implement another team for 2013
• a new hire on board this year!
• incorporated the business (yippee!)
• moving forward on my health goals

...and I am sure there is more.

So what's next for you?  Are you ready for 2013?  Have you begun to think about it?

Let me help you get this going - a simple call or email is all it takes - lora@loracrestan.com or 

519-735-6820

Pruning Your Business

For that last 4 or 5 posts I have blogged about planning, processes, project and people.  I was hoping to open your eyes to the fact that sometimes we need to look at our businesses differently.  We sometimes need to see that endings are necessary, and pruning our business to grow can be a good thing.

If you have time, check out Dr. Henry Cloud's book Necessary Endings (he will also be a speaker at Leadercast 2013).  He goes into really awesome examples and real life issues of what can happen if we sit and wait, not realizing that endings are sometimes better for everyone and everything involved.

Take it another way - you are better off to create your own endings, than have them created for you.  This needs to become a part of your business process.

Please let me know how I can help you with that.

Processing the Plan

Sometimes we need to process the plan....sometimes the process needs planning.  No matter what, there are always a number of factors involved in every process.

As we get closer to the end another year, we need to take time to evaluate our processes:

• what is working
• what is not working
• what is producing results we expected
• what are the unexpected results
• what is becoming a habit that is no longer productive
• what is missing that could make us more productive or efficient
• what can be streamlined
• what can be outsource

All of this evaluation is critical. As leaders we need to realize that the process is usually made up with at least one relationship to a person.  Whether the person developed the process or is involved in it, there is an emotional attachment somewhere that needs to be reviewed as well to understand how to move the process forward.  Engaging this person or these people in the conversation can help drive better future results.

There comes a time when processes need to change or disappear altogether.  Key to making sure this is successful is ensuring that anyone who is involved understands 2 things:

1. why
2. impact on them - positive changes.

So, when will you evaluate the processes in your organization? It could be a hefty job, so start with one only.  Go to it....the New Year is only 56 days away!

Finish What You Started Not Really True

Companies always have projects on the go.  Aside from the day to day operation of running the business, these projects serve to do a few different things:

1. look at viability for options in products or services
2. understand expansion or market trends
3. determine if there is a need for a person or location

There could be numerous other reasons for projects to exist as well.  

The one thing we need to make sure as leaders, is that we are not inventing projects for busy work.

We need to ensure that projects have measures of success along the way. These milestones will tell us if the project itself is still a viable expense of money and people resources.  Do not be afraid to stop a project if it is no  longer what the company needs to move forward.

In most cases I would say 'finish what you start', in terms of projects that go nowhere, that is not really true any longer.  It would be much better in the long run to cut your losses, redirect the resources and move quickly onto something new that could produce cash, profit and/or engagement better and faster.

People Planning

I would guess you are sensing a theme - planning.

Time is required to plan for your people needs. There is a lot to consider.

If you are just getting started in business - do you even need 'people'?

If you have 'people' - how productive are they?  Are they in the right job?  Do they do what the clients need or what they want?  Do you know your people - what makes them tick?  where they want to go next?  are the ready to grow with you or are you planning to develop them so they can?

See lots of questions.  And here are a few more - what if they are not performing or have outgrown the business?  People have a life-span with organizations - is it time to move some people out the door? 

Key to leading people is knowing them - all about them - and being truthful about their role in the company.

Planning for the success of your team should take as much if not more time than the rest of your business planning - after all that is who keeps the motor running!

For You Solo-preneurs out there:  you need to spend time developing yourself too - staying ahead of trends, learning to balance, finding new opportunities to innovate and collaborate - don't sell yourself short because you are flying solo.  Plan for your own development too.