Adding Value

What is it about adding value that makes people think they are giving the farm away for free?
When I think about all the questions I have asked as I was setting up my business, the people who took me in hand and shared thoughts & ideas, even those who provided some tough-to-hear feedback, not only am I grateful, I think of them first when referring work to others.

See, the idea of adding value is not about the concept of 'free' but about the concept of 'sharing'.  When you were younger, I am certain you were taught to share.  Expecting perhaps a thank-you in return, or in fact, nothing at all because sharing was/is the right thing to do.  This applies to business, leadership and life as well.  As I have mentioned before, it is very difficult to live your life in separate ways, so the habits we build in our daily lives completely translate to our professional lives.

Sharing is really adding value.  Here are a few ways to build this habit:

• if you see an article that applies to a client, prospect or colleague, send it along to them with a note about why you think this is an important read for them
• congratulate them on a press release or successful endeavour - it shows you are paying attention and care about their success
• take someone for coffee just because you would like to learn more about them 
• share a book that taught you something
• say thank you for a specific outcome or task
• provide more detail or resources than expected in a report or proposal

It's the little things that make a difference.  Adding value does not need to be in huge heaps - being consistent will make this a habit and you will become known for stepping up and out in creative ways that draw people to you.

Inspiration Hits When It Needs To

August has been an interesting month.  So many new things on the go that I fear I may lose track.  And not only that but I need to remain in the mode of creating so that I can continue to work and help my clients find their own successes.

It is not as easy as sharpening your pencil and getting started in the next thing, all the time.  Sometimes is takes a break to find that inspiration is coming back to you.  It could take a change of scenery....right now I am in Toronto and love the energy, the visuals, the beat and the people. This mental break is more than feeing me up to see things differently, it is also allowing my mind to  unfocus so that I can refocus.

For the last few weeks I have been struggling to create a name for an organization I would like to start that will focus on the skills leaders of today & tomorrow will need to build so that they can truly become leaders worth following.  Finally, engrossed in the sounds of the city. My husband hits upon a brilliant idea and the name has now been narrowed down to 2 separate but similar ideas.  Whew! (I will post this shortly, I promise).  All this because of a quick change of frame of reference.

What do you do when you need the jolt of inspiration?  How do you get refreshed to find focus?  Ah-ha moments are sometimes difficult to come by!

5 Things to Do After It Comes All Together

Okay, BREAK!
The plan is in place, the job is to go execute.
It has all come together.......after a great deal of negotiation, compromise and long meetings, your team has arrived at the point of implementation.

Now what?
Well, a few things need to happen:

1. you need to communicate the vision to the rest of the organization, getting everyone to see how they fit into the big picture
2. you need to ensure that you have built in time to reconnect and regroup, ensuring that everyone stays on the same page
3. you need to make sure you have a formula in place to deal with obstacles (weekly meetings, an online reporting platform, a 5-minute check in every morning, as examples)
4. you need to celebrate the successes along the way, especially as other team members get on board with the plan
5. you need to share experiences so that everyone stays engaged and continues with the plan, eventually developing this habit

This is by no means a comprehensive list, although it is a good place to start.  Tweaking and adding the this outline so that it becomes a model for your specific plan/change/launch will help you get everyone moving in the same direction.....forward!

Your Personal Board of Directors

It's that time of year.....In the Fall we develop and get our newest Mastermind Teams in place.  This is the perfect time to start a team because we are quickly approaching the end of the year and that means there are lots of facets of the business that need either ramping up, tying up or giving up.  Sometimes these decisions are hard to make.  Sometimes you don't know where to start.  Sometimes you want to run it past others that may have experienced the same or similar situations and get their take on it.

Well, that is exactly what a Mastermind Team can do for you.  Many of my clients, as well as many people around the world have benefited from the masterminding process and helped themselves and their business grow.

There are a variety of types of mastermind teams in the world today - some ad hoc, some very formal, some quarterly, others monthly, even weekly.

If you are interested in exploring a mastermind team - you can visit this link or you can simply drop me a note and I will connect with you to discuss your questions and thoughts (even connect you to a few references if you like).

As business leaders, and sometimes in unique roles where we need a sounding board or even a place to vent and re-align our thoughts, a mastermind team provides this safe and confidential environment with non-competing business leaders to get us through brainstorming solutions to problems and issues that arise in our business.  Sometimes we just can't do the same in-house....

It's time to get your seat - they are limited.

Do You Hustle?

There can be many connations for the word 'hustle'.  I like to think of this as sense of urgency, action not reaction, thinking & creating instead of standing and waiting.

Do you hustle?
Do you reach out and meet people?
Do you stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone?
Do you follow up and do what you said you would do?
Do you actively participate?
Are you present?

In the world of leadership, the world of business and in your own life, this is what HUSTLE is.....are you doing it?

If not, what is getting in your way?