Archive for August, 2009
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
Is your business drifting in the waters of economic challenge and uncertainty?
Don’t be embarrassed if the answer is yes as many companies of all sizes are “managing through” the current challenges before them. Managing through the daily turmoil starts out as a great strategy. Everyone within your organization “hunkers down” and starts to focus on what needs to be done on a daily basis to manage resources. Each decision is critical to the success of the next day, the next week and so on. But, the hunkering down syndrome (managing through it) is a great short-term strategy at best. As a long-term strategy, hunkering down is drifting with no particular destination in mind. As you drift, your competitors take advantage of new market opportunities and market possibilities that you could have capitalized on for business growth had you not been drifting.
Stop drifting! Continue to make the right and necessary decisions today but do not lose sight of where you want your company to be one year from now, three years from now, and ten years from now. The strategic decisions you make or don’t make today will have an exponential impact on the future of your business. Continue to take the time to review your strategic objectives, critical success factors, and necessary action steps. Current circumstances may force you to change course, but making a course correction today will ensure you end up at the right destination tomorrow.
“If you want to achieve success, make today the day you stop drifting.” – Napoleon Hill
Tags: business growth, drifting, market opportunities, market possibilities, Napoleon Hill, strategic thinking, strategy, Success
Posted in Strategic Planning | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
If asked, do your potential clients and existing clients consider you a trusted advisor?
Do your clients seek you out for advice as it relates to other aspects or decisions for their business?
Do you make yourself available to potential clients and existing clients on a unlimited basis?
There are two very effective ways to generate business. One way is to develop and solidify new client relationships, and the other successful path is to generate more business from existing customers. Experience has proven it is far easier to generate additional business through an existing client than it is to continually manage marketing activities and an ever-growing sales funnel. Therefore, how can you ensure the ability to generate more business with existing clients and enrich both their business as well as yours? Establishing a relationship where you are a go-to resource can strengthen every existing client relationship.
As a result of this article, I am not suggesting that you position your services as the answer to every business need. That is not practical, focused, or effective. However, if you are positioning yourself as a go-to person for thoughts, brainstorming, previous experience, wisdom, or advice you are indeed mastering the role of a trusted advisor. “In a world that is increasingly connected, but also increasingly impersonal, the role of trusted relationships is more critical.” (David H. Maister) Your buyers are typically lonely decision makers searching for relationships that they can trust and find value in. By offering your time to understand every aspect of your client’s business and every challenge they face, you will be able to clearly understand where you can provide assistance.
Never forget that knowledge and information about a client is power. It may not power the sale today, but it will allow you the ability to suggest and provide the right solution at the right time. Trusted advisors also receive more referrals. A company decision maker is more apt to frequently refer someone who is a proven resource in multiple areas, consistently available, and follows through on the details.
A recommendation for your current business plan is to look at all of your existing client relationships and evaluate what you can do to provide more value not in the forms of services per se, but in the form of added value through brain power, ideas, and professional connections. By focusing on your clients entire business, by understanding their needs and concerns, you will see a very positive impact to your sales funnel!
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: clients, decisions, prospects, Trusted advisor
Posted in Sales | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
Building your business and developing yourself are both growth processes that will occur over time. Building a business implies having to develop your skills and/or manage other people who can build the necessary processes to perform necessary business functions. While many people equate success with working, truly successful people attribute their success to working smart. In the beginning, you will need to do both. And if you do both, in the end you will find you have built something that will endure.
The value of your business lies not in what it can do with you, but in what it can do without you. If no one else can do what you can do, then you don’t have a business that will endure. You have a business that is restricted by its inability to use its creative juices and expand into something bigger and more successful. Business is and should be a systematic series of processes linked to the overall goals of the organization disciplined to exceed internal and external customer expectations. Each aspect of your business should be process mapped, so that in theory, other people could perform it. These functions and processes should be crystallized in writing.
When activities can be accomplished by others or the process is systematic, then your creativity can be utilized for continuous improvement, increased sales, improved market share, and new business development. Recognizing an opportunity and being in position to take action is one of the keys to success. If you are busy doing, you may be too busy to take advantage of opportunities, and chances are you working harder and not smarter.
The benefits of planning are many. Planning helps to prioritize your activities. You already know you will be wearing several hats and the functions you will perform under each hat are different. Planning helps you to see beyond the immediate issues and remain focused on the desired outcomes. This will help to ensure that day-to-day activities are in line with your long-range objectives and vision. It will help you avoid getting involved in seemingly endless crises, and even prevent crisis-stimulated activities that seem to be important and necessary but in fact may be neither. With this understanding you are better able to focus your energies on getting where you want to go. A comprehensive plan is the important tool you can utilize to build a successful business.
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: Building, business, develop, goals, manage, plan, skills, smart, Success
Posted in Strategic Planning | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
“Success is … the continual achievement of your own predetermined goals, stabilized by balance, and purified by belief.” – Resource Associates Corporation
In real life many people get stuck in a professional or personal position where goals are defined for them. The result is frustration where no one feels fulfilled and the goals often are never reached. However, sometimes developing a successful business does not come easily or in a time frame that is initially envisioned. This is not only frustrating, but often creates self-doubt. Our research shows that one of the key factors to a successful business is the commitment to a plan and persistence to make it.
However, there are a set of principles, that if applied will pay rich dividends toward your personal and professional success. These eleven principles will give you some additional direction in creating a balanced, successful life. As you continue to read, challenge yourself to identify which principles if implemented will take your business and life to the next level. Success, accomplishment, and life balance are right around the corner if you choose to do something about it – so – carpe diem – seize the day!
Earn trust by giving it. We live in a cynical world and it is becoming commonplace for people to want to see “it” before they believe “it.” Trust in the business world is critical, and you can build trust by being a person of your word and encouraging people to trust you by trusting them.
Take responsibility for your actions. Do what you say you are going to do! Admit it when you are wrong and take corrective action immediately. Make sure your actions are consistent with your values, and remember actions will always speak louder than words.
Get the facts before making a decision. Take the necessary time to collect the facts in order to make the best-educated decision. However, do not overdo it—too much information can cause paralysis by analysis, which causes inactivity, and inactivity causes failure.
Go the extra mile. Decide to make a difference! Go the extra mile for your customers, your family, and yourself. The little things always matter and they will add up to a stronger business and better relationships.
Put first things first and last things not at all. Use your “must do” and “should do” lists effectively. Focus on the activities that will impact your business and life goals—let the rest go. Simplify your world by knowing what is important to you and prioritize accordingly.
Accentuate the positive. Focusing on the negative will always net negative results as well as make everything seem incredibly challenging. Focusing on the positive will unveil new possibilities and opportunities that will directly link to your goals … and it just feels much better.
Center your life on specific goals. Specific, measurable, attainable, realistically high, and time trackable goals are the key to success and the fulfillment of your purpose.
Devote yourself to lifelong learning. What goals have you established to exercise your brain muscles? If you are unclear about the answer to this question develop those goals now! Develop goals that will force you out of your own comfort zone—it will be a liberating and exhilarating experience.
Discover and follow your calling. We refer to it as discovering and following your passion. Understanding your passion is critical to your success and living a life of balanced fulfillment. Living your passion is not the impossible dream; however, it will always require focused commitment and the desire to be the best you can be.
Concentrate on what you do well. Everyone has been given specific and unique gifts. Determine what yours are and maximize them. Do not try to be somebody else—work on being the best YOU! Listen to others, learn from others, but follow your unique direction.
Pour a solid foundation of hard work. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Hard work is essential for a successful business. Hard work is required for success in personal relationships. Hard work is required for any kind of worthwhile goal accomplishment, however, some of the hardest work I have had to do, I enjoyed the most.
So which of the eleven principles did you make a written note to address as it relates to improving your business, your life, and your current level of accomplishment? One of them, half of them, all of them … the number you selected is irrelevant. The commitment to take action is the most important step of all. Success in life is a continuous and evolutionary process. There really is no destination; there are only self-imposed limitations. Every day provides new challenges and if you are looking in the right places, life also provides the necessary solutions.
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: fulfillment, goals, persistence, plan, results, Success
Posted in Goal Planning | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
You were created with unique qualities and abilities. Take the time to identify your strengths as they give you the ability to make valuable contributions to others and to the world that no one else can.
No matter how much of a useful quality you possess, you can always develop it so that it becomes even more valuable. One additional degree of personal growth today can make a big difference in your positive impact tomorrow. Does one degree really make a difference? To answer that question, imagine that you are heating water on the stove. The water will boil at 212 degrees Fahrenheit and produce steam, a source of tremendous power. But if you drop the temperature back just one degree, you only have hot water. The moral of the illustration: Don’t stop developing your strengths until they produce maximum power in your life and the lives of others.
Too often people neglect their strengths and debate the questions, “Why work on areas where I am already strong?” They devote most of their time and energy to shoring up their weaknesses and developing skills they don’t have. If you manage your life by only concentrating on your weaknesses, you take energy away from accelerating your strengths, thereby generating mediocre results.
Research indicates that as many as two-thirds of all working adults are slaving away at jobs they don’t like and for which they are not well suited. In a research poll of millions of workers, only one-third reported they were engaged in the kind of work they do best. No wonder so many businesses are characterized by apathy and mediocrity instead of passion and excellence! As we become pressed by the challenges of life, we often accept mediocrity by neglecting your strengths and shoring up a weakness.
If a weakness is really holding you back, naturally you should work to develop it. For example, if your deficiency in public speaking is curtailing your job performance and your daily work is in concert with your goals and purpose then it makes sense to devote some attention to improving that area. The blunt truth is you cannot be anything you want to be. For example, it is hard to be a successful professional basketball player in the NBA if you are 5′ 4″. The average height of these professional athletes is 6′ 7″. However, the good news is that you can always be more of who you are!
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: developing, results, skills, Strengthen, Strengths, succes, Time, weaknessess, work
Posted in Team Leadership | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
It is often said, “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” When defining your personal and professional success it is critical that you focus on who you know!
- Are you surrounding yourself with winners?
- Are you surrounding yourself with people who can help you achieve your goals?
- Are you developing relationships that align with your purpose and passion?
- Are you connecting with people who understand what is necessary to be successful and are able to support your success?
- Do the right people know who you are, what your business provides, and the value you can bring to a customer?
Success is defined by your purpose, your action, and your attitude; however your success can and will be limited by the relationships that you create and maintain both personally and professionally.
Here is a great story that reinforces this concept:
Swen Nater an orphan from Holland moved to the United States when he was three years old. He grew up in an American home and as a high school junior; he stood 6′ 11″. One would think Swen Nater was destined for basketball, but he was so gangly and awkward that he didn’t make his high school team until his senior year. Instead of going to college after graduation, like some of his teammates, he went to work at a garage as a mechanic.
However, when a local community college coach convinced the towering mechanic to give basketball another shot several years later, his body had matured. Over the next two years Swen became one of the best junior-college basketball players in the country. He was honored with Community College All American his sophomore year. With two years of eligibility left, several smaller colleges became interested in Swen and each offered him an opportunity to shine.
But his coach decided to take a shot at a higher opportunity. He called John Wooden whose current UCLA team was in the midst of one of the greatest dynasties in all of sports. He said “Coach, next year you have a guy coming in that everybody in America believes will be the greatest player to ever play college basketball: Bill Walton who towered at 7′ tall. The next biggest guy you have on your team is 6′ 9″ inches tall. In practice, Bill Walton is not going to get better because he’s not going to have any competition so give my guy a chance.”
Wooden ultimately agreed and ended up making Nater two promises. “One, you’ll probably never ever get off the bench. But two, you’re going to get a chance to practice every day against the best player in America.” It only took a second for Nater to accept the offered scholarship, and as John Wooden promised, Nater barely played.
Three years later, Bill Walton as a college senior was positioned to be the number one pick in the NBA draft. Everybody wanted to know who was the best center Walton played against during his senior year. Was it that guy at Pepperdine or maybe the guy at Kansas? Bill Walton looked to the end of the practice court and said, “That guy down there, is the best player I’ve played against. Swen Nater.”
And it was true! Swen Nater had gotten so much better by working and playing against Bill Walton that he became the first player in history to be selected in the first round of the NBA basketball draft while never starting a college game.
Swen Nater went on to play 12 years in the NBA and is now vice president of Costco.
You are who you associate with. The people you spend the most time with in your life will significantly contribute to your success or lack thereof.
Instead of having a friend that suggests limitations that are an effort to keep you from harm or to protect you from being disappointed, align yourself with a mentor within your industry or area of expertise to enhance your knowledge and marketable skills. Making the commitment to enhance your marketable skills and having someone to guide you will propel you to higher levels of success.
In addition to reviewing ideas and making decisions regarding personal growth and career development with a family member, spouse, or partner, develop a relationship with a professional coach. Family and partners often times say they are supportive but tend to impose their limiting attitudes to your situation. Having a coaching relationship where the coach’s sole responsibility is to focus on you and your objectives will provide an unbiased process, which can accelerate your results.
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: focus, network, personal, professional, who you know
Posted in Attitudes | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
As we enter the second half of 2009 it is time to reflect on where your business is going and how are you going to achieve those objectives. A number of significant events have taken place in our global environment that may be forcing you to look at your business much differently than you did a year ago. Take some time to reflect on the following questions and honestly evaluate where you are, where you are going, and how you plan to get there.
Are you on target to achieve your 2009 business objectives?
Have you already achieved your 2009 goal?
If you have not achieved your 2009 business goals, what is standing in the way?
Are your marketing activities generating the necessary results?
Are you working with enough clients to achieve your goals?
Do you enjoy working with the clients you have?
What are your goals and key objectives for 2010?
Are you looking to expand into any new markets? Why or why not?
However, business is not just about numbers, activities, strategic plans, objectives, and revenue. All of these things are important and in many cases critical to build a sustainable business, but they are only one-half of the equation. The other half of the equation is you. Your personal ability to grow requires honest reflection. Look at yourself and your experiences this year with as much objectivity as you can. Reflect on you and your contribution to the success of your business.
What did I learn – new skills, knowledge, insights, etc? (List them all.)
How have my newly acquired skills, knowledge, and insights contributed to the success of my business?
What did I accomplish? (List all your wins and achievements.)
How did those wins or accomplishments impact the success of my business?
What would I have done differently and why? (Be specific and honest with yourself.)
What were the most significant events of the year thus far? (List the top three.)
What did I do right?
What do I feel particularly good about?
What was my greatest contribution?
What were the fun things I did?
What were the not so fun things I did?
What were my biggest challenges, roadblocks, or difficulties? (Be specific.)
How am I different this year than last?
What will I do differently as 2009 draws to a close? (Be specific.)
For what am I particularly grateful?
Feel free to add additional questions that may provide meaning for you.
As you can see, it is very difficult to ignore the power of the I’s and the my’s in those questions. You are a critical component to the success of your business and an honest, objective evaluation of where you are could be the difference between success and failure. Your ability to achieve your desired goals and build a sustainable business begins and ends with you. There will always be outside forces generating obstacles or pushing and pulling your business in different directions. The most powerful asset you have is you. Make a commitment to honestly evaluate your contribution as a business asset and make the commitment to reinvest in yourself and grow. The success of your business depends on it!
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: business, Economy, evaluate, how to get there, plan, questions, reflet
Posted in Strategic Planning | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not, nothing more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved, and will always solve, the problems of the human race.” - Calvin Coolidge
“Press on” is a powerful and necessary mental attitude. It is the attitude that is found permeating through every successful person and organization.
As a country the U.S. pressed on after 9/11. As a world leader we knew it was necessary, and it did not change the intensity of the horror, the sadness, or the trauma the events caused.
Martin Luther King, like many historical heroes, continued to do what was necessary in order to share the power of his vision—no matter what amount of ignorance or violence stood in his way.
The NASA program exists today because the Kennedy administration had a vision and a goal to put a man on the moon. Many thought that vision was insane; however, in 1969 the vision became a reality. The space program has dealt with a great deal of set backs and has needed to press on after significant tragedy like the loss of the space shuttle Challenger and the space shuttle Endeavor.
Lance Armstrong, seven-time consecutive winner of the Tour De France, accomplished those victories by pressing through a traumatic diagnosis of testicular cancer that masticated to his brain. Lance, like so many other cancer patients, have after diagnosis adapted a press on attitude because they know it is required to deal with the required treatment and victory over their disease.
All of these examples are of exceptional people with a press on attitude who achieved amazing results in extreme situations. However, I submit to you that the press on attitude is required in everyday life and business. I believe that every person involved in the above examples always had a press on attitude. However, we saw their real capability because they were faced with adverse, challenging, life, or vision threatening situations.
The business community as a whole is currently faced with unprecedented changes of which many are out of our direct control. Recovery and regaining success in the business world will come because of the conscious decision to press on.
Make the commitment now to do what is necessary to make your business successful. Look at each business issue with which you are challenged as an opportunity for success. Use your talent, experience, and education to your advantage. Develop a plan that leverages your background and experience. Review your marketing plan and your marketing mix of activities and make sure they are the right activities. Reach out for assistance as often as needed.
Make the commitment to press on … the results are and will be worth it!
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: attitude, commitment, mental, organization, personal, Press on, results, Successful
Posted in Goal Planning | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
One of the greatest lessons in time management is to realize the difference between spending time and investing time. The dictionary defines spend as “to use up, exhaust, consume.” If you spend, you have no return. On the other hand, when we invest we “spend with expectation of some satisfaction, of obtaining an income or profit.”
With respect to time, many people spend far more than they invest. Most of us spend inordinate amounts of time engaged in frivolous activities that do little or nothing to propel us toward our life goals. For some reason, we don’t value time as we do money, electricity, food, or even paperclips. Most of use are trained not to waste paper. We turn off lights, so we don’t waste electricity. Yet we continue to treat our time—precious moments of our lives that can never be relived—as if we had an unlimited supply.
Too often we spend our time doing what someone else wants us to do, or we do things that seem urgent rather than those that are really important. As a result, many unimportant tasks get done in a thorough, timely fashion, while important activities get hastily done under crisis conditions. Time is like money. You can expect dividends if you wisely invest it and losses if you spend it frivolously. Time reflects who you are. It indicates what you think of yourself and others, and how focused you are in achieving the goals you have set for yourself. Orchestrate each day of your life to achieve a high level of performance and satisfaction personally and professionally. Align your activities with your personal goals and with the goals of your organization.
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: activities, goals, Investing, organization, personal, Time
Posted in Time Management | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
“Unhappiness is in not knowing what we want and killing ourselves to get it” ~ Don Herold
Unhappiness is created by turning something that we want into a emphatic decision that I not only want it, but “I must have it!” Obviously, we need many things to live and to function positively. Food, water, and shelter are basic elements on that list. However, we live in a world and a culture where we tend to “need” many items that are not necessary for sustainable life. Often times, we believe these “needed” items communicate positive images about us to others, and we believe these items provide a level of security. However, we know intellectually that the total sum of those items does not provide personal happiness. That new car, more money, being thinner, owning a bigger house, are all examples of us needing something. However, when we turn our wanting or desiring of something into “needing” it, we often believe it will somehow make our desires more powerful and our actions more purposeful. This is typically not the case.
Unfortunately, the happiness (fear, anxiety, nervousness) resulting from turning this want into a need takes a great deal of our emotional energy and leaves little left to actually work towards what you want.
What if you could guide and measure your happiness by your ability to accomplish what you want through a structured process of measurable steps and outcomes? What if you could help your clients accomplish a higher level of success and happiness based on measurements that were meaningful to them? What if your dreams and goals could be your guide and your sustainable motivation? What if you could use your deepest desires to fuel a process that can help you accomplish wonderful things that you want for yourself, your business, and your family … your life?
Personal and professional fulfillment, happiness, and success based on individual desire and purpose is a direct result of a dedicated and structured “Action Plan Process.” The Action Plan Process is structured to help each user develop a Dream Inventory for the purpose of thinking bigger than life, to think outside of the box, and look beyond present capabilities and assets to create a list of desired grand outcomes. The Dream Inventory provides the vehicle to list all of your dreams, desires, wants, and goals. This list usually does not encompass any perceived “have to” and typically will not. We have a tendency to focus on what we perceive we need as opposed to stepping back and looking at what defines happiness for us and what is really important. The balance of the action plan is all about assessing where you are, deciding where you want to go, and getting there through a proven step-by-step process that works!
Happiness is obtainable and sustainable if we know our purpose, our path, and the action steps necessary to reach the destination … and you have the ability to pass that power on to every client you serve. Your process can help your clients achieve results, goals, personal and professional accomplishment, and yes, happiness!
What will you do differently that will directly translate into your happiness? What specific actions will you take to be focused on what really matters to you, your success, and the success of your clients? Like the young buck on the famous “Fish” video says, “It’s a choice!”
Do not let it pass you by!
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: action, clients, focus, Happiness, steps, Success
Posted in Attitudes | 1 Comment »
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