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.

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.

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.

Working in the learning and development industry presents a wonderful opportunity to help many types of organizations as well as many adults and young people accomplish what they have defined as success through meaningful goals. It is amazing how many organizations and individuals have yet to be exposed to a systematic process that allows them to develop a clear mental creation and the steps to develop the physical creation. Most people know what goals are and will agree that they are important; however, most people have not been trained on the effective mechanics of goal accomplishment and don’t know the power that they represent.

Developing Blue Prints

Goal accomplishment begins by establishing a relationship between where you are now and where you want to go. Begin this process with a personal and professional inventory or assessment that will help you identify your current dreams and aspirations. Define what do you want to accomplish, achieve, own, do, and be? Be careful not to let your practical mind limit your dreams and ideas. Grant yourself permission to think big and out of the box.

In addition to allowing yourself to desire and dream, take a moment to assess where you are mentally, socially, physically, financially, in regards to your family as well as with your personal belief system. We usually have a tendency to evaluate, focus, and measure effectiveness only in our professional and business lives. The common measurement is financial success, however a truly effective and well-balanced person looks at all areas of their being.

Through the dreaming process we determine what we want to achieve, what we want to do, and what we want to be. Next an evaluation or assessment process provides a clearer picture of our strengths and areas that we may choose to improve. The next step is to prioritize based on your dreams, evaluations, and assessments those specific items or goals that are most important to you now and that you want to take action on. This is the final step to providing the blueprint for your success.

As Covey indicates creating the brick and mortar is the second phase. Blueprints alone will not generate success. An architect can create a perfect blueprint, but without the appropriate building supplies and a contractor to do something with the supplies, the perfect house will never be built. The same fundamentals apply to goal accomplishment.

Bricks and Mortar

First, all goals need to be written down. Many people have goals but readily admit that they have not committed them to writing. Writing forces you to clarify your thinking and serves as a reminder of your objectives. Written goals will keep you on course in the midst of interruptions and distractions. Using a RAC Goal Planning Sheet© is an excellent mechanism to commit goals to writing and create a working document that will provide the focus necessary for success.

Working through the Goal Planning worksheet provokes the thought necessary to identify the obstacles, brainstorm all of the possible solutions, and then identify the required action steps needed to accomplish the goal. The components of the Goal Planning sheet are the bricks of your success. What provides the mortar to hold the bricks in place? All goals must have an overall target date with time specific action steps.

All the identified action steps need to be transferred to your personal planning system, which will provide a constant reminder of your plans and objectives. As you arrange your actions steps and timetable, remember that the goals are personal and you are in control. If for some reason you miss a designated date, examine the situation and find out why. There is always the possibility of unforeseen circumstances. You have the ability and authority to change a timeline. It is your blueprint.

However, those time sensitive dates will hold you accountable to yourself and others, which allows you to accomplish more sooner. Be careful to make sure that you are moving dates based on valid reasons and choices. Do not let fear, procrastination, and frustration (common, everyday occurrences) get in the way. The potential rewards of accomplishing your goal or the possible consequences of not accomplishing a goal should always be in the forefront of your mind to help you make the appropriate time sensitive decisions.

You are the architect of your life—personally and professionally. If you do not like the current results, you always have the power to change them! Take advantage of all your strengths and proven tools and use them to create a life that fulfills your every dream and desire.

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.

]]> http://www.resourceassociatescorp.com/blog/2009/08/goal-accomplishment-a-proven-process/feed/ 2 http://www.resourceassociatescorp.com/blog/2009/08/the-donkey-and-the-well/ http://www.resourceassociatescorp.com/blog/2009/08/the-donkey-and-the-well/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:36:20 +0000 Resource Associates Corp http://resourceassociatescorp.wordpress.com/?p=31 “One day a donkey fell into a well. When the owner discovered what had happened, he frantically searched for ways to rescue the animal, with no success. Regretfully the owner decided that since the donkey was growing old, he should give up the idea of rescuing the animal and simply fill in the well. Hopefully, the donkey’s demise would be quick and painless. The farmer then called his neighbors to help with the task, and soon several men began shoveling dirt into the well. When the donkey realized what was happening, he brayed, and struggled … but finally the noise stopped.

After a few sad moments, the farmer looked into the well and there stood the donkey. Alive and progressing to the top, the donkey had found that by shaking off the dirt instead of allowing it to bury him, he could keep stepping on top of the earth as its level rose. Then he could easily step out of the well and trot off happily.

As you may have noticed, life often attempts to cover us over with dirt and clutter. The trick is to shake it off and do something to take the next step up!” 12 Choices That Lead To Your Success – David Cottrell

Are you frequently shaking off dirt? Are constantly trying to move clutter from your business or life?

I believe there are three lessons that can be learned from this short story.

1. Sometimes trying to bury our mistakes is a mistake. It is better to face them and learn from them and move on!
2. Wisdom comes from experience. It is practical wisdom that your customers grow to expect and will always find valuable.
3. When you are in a hole and you feel like everything is coming in on top of you, that is the time to refocus on your purpose, your goals, and your affirmations.

Life and business do have a tendency to throw us a number of curve balls, however many of those curve balls can be avoided by developing a specific plan for what you want to accomplish and creating a time line in order to manage the steps of accomplishment.

However, the choice is always yours. You can choose to operate your life and your business like the owner or your can choose to operate your life like donkey.

It is your choice, which will it be?

]]> http://www.resourceassociatescorp.com/blog/2009/08/the-donkey-and-the-well/feed/ 2 http://www.resourceassociatescorp.com/blog/2009/08/the-dictionary/ http://www.resourceassociatescorp.com/blog/2009/08/the-dictionary/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:10:37 +0000 Resource Associates Corp http://resourceassociatescorp.wordpress.com/?p=22 The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work …

I was driving down a local highway the other day and a noticed a company’s marquee that displayed a quote that really struck a cord with me. “The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.” My immediate reaction was “Wow!” … is that statement profound or what … ?

We currently live in a society that has a prevailing attitude that success, financial reward, sometimes even happiness should be given to us automatically by just being part of that society—that those things are somehow owed to us. This thought process is also rampant in businesses and organizations today. People often believe that by existing within an organization, they deserve financial rewards, benefits, and company privileges. The attitude that financial reward, prosperity, and happiness are earned through a process of hard work, dedication, and constant goal achieving seems to be fading away more and more rapidly.

However, before any measure of success can be achieved, three things are required. There needs to be a well-defined plan, specific action steps to accomplish that plan that are measurable, and the personal determination and desire to make it happen.

• Have you taken the time to develop and establish a written plan for your life?
• Have you committed all of your critical success factors and your personal goals to writing, and do you review them daily or at least weekly?

Nothing good in life is ever easy, and it will always require hard work. Remember, hard work that is dedicated to a clear plan of action fueled by commitment and passion is always rewarded!