As a business owner a strong vision does not lend itself to mediocrity.

A drive to excellence always seeks improvement. If you accept 95% efficiency as a vision or goal, the efficiency will inevitably slip to 90%. If that’s considered “good enough,” it will become hard to keep it above 85% and so on and so on. 
A vision is a goal that is strived to be achieved.

Goals must not be unrealistic or unattainable, or your followers will simply give up trying altogether, becoming dispirited and demoralized in the process. If 95% of people fail to meet a standard, then that standard is likely too high and must be reviewed and changed. 

The same goes if the bar is set so low where little or no effort is required to meet it. Based on your vision, set high goals that are attainable but with some degree of difficulty, and reward those who meet the goals. If a large number of followers are meeting the goal, raise the target a little.

If only a very few are meeting it, lower it somewhat, or ask yourself why? Investigate any potential bottlenecks that may be holding back progress and resolve them. Talk to your followers about possible solutions. The people who actually do the work are sometimes far more likely to be able to tell you why they are having difficulty accomplishing a task or goal than even their immediate supervisors or managers.

Article from the IIB Business Alert News Letter.

 Keith Tindall - Accredited Associate of the IIB 

Article Source note : CONFESSIONS OF AN UNMANAGER; by Debra Boggan and Anna VerSleeg

HAVING EMPLOYEES SPEND TIME doing different jobs offers a dual payoff; They learn new skills and find out more about how the whole organization operates. And they do so without losing any time at training sessions.
 
But mandating such job rotation probably won’t work because most people don’t learn as well when you force them to do something. 

For a better approach, consider this job rotation program used at a Nortel plant in North Carolina: Work teams’ post temporary-help positions for which any employee can apply.

The notices describe jobs, list their requirements and say how long the rotations will last. For example, the MIS department was falling behind one quarter. They posted a notice that they needed someone to fill in for a couple of weeks.The host team interviews candidates and chooses one. For the MIS job, the team selected Jennifer, who worked in production. She had taken some programming classes at night, so it was a chance for her to test her new skills. 

The “rotators” receive no change in salary and no one fills their regular position. So while Jennifer was gone, others in the production department compensated for her vacancy. Those who rotate jobs tell co-workers about their temporary assignment. When Jennifer returned to her production job, she described in detail what she had done—and learned— at MIS. 

Suggestion: Limit rotations to minimize schedule disruptions that too much job switching might cause.

Nine Ways to Overcome Procrastination - Time Management

Your ability to select your most important task at any given moment, and then to start on that task and get it done both quickly and well, will probably have greatest impact on your success than any other quality or skill you can develop! 

If you nurture the habit of setting clear priorities and getting important tasks quickly finished, the majority of your time management issues will simply fade away.Here are some ways to get moving on those tough tasks.

Delete it. What are the consequences of not doing the task at all? Consider the 80/20 rule; maybe it doesn’t need to be done in the first place.

Delegate. If the task is important, ask yourself if it’s really something that you are responsible for doing in the first place. Know your job description and ask if the task is part of your responsibilities. Can the task be given to someone else?

Do it now. Postponing an important task that needs to be done only creates feelings of anxiety and stress. Do it as early in the day as you can.

Ask for advice. Asking for help from a trusted mentor, supervisor, coach, or expert can give you some great insight on where to start and the steps for completing a project.

Chop it up. Break large projects into milestones, and then into actionable steps. As Bob Proctor says, “Break it down into the ridiculous.” Huge things don’t look as big when you break it down as small as you can.

Obey the 15 minute rule. To reduce the temptation of procrastination, each actionable step on a project should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. 

Have clear deadlines. Assign yourself a deadline for projects and milestones and write it down in your day planner or calendar. Make your deadlines known to other people who will hold you accountable.

Give yourself a reward. Celebrate the completion of project milestones and reward yourself for getting projects done on time. It will provide positive reinforcement and motivate you toward the complete task.

Remove distractions. You need to establish a positive working environment that is conducive to getting your work done. Remove any distractions.

Success and Achievement in Life!

SOURCENOTE: © Copyright Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach. www.philiphumbert.com “

From parenting to fitness to money or time management, to wealth, fame, power or athletic prowess is the result of mastering the fundamentals.
 
It’s about approaching the task as a problem to be solved, as a set of skills to be learned and applied.

In that sense, as long as we live in a predictable, orderly universe, success is basically an engineering problem. What a concept!

I anticipate expanding on this in many ways, for a long time to come.

I don’t know where it will lead but here are some of my initial thoughts on the Who, What, Why and How of success:

1. Success comes to those who are prepared.

Success comes to some people more readily than others, but the difference has nothing (nothing!) to do with luck or genetic talent or family background.

It comes to people who are balanced, healthy and structured.

It is not attracted to scenes of chaos, drama, confusion or impulsivity.

Success in the outer world is built on mastering one’s own inner world.

Get good at living on purpose, with balance, enthusiasm, focus and energy.

2. Success comes to those who know what it is.

Success comes to those who have defined their outcomes in advance, who know their purpose and are committed to their goals.

Success is not about “a little of this and some of that.” It’s not about starting over or giving up when things get hard.

Success is about defining what you want, knowing where you’re going, and pursuing your goals with creative, persistent determination.

3. Success comes to those who know why they want it.

Success comes from purpose and passion, from having powerful reasons for success.

Successful people are described as “driven” by a dream or “pulled” by their sense of mission.

They are rarely distracted, seldom confused and they never give up.

It’s often impossible to tell whether they have a dream or the dream has them.

They stay the course because it’s important. They have their reasons.

4. Success comes to those who know V how.

Success requires effective strategies, solid plans, a budget, a schedule and talented partners, coaches and teammates. Success is not random!

We live in an orderly, predictable world and successful people often spend more time developing their “blueprint” or “path” than it takes to achieve their goals once they get into action.

Eager, impulsive failures tend to launch before they are ready.  Winners focus on the plan.

They know how their plan is going to work and they work their plan.

Courtesy of “Business Alert Newsletter” from the Institute for Independent Business International

Keith Tindall - Accredited Executive Associate of the Institute for Independent Business International

Ethics and Integrity 

We should always attempt to make sound ethical decisions in our lives ...it is possible however for two or more people to make different decisions from the same situation. In business it is important that people understand those around them have different ethical approaches.....whatever the outcome ensure integrity rules.

People typically use five different ethical standards to interpret the world around them. Understanding the different approach styles is important to gain a common understanding to the different styles in business. 

Here are the basic personal ethical approach styles .....which one are you ?

Utilitarian Approach; Focuses on outcomes to do more good than harm in any situation. 
Rights Approach; Focuses on everyone respecting others as a moral obligation. 
Fairness Approach; Expects people to be treated equally and with fairness. 
Common Good Approach; Looks at the conditions that affect everyone in a situation.
Virtue approach; Based on honesty, compassion, patience and courage to guide behavior.

Whatever ethical approach defines you..recognize the social and business responsibility.

Identify ethical and unethical behavior....... but most of all learn how to make ethical decisions and lead your decisions with total integrity.

"There is such no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity" Tom Peters

Business Ethics
 
A company’s ethics will determine its reputation. Good business ethics are essential for the long-term success of an organization. Implementing an ethical program will foster a successful company culture and increase profitability. Developing a business ethics program takes time and effort, but doing so will do more than improve business, it will change lives.
 
A company's ethics will have an influence on all levels of business. It will influence all who interact with the company including customers, employees, suppliers, competitors, etc. All of these groups will have an effect on the way a company's ethics are developed.
 
It is a two way street, the influence goes both ways, which makes understanding ethics a very important part of doing business today. Ethics is very important, as news can now spread faster and farther than ever before.

…... if you want to test a man’s character give him power. Abraham Lincoln

"Divorced from ethics, leadership is reduced to management and politics to mere technique"
James MacGregor Burns

Vision and Awareness

Business Vision and Business Awareness are not the same thing.
 
The ability to improve your all-round general and current business awareness is more often than not a significant influence on those business owners who always seem to be able to steer clear of trouble.

Related to the ability to listen and to read actively, those business owners with heightened business awareness have the invaluable ability to detect, see and act upon commercial risks and opportunities much earlier than anyone else. Hence they always seem to find those little edges or advantages that keep them ahead of the field, or more importantly their head above water.

Reading frequently and widely, talking to and listening to your customers, staff and suppliers regularly and finding time to network with other small business owners and advisers will help you to improve your all round business awareness and gain your black belt in entrepreneurship. 

"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success"

John D. Rockefeller

Entering the Dragons Den.....or Attracting Business Angel Investors...


Here are some tips on what business owners should do to impress potential investors in their new idea....the first heading "valuing your idea" is a common theme in the TV show The Dragons Den  

Valuing your idea. Don’t assume a business angel will be as interested in your idea as you are. Small business owners are notorious for catching ‘cabin fever’ and valuing their business idea at ridiculous multiples of its real value on the outside world.

Identify your skills. Successful entrepreneurs know their strengths... but they also recognize their weaknesses. When pitching for investment be clear on what skills you bring and what the strengths of your team are...be clear also on the outside expertise you require to make your plans succeed.

Make a good impression. Not all investors will be as taken with the “new media” look so many would-be entrepreneurs go for....a clean, simple, professional look is always worth adopting when meeting business angels....so dress for success.

Presentation. Make sure you commit any background information, plans and forecasts to paper. Have a copywriter go through your plans if necessary and don’t be frugal when spending money on a presentation.

Exciting the angels. The vast majority of angel investors are not looking for a ‘safe investment’, they are looking for a business idea which will be exciting to get involved in as well as success.

Putting it on Paper

Writing a business or executive report? Here's a few tips.

Keep the purpose of the report in mind when writing it...ask the person who requested it what they are expecting to see in the report and how they plan to use the document.....define the objective of the report. 

The following tips will guide you in discerning what data to include:-  

• Stick to the objectives of the report, unless there is a specific request for personal opinions.
• Reports are meant to be fact-based and most importantly impartial.
• Make sure that you double-check your content....read it to see if you have your own personal biases coming through on paper. 
• If your opinions are requested stick to professional opinions substantiated by facts. 
• Know who you are writing to.... determine how best to address this audience.
• Define the tone, the attitude, and the emphasis and gear it towards your readers.

"What a lot we lost when we stopped writing letters. You can’t reread a phone call" William Zinsser

Mental Blocks & Problem Solving

So what do you do when you identify a mental block? 

Carol Goman identified several structured techniques for Blockbusting.

The first technique is an attitude adjustment....remove blocks arising from a negative attitude, list the positive aspects or possible outcomes of the problem. 

The second technique deals with risk taking....remove emotional blocks arising from a fear of failure, define the risk and why it is important. Define what the worst possible outcome might be and what options there are in that scenario. 
 
The third technique Some rules are important, but when rules create an unnecessary imaginary boundary, consider disregarding them so you can come up with some innovative solutions.

The fourth technique is to allow imagination, feelings, and a sense of humor to overcome a reliance on logic and a need to conduct problem solving in a step-by-step manner.

The fifth technique involves encouraging your creativity.  

But remember when determining where the problem originated successful problem solvers get to the root of the problem by interviewing or questioning anyone who might know something useful about the problem. They ask questions, including questions that:

*Clarify the situation * Challenge assumptions about the problem*
*Determine possible reasons and evidence * Explore different perspectives concerning the problem*

If you did not personally define the problem, find out who did. Think about that person’s motivations....challenge their assumptions to dig deeper into the problem. 

"Remember problems are also opportunities for your self improvement"