Monday, October 31, 2011
Daily Post
Rarely do we ask ourselves what kind of day we want to have - positive or negative, happy or sad, successful or not. Is it any wonder why our days are haphazard, why we ride the emotional roller coaster and why our days turn out as they do? Today, consider the experience you want to have. Make a powerful choice in your life, set your course and steer yourself into it throughout your day.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Daily Post
Choose happiness and success. Rise above the waves of the storms in life, look to the horizon for new opportunities, be courageous as you forge ahead, believe in yourself and in life, and above all, enjoy the journey.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Article: Can Your Business Thrive Without You?
Most business owners start their companies with the intention of creating greater wealth and freedom. They have a dream of achieving financial independence and using this to travel, relax, give back and enjoy their lives as much as possible. However, many never realize this dream, even if the business is successful in generating financial abundance, simply because they lack the mindset, managers and team to make it possible.
Several key factors contribute to a business not being able to run effectively without the owner’s constant hands-on presence:
• The owner is a micro manager who fears letting go of the reins.
If you are an owner who believes that no one else will run your business the way you do, you’re right. After all, there is only one you and your overall perspective of your business is unique. Even so, this does not mean that there are not individuals who could do an excellent, if not an even better job, than you.Countless businesses are thriving under the day-to-day leadership of their managers, with the owner providing general oversight, direction and new ideas. This can be your reality too, as you release your fears and build a powerful team that can handle the daily operations.
• The owner is the only one currently on staff that can handle all aspects of the business.
If you have created a situation where you are the only one that can effectively run your business, then you will be tied to the daily operations by necessity. Your success here lies in hiring individuals that are competent, and who care about you, your company and the customers you serve. Integrity, motivation, passion, a caring perspective and a true willingness to learn are invaluable attributes that you want to look for when adding leaders to your team.
• The owner has not mastered effective delegation and team empowerment.
Learning to delegate tasks to your team members is liberating for you and empowering to them. There are crucial components to effective delegation that one must become proficient at in order to do it well. Without exception, every business owner I train is amazed at the freedom they gain, the ownership their team members take on, and how much better their business runs once strategic delegation is implemented.
• Current managers are not qualified to actually run the business.
A powerful component of delegation is that it allows you, the business owner, to discover who is capable of taking on the job and who is not. If you already have a manager (or managers) in place and - through planned delegation and careful observation on your part - you discover that they are not capable of running the day-to-day operations effectively, you have two choices: Train them, or replace them.
• The business lacks structure and a system of practical procedures.
In order to achieve your goals and create the freedom you desire, it is imperative that you have a system of simple and effective operational procedures in place to effectively deal with all the situations that will arise. The greater success of your company depends on it. My clients are often surprised and always delighted to discover how easy these are to create, as well as, how appreciated and liberating they are to everyone involved.
• The owner has not built a powerful team that can run the business in their absence.
All fear associated with releasing day-to-day operations can be easily overcome by building a team that can actually run the business - and run it well - without the owner’s constant presence. When the success of your business depends solely upon you, you trap yourself into a “job”. Conversely, when you build a powerful team over time, and the success of the business is spread out through a team approach, everyone wins.
While there is much to consider in developing successful hands-off leadership, with qualified business coaching and training, the thriving business of your dreams is within your reach. As you adopt a more powerful mindset, hire capable leaders, train coachable team members that are willing to excel - and let go of the ones that aren’t - and then work with them to develop their potential, your dreams will come true!
Several key factors contribute to a business not being able to run effectively without the owner’s constant hands-on presence:
• The owner is a micro manager who fears letting go of the reins.
If you are an owner who believes that no one else will run your business the way you do, you’re right. After all, there is only one you and your overall perspective of your business is unique. Even so, this does not mean that there are not individuals who could do an excellent, if not an even better job, than you.Countless businesses are thriving under the day-to-day leadership of their managers, with the owner providing general oversight, direction and new ideas. This can be your reality too, as you release your fears and build a powerful team that can handle the daily operations.
• The owner is the only one currently on staff that can handle all aspects of the business.
If you have created a situation where you are the only one that can effectively run your business, then you will be tied to the daily operations by necessity. Your success here lies in hiring individuals that are competent, and who care about you, your company and the customers you serve. Integrity, motivation, passion, a caring perspective and a true willingness to learn are invaluable attributes that you want to look for when adding leaders to your team.
• The owner has not mastered effective delegation and team empowerment.
Learning to delegate tasks to your team members is liberating for you and empowering to them. There are crucial components to effective delegation that one must become proficient at in order to do it well. Without exception, every business owner I train is amazed at the freedom they gain, the ownership their team members take on, and how much better their business runs once strategic delegation is implemented.
• Current managers are not qualified to actually run the business.
A powerful component of delegation is that it allows you, the business owner, to discover who is capable of taking on the job and who is not. If you already have a manager (or managers) in place and - through planned delegation and careful observation on your part - you discover that they are not capable of running the day-to-day operations effectively, you have two choices: Train them, or replace them.
• The business lacks structure and a system of practical procedures.
In order to achieve your goals and create the freedom you desire, it is imperative that you have a system of simple and effective operational procedures in place to effectively deal with all the situations that will arise. The greater success of your company depends on it. My clients are often surprised and always delighted to discover how easy these are to create, as well as, how appreciated and liberating they are to everyone involved.
• The owner has not built a powerful team that can run the business in their absence.
All fear associated with releasing day-to-day operations can be easily overcome by building a team that can actually run the business - and run it well - without the owner’s constant presence. When the success of your business depends solely upon you, you trap yourself into a “job”. Conversely, when you build a powerful team over time, and the success of the business is spread out through a team approach, everyone wins.
While there is much to consider in developing successful hands-off leadership, with qualified business coaching and training, the thriving business of your dreams is within your reach. As you adopt a more powerful mindset, hire capable leaders, train coachable team members that are willing to excel - and let go of the ones that aren’t - and then work with them to develop their potential, your dreams will come true!
Daily Post
Whether we realize it or not, we are all leaders. Through the living of our lives, we provide an example that is witnessed by everyone we come into contact with. Consider strongly the example that you want to put forth - be conscious about the living of your life - and be the very best leader you can be.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Daily Post
Consider for a moment, how wonderful the warm sun feels after the cold and darkness of winter – how it brings joy to your heart and a smile to your face. Choose to shine all of the warmth, love and caring you can on everyone around you. Make it a great day!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Daily Post
Think thoughts, take actions and speak words that are empowering and constructive - that contribute to the happiness and success of everyone involved. Bring your strength to the world today.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Daily Post
The unconditional love of a spouse, child, parent, sibling and dear friend is priceless. It feels so wonderful to be loved in this way. Love freely, and with all that you are so that those you love may experience the joy of this gift with you.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Daily Post
Whether you are working, playing, relaxing, learning, loving, helping, giving, healing or searching, GO ALL IN TODAY. The more you put into the living of your life, the more it returns to you. You've got nothing to lose, except for this irreplaceable day of your life.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Daily Post
Choosing to be grateful in the face of challenges makes them manageable, and even something we can accept. When you place your focus on all that is wonderful in your life, you also take it off of what seems, at first, to be "wrong" and this will allow you to continue on in your life with a happy heart.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Daily Post
You can rise above the quagmire of negativity. Choose solutions over problems, love over hatred, communication over misunderstanding and action over mediocrity - choose happiness over suffering. Invest yourself in the best life has to offer, and the best in life will be yours.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Daily Post
When you say "yes" to happiness, love, peace, joy, success, beauty, kindness, teamwork, generosity... you are also saying "no" to unhappiness, hate, discontentment, sadness, failure, ugliness, abuse, self-centeredness and greed... Say "yes" to a life that is filled with the very best.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Daily Post
This fresh, cool morning after a night’s rain, the air, sweet with the smells of fall and the clear blue sky coming to light with the rising sun suggests to us, a powerful choice. Start fresh, be grateful, rise above all things and move into your day with intention and purpose. Let the light of your fantastic life fill the world around you.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Article: Have You Checked The Cheese Lately?
Complete success in business lies in the details. It is the multitude of seemingly insignificant little things that, when done well, lead customers back to your doors. Customer attraction and retention is the life blood of any business that wants to succeed, and therefore, must be a priority.
Recently, my girlfriend and I visited a local restaurant. We were greeted warmly, and promptly escorted to one of our favorite tables on the patio. Soon afterwards, the waitress introduced herself, and took our drink order. After surveying the menu, we decided on pizza. As we waited for our dinner to arrive, the waitress – taking great care to serve us well - brought out the pizza rack, plates, parmesan cheese and pepper flakes. Up to this point, our experience was wonderful.
Moments later, our pizza arrived - hot, fresh and smelling, oh, so good. As my girlfriend started to sprinkle parmesan cheese on her slice, to our amazement, we saw that the bottom third of the container was filled with a green mold.
We both wondered how long it had been since all the cheese containers had been checked, let alone washed and refilled. How many times had this container been refilled while the mold was there? How many patrons had sprinkled their pizza with the moldy concoction? Had anyone gotten ill? How many of the other cheese containers were contaminated with mold? To say the least, this single situation created doubt in both of us as to the overall cleanliness and quality of this restaurant we frequent.
We reported our finding to the waitress, who – with sincerity and shock - apologized and quickly returned with a fresh one. She checked on us several times and, at the conclusion of our meal, approached us with her manager to offer their apologies, pay for our meal in full, and request that we give them another opportunity to serve us.
In business, you never want to give your customers any reason to doubt you and what you offer. The key components to your customer’s experience are the multitude of little things you do - or don’t do. Knowing this, it is imperative that everyone on your team pay the utmost attention to them. In this situation, simply by focusing on the task at hand and caring to a greater degree, those responsible for refilling these containers would have checked the cheese and caught this long before we did.
No matter what business you are in, ongoing training of your team, with the intention of creating excellence in the customer service experience is a very wise choice. Consistent, engaging, practical and interactive training - done by an effective and inspiring trainer - will allow you and your business to stand head and shoulders above others in your business sector.
Statistically, only about 10 to 15 percent of all businesses are “exceptional” ones. The vast majority exist in the “fair” to “good” range, with the remaining 10 to 15 percent in the “poor” category. A defining difference allowing excellent companies to stand out is their consistent attention to the details, and their unending effort to always deliver the ultimate customer service experience.
An interesting fact is that great pleasure, self-worth, confidence and contentment are derived from putting forth the extra effort it takes to do a job with excellence. And, those on the receiving end – your customers – also find great satisfaction from the exceptional products and service you provide.
Your business will rise above as you, the owner, take the lead in moving your business to the top of the field. As you establish an ongoing commitment to consistent focus, attention to detail, dedication to excellence and follow-through, your business will improve. With this mindset solidly in place, you will hire potential superstars and provide them with the ongoing training necessary help them be their best.
The happiness and success you desire in your business lies in how often you check your cheese … in paying attention to the little things. Rather than choosing mediocrity, choose to rise up; choose to enhance the potential of yourself, your team and your business. Although it is a never-ending job for those who want to excel in life and business, the rewards are so outstanding - and the results are so profound - that it becomes the only choice worth making.
Recently, my girlfriend and I visited a local restaurant. We were greeted warmly, and promptly escorted to one of our favorite tables on the patio. Soon afterwards, the waitress introduced herself, and took our drink order. After surveying the menu, we decided on pizza. As we waited for our dinner to arrive, the waitress – taking great care to serve us well - brought out the pizza rack, plates, parmesan cheese and pepper flakes. Up to this point, our experience was wonderful.
Moments later, our pizza arrived - hot, fresh and smelling, oh, so good. As my girlfriend started to sprinkle parmesan cheese on her slice, to our amazement, we saw that the bottom third of the container was filled with a green mold.
We both wondered how long it had been since all the cheese containers had been checked, let alone washed and refilled. How many times had this container been refilled while the mold was there? How many patrons had sprinkled their pizza with the moldy concoction? Had anyone gotten ill? How many of the other cheese containers were contaminated with mold? To say the least, this single situation created doubt in both of us as to the overall cleanliness and quality of this restaurant we frequent.
We reported our finding to the waitress, who – with sincerity and shock - apologized and quickly returned with a fresh one. She checked on us several times and, at the conclusion of our meal, approached us with her manager to offer their apologies, pay for our meal in full, and request that we give them another opportunity to serve us.
In business, you never want to give your customers any reason to doubt you and what you offer. The key components to your customer’s experience are the multitude of little things you do - or don’t do. Knowing this, it is imperative that everyone on your team pay the utmost attention to them. In this situation, simply by focusing on the task at hand and caring to a greater degree, those responsible for refilling these containers would have checked the cheese and caught this long before we did.
No matter what business you are in, ongoing training of your team, with the intention of creating excellence in the customer service experience is a very wise choice. Consistent, engaging, practical and interactive training - done by an effective and inspiring trainer - will allow you and your business to stand head and shoulders above others in your business sector.
Statistically, only about 10 to 15 percent of all businesses are “exceptional” ones. The vast majority exist in the “fair” to “good” range, with the remaining 10 to 15 percent in the “poor” category. A defining difference allowing excellent companies to stand out is their consistent attention to the details, and their unending effort to always deliver the ultimate customer service experience.
An interesting fact is that great pleasure, self-worth, confidence and contentment are derived from putting forth the extra effort it takes to do a job with excellence. And, those on the receiving end – your customers – also find great satisfaction from the exceptional products and service you provide.
Your business will rise above as you, the owner, take the lead in moving your business to the top of the field. As you establish an ongoing commitment to consistent focus, attention to detail, dedication to excellence and follow-through, your business will improve. With this mindset solidly in place, you will hire potential superstars and provide them with the ongoing training necessary help them be their best.
The happiness and success you desire in your business lies in how often you check your cheese … in paying attention to the little things. Rather than choosing mediocrity, choose to rise up; choose to enhance the potential of yourself, your team and your business. Although it is a never-ending job for those who want to excel in life and business, the rewards are so outstanding - and the results are so profound - that it becomes the only choice worth making.
Daily Post
As we live our lives each day, we are writing history and, setting the stage for the future. Be mindful in the living of your life. Make choices that are constructive – that have a positive impact on the happiness and success of life as a whole. We are all in this together, and together we are creating a past, current and future reality that is the result of our combined choices. Choose wisely.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Daily Post
When you believe that you are powerless in your life, you become powerless and at the mercy of it. But, the moment you believe you are empowered in your life, you start looking for solutions, taking action and experiencing the reality that you took part in bringing about. You are as empowered as you believe you are. Believe in you!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Daily Post
Embracing the life you do have - accepting your life as it currently is - allows you to make the most of the life you are living. This mindset gives you the power to change what you find displeasing, while enjoying fully what you love about your life. Be grateful for, and stay active in, your wonderful life.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Daily Post
Patience is more than a virtue; it is a necessary mental perspective that leads to behaviors which increase your happiness and success in all aspects of life.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Daily Post
We can complain about our circumstances or, we can be accountable for the life we are creating. We can focus on problems or, we can see the best and work to enhance it. We can bemoan our life or, we can live it with passion. Make the choices that will bring greater happiness and success into your life.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Daily Post
Look into the faces of others, and see yourself. Each of us is unique no doubt, but we are also not that different. We are all experiencing challenges and victories as we move through life. Everyone has hopes and dreams. It is in our coming together, caring for and supporting each other that our challenges will be lessened, our victories sweetened and our dreams fulfilled.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Daily Post
Human potential is like the air - it is invisible until it moves or is active. Believe in you, believe in your dreams and in life. Take actions that will set your potential in motion so that it will become visible in the world.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Daily Post
There is great personal satisfaction in doing things well, and completely. Live your day with intention and purpose - hold nothing back in your efforts.
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