Coaching Tip #833

When faced with challenges, do you ask yourself powerful questions that lead you to empowered answers? When the going gets tough, instead of asking, "Why me?" or "What did I do to deserve this?" ask yourself, "What part did I play in the creation of my current reality?" and, “What can I do to improve it?”. When you bring the questions back to yourself, you become empowered in the face of your circumstances - you position yourself to make the necessary changes to improve your situation. There is no doubt that outside forces affect your reality however, the place where you have the most control is found within yourself; in your thoughts, actions and words. Own your reality, empower yourself and make the best of your circumstances.

Coaching Tip #832

You can literally change how you feel, the instant you change your thoughts. The next time you catch yourself consumed by worry, anger, resentment, guilt, jealousy or any other negative thought, stop, and really take notice of how you feel - how unhappy you are. Next, change your mind by immediately changing what you are thinking about. Focus on any little thing you are grateful for and your thoughts will change to one’s such as peace, love, contentment and joy. Once again, notice how you feel - how your unhappiness was replaced by happiness. The only difference between these two very different states of being is your state of mind. Take the reins, and consciously direct your thoughts toward the feelings you want.

Coaching Tip #831

It's the start of a new week, and a brand new day in your life that is filled with opportunity and possibility. Waste not a single moment in worry or negativity. Look out at the world and rejoice for your life - be grateful. Hold in your mind the vision of the day you want to have, be the best version of yourself you can be and, let nothing stop you from living fully. Rise, unfold and blossom into your day.

Coaching Tip #830

During times of overwhelm, stress levels rise to unpleasant heights. In this state of mind, you are less effective and productive, you become easily agitated and, it's not fun being you. When faced with an overwhelming amount of situations to deal with, the wisest choice is to take control of your mindset. This is accomplished by writing down all that is on your mind so that you can clearly see what is in front of you. Next, prioritize your list and focus on each one, in order of importance, until completed or until you have gone as far as you can with it. These few simple steps will position you to effectively manage your situations, release the feeling of overwhelm and get back to a more pleasant reality.

Article: Does Your Business Give People A Good Feeling?

With every transaction and interaction, a business gives its customers, and the team members who serve them, a good, neutral or bad feeling. The last two have no place in a thriving company, while the first is a necessary component to success.

Surely, you can recall those experiences as a consumer that left you with a good, if not a great, feeling. The value you received at these times endeared you to these companies, creating loyalty and repeat business. The money and time you spent was well worth it, and you walked away with a positive feeling.

Conversely, and likely more often, you’ve also engaged businesses that left you wishing you had never walked through their doors. In most cases, this may have been due to the poor customer service you received, or bad and uncaring attitudes. Even if your experience was a neutral one - not bad, but not great either - the trust and loyalty that is so vital for customers to have was not nurtured in you.

As a business owner, can you really afford the negative impact on your customers, and therefore your bottom line, from the lack of a positive experience? I suggest that the answer is a resounding “No!” Whether in a strong or a challenging economic environment, every customer counts, and the unhappy ones tend to have a far greater impact on your business success.

So where does the quality of the experience your customers receive start? That’s right, at the top, with you - the business owner. You are the leader of your company. This means that all of your team members take their cues for behavior and performance directly from you. Your attitude sets the pace.

When the owner of a business truly cares about people, they will endeavor to provide them - both team members and customers alike - with the best experience possible. These leaders understand that when their team has a good feeling about the company they work for, they will impart those same good feelings to the customer through a positive attitude and exceptional service. They know their staff will follow their lead and strive to give each and every customer a great experience.

The wise business owner, the one who is a “leader” and not a “boss”, hires people with not only a good skill set, but also a positive attitude. In addition, these leaders create and work to maintain an uplifting and happy work environment that fosters the positive attitudes of their fellow team members. By doing so, each person is engaged in their work and part of an uplifting team that, together, consistently delivers positive experiences to each and every customer.

In return for receiving a good feeling from your business, the customers you serve will be fiercely loyal to your brand. They will refer potential new customers and may even assist in negating any bad-mouthing you may be experiencing. All of this leads back to and affects the bottom-line of your business. The end result will be more sales and a feeling of accomplishment in providing a consistent high quality experience.

Without a doubt, and no matter what you do, there will always be those team members who prove to be unable to maintain a positive and caring attitude. In these cases, your best choice is to let them go. A negative team member will be like a cancer within your organization, damaging the moral of your people, diminishing customer relations, and ultimately hurting your business.

You will also encounter customers that are never satisfied no matter how well you serve them. They will always find something to complain about and some reason to bring negativity into your business. Toxic customers, just like negative and uncaring team members, must be let go of. Otherwise, you risk contaminating the positive experience your company provides.

In the end, most customers and team members have attitudes that contribute to a positive two-way experience. When you hire people with great attitudes, then supply them with training, support and a positive work environment, you have set the stage for exceptional customer service - the kind that leaves customers feeling great.

Give yourself and your business the gift of an honest self-appraisal. If you find that your leadership style, current team, work environment and your customer service could benefit from the support of a qualified coaching professional, then take that next step. The success of your company and the happiness of everyone involved, is quite literally, on the line.

Coaching Tip #829

Self-condemnation is an all too common reaction to the poor choices or missteps we make in life, and it leads to lower self-worth and unhappiness. Life is a learning experience, which means, we learn through our experiences. Make the wise choice to build yourself up, rather than tearing yourself down for something you have done in the past, which cannot be undone anyway. Simply acknowledge your action and the unpleasant outcome it created; learn from the experience, implement that new knowledge and make better choices going forward. Learn, grow and become more than you were before.

Coaching Tip #828

People light up; become happier and more inspired with honest praise and recognition. Reflect on your own experiences here to see that the same is true of you. Look for, and take every opportunity to recognize your solid efforts and those of others, and give praise wherever it's due. Be a positive influence in your own life, and in the lives of others by encouraging happiness and success. We are all in this thing called life together, and when we support one another in reaching our potential amazing things happen.