| “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” – Pericles
|
|
|
Posts Tagged ‘Business’
How do you measure your success?
Monday, April 4th, 2011The Power of a Metaphor
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011I recently completed the book “Switch” by the Heath brothers (Chip and Dan). The writing and concepts are good – not great.
However, this book has a quality that makes it a must read. Chip and Dan do an amazing job of weaving their entire book around a metaphor that I am absolutely certain will help you change your behavior.
They argue that in everyone of us there is a “rider” and an “elephant”. The rider is our logical brain that helps us to reason through issues and challenges. The elephant is our emotions. Their extremely simple and brilliant point is that logic is interesting but emotion wins every time.
For example, they tell a story in the book about a hospital having to make some fundamental procedural changes that would reduce the instances where patients are given the wrong medications. The logic was clear and simple to implement. However the hospital knew that getting busy doctors and nurses to change behaviors was difficult.
So, they focused on the elephant (emotions). They asked a mother to speak to the hospital about losing her young daughter because she was given the wrong medication. Guess what happened? That’s right – they changed their behavior.
The next time you want to change the behavior of yourself or someone else, look past the logic and consider the emotional impact of the change. Remember, the elephant is going to go wherever it wants!
CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars
Is the glass half empty or full?
Tuesday, March 15th, 2011“If we could all hear one another’s prayers, God might be relieved of some of his burdens.” – Ashleigh Brilliant
For a whole bunch of reasons, the last 90 days have been extra challenging for me.
During difficult times, I tend to see the glass as half empty despite the crystal clear evidence that it is spilling over with amazing opportunities.
It is at this point when God reminds me that I need to focus on the needs of others and quit my complaining.
No matter how bad things seem, there is always someone who could use a word of encouragement.
Who needs to hear from you today?
CJ
How do I Stay on Top?
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011
If you want to stay on top – embrace change.
LinkedIN just sent me an email highlighting all of my connections who changed jobs in 2010. Facebook regularly catalogues the people who have changed their profile picture or status, and my RSS feed only gets updated when my subscriptions change their content.
Here is the common denominator – change. The only way to stay on top in online media (AND in business) is to change.
Take a look at how you are getting new prospects, examine how you sell each new opportunity, and evaluate the experience that clients get when using your product.
If something could provide a better experience or make you more money, change it.
Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars.
How Education Reform Affects Business
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011
According to Tony Bennett, Indiana’s State Superintendent of Education, there are just over 1 million students in the State of Indiana. Around 160,000 of them don’t graduate from high school every year.
160,000 people. Take the population of Carmel, Indiana and double it. That is the number of people who enter the workforce annually, and are under-educated by the least of state standards.
Think about how changing our state’s education system affects you as a business owner.
1. Ability to Think – The result of education should be that a student can actively solve problems on their own. We don’t want students to be able to pass a test. As business owners, we want someone on our team who can creatively contribute to moving our business ahead. Will the proposed reforms put our students in a better position to contribute? Does legislation that only looks at test scores and graduation rates support teaching styles that will encourage cognitive flexibility?
2. Competition – Without competition, business gets soft – and so do teachers. In your 12-years of educational experience did you have a teacher who you KNEW was mailing it in? Based on how their contracts are written, ineffective teachers are incredibly tough to remove. Teachers should be adjudicated on performance, and that evaluation should not solely be based on test scores. Why not? See number one. Top notch teachers produce top notch students, who become top notch employees.
3. Choice – Uniform reform and standardization are not going to solve our education crisis. In a TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson, he highlights the fact that rural, urban, and suburban teaching styles should differ, and in order to get the most impact, teaching styles should also vary per student. Don’t put a student on Ritalin just because they’re hyper. Consider their learning and behavior style, and stick them in an art class – the hyper student may be a physical right-brained learner. Other students may need vocational training, while others will thrive in a liberal arts context. Choice is about more than where you send your child to school – it’s about choosing a method of education that will ensure that students developmental success. Properly educated students become successful support for Indiana’s economy.
4. Economy – Our current education system is built for an industrial economy; not a creative and technological one. Whatever decisions we make about education should reflect the needs we will have for employees in 15-30 years. Just like mass advertising, assembly line, bell ringing, mass education doesn’t work anymore. Right-brained, problem solving, and experiential teaching styles, applied to the right students, is what’s going to train our youth to be the business leaders of tomorrow.
I challenge you as a business owner to think about how education reform will affect your business as it grows over the next 15 years. Will our new education system reforms prepare your new hires to support and lead you as a dynamic business visionary?
Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars.
Choose Your Future
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011If you aren’t appalled at what is taking place in state capitols of Indiana and Wisconsin, you simply aren’t paying close enough attention.
In my book Thrive, I argue that one of the fundamental strategies that every person should practice, is to take 100% responsibility for everything that happens in their life.
Unfortunately, most people (including me) are hard wired to blame others when life doesn’t go their (our) way.
It’s difficult to look in the mirror every time you face a challenging result and ask yourself “What could I have done differently?”
However, if you’re interested in being successful, you need to get used to looking inward before you blame the outside world for your current circumstances.
Regrettably, over the years we (you, me, our parents, friends, etc.) have elected officials who built a system of government that discouraged it’s workers from taking individual responsibility for their lives. This system treats all workers the same regardless of performance. Worse, it has created a unsustainable safety net that can’t ever be taken away from this workforce.
And now, these workers are protesting because they feel entitled to lifetime benefits regardless of the cost.
It’s time that we all take a good hard look in the mirror and take 100% responsibility for every single part of our lives.
CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars
Change the world for someone else!
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011“Be content with what you have; Rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, The whole world belongs to you.” Lao Tu
This week take a day off from accumulation and achievement and help us give back to those in need. Click here to learn more.
CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars
Speak Up for Change!
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011“That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves.” – Henry David Thoreau
Our country faces some big decisions in the coming weeks regarding the size and scope of our government.
My challenge to everyone is to get educated on the issues and voice your opinion – whatever it may be.
The challenge ahead is far too important to sit on the sidelines and just observe.
CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars.
How to Document a Business System
Monday, February 21st, 2011Growing a business is no easy task. A key factor in successfully gaining and keeping customers is having routines that delivery quality, dependable results. As your business grows, you may need to hire and train new staff to meet the demand for your product or service. This is where business systems enter the stage. “Systems” ensure that your company can deliver results, even if the people doing the work change. Based on the popular book E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber, here are some tips on the “How” of creating documents and guides for your business.
How many Systems do I need?
Even a small business could have 50+ micro systems, but I’d recommend at least 4 key systems:
- Marketing: How to get a customer’s attention
- Sales: How to get a customer to say YES
- Fulfillment: How I get my customer happy about the money they spend
- Money/Accounting: How I pay the bills / How I get paid
What needs to be documented?
The point of documenting the routine is to make a job easier. So remember to keep it clear, concise and as generic as possible (tailored for your business of course)
- Document results you do well as a business (so you can continue to do it well over time).
- Document routine tasks (so you keep the quality each time).
- Document the “Core” of a system (clear, concise, generic)
- If the system is too detailed, it deflates the employee who reads it. Don’t get bogged down in the details, but do add references if needed.
How the system is communicated:
Remember – A system only works, if you work it. Make sure systems are easy to reference, up-to-date, and highly readable.
- A system is made up of 1) Steps 2) Standards
- Steps say “What to do.”
- Standards say “How to do” the steps (Keep the details in the Standards).
- Each step needs: step description / position responsible / timing (What, Who, When).
- Let team members know where systems can be referenced.
- Organize systems used by the entire staff, as well as specific roles (sales, marketing).
- When a system is updated, send an email to positions who work the system. Copy and paste the system from the place it’s documented (and can be found later).
- Visuals are helpful, like a “Box & Arrow” diagram to help show Yes/No steps. (If Yes, move to step 4).
How to document (the details):
Think of your document as a Checklist (simple steps) and the reference notes (scripts, links, and standards)
- Answer the question: “What is this system supposed to do?”
- List the 5-50 steps needed (save the details for the standards).
- List the team member (position only) who does each step.
- Add timing for each step. Use these terms: As needed, ASAP, 2 weeks, 1 day, 2 hours (means X time after trigger for the current step. “Return Phone call” assumes phone rang).
- Add standards, scripts for staff to follow, links, and the “How to do” each step. Link or reference any support documents, other systems.
- Standards include describing any Quantity / Quality / Behavior a staff member needs to use.
- List resource requirements. This allows staff to see the needed tools/time before starting a task.
- Include the total man-hours planned to complete the whole process from A-Z (amount & type of manpower needed to fulfill the result).
- List any space/facilities/equipment needed (Types of space, utilities, physical tools, software, data).
Tips / Ideas:
Keep these in mind when writing your documentation:
- Test your time estimates by tracking hours. Estimate how many man-hours are involved in a system, then track how long it really takes. Do any steps take longer than expected? Do you need to tweak 1 or 2 steps?
- Write for New employees, so they can understand quickly and easily
- Don’t document just to document, have an action you are shooting for.
- Don’t put Names in a system, use positions/titles. Org charts reference “Who’s who”, not the process document.
If you are interested in learning more about creating a business that runs smoothly (or runs without you), I’d start with listening to the Audiobook. It is an 8 hours very well spent (in your car). Ready for the next step? Learn about more E-Myth Training or contact Reachmore.
A process thinker, Josh Brammer helps knowledge workers balance work and family life through workflow and habit management.
Josh Brammer is VP of Product Delivery at SpinWeb and believes: Character + useful technology – distractions = saving time without becoming a robot. In his spare time, Josh enjoys his family, good films, making outlines & creating more spare time.
Josh shares a personality with Walt Disney & Ben Franklin (ENTP), which makes life much more interesting. If not behind a Mac, you’ll catch him reading or enjoying double espresso macchiatos.
The Customer is Last?
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011How important is a customer to your business?
For the past 3 months I have visited a local Kroger (great salad bar selection) for lunch a few times a week.
The first day I ate at their local café I soon noticed that the ice machine was not working. I had to ask the staff to get me some ice from another location in the store.
I might as well have asked them to donate a kidney. They were not happy with the request.
Last week, I visited the same Kroger for lunch as I often do (again for the great salad bar selection). Would you be amazed to learn that the ice machine is still not working – 3 months later?
Would you be even more amazed to know that the staff is still stunned every time I ask them to fill my cup with ice?
I am really not that hard to please. All I ask is that they fix the ice machine. That’s it.
And now, I write a blog talking about the ice machine. It’s as if they could care less about the customer experience.
Do you care about your customer’s experience?
Are they writing a blog about you?
CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars