March Madness

I wonder what is going on now?  Baylor is in the sweet sixteen of the NCAA tournament and it snowed 6 inches last Saturday.  So much for global warming.

As we come to the end of the first quarter of the year, how's it going.  Are you seeing the results you expected at the beginning of the year?  If not, what adjustments are you ready to make.

I am intrigued by all the articles lately about what people think about the economy and whether they are optimistic or pessimistic.  Recently in a local business publication, one article said business leaders were excited about the rest of the year and that we had turned the corner.  One week later, there was an article in the same paper that said that business leaders believed that we have a tough road ahead of us for at least 18 more months.

Who is right?  Who knows.  All I know is that there are no crystal balls that can predict the future.  Better we get after the things we can control and focus on, as opposed to worrying about the things we can't control.

Let's change the Fear to Focus and watch what happens.

Have a great day.

Mike

February is Already GONE!

Wow,  today is the last day of February 2010.  Isn't it amazing how fast time goes by.  Didn't we just celebrate the holidays.

Now is a good time to stop and reflect on how things are going so far in 2010.  Are you on track with your goals?  If not, why not?  When we are not getting the results we want, there is always a reason.  Think about what you are doing or not doing that is keeping you from achieving your objectives.

By the way, if you don't have clear objectives, get with someone who can help you figure that out.  If you can't do it yourself, find a coach or consultant to help you.

Have a great weekend, and let's get ready for March.

Mike

Doing what you say

It it just me, or have we reached a point in society, where our word doesn't mean anything anymore?  It has been an interesting couple of months, where I have had people with contracts, just walk away, with no remorse or concern.

We see it every day in the media.  Pro athletes or coaches who just walk away from their agreements without regard to its impact on their team or organization.  It is like everything is great until I get a better offer or things get too uncomfortable, I will just move on.  Look at our political leaders.  How many times do we see them stand up in front of the cameras and say one thing, and then do something totally opposite, with no regard to what they just said.

I see it everyday in business, where people will make commitments to other people, and then totally disregard those commitments.  I have had people look me in the eye and say they would do something and then never follow through.

One of the areas we work with our clients on is core values.  In almost every situation, Integrity is one of the core values.  People believe that integrity is a critical component of success at all levels.  Integrity builds trust, and we all like to do business with people we trust.

However, more and more we talk about it more than we practice it.  Where I grew up, if a person gave their word that they were going to do something, you could take it to the bank that they would do what they said.

However in today's business climate, it is more about "Just tell them what they want to hear" as opposed to doing what they commit to do.

I have Integrity as one of my core values.  I wish I was perfect at this, but I am not.  I have done the very thing I am describing.  However, I have resolved to keep this at the forefront of my thinking, because my real desire to is to live up to my word.

I am committed to looking in the mirror every day to do a quick check of my integrity.  I want to be a person of integrity.  From integrity, trust is built.

How about you?

Mike

Well 2010 is finally here!

Hi everyone,

Well we have survived another round of holidays and the new year is upon us.  I have been bombarded by emails, blogs and articles about goals and resolutions.  It is like it is an annual event like the changing of the seasons.  The new year brings hope and a focus on how we want things better than last year.

It is amazing to me how many different goal setting programs and methodologies are out there.  I found no less than 15 different software applications that will help you set and keep track of your goals.  I have some regular online resources that I use that have now added a "goal setting" function to their site.  Just enter your goals and they will email you every day a reminder about your goal.  Nice function, but is already getting annoying.

In reality, there is nothing magical about goal setting.  It really is nothing more than developing a plan.  The problem is that our goals are often to vague or not specific enough, therefore we don't know what action we need to take in order to make it happen.  Without that level of detail, we don't know what to do, and thus do nothing and hope that some magical way the goal will happen, then wait for our disappointment at the end of the year when we did not accomplish our goals.  At that point we think to ourselves, "why bother?", and we are back to our usual and comfortable routine, wondering about what could have been, if we had accomplished our goal.

I think it is time to change the game.  Let's focus on the result we want specifically and develop the tactical plan to make it happen.  I call it a strategic objective planning.  This works for both personal and professional objectives.

I will have more on how to do this in later blogs.  For now think about the most strategic things you want this year and write them down in terms of the result you want.  The goal is not to lose weight, but to weigh a certain amount.  Be specific about what you want and you are well on your way to the first step in making it happen.

Until next time,

Mike

Reflections on 2009

As I look back at 2009, I have very mixed emotions.  Personally, we saw some highs and lows.  In our business we saw some highs and lows as well.  While 2009 was better than 2008, it was not what I would call a banner year.  I saw several clients really struggle through the year to the point of almost losing their business.  I also saw some businesses take a huge next step in growth and presence in their market.

With all this reflection, I have drawn some conclusions.

1.  There are circumstances we just can not control.
2.  Things don't always go as planned.
3.  Hard work is not the only answer.
4.  At any point in time we can change our current situation.
5.  Distractions abound and it is very easy to be pulled off focus.
6.  We all need some form of accountability in our lives.

I am committed to making 2010 a better year.  A better year personally, and for my business.  A better year for my clients, and a better year for all our friends and family.

We are wrapping up our plans for 2010 this week.  Taking some time to reflect is a good thing.  It helps you develop perspective on things and always lets you know you have hope for the future.

That's all for now.

Have a great holiday season.

Mike

Welcome to Our New Blog

Welcome to the Making Business Work Better Blog.

This blog is for Business Owners, Executives, Self-Employed Professionals and others who are looking for ideas and answers on how to get better and make their organizations better. We welcome diverse ideas, and thinking that challenges the status quo.