610-793-6609 michael@achievable.com

5 Steps Toward Business Success

Sep 10, 2020 | Business Growth, Business Owners, CEOs, Leadership, Strategic Planning, Success

When running a small business, you face new challenges every day and your greatest resources are stretched and limited: time, effort and energy.  Business leaders who want to be successful need to rise above the urgent and focus on what’s most critical: the tough, strategic decisions that will drive your business forward and grow it faster. The more your business grows the more time you need invest in real quality think time.

 

Are you ready to finally have the freedom you want to focus on what really matters most in your life and business? You can start by following these steps:

  • Create A Strategic Plan: What is your vision and how are you going to achieve it? Without a clear vision, a well-defined purpose and a specific plan of action – you will be like a hamster on a wheel running in circles and never reaching a destination.
  • Share – Involve Your Team: Inspire your team with your vision and provide them with the information they need about your plan on a consistent basis. What is their role, what are their individual goals and how are you going to support them in achieving those goals? Solicit feedback and listen to what your team is saying. You want them to know that they are valued and important and what they say matters.
  • Track — Create Key Performance Indicators and monitor progress toward your goals. Remember to communicate this progress with your team.
  • Execute – Meet with your team in person or remotely on a regular basis. Meetings are where you drive execution, create accountability, and identify and resolve issues that are standing in the way of success.
  • ​Repeat — Quarterly Strategic Planning: Quarterly Strategic Planning is where you review your progress. Talk about what worked last quarter and what did not work. After evaluating the previous quarter, adjust and re-align your goals and plans if needed.

Are you ready to find clarity and have laser-like focus on your goals to get the results you want?  If so, join My Fast Track Strategic Plan Challenge. Click Here for more information.    +

The Science of Successful Communication

Jul 1, 2020 | Leadership, Leadership Development, Success

Do you ever think about how your brain processes verbal and nonverbal communication? Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) was created by Richard Bandler and John Grindler in the 1970s as an approach to managing human behavior. They believed that it is possible to identify thought and behaviors patterns in successful people and then teach them to others It involves tuning into and reading observable signals in the way people communicate to each other. Based on these signals, you can create an appropriate response that establishes rapport quickly.

NLP proposes that each of us fits into one of three major patterns or styles of communication. The three possible styles are: visual (what we see), auditory (what we hear) and kinesthetic (what we feel).

Visual people “see” the world.  They make sense of it through pictures.  Their words and phrases convey visual images.  They don’t think a lot about the words they use.  They capture images and they program their minds to rewind, edit, or fast-forward the video.  Over half of all people fit this description.

Auditory people “hear” the world.  They experience it through sound.  They hear their internal dialogue first before they speak out loud.  Words are very important to auditory people; they select them thoughtfully and listen to you carefully.  Auditory people need to talk things out at length to get their thoughts in order. Over one-third of all people fit this description.

Kinesthetic people “feel” the world.  They make sense of it through tactile and emotional data.  They look for harmony in your words, vocals, and body language.  Everything you do or say, as well as everything you do not do or say tells them if they should believe you.  Less than one-fourth of the people you encounter fit this description.

When you are able to identify how other people experience the world you will be better able to communicate with them in the way they understand. This will improve your relationships with others and in turn help you achieve your goals in business and in life.

I will be speaking for the Presence Summit, a virtual event, at 9:15 AM on July 15th. The topic of discussion is – What Type of Communicator Are You? The Presence Summit is a full day of stimulating presentations and workshops to help you AMPLIFY and SHARE your value using video communications. Click Here to find out more.

 

Communicating to Connect

Jun 23, 2020 | Happiness, Leadership, Leadership Development, Success

It’s the modern paradox – we’re increasingly super-connected but also disconnected. How often do you send a text or e-mail to someone instead of having a verbal conversation over the phone or in person?  Does it ever seem like the receiver of that text or e-mail did not fully understand what you intended to say? Does this ever happen even when you are talking to someone face-to-face?

Communication is the exchange of ideas, thoughts, and information between two people. It is a two-way process – receiving as well as sending. To be successful, the communication process must result in a mutual understanding between the sender and receiver. This mutual understanding is very difficult to achieve without some level of interpersonal connection.

Yes, our relationships with others greatly impact the effectiveness of our communication with them and how we communicate with them greatly impacts our relationship.  So how do we communicate in a way that creates or enhances connection?

First, be aware that communication does not stop happening. Everything we do or do not do communicates a message.

Be careful to choose the appropriate communication channel – face-to-face, phone, e-mail, text, etc.  The channel you choose can help or hinder the communication process. Factors to be considered when choosing a communication channel include: the nature of the message, the detail of the message, the reason for sending the message, the speed at which you want to communicate the message, and the characteristics of the person receiving the message. Whatever the channel, it should remain open so there can be exchange of questions and concerns between sender and receiver.

Finally and perhaps most importantly, recognize that all people have personal filters (experiences, memories, biases, values, expectations, beliefs and assumptions) that may influence what they see, hear, and feel in the message. Our message may not be received initially as we intended and we should demonstrate understanding and empathy when this occurs.

Communication is a dynamic process and the more you know about the person you are talking to, the more effectively you will be able to communicate with them.

I will be speaking for the Presence Summit, a virtual event, at 9:15 AM on July 15th. The topic of discussion is – What Type of Communicator Are You? The Presence Summit is a full day of stimulating presentations and workshops to help you AMPLIFY and SHARE your value using video communications. Click Here to find out more.

How to Better Understand Others

Jun 16, 2020 | Ethical Leadership, Happiness, Leadership, Leadership Development, Success

Our ability to interact effectively with other people may be the difference between success or failure. Understanding others is necessary for positive interaction and it is every bit as important on your journey toward success as personal awareness. Today, I want to give you four tips on how to gain better insight into the behavior of others and improve your relationships.

Use Introspection – Try reflecting on your professional and personal relationships and ask yourself how others perceive you. Do others see you the same way you see yourself? How would you see yourself if you were in the other person’s shoes? Be sure to answer these questions honestly. When we are willing and able to see ourselves from another’s point of view, it will likely improve our relationship with that person.

Ask Questions – If you want to find out what people expect from you – ask them. If you want to know what drives people – ask them that, too. You can use surveys or start an individual conversation with your employees and clients.

Actively Listen – When you are talking to others make sure you hear what they are really saying. Pay attention to body language and ask questions for clarification. Listen to understand, not to respond.

Assessments – You can better understand your employees by providing them with opportunities to complete assessments for personal and professional development. The TTI Talent Insights Assessment is one such tool that helps employees identify their behavior and communication style. Managers who know this information about their employees are better equipped to communicate with them which leads to increased engagement and productivity.

The old saying, “Treat people how you would like to be treated” is not always good advice. We need to treat people how they like to be treated and this differs between individuals. When we have a better understanding of why people do what they do, we can demonstrate empathy and compassion which facilitates growth individually and within the relationship.

I will be speaking for the Presence Summit, a virtual event, at 9:15 AM on July 15th. The topic of discussion is – What Type of Communicator Are You? The Presence Summit is a full day of stimulating presentations and workshops to help you AMPLIFY and SHARE your value using video communications. Click Here to find out more.

4 Things Successful People Know About Self

Jun 10, 2020 | Business Growth, Business Owners, CEOs, Ethical Leadership, Happiness, Leadership, Leadership Development, Success

Self-awareness is a critical element for success. Organizational psychologist and author, Tasha Eurich, conducted a series of surveys which found that 95% of people think they are self-aware but only 10-15% of people truly are. Successful leaders make developing self-awareness a high priority because they know that there is a direct correlation between personal growth and success in life and in business.

Phil Bonstetter and Bill Bonstetter of TTI Success Insights hosted a webinar a few years ago that highlighted the 4 things successful people know about themselves. I want to share these with you today because I believe that developing an understanding of these four things will have tremendous value in your life as they have had in mine.

  1. Successful people know how they do what they do.

Successful people are aware of their own behaviors. They understand how they make decisions and how they best receive information and are also aware of their communication style. This awareness gives people the ability to adapt to their situation which improves their relationships with others and how they interact with the environment.

  1. Successful people know WHY they do what they do. They know what motivates them and have a strong sense of purpose for their lives. A person who understands their driving forces is better able to stay focused on their goals and what really matters most in life and in business.
  2. Successful people know what they can do. Successful people know what talents, skills and abilities they possess. They are also willing to step out of their comfort zone and take advantage of opportunities to develop new skills. Successful people learn from their experiences.
  3. Successful people know where they find happiness This gives them the ability to create their own environment and not let other people shape it. They establish careers and businesses in areas that match their passions which leads to a fuller, more satisfying life.

It is often argued that the meaning of success is subjective but having knowledge of these four factors will help anyone to achieve their own definition of success.

I will be speaking for the Presence Summit, a virtual event, at 9:15 AM on July 15th. The topic of discussion is – What Type of Communicator Are You? The Presence Summit is a full day of stimulating presentations and workshops to help you AMPLIFY and SHARE your value using video communications. Click Here to find out more.

Communicating Effectively with Your Remote Teams

May 28, 2020 | Business Growth, Business Owners, CEOs, Leadership, Leadership Development, Productivity

The way we live and do business has changed dramatically as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. To prevent the spread of the virus, we have been practicing social-isolation. As business leaders we have been forced to lay-off some of our people or decrease their hours and I encourage all of us to stay in contact with those employees and provide assistance whenever we can. Those who are able to still work from home are challenged to navigate through the inundation of e-mails and video-calls. Parents working from home are struggling to find some sense of balance as they juggle their roles as homeschool teacher, parent, and employee. We are all trying to figure this out and social isolation is not making it any easier because human welfare relies on interdependence. We need to find a way to truly stay connected to each other despite the upheaval. The way we do this is by communicating with people in the language they understand.

For the purpose of this post, I want to focus on communicating with your teams working from home. Working from home is a huge transition for teams used to office life, and your communication might be suffering. More than ever before, it is critical that you are aware of your own communication style and the communication style of your team members. The Working From Home Report is a new assessment tool developed by TTI SI that will give you and your team the gift of self-understanding. Inside the report, you’ll find: personalized work from home tips and direction on how to communicate with your team when everyone is working from home. I’m offering this assessment tool to you and your team for FREE!

Productivity increases by 20-25% in organizations with connected employees, according to the McKinsey Global Institute. Give your team the boost they need right now with the Working From Home Report by improving communication between everyone. Click HERE to complete the assessment now and then share the link with your team!