610-793-6609 michael@achievable.com

Clarity is the Antidote to Uncertainty

Sep 23, 2020 | CEOs, Goal Setting, Leadership, Strategic Planning, Success

We are living in crazy times and the levels of uncertainty are at an all-time high. Then, throw in the media blast telling us that the world is going to hell in a handbasket and our situation seems much worse than it is. I am not minimizing the pandemic or the challenges we are being presented; however we have to take charge of our lives and look for the opportunities we can capitalize on. We CAN come through this storm BETTER than where we started.

I was just reading about Rockefeller in his early days in business –  the economy was in a recession and he took advantage of opportunities all around him. In every adversity there is an equal or greater benefit to be found. What are the obstacles that you are facing in your business today?  Have you met with your team to brainstorm ways to overcome the obstacles?

All of our decisions are based on assumptions/beliefs. Have we checked those beliefs against current reality  to see if they are real or not? Two business owners, facing similar obstacles, different decisions. Why? Because their beliefs/assumptions are different. So, whenever you’re facing an obstacle, one of the smartest things you can do is challenge your assumptions. Ask yourself why  you believe what you believe.

What’s the Cost of Doing Nothing? In general, most of the business owners I’ve met aren’t very good at calculating opportunity cost. Opportunity cost is involved in every decision we make daily because whenever we’re saying, “Yes” to one thing, we’re saying, “No,” to something else. This is the number one reason you want to have extreme clarity around your strategy, your BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal, Jim Collins, Good to Great), your purpose and your core values. Once you have clarity around these issues you can start to make better decisions.

One of the ways of solving any problem is to get a different perspective. As soon as we ask questions of ourselves and of our teams our brains will go to work and come up with an answer. One of the best ways to ask that question is to imagine that you’re someone else and then ask how you think you (being that person) would solve this problem. For example, if you were Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Thomas Edison, Elon Musk, Howard Shultz or Sheryl Sandberg.  Pick the person and ask: “If ______ were in my Shoes, how would he/she solve this problem or overcome this obstacle?”

Most strategies fail because of lack of execution, being driven by the tyranny of the urgent, being pulled by the inertia of daily operations.  Don’t let that happen to you.

How Important is it for You to Get the Next 6 Months Right?

Sep 17, 2020 | Business Growth, Business Owners, CEOs, Goal Setting, Leadership, Leadership Development, Strategic Planning, Success

In light of everything that has happened so far this year, what your going to do intentionally to ensure that the next months of 2020 are a success for you and your business? Do you have a clear and specific, written plan of action? Are you ready and equipped to thrive in the months ahead instead of simply surviving from crisis to crisis?

Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable.” Creating a plan and leaving it on a shelf to collect dust, never reviewing it or adapting it to changes in your market or the current economy is absolutely useless. Plans are meant to be revisited and refreshed and often your goals may need to be realigned. We are certainly not able to predict everything that is going to happen but if we are committed to planning, we will be more likely to thrive regardless of what happens.

Our plans are the framework for success. Even if we have to rewrite them, they will keep us on track toward achieving our core purpose. Lewis Carroll said, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” So, know where you are going and be willing to do what it takes to get there. Are you willing to set the time aside you need to plan for the future? Are you willing to do this routinely? How important is it for you, really, to get the next 6 months right? Do you have the team to help you get there? Are you developing your leaders? Are you working on your own personal and professional development?

The time is now! Don’t wait any longer!

If you are ready and willing to do what it takes join our Fast Track Strategic Plan Challenge beginning September 21, 2020 at 12 PM. Spaces are limited, so sign up today by clicking here.

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.