60 Minute Strategic Plan: Mission Impossible?
March 30, 2007
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I was listening to a podcast today called, I’m there for you baby! by Neil Senturia and Barbara Bry on San Diego’s Cash 1700 AM.
Who interviewed John E. Johnson and Anne Marie Smith authors of the 60 Minute Strategic Plan. On the show John outlined the process as 2 stages, 12 Steps, and 300 words:
- What is the issue?
- What are the assumptions?
- What happens if the issue does not get resolved?
- What happens if it does get resolved?
- How will these issues effect on the company? (quantify)
- How will it affect revenues?
- Develop a Vision
- What are the best imaginable outcomes you can imagine?
- What are the obstacles?
- What is the customer impact?
- Attack the obstacles.
I realize that I have only provided 11 steps but that is all the authors mentioned on the podcast. I also checked out the authors website.
You can order the 60 Minute Strategic Plan book, I know I am ordering a copy.
I can see using this process to create clarity and focus, then using my business plan as a management tool.
What do you think? Possible or impossible?
Live Large!
Leadership: Head Strong versus Heart Smart
March 28, 2007
Today I got a glimpse how much I have been leading from my head and not from ‘the heart’. My need for control, the need to ‘figure things out’, and generally being cerebral is how I have lived so much of my life. Yet it is in the heart, the center of my being where I thrive. Today I am pleased to be able to say that I have experienced an ‘awakening’.
I just got this book and am looking forward to reading it. The Success System That Never Fails was written by W. Clement Stone. In the introduction Charlie “Tremendous” Jones writes “Mr. Stone…a humble, generous servant who had discovered the secret to success was is earning all you can, while giving and sharing all you can mentally, financially, and spiritually.”
Awakening of the Heart
I found a new ‘me’. I found the essence of my true self. As the song says, “What the world needs now is” - an ‘awakening of the heart’ - “love sweet love”.
We do not need more left brain thinking, analysis, and learning - we need to connect with our heart.
The heart is the center of our emotions, intuition, and soul.
It is where we get our spunk, mettle, and nerve. The heart is where the emotions of affection, tenderness, and fondness sprout forth.
My heart is where I experience an inward ‘knowingness’, where a kernel of understanding sprouts, and the most vital experience of ‘me’ is observed. The pithy, essential, and choicest core of who I am and want to become.
My heart is where I get the central meaning or gist of life. A place where I can explore my inclinations and deal with the nitty gritty of my experience of life. A true guide, if I choose to follow.
Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way
In my opinion ‘true wisdom’ comes from the heart, after, knowledge has travelled the 6 inch super-highway from my head to my heart.
My biggest challenge is getting out of my head ans getting out of my own way. The specific challenge for me is when I look at a problem and get into analytical mode. When I start analyzing a problem, I am a dog on a bone, except in my case the bone is the ‘problem’ and I am playing with it while looking for a solution.
Quite literally, I can get lost in the process. If I arrive at a solution quickly this can be a good thing, if not it ends up as a huge distraction. As a business coach this ability to focus and quickly come up with solutions is a great asset.
Being to cerebral can easily become a liability as a business owner. When I am working on my own business I have the same issues as any business owner, I am too close to the business that I cannot get a good perspective on the real situation and opportunities.
Lead: we need to be shown the way and be lead when we are heading into unknown territory or lack experience. This is the greatest obstacle that solo entrepreneurs have to overcome because we have no one to turn to when we hit a speed bump or hole in our knowledge and experience.
The first step is to acknowledge and admit that I do not know what my next step should be. Then I need to identify what I think the problem or challenge might be. Without that information I am in the no mans land of not knowing what I do not know.
In this situation I look for a mentor, coach, or teacher that can show me the way, provide me with information I do not have, and help em get into action.
Follow: one of the most important tools in the entrepreneurs tool box is his/her intuition. It is so effective because it allows us to make decisions without a lot of conscious reasoning.
The easiest way I find to understand how intuition work is of being in the ‘zone’ or the ‘flow’. When I am in the ‘flow’ there is no wasted effort, energy, or time because I am extremely effective and efficient. I speak and act without conscious thought and it all works because I am following my heart.
At a heart level there is an inner ‘knowingness’ and everything just works. I have also described this experience as being on automatic pilot. However, automatic pilot can also be dangerous. Without clear goals and a destination automatic pilot is useless because I am expending energy and resources and not making any progress because I do not have a specific destination or result in mind.
When I have no direction, destination, or goal I seek out a leader, read a book, or listen to a motivational speaker to help me connect with my heart.
Get Out of the Way: this is a no mans land because when I need to get out of the way of myself I often do not even realize it. I have even found that sometimes I have the information I need but fail to act.
Having information and knowing what to do is useless unless I act upon the information. So Action Is Omnipotent.
Sometimes I Just Need To ‘Be’
Hard work and diligence are admiral traits but unless we stop to rest we will burn out. Taking a vacation, making time to play and have fun, and just smell the roses is often the most important thing I can do. In fact we should put ‘be’ time into our calendar and on our to do list.
Our bodies are built on a cycle of work and rest. The body and mind needs time to rebuild and recharge.
Plan a vacation and rest time for yourself today. You deserve it!
What is your About page about?
March 27, 2007
The great thing about blogging is that we get to do-it-ourselves, which keeps costs down but can also lead to introspective writing and lack of perspective.
The “About” page — also known as the “About Us” page — is one of the most clicked-on webpages on a business website. It’s right up there after the home page. Yet some website owners pass up opportunities to write killer About pages that will help sell services and products, and turn one-time visitors into newsletter subscribers or regular readers. Via Anita Campbell, Inc..com
I highly recommend visiting About Your Website’s “About” Page and read the entire article as it provides a great perspective and recommendations on how to turn your About page from boring to a killer page that converts browsers into buyers. I know I took action and adjusted my about page as a result of reading this article.
Live Large!
Are You Making The #1 Marketing and Sales Mistake?
March 26, 2007
My wife reminded me of the biggest marketing mistake we entrepreneurs often make - assuming that the ‘way we think’ is how our customers think and act. She said:
“I thought you might have forgot like I do sometimes.”
A Big Assumption
We have been married 31 years and yet my wife still surprises me once in awhile. When Carol said, “I thought you might have forgot like I do sometimes.” she assumed that I forgot to change the water in the Cappuccino maker. What does that have to do with business, marketing, or your customers?
Assuming Customers Think and Act Like You Is Risky
You are not your ideal customer even though you might fit the exact profile.
Why?
Because as the owner you are too close to the subject matter, understanding your customers needs becomes the foundation of everything you do in your business, and…
“Knowing exactly what your market really wants as a result of doing business with you is so fundamentally important that when you get this wrong, the problems created trickle down to every other area of your business.” Page 66, of Tips and Traps For Writing an Effective Business Plan (Tips & Traps)
Every penny you spend promoting, marketing, and selling to your ideal customer, should be based on what you know (confirm through research) of your customers’ needs, wants, emotions, and perceptions.
In chapter five (Products & Services) of Tips and Traps For Writing an Effective Business Plan (Tips & Traps), I provide detailed instructions for assembling a ideal customer profile, how to determine their needs, wants, emotions, and perceptions.
Then your job is to align your business, marketing, and promotion strategies with those of your ideal customer. Then test, test, test and soon you will begin to view your marketing and sales as an investment not an expense.
Get Advance Notice to the Upcoming Killer Communications Teleclass
This week I will be announcing my Killer Communications Teleclass. It will have limited enrollment, so if you would like to get advance notice of the course details, email me.
Live Large!
Is Your Business An Arena or A Sanctuary?
March 24, 2007
Whether you view your business as an arena or a sanctuary reveals a lot about your leadership style and corporate culture.
I am of the view that a business should be a sanctuary. Where people can find refuge and safety. That love, encouragement, and oneness are valued and practiced.
A Counter-Intuitive Corporate Culture?
I realize that my viewpoint is counter-intuitive in a competitive, sport oriented culture.
To have referred to the workplace as a kind, caring, and loving environment prior to 9/11 would have taken a lot of courage and fortitude. In those days it seemed to me that love, caring, and kindness was something left for those in the ‘touchy, feely’ occupations.
Change Is In The Air.
Increasingly, many of the business owners I speak to are tired of the winner takes all, ultra-competitive, and confrontational culture that dominated business life in the 20th century.
Yet society still seems to adore aggressive and competitive sporting events. Which leads me to ask a question:
Are we truly prepared to invest the time, effort, and energy required to transform the workplace into a safe harbor?
It will take leadership, courage, and patience to turn this corner but the rewards are more than worth the sacrifice.
Making the Transition
To learn more about how you could make this transition you only need to look to leaders like Rosa Say or Lance Secretan.
I have read both authors books (almost finished) and highly recommend both.
Rosa’s book, Managing with Aloha: Bringing Hawaii’s Universal Values to the Art of Business spells out how managers and business owners can apply Hawaiian values to your life and business. Rosa’s approach is based on 19 specific values found in Hawaiian culture. I found Managing with Aloha to be a rich, engaging, and soulful read. I sensed a real connection with the author, earth, and myself.
These common thread between these two books is authenticity, servant leadership, and inclusiveness or oneness. While each author approaches the subject from a different perspective and style they end up at the same destination - conscious leadership that creates oneness.
Lance Secretan’s book, One: The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadership is based on six principles around the acronym CASTLE which stands for Courage, Authenticity, Service, Truthfulness, Love, and Effectiveness. Reading Lance’s book I found myself reflective, agitated, and anxious - feeling like I needed to get into action. That feeling might also have something to do with not finishing the book yet and having a deadline to write a review on March 28.
Want to Learn More?
I encourage you to buy both of these books, well at least one.
I think anyone in business could get a lot from either book. I found myself putting down each of these books to cogitate and think. I felt challenged and affirmed as I read both, yet Managing with Aloha provided more of a sense of well-being and personal knowing-ness (if that is even a word).
Both authors maintain a blog and are accessible. I will be writing a formal book review on Lance’s book, March 28 and will be doing the same for Rosa’s book once finished.
Kawasaki’s VC Powerpoint Tips
March 23, 2007
Seeds of Growth pointed to Guy Kawasaki’s The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint post about Mr. Kawasaki’s preference and recommendations when presenting your business plan to Venture Capitalists.
The outline Guy recommends is:
- Problem
- Your solution
- Business model
- Underlying magic/technology
- Marketing and sales
- Competition
- Team
- Projections and milestones
- Status and timeline
- Summary and call to action
This is also a great outline/checklist for a writing a business plan. Guy Kawasaki is author of The Art of the Start, Word of Mouth Marketing, and Rules For Revolutionaries.
Study: No Link Between Charisma and Business Performance
March 23, 2007
A University of Pittsburg study of 128 CEO’s found no correleation between charisma and business performance.
How’s that for a counterintuitive fact?
There is hope for the geeks, quiet spoken, and introspective business owners. Hurray!
Does blog advertising kill a brand? Impede Relationships? Inhibit the User Experience?
March 23, 2007
I have been noticing some bloggers putting a lot of effort into writing some useful and practical blog posts. Which is all good.
What troubles me is that they also write short posts teasing me with what the article contains but requires an additional click or two to get to the good stuff.
Gimme a break. Why do they write that way?
Oh, I forgot. Because they are more interested in maximizing revenue on their site because than building a business with a real business model. How do I now? These blogs are also littered with ads.
They add pages on the front end to maximize page views and extra clicks which increases their income. IMHO this is not an ethical approach to building a business because it adds friction to the user experience and in fact exploits the user by teasing and adding friction to the experience.
Funny, those blogs rarely link to anyone else unless it is via an advertisement.
Maybe I am overreacting but I am sick of it and will no longer link to those sites - unless you tell me you want me to point you to those types of blogs.
What do you think of this practice? Am I full of it?
Yikes: Copier + Hard Drive: A Dangerous Combination
March 23, 2007
Did you now that for the last five (5) years photocopier manufacturers have been including hard drives in their copiers?
It sounds like a slam dunk: Put a hard drive into a standard photocopier, so (depending on the copier’s configuration) you can have a digital version of anything you run through the machine. That way, if the original is ever lost, you can always run back to the backup. (I hadn’t realized this, but copiers have been including hard drives for five years now.)
But now people are finally waking up to the wrinkle in this plan, which should have been obvious: What do people use copiers for, anyway? Yes, for company flyers and employee manuals, but also for tax returns, insurance cards, photo IDs, and Social Security paperwork. Now what happens when that copier gets old and is sold on eBay? Gulp. Computerworld has more of the story.
Copiers are hardly highly-secure devices, and such data could be accessed via a network connection, too.
The wake-up call is, surprisingly, being delivered by Sharp, a manufacturer of these devices. The company polled Americans and found that 54 percent of those surveyed had no idea that photocopiers stored digital versions of everything put on the glass. Count me in the majority, I guess.
What to do? Naturally, Sharp (and presumably other companies too) are promoting its newer copiers, which encrypt digitally stored copies and “virtually shred” recent ones so they can’t be recovered. If you’ve got such features on your office machine, make sure you use them. But also remember that next time you make copies at Kinko’s or another copy shop, you could be leaving behind a copy of anything you reproduce. Behave accordingly. Via Yahoo Tech
Hat tip to Business Opportunities Weblog.
Beware: New Domain Name Telemarketing Scam
March 23, 2007
This morning I was called by a seemingly genuine UK based company notifying me that someone was trying to register a number of domains using my trade name.
They wanted to check if this would be a problem, I said yes it would be. The caller then stated, “Let me transfer you to our legal department.” and put me on hold.
A few moments passed, then he came back on stating, “I will put you through to our administrator, Mrs. Smith.” who came on the line and began to say that she could not stop this person from registering the domains as that “would not be in their best interests.”
I asked a few questions, while I went online and searched for all the domains myself, which were available. So I bought them from GoDaddy and told those British scamming bastards to go take a hike.
If someone calls you to say that someone else is trying to register domains names of your company or trade name, hang up. Or if you want to have some fun, string them along.
Just remember, these people are very talented as they never suggest that you buy the domains from them. But their tactics, psychology, and carefully chosen words are designed to lead you to ask them if they can do it for you.
Beware because they charge £10 pounds per year, per domain or $22.86/CDN and $19.48 USD.
I get mine for $6.95 USD.
You would think that someone with that much talent for writing telemarketing scripts would get a real, legitimate job. A guy can hope.
Reach Your Goal: Get clear, create clarity, and know what problem you want to solve.
March 23, 2007
From one of the world’s wealthiest and least known men. Alas, he is no longer with us.
“To solve a problem or to reach a goal, you don’t need to know all the answers in advance. But you must have a clear idea of the problem or the goal you want to reach.” - W. Clement Stone
Stone “In 1960, Stone teamed up with Napoleon Hill to author Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude” and then by himself, wrote the The Success System That Never Fails.
I can still get Stone to mentor me, I just added that book to my Amazon cart and by reading that book I can get his help.
So can you, if you will.
Live Large!
The Entrepreneurial Shuffle: Stuck in The Performance Trap?
March 22, 2007
What is the Entrepreneurial Performance Trap? I first wrote about The Mindset of a Champion? back on March 18 while listening to Dr. David Cook on TSTN who defined the Entrepreneurial Performance Trap as:
“My self worth equals my performance plus the opinions of others.”
Another part of the Entrepreneurial Shuffle is to change our thinking, self-talk, and stop using the words ‘I can’ to using the words ‘I will’? when I talk about my goals and dreams.
What Is The Entrepreneurial Shuffle?
March 22, 2007
Like anything in life, balance reduces risk and increases harmony.
The Entrepreneurial Shuffle is what I call the process of “Kaizen” which is a Japanese word for constant and never ending improvement. The entrepreneurial version of “never ending learning, change, and professional development”. It is also:
- Equilibrium: Maintaining an equilibrium is how we create balance in any given situation. You understand the difference between balance and equilibrium. Balance is about even weight distribution, or the state of maintaining elements equally. Whereas, equilibrium maintains a state of equal forces and balance.
- Responsible Commitment: That you had better pay attention because you know that whether your family gets to eat ‘well’ tonight it is your place to make sure they can and do.
- Brutal Reality: Knowing you have shortcomings and when you notice them, you immediately set about to change your behavior and make a new habit.
- Remove Limiting Beliefs: Changing your mind about something based on new information, observations, and learning’s.
- Thinking Ahead: Knowing it is not just about winning or losing but making sure you are able to ’stay in the game’ long enough so you can win.
Beware of The Impostor Shuffle
When you are in avoidance mode you are experiencing the Impostor Shuffle, a distraction. It’s what happens when you move from foot to foot, anxious due to boredom, nervousness, or embarrassment.
You might also notice the ‘impostor shuffle’ when you find yourself ‘tweaking’ this and that to keep busy. Busy work versus important work.
Apply the five traits of the Entrepreneurial Shuffle and change your life and business one decision, one action at a time.
Support Independent Business: Buy This Song Today
March 22, 2007
Today is Bum Rush the Charts Day, it is a social experiment designed to prove that we (independent music producers and artists) have a machine that works, that sells products without the man.
Today is your chance to stick it to the man (the industry music machine) and say “feed the independent music industry”, poscasting, and independetn business. Lets prove the “power” lies with the audience’.
Using this link will net 5% in affiliate fees from Apple on top of the 50% donation from the band and support scholarships for students. Yeah! Support your local student and tell them where they can go to apply for a scholarship. Go get it now!
The Other E Myths
March 21, 2007
I have always been quite awed by the writings of Dave Pollard, in The Other E Myths, Dave once again makes great observations. He puts into words my own thoughts about Michael Gerbers E-Myth.
Dave makes mention of Natural Enterprise as an alternative to Gerbers approach. I will have to read more of Dave’s work over the last three years and Natural Enterprise.
I think I should look up Dave and say hello because I have developed a similar approach in helping my clients develop an authentic/organic approach to business growth. Plus he seems like a cool Canadian.
If you are looking for a different approach to developing and growing your business and have time to read Dave’s seminal works, you will get a bunch of ideas and learn a bunch at the same time.
Live Large!
Nine Questions to Help You Manage, Motivate, and Lead Employees from the Heart
March 17, 2007
- How do you define your organization? Is it people first?
- When managing and leading employees are you eight times more positive than negative?
- Do you honor your employees?
- What do you do when you get those motivational, teaching, and coaching moments? Do you connect with them? Do you tell them that you accept and love them?
- Do your words and deeds free them from the fear of failure?
- Do your employees know how much you accept and love them?
- Do you help them tap into their passion?
- Do you treat your employees like family?
- Are you the guardian of your employees dreams?
The Joy of Music and Love Affair with Books
March 16, 2007
OMG, I was reading Review: This is Your Brain on Music and saw something that totally caught me by surprise.
“By better understanding what music is and where it comes from, we may be able to better understand our motives, fears, desires, memories and even communication in the broadest sense. Is music listening more along the lines of eating when you’re hungry, and thus satisfying an urge? Or is it more like seeing a beautiful sunset or getting a backrub, which triggers sensory pleasure systems in the brain? Why do people seem to get stuck in their musical tastes as they grow older and cease experimenting with new music? This is the story of how brains and music evolved — what music can teach us about the brain, what the brain can teach us about music, and what both can teach us about ourselves” (p12)
…Daniel weaves stories like this one in with research on how the brain processes music in such a way that is immediately readable. Via Review: This is Your Brain on Music
This book review by Steve Sherlock opened my eyes to the impact that music has had on my life. Make sure to check out “A Love Affair with Books: 2007 JJL Index” and get the low down on more than 28 book reviews this March. You will be glad you did. Thanks Steve!
Live Large!
Personal Development, Time Management by Brian Tracy
March 16, 2007
“When you develop yourself to the point where your belief in yourself is so strong that you know that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to, your future will be unlimited.” - Brian Tracy
I can honestly say that I have never heard a word or read one book by Brian Tracy, however, I read a review of Eat That Frog! and was impressed with it. From the Editorial Review:
Using ‘eat that frog’ as a metaphor for tackling the day’s most challenging - and most prone to procrastination - task, Eat That Frog shows readers how to zero in on these critical tasks and organize their time.
As a business coach, I love the premise of the book, starting your day with your largest, most intimidating task. Go for it!
Live Large!
Global Warming Hype Could Kill Entrepreneurship in the Third World
March 14, 2007
I was listening to Charles Adler on the radio on my commute to seeing a client. I found this amazing documentary on You Tube that totally dismantles and disproves the global warming myth.
Watching this movie you will understand the real facts behind the so global warming trends and see for yourself just how flawed are the assumptions that global warming fundamentalists use. You will discover that mankind has not caused global warming and that Al Gore has it backwards.
Why Gore Is Wrong
Gore states that mankind is responsible for increases in carbon dioxide. The science does not support his claims.
Is there is a relationship between temperature change and carbon dioxide - yes indeed - except it is the exact opposite from what is presented in Gores’ movie. Gore suggests that global warming is the result of industrialization and mankind is responsible for creating more carbon dioxide which in turn is creating an increase in earth’s temperature. Wrong!
Mathematics Deficit
Once again, the mathematics deficit in North America has us reading the wrong things into trends.
The is born out with the slide in Gores movie where he shows a correlation between the ice core samples and earth’s temperature - only problem is that his data did not reveal that when carbon monoxide increases temperatures actually drop - the exact opposite effect of global warming!
Scientific evidence actually shows that increases in carbon dioxide follow increases in temperature by a few hundred years. Therefore, mankind cannot be the cause of global warming.
Global Warming Will Become the Political and Moral Issue of this Century
The global warming issue has become a political, religious, and non-scientific football. Plus by making the so called ‘global warming issue’ a hot political issue it will kill industrial development in third-world countries - global warming advocates are the marketing pimps and whores of big businesses.
The last thing that big business wants is more competition. After all, they can hardly cope with the competition from India and China. What would happen to North American industry if South Africa and other third world countries began to become much more industrialized?
The side effect to the successful brainwashing of global warming debate will be the prevention or retardation of development in the third world. That is what this is all about - killing new global competition before it has a chance.
How solid are your decisions?
March 13, 2007
“When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal; you do not change your decision to get there.” - Zig Ziglar
Making business decisions is core skill and and trait of effective entrepreneurs. Here is a question for education:
When you make a decision do you also make a commitment to achieving it?
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