Connecting the Dots...

3 Ways to Set Sail for a More Wonderful Work Week

Written by: Leslie Shreve Productivity Expert

Troubled by too little time? Mourning a few missed opportunities? Stuck behind bars in e-mail jail?

It’s true that disorganization and the challenges of keeping up can get you down. You can lose quite a bit of motivation when frustration takes over after being bombarded by boatloads of information and communication. Here are 3 ways to make your work week more wonderful – and more productive:
1. Dock your boatload of cargo
When you walk around with a head full of reminders and to-dos you don’t want to forget, you’re not unlike a ship drifting endlessly out at sea with no map and no clear direction.

Professionals must have a reliable way to track and manage everything they need to do. And not just what they need to do, but when. And keeping it all in your head is not going to help you reach your priorities, much less prioritize.

Once you bring in your Good Ship Forget-Me-Not and dock it, you can start unloading all that cargo you’ve been carrying around. Do a brain drain and get all of those to-dos out of your head. The best way to do this is to start an electronic Task List in Outlook or similar system. Continue building this list with every next step you need to take on anything and you’ll have to keep it all in your head ever again.

2. Look aft and look fore
I regularly see professionals challenged with following up from past meetings and lacking preparation for upcoming appointments. One of the best steps you can take is using the week view on your calendar so you can see yesterday, tomorrow and future days very clearly.

This is so important because you have to be able to review where you’ve been to capture follow ups you’re responsible for and see where you’re going so you can prepare.

3. Clear the decks
Need I say “Get organized?” That’s so typical, right? But here’s the thing… current research clearly shows the cost of disorganization to both professionals and businesses and the results bear watching. I’ll let the findings do the talking for me…
A “Cost of Disorganization” survey conducted by GfK Roper Custom Research North America for Brother International found the following among 777 full- and part-time U.S. professionals in April 2010:

a. 87% of office workers say when their workspace is disorganized they feel they
are less productive than when their workspace is organized
b. 30% of office workers have lost out on getting reimbursed for a business or
travel expense because they misplaced or lost a receipt
c. Close to four in 10 (37%) of office workers have gone into a work meeting feeling unprepared

So how about taking some time to invest in your future by getting organized so you can be and feel more professional, more prepared, and more productive? And when that happens, more success might be just around the corner.

Leslie Shreve shows professionals how to get the freedom to do what they really want to do – sooner than later.

“She was my Productivity Coach in 2011 and really is an expert in this subject matter. If you want to take your productivity to the next level, contact Leslie.” Mike Mack, Business Strategist, X5 Management Inc.

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Little Red Riding Hood said she was going to Grandma’s house. She seemed to be pretty clear on that part of things. Being able to ‘say’ where we are going, some will tell us, is ‘it’, the golden fleece, the answer to success in business. When the business Executive struggles with this question, things can go poorly.

“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.” - Yogi Berra

A few things seemed to contribute to a less than pleasant or easy trip for LRRH. One is that she repeatedly forgot where she was going, left the path, talked to strangers, did many things that were not ‘toward the goal’. She took her eye off the ball, lost focus. It seemed pleasant to smell and pick the flowers and to respond, to any who might ask, that she was ‘doing it for Grandma’, so who could argue. Two temptations here. One is how pleasant it can feel to get off the path and the other is how we justify what we know deep within and without any doubt is just an excuse not to do the right thing(s); stay the path.

She advises us, in the Broadway rendition, “don’t place your trust in a cape and a hood. They won’t protect you the way that they should.” Great noticing here. Being cute and looking lovely are not protection against what is real and can cause us to forget where we are going. Faking it by covering things up is a strategy that she tells us didn’t work for her. Can it work for us? Not naming the elephant in the room, holding on to what needs to be released, having ‘hope’ as the primary pillar of strategy, hmmmm? Are we somehow immune from the wolf? Our now enlightened LRRH Executive would uncover and point, without apology, back to the path.

Oh, and let us not cloak a flawed destination, the one that looks like Grandma’s but isn’t. Wrong house, wrong path, wolf ready. Answering the question, “where are we going?” is a fundamental start to a success journey. LRRH has some wisdom to help us journey to our next level of success.
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where—” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat. – Alice in Wonderland

Written by: Joseph Seiler, MCC Executive Coach X5 Management

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Last week, Mike, Joseph and I had a stimulating conversation about the X5 Management website, and Mike asked if I would be interested in writing a guest post on website content.
 
Since I could never resist the chance to write about writing, I jumped at the opportunity.
 
Many of our clients come to us during or shortly after their websites have been designed, and though the website looks great, their content isn’t fresh.
 
Web designers and web writers agree that your website should be more than a backlit business card that sits idle in cyberspace. It should be a living reflection of your business, moving people through your pages the same way they move through your sales/service process.
 
What is content really?
 
Your written web content should be seen as the soul of your business. It presents brand value as it brings people to your website, and it’s one of the most effective ways to extend your reach into the marketplace, building authority, community and conversions. Optimized content can improve your site ranking in search engines, ensuring that it remains visible for people who are looking for what you offer. Content can be used to prime that buyer from a research experience into a sales relationship.
 
New visitors can understand your style, approach and expertise.
 
Researchers can compare the merits of your business with others.
 
Buyers who are ready to act can move through your content easily and make their decision before they even contact you.
 
Effective web content does this effortlessly. Answer the following questions to determine if your content is working for you:
 
• Do you know what people are looking for when try to find what you offer?
 
• Look at the pages your customers arrive at when they find you. Are you moving them through the sales process on your website?
 
• Is your content written for your customer, or does it sound like it was written about your company?
 
• Are there complicated pages, links or stages that could be simplified or removed?
 
• Is your content readable and easy to scan, or is it full of industry specific terms and long paragraphs?
 
• Does your content include ALL the information potential buyers need or want about your product or service?
 
• Does your content consistently reflect the attitude and value of the brand with the writing style and the “voice” of your content?
 
By no means is this an extensive audit or explanation of content, but by working through these questions, you can gain an idea of what your buyers are looking for and how you can begin improving your content to best serve them.

If you’re eager to delve deeper into the rules of content, this article by Colleen Jones explores the fundamentals of content creation and evaluation.
Content Analysis: A Practical Approach

Good luck and Godspeed!

Written by:
Idris Fashan
Red Paper Clip Writing Company
www.redpaperclip.ca
 

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In my business experience, it is wonderful to see when individuals Network with the “intent” on building a solid, long term relationship. They are not handing out their business cards like a Black Jack dealer.

Networking is defined as a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest. The reality today, is that we see many people with different interests, and different agendas. Sometimes these people cross paths and it just works, but in other cases there is not any synergy, nor common interest.

Dr. Stephen Covey authored: “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” One of my favourite habits, when applied to Networking is:

Habit #5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

Covey suggests that most people seek to be understood, as they can get their point across and ignore the other person.

If we take the time to truly understand the other person in terms of business needs, interests and genuinely have this sincere intent, we have an opportunity to establish a relationship for the long term.

Effective Networking is so much more than a “pile of business cards.”

Many of us attend Networking events in our community throughout the year. Some events are more effective than others, and have more or less people in attendance. As I see it, you need to attend these events with the sincere intention of Networking for the long term. What I mean here is that if there are 100 people in attendance at a Networking event it is not realistic to assume that you will meet all of them. In this case, you arrive with a base game plan. Perhaps you have an objective of “connecting” with 5-10 people and take the time to get to know them on a high level. This example of networking events, reminds me of a story with a former colleague of mine. We will call her Lila.

She was never too comfortable with such events, and struggled to meet people at an event. Her biggest hang up was, “I do not know what to say, without sounding like I am selling them something.” Ironic, considering she had a career in sales, but this is a common challenge for many people. My advice to Lila, was simply, “Seek first to understand”. She asked what I meant by this. Rather then worrying what your sales script or pitch sounds like, simply introduce yourself and make it all about the other person. You of course ask them their name, ask what they do. You feel the tempo of the conversation and if it is flowing well, as is usually the case, when you make it about the other person, you ask a few specific questions. Example: What are your biggest challenges in your business? How could I help you? The last question usually blows people away, as they are not expecting it. If you ask the question, with the genuine intent on helping them, that has the potential for the start of something great.

In my networking world, I have the great fortune of knowing many people from all disciplines, professions and industries. What I believe that I can offer is my ability to connect people. I do not see it as anything special, but it works in building Networking relationships that last.

Here is a true example of how this can work for anyone. In November 2008, I was attending a Networking event. There were approximately 40 people in attendance. I connected with 5 people. What I mean, when I say that I connected with 5 people, is simply that I spent some focused time “seeking to understand” who they were and understanding their business. I can comment about all 5 of those individuals, but for the purposes of this article, I will highlight one individual, Greg Burghardt. (Arrow Engineering Inc., Edmonton)

He is professional and a very successful business person. The morning after the event, I took the time to follow up with Greg and other contacts that I met the evening before. (Following up within 24 hours is key if you have the intent of establishing some solid rapport to build a business relationship.) At this time, it was not about selling anything to them. My standard follow-up script looks something like this: “Greg it was great to meet you last night at the Networking event. I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you at your office and learn more about your business and determine how I may assist you. Assuming that Greg and I hit it off at the event, the probability of Greg accepting my offer is virtually 100%, taking into account his time and schedule.

Greg and I are both established in our respective Centres of Influence. It took time to get there, but it was well worth it.

If there was a desired outcome to “Networking for keeps”, that has occurred in this case.

Remember, Networking is not always about instant gratification…..sometimes good things are really worth the wait. It could take months or years to benefit, but when you Network for Keeps, you don’t keep track of who benefited more. The gratification comes in knowing that you added value to someone else. This act goes a long way in building meaningful business relationships that have the true potential of lasting.

Written by: Mike Mack, MBA Business Strategist X5 Management

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US Vice Presidential candidate, Dan Quayle, once offered a school class that alternate olde fashioned spelling with the ‘e’ on the end and was crucified in the media. Andrew Jackson said, “I hope never to meet a man so dull he could think of only one way to spell a word”. We are not really talking about spelling here, we are talking about differences between people.

“If every snowflake is different, and every fingerprint… and every zebra’s stripes – then why, oh why, are we arguing to agree all the time?” (Leslie Aileen Seiler)..…and insisting that others conform to doing it our way? The above quote from my daughter is a wonderful expression of one simple truth, that each of us is different and that the difference is a good thing. It is to our benefit to meet people where they are, not to insist they come to our view of the world.

When one offers to ‘help’ another, is it to help them become more like the helper or is it to help them become more fully themselves? Those two agendas are not the same. When considering lasting positive change, the kind that enhances one’s life forever, which agenda will accomplish the feat? I believe that meeting a person where they are and then helping them to go where they want to go, and to get them there in the way that is within their style, is the only true favour I can provide to them. This is true on the business journey as well as in personal travels through life. So, in business, ‘telling’ is a poor second choice to ‘asking’.

The business advisor who simply tells is likely to be the one most attentive to what they are saying. Near to this ideal is that of encouragement. “Our chief want in life is somebody who shall make us do what we can.” Ralph Waldo Emerson. Here again, it is what the business owner/Executive is not fully embracing of their own inherent ability that is asking to be called forth, not the image of the helper or the image of anyone else, no matter how great a hero or heroine they might be.

I love the formula that puts the relationship first. From the understanding, empathy, celebration of difference, that arises from relationship the helper can ask the very best questions to ‘make us do what we can’, to help us to our own next level in spite of that niggling little critic that speaks inside of us all.
You say tomato, I say tomatoe, yes!

Just sayin’

Written by Joseph Seiler, MCC Executive Coach X5 Management Inc.

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This is a story about transition and leadership.

I have been fortunate to have Lorne Wight as a friend and close business contact for over 14 years.

Lorne has contributed to our Blog post for this week with his leadership journey.

Lorne M. Wight – President
Allwest Commercial Furnishings
www.allwestfurnishing.com

When it comes to business – does size matter? Is bigger better?

Having recently left a multi-national Fortune 100 company as their Regional President, to become President of a smaller local business (Allwest Commercial Furnishings), the differences between big business and small business is an active part of my daily transition.

Pleasantly, a striking difference is the distinct lack of bureaucracy in small business, where on a daily basis I am closer to the action, closer to our customers and have the ability to be more nimble in dealing with issues and making decisions. Indeed, the whole decision making process is different because the stakeholders are different – now I have to be more concerned about cash flow and a distinct owner instead of millions of shareholders, a CEO, a CFO and a host of other C-level positions posing as potential roadblocks!

Conversely, I find generally that small business does not have the same resources available to it, certainly not internally like you would find in big business. Processes in small business tend to be significantly less defined, more fluid and often not measured. However this becomes one of the opportunities where we truly have the ability to act like a bigger business – with structure, purpose, checks & balances and of course measurements – but all without bureaucracy.

For me, so much comes down to measurements (if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it); we have to set goals and targets that are meaningful to our business (financial goals, productivity goals, individual goals, customer satisfaction goals, vendor performance goals) and then create a Balanced Scorecard or some sort of Key Performance Indicator that tracks all these. Our staff needs to be part of this process and buy into the importance of it, often tying it to their compensation and incentive programs. Tracking these goals on at least a monthly basis has to become ingrained in our organizational culture. Harvey Mackay said it best “A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline.”
Big business has deeper pockets, but more rules. Big business often has better prices on products and services due to sheer volume, but is probably more constricted on selling prices and margins because of their reporting structure and “street expectations” on a bottom line.

I believe that as a small business, we have to define our value proposition differently than big business and then create our vision, strategy and execution around that difference, using our ability to be nimble, closer to the customer and more focused in the local community as our advantages. The most successful small to medium size businesses I know are heavily invested in the community in which they serve – and invested does not have to mean pure dollars; it often means time, expertise and focus.

So – is bigger better? In my opinion, no bigger is just – well it is just bigger!! Every business needs to grow, as staying the same generally means going backwards, so every business must get bigger to some degree to succeed. But “Every brand isn’t for everybody, and everybody isn’t for every brand.” (Liz Lange). It is this writer’s belief that a unique, well-defined, well executed small business strategy combined with a group of dedicated, empowered and engaged staff is a winning formula that any competitor (big or small) would have trouble beating.

We thank Lorne for his contribution to our Blog post for this week.

Perhaps we all take a different look at our business and “size” up what our strategy will be.

Mike Mack, MBA Business Strategist X5 Management Inc.

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In our part of the world, (Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia) we are seeing and feeling the business engines starting to turn on…..Big time!

Within our business community (Edmonton) and with our corporate clients it is common to hear 20%, 35% or 50% growth projections in business in the next 12 to 18 months. These projected numbers may sound exciting however; they come with many challenges and risks. One of the main challenges that currently impacts businesses today is the struggle of recruiting good people. We hear of companies looking for 40 welders, or another having 16 job postings at the present time. Recruiting good and quality people will be key!

But what exactly are you recruiting to?  How is your culture?  How stressed is your current team with demands and pressures that make it difficult to always put on a happy face?  Are your systems and processes tight and effective?  Who is doing the recruiting or interviewing?  What are they feeling and what message are they conveying to the candidates?

While recruiting is a big focus for many companies today in Western Canada, what about retention? Are good employees staying with us? Can we keep them?

I had a conversation recently with a business contact of ours and she needed our support to assist with Coaching and Development of a key employee. A line that really resonated was: “it is much more economical to do this now, than to have a vacancy and recruit later.”

Some companies are brilliant at retaining employees. They have great benefit plans, profit sharing, company perks, workout facilities, equipment and technology to assist them in their roles. Sometimes it is the simple things that can make all the difference too. Are we communicating with our employees? Are we listening to what they have to say? Do we show respect and attempt to make a connection?

X5 is a fan of John C. Maxwell and his book, “Everyone Communicates Few Connect” As the author suggests, only one thing stands between you and success. An excerpt from his book summary: How can you really connect with others? “Connecting is the ability to identify with people and relate to them in a way that increases your influence with them,” says Maxwell. “And the ability to communicate and connect with others is a major determining factor in reaching your potential. To be successful, you must work with others. To do that at your absolute best, you must learn to connect.”

From our vantage point we see a real need to connect with our employees and ensure all is good within our company. Assuming we want to keep them, we need to pay close attention to this very critical area of our business.

Written by:
Mike Mack, MBA Business Strategist
X5 Management

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Succession is a term that has been used for decades in the description of some of the processes of nature. Have a look at this description.

Succession (in nature) launches a new habitat. Succession may be initiated either by formation of new, unoccupied habitat (e.g., a lava flow or a severe landslide provides a totally clean slate) or by some form of lesser disturbance (e.g. fire, severe wind throw, logging) within an existing community. There is considerable devastation, even elimination, of at least some parts of the habitat that was, in order that a new habitat can form.

When speaking about succession in business the description could be, “ the orderly transfer of leadership to the benefit of the person stepping aside, the person ascending and the company as well”.

If you are considering succession, from whatever vantage point you stand at the moment, which description would you prefer to have people use after it is all done? That first description seems too often the way things seem to go, even though the second description seems to be the preferred choice when people are asked in advance. What is this about?

The Founder is, almost by definition, a powerful personality and by the time succession is an appropriate topic, has endured and overcome great hurdles. The champion has earned the throne. The landscape has changed since the Founder got things started. Succession from the top job, especially if still occupied by a Founder, can be a delicate subject, to say the least. The baby boomers are lining up to retire. There is a succession tsunami forming.

What to do?

Consider asking these questions and others like it.
What are the attributes of the perfect Leader for our company today?
What parts of the intellectual property, whether technical or marketing or… , resides solely with the incumbent leader?
What is the average age of our management staff?
What are the current directions one can notice about our industry sector and how do we rate in keeping up?
What confidence do we have in our risk management plans?
What are we losing by the way we do business right now?
What are we winning by the way we do business right now?
Where are we vulnerable?

Who, in your organization, needs to be considering these questions? Stop. Isn’t this the nexus of the entire discussion? Who indeed? And how? Yes, how does one introduce such a topic without sounding ungrateful or judgmental? Ask questions, gently, and yet relentlessly, to highlight what is true. People respond well to truth, not so well to lunchroom gossip. Trust, yes that’s it, show and be trust. From there, ask questions. Sometimes it can be helpful to have others, people not invested, to ask questions.  Food for thought.

Written by: Joseph Seiler, MCC Executive Coach, X5 Management

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This is a great leadership story to share and we didn’t want to miss the opportunity.

I have been privileged to have Jeff Polovick as a friend and Centre of Influence in my business life for over 14 years.

In light of our theme of “Helping you to the Next Level” it seemed to be most appropriate to share one company’s journey of continuously going to the next level…and staying on top.

Jeff Polovick, President and CEO   DRIVING FORCE

What Drives You? “The desire to build a sales organization that is committed to satisfying customers by providing superior service.” Jeff’s vision, combined with his strong leadership and team building skills, has developed this company into one of the largest independent vehicle rental, sales and leasing businesses in Canada.

A message from Jeff….
After more than 30 years in business and having been ISO 9001 certified since 2001, one might assume that DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales & Leasing just ticks right along like a well-oiled machine, year after year. But, markets change, and personnel come and go, and DRIVING FORCE continues (thankfully) to grow. All that change requires that our leadership team pays even closer attention to both day-to-day operations and critical path planning. Over three decades I have found that effective management tools can come in all shapes, and from any number of sources, and we need to be constantly on the lookout for new resources.

We have been fortunate to be acknowledged as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies for five years in a row, now. Our sixth, hopefully, successful application has just recently been submitted. And I find that, once again, the process of the application is at least as important as the award itself.
At its core, the process is one of due diligence using a model from an outside source rather than the tools that we use every day. It forces our team to look at our entire organization with fresh eyes, and that has proven to be an invaluable experience.

Each year when we start down the Best Managed path, we are forced to consider those issues that we know to be key, but sometimes neglect as we get distracted by more immediate concerns. Not only does it force us to revisit virtually every aspect of our business, but also to ensure that we have connectivity between our brands, business lines, and even departments. Filling in those blanks every year helps remind us that no matter how big DRIVING FORCE gets, we are still just a group of people working towards common business goals, and we need to engage in dialogue if we are to work effectively as a team.

So, while it’s great to submit a really smart-looking application and anticipate the outcomes and celebrate the wins (and be able to put that Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies logo on everything), I really want to encourage other business leaders to participate in the program for the process, itself. The journey is well worth the cost, the costs are relatively small, and the awareness and pride that come from the self-examination are truly exceptional.
I’ve heard that many artists will squint at their subjects, to try and gain a different perspective. Whether it’s through a Best Managed application, a process audit, or a conversation with our peers, I think it’s important that we remember to “squint” at our own operations once in a while. www.drivingforce.ca

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We all have an opportunity to make our businesses more effective. Taking the time to “squint” at our business can make all the difference to get it to the “next level”.

Mike Mack, MBA, Business Strategist
X5 Management

“Helping you to the Next Level”

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