Rise & Grind! Five (5) Tips For Getting Out Of Bed In The Morning
Many of us struggle with the morning drag, but there are some things that you can do to help you beat it. Here are five of them.
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Give yourself reason to need to get up– Set alarms away from the bed or drink a little water at night. When your eyes open you need a reason to have to get out of that bed.
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Make your bed when your feet touch the floor– Start making the bed as you are getting up.
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Have a theme song and play it loud– It can even be one of you alarm. That song needs to start within a minute of your waking up and have it repeat. Don’t give yourself time to even think about the warmth of that bed.
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Let the day in– Let light into the room. Open blinds, open windows, open doors. Make your room look and feel like the day has begun.
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Start your morning routine immediately– Once you start moving don’t stop until you are done- Bathroom -> Breakfast -> Get dressed… Just keep on moving
Networking with Depression and Anxiety
Networking is fun and exciting. It’s so great to meet new people right?
Well… that is, unless you are battling other issues.
Yes, we’re talking depression. Depression sucks, but you can work through it. When you’re battling depression, your body and mind know that something is wrong, and you may want to do something about it, but the symptoms don’t really take note of how they impact your life. People who suffer from anxiety issues may also experience great stress over getting out there and meeting new people. The simple thought of it can make them sick.
When experiencing depression, people are likely to feel down, sad, hopeless or they may experience a loss of interest in things, including the things they once enjoyed. With such things happening, the thought of going out and being sociable seems anything but exciting. Not to mention the lack of energy you’re also likely experiencing.
If you’re suffering from anxiety, you may even find yourself too physically ill to get out. Yet while all this is going on inside of you, life continues to go on around you.
So what do you do? How do you meet the need to network to advance your budding (or burgeoning) business? You just need to put together the resources to help meet your needs:
Know Your Battery Life
Sometimes you may be able to get yourself out and about, but after awhile of putting on that smile, your battery starts to drain, and you begin to shut down again.
Your battery life is that amount of time you can be out and about. It’s how long you can “be on,” where your symptoms may still exist, but you can hold them back enough to get through. While you’re doing what you need to do to remove your symptoms, it helps to have a few tools to help you manage them until you fully get rid of them.
Take care of yourself. Eat right, eating whether you have an appetite or not. Get enough rest, even if you’re having difficulty sleeping. Take time out to rest your body. It may be that all you can do is meditation or a breathing exercise, but do something to replenish your energy sources. All of these things can help increase your battery life.
Set Your Networking Goal
What is it that you want to or hope to accomplish through your networking? This stuff sounds hard, so why are you putting yourself through it? When you know the benefits you’re seeking, they can be used as a source of motivation and empowerment to help you get there.
Before you go into an event, set a goal for that event. It can be meeting three doctors or getting your business card in the hands of four accountants. This way, when you walk in, you can focus on getting that done. You can allocate your time to ensure that this gets done before your battery drains. If you have time remaining, you can then decide to meet more people or give yourself a break and cut out earlier. Either way, you will have accomplished what you came out for.
Set Targets
Decide who you are looking to meet who can help you achieve these goals. This helps you eliminate the pressure of having to talk to everyone. Once you know who you’re looking for, then you can conserve your energy a bit instead of exerting too much in random conversation.
Be Strategic About Which Events You Attend
Happy hour at the new hottest spot in town may be nice if you’re feeling energetic and want to just hang out with whoever, but when you’re looking to meet with specific people, you need to get to a place that’s likely to have more of them.
If you’re looking to grow your pharmaceutical sales business, then you want to meet with doctors who are prescribing the medications you sell. That’s not to say that meeting a nice VP of sales at a local bank couldn’t be helpful; it’s just that you have a higher likelihood of success in increasing sales by meeting doctors. So instead of going to the general networking meeting hosted by the local Chamber of Commerce, you want to attend the event hosted by the medical association.
Generally, I wouldn’t refer to time spent getting to know any person as “a waste of your time.” However, when working within the limitations of your symptoms, I would call it mismanagement of your limited resources.
Take Advantage of Smaller Events
When there are fewer people to interact with, you’re able to be less all over the place and can focus on getting to know one or two people and making that connection. This doesn’t require you to go too far out of your comfort zone.
You can even initiate these types of encounters by reaching out to the people you want to meet. You can call, but in this case, the more probable option may be to reach out in writing through email or—even better—a mailed letter or note. You can send these to your desired contact and advise that you will be calling within a specified time frame. This commits you to making that call, but having sent that initial communication makes getting on the phone easier because you’re not making the ever-so-terrifying “cold call.”
Get Involved
When you become engaged in events and make commitments, you get yourself to the point where you have to get to the event. It’s more difficult to back out when others are depending on you.
Take on small but important tasks that will cause you to have to go once you’ve decided to attend an event. It could be something as simple as bringing the name badges or being a friend’s ride. As your battery life gets longer, you can take on more consuming tasks, but don’t overexert yourself at first, because you don’t want to make the experience so overwhelming that it gives you more reason to back out in the future.
Attract People
When you don’t have much energy or desire or you’re just feeling down, you’re not really looking forward to going up and striking conversations with new people. The best thing you can do is make them come to you.
Have something unique that makes people want to know more so that they come talk to you. A friend of mine uses a cartoon sticker, which causes people to come up and ask what it’s all about. I write my organization name, “Living The Dream,” prominently on name tags, which makes people come up to ask me about it.
Your attraction piece can be something unique to you or that pulls at the interest of the people you want to meet. Just make sure it’s placed to be seen. This one works great for people who experience anxiety over meeting people or are just shy.
Make Information Available
Your business cards are a great way to do this. In addition to your name, title and contact information, they can say things about you that prompt people to ask questions. You can add things like specialties or accomplishments on the back—just three to five one-line bullet points that give people information about you and are great conversation boosters.
Follow Up First
You should always do follow-up to maintain that connection with the people you want to keep in your circle. When you follow up first, however, you can set the timing and pace of when the communications happen. You can set the tone and set things up for the best times for you.
When you decide to meet with people, schedule meetings at times that promote the speed you need. When you schedule to meet with someone after hours, they may be rushing home or they may be free as a bird and ready to hang out longer than you can.
Based on your battery life, you can make recommendations. A meeting at the office can last a few minutes or an hour depending on what the parties make of it. Meeting for coffee is shorter than meeting for lunch. Meeting for lunch is more time-limited than meeting for drinks afterwards.
Look Great
When you’re preparing to go to a networking event or a meeting with a new contact, it’s also important to get primped up. Looking good promotes feeling good. So put care into your appearance—not so much for others, but for your own sake. Stick with ensembles that you feel good in.
Depression and anxiety can take a considerable amount of time to work through. Even when you’ve sought the help of a professional and are working your way out of it, you still have this life that you need to be a part of. So make use of the tools that are available to help you manage.
MHAM 2- Depression- What You Should Know
When it comes to depression the first thing I want people to know is that it is not just feeling a little blue for a day. Depression is serious condition that the CDC reports affects 10% of adults in the US every year and costs American employers 16 Billion dollars every year in lost work production.
The word depression gets thrown around when a person appears a little sad or others don’t know how to interpret the behaviors they see. Depression is actually a combination of a number of symptoms which for the most part lasted at least 2 weeks. There are two symptoms that are common in depression diagnoses. For a person to be diagnosed with depression they must either have
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Little interest or pleasure in doing things- including the things that they have or generally enjoyed participating in
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Feeling down, depressed mood or feelings of hopelessness.
In addition to one of these two people with depression also experience difficulty sleeping, lack of energy or tired feeling, feeling bad about themselves, trouble concentrating, doing thing (including moving or speaking) noticeably slower or are more fidgety and restless than, have thoughts of hurting themselves or think they’d be better off dead. –People who are clinically depressed would most likely have at least 5 of these symptoms.
Depression is often referred to as anger that is directed inwards. There is frequently an event that preceded the onset of depression. Something that occurred which brought on the feelings of sadness or anger that have grown over time. It’s that feeling of seeing something happening a feeling powerless to change it. It’s not that the person really does is powerless to effect, rather it is the feeling or perception of it being so.
Depression is progressive- What can start as a few days of the blues can progress into something more severe if it goes unaddressed for too long. If you notice yourself or someone you know having some of these symptoms- start early to figure out what is causing them and devise a plan for addressing it. Anyone can get a couple days of the gloomies, but depression is an opportunistic illness. When it is given the chance to grow and take over, it will. That’s how felling a little sad over an important loss can turn into months of self blaming depression. The moment you notice it, start tackling.
Depression can happen to anyone and more importantly it can be resolved. It’s not something that happens to certain people, it’s something that happens to any person. Yes, people can take steps to increase resilience and better develop their coping skills to reduce the risk of falling into a full blown diagnosable depression. In order to do that, that has to first be the acknowledgement that depression exists and no one is immune. A history of depressive diagnoses in the immediate family does add an increased susceptibility. What this really means is that you need to be more vigilant and focus strengthening and utilizing your coping skills.
Depression has no real demographic criteria. Everyone is fair game. That’s why we should all check our selves when we notice symptoms and not mislead ourselves in thinking that we’re not the type of people who get this.
I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
Addressing Tragedy With Children
When tragedy occurs, children need be reassured and provided that feeling of safety again. Comfort & reassure them. Get assistance when necessary. Be careful what “other” messages you are sending them. In childhood, children are prepared to deal with stress as adults.
Broaden Your Sphere Of Influence One Small Act For One Individual At A Time
In his book Turning Stones, Mark Parent shares the story of a child who while walking on the beach, would pick up snails she found along the way and throw them back into the ocean. When grandma pointed out that there are so many little critters that have washed up along so many miles of shore and that throwing a few of them back really will not make a difference, the child’s response was “it makes a difference to this one” as she threw in the latest rescue.
That child realized something that many adults have forgotten- Every action makes a difference. We hear the words so often but don’t really put them into action. As the holiday season is in full bloom, stores are packed and traffic backed up it’s important to remember those words. When your place of worship needs volunteers and your schedule won’t allow you the four hours, the one hour you have can make a difference. When your local soup kitchen is making a plea for donations and you can’t afford a large cash donation, giving a few extra cans from your pantry will make a difference. It’s true that donating a box of pasta will not feed the hundreds of people in the community who are hungry, but it will make a great difference for the one family who eats because of that donation.
We sometimes spend so much time trying to save the world that we forget to help the individual next to us who is calling out for help. While things done for the masses may bring a brief moment of acknowledgement and accolades, the small gesture expended to an individual earns a deeper sense of gratitude. Public accolades may fade away, but the gratitude of the individual will not only last, it will multiply. When the individual remembers the kindness of a stranger, friend or loved one, and repays it with kindness toward another. Instead of creating one big moment that may or may not last, you inspire a cycle of influence that continues to multiply.
This same method applies in business.Although every small business owner (myself included) would love to land that one big client who catapults your business into arenas you could not imagine, taking time out to provide the super star treatment to every small deal, every sale, can have similar impact. When you provide your clients with service that are above and beyond what they expected and the competition offers, your clients can share their experience with others, thus creating a snow ball effect. The more great things you do, the more you are talked about. You may not get the one client who alone can sustain your business, but the many satisfied customers can together have the same impact as they bring others along with them.
When you are looking to widen you sphere of influence, place less emphasis on how many you can impact in one act and focus more on how deeply you can impact individuals. Individuals are the ones who will spread your message. They are the ones who will remember and act from their hearts. Individuals will carry out your message both through words and action, and they have the ability to influence others to join them. In this fad chasing world, we must always remember to focus on people, because when the hoopla dies down the people who have been personally affected will still remember. Be memorable to one, inspire one, and your reach will go beyond your imagination.
I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
They Know They Want You! –3 Steps To Being The No-Brainer
Whether it’s a job interview or meeting with a potential client, it should go without saying that you need to know your stuff. That is expected, and failure to deliver on that is both a waste of your time and an insult to the person you are meeting with. So when you know that everyone else is going to come in prepared, the key to being the one lies in your ability to stand out from the group.
Think outside the box. You know that, but it just so happens that so do your competitors. While everyone else may be trying to think outside the box, not everyone has the same strengths and expertise. Play to your greater strengths. Focus on what you can do, that hasn’t been done before that will not only meet the needs of the client or organization, but surpass expectations. This way you are offering something that is beyond great and can best be delivered by you. It’s not just – This is how you can make money- It’s more of a –These as the benefits that come in the package with me. In order to get these great benefits they want, they have to first bring you on board. This is something that should be done for every interview or presentation to meet the different needs. What you offer each client should be uniquely tailored to their individual needs. That’s why you can’t take the same presentation of every client or send the same exact resume to every job opening.
Expand your comfort zone. Everyone talks about stepping out of your comfort zone. That is a great exercise, but it’s not enough. Going out of your comfort zone is something that is easy to do when you are relaxed and comfortable, but not as much when you are on the spot and the pressure is on. These situations breed nervousness in the most confident people, and nervousness pushes people to retreat to what they find comfortable. If you are soft spoken, practicing to speak up before an interview is not enough. Instead, you need to learn to express yourself in a way that gets your message across through your soft voice. You may practice speaking up with your friends, but when comfort gets replaced by nerves so will your louder commanding voice be replaced by that squeaky mouse you thought you put out. What you already know however, you will know no matter how much pressure you’re under. As a long term goal however you will want to work on being more expressive because that is a demand of your field. You can do the exercises and practice with others as the new way becomes entrenched in how you operate. The goal is to become so naturally expressive that you don’t need to think about it before a big meeting, but until you reach that point you still know how to make your point from where you stand. Over time, you will develop 2 new tools- You will learn how to convey your message within your original comfort zone, but you’ll also become more expressive and have a more effective way of doing the same job that may eventually become most comfortable.
Conduct the energy. When the cards appear to be held by the other person(s), one of the best ways to level the field is to control the energy. Get them feeling the way you want tem to. When you want people to be excited about you and what you are talking about, you have to set the example and tone. A smile is the quickest way to start changing energy. When you do something with a smile, including speak or make a presentation, is changes the intonation in your voice. When your voice has that has a tone of joy, the listener hears it and responds to it even if subconsciously. They reflect that tone which will in turn increase your energy. It becomes like a game of energy catch, except that the ball of energy gets bigger each time it is caught. It works the same way with negative energy too, so be careful what energies you are putting out there. When you get your audience to feel the way you want them to feel, then you are in a better position to entice them to make the decisions that you want. While a stern super serious look from your audience can shock your nerves and cause you to stumble, a smile from you can encourage the more relaxed recipient to appear instead. In order to do that, your smile will have to outlast any frown in the room. Thankfully, smiles are more catchy 🙂
I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
www.DrJudiC.com
Others’ blindness shouldn’t affect your vision
When you do things that are different from others it is not uncommon to hear criticism. That’s perfectly fine. Just because others cannot see your vision does not mean you need to allow them to cloud you’re your site of it. I certainly have a few should be insults that I proudly don as a badge of honor. I’m “cheap” because my purchases must both make sense to me and fit in my budget. I’m “boring” when I choose to stay in to get my work done when I need to. Other people will throw words around all the times, sometimes maliciously, and other times just because they don’t know better. What really matters is not the words that are said or the speaker’s intent- It’s your acceptance.
You can always rely a confused look when you thank someone for something that was not intended to be a compliment. When someone calls you a nerd, that is confirmation that you are knowledgeable and knowledge seeking. That is an indication that you placed learning above what the person wanted you to value. When your “friend” tells you how cheap you are, it’s validation of your efforts to place your financial future over the frivolous spending they wanted company in. For these reasons you should thank the people who are pointing out that you are succeeding in your endeavors. Reminding you that you are staying on your track.
As long as you continue on your journey toward improvement or maintaining a level of success you have attained, there will be others who don’t understand the journey or its purpose. They will not place the same value on your efforts, because in addition to not joining in their in indulgences, you may be making them think about what they are doing. If they can get you to join in, they get confirmation that they are right and don’t have to think about it.
One of my favorite parts in the movie Pursuit of Happyness was when Mr. Garner spoke with his son at the basketball court. “You got a dream, you gotta protect it… You want something, you go get it. Period.” Those words are important to remember when undertaking a journey that is different from what everyone else is doing. There will always be someone who does not get it. But instead of telling you that hey don’t get it, they will try to make you feel like you lost your marbles for thinking so big. I mean can you imagine what people said when those crazy Wright brothers talked about putting a mechanical bird in the air? —Ya’ll boys better go satdown somewhere. Today everyone is talking about diversification, and multiple streams of income, but when George Washington Carver was first trying to educate people on that while the industry was trying to figure out how to get cotton back, someone certainly told him where to go with his peanuts and that alternative crops mambo jumbo. The inventions of these men our integral parts of our society now.
Other people not getting the vision is not a sign that you are wrong. It’s confirmation that you are on to something new. Something BIG! As they attempt to qualify you for your own dream (you don’t have …, you don’t know… you didn’t even…), they are also reminding you of what you’ve had to overcome to conceive this great dream of yours. “Really? How you gon’ be a business owner and didn’t even graduate high school?” That simply means that you can see far beyond the limitations they impose as what someone who did not graduate high school can do. Knowing that you are such the visionary shall be your motivation to put together actionable plans to realize your vision. Can you imagine if President Obama told the cashier taking his mother’s food stamp that he was going to be President Of The United States? In the words of Mays Gilliam: “which United States?” When others can’t see your vision, don’t allow their blindness to cloud your own vision. Instead, see it for them too. Visualize it. Actualize it. See yourself right! Make your vision so clear that if you read your action plan in reverse it looks like the steps for deconstructing your final product. Whether your goal is financial, professional, educational or anything else you could want, always keep an eye on the prize and the other on the action plan you are following.
I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
www.DrJudiC.com
Thoughts Dictate Actions- Only Action Can Produce Change
These days we hear a lot about changing mindsets, shifting thoughts and the many other ways that it’s said. The conversation needs to continue beyond though and into action. I am a strong proponent of changing one’s thoughts in order to make life changes. I am a Cognitive Behavior Therapist through and through. The thing about Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is that while it starts with thoughts, its power is in the action. Changing one’s thoughts is supposed to help or at least ease the changes in behavior. It seems that there is a great deal of emphasis that is being placed on the cognitive part that is not matching with the behavior portion. It’s not just about thinking that “yes I can get the job” it’s having the mindset and following it up with actions. I have heard Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich as well as Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad quoted out of context too many times. While both books may speak about a mindset, the behavior aspect of these lessons should not be missed. You can’t just think a million dollars into your account without first taking the steps that can generate a million dollars. Even lottery winners had to at least get the ticket.
I still remember my professor repeating “stop that stinkin’ thinkin’” which he drilled into us. The reason this change is needed is that the way we think determines how we behave. If the thinking is positive, the behaviors that follow will be positive. That will in turn produce more positive feelings and thoughts. Of course, that means that the reverse is just as true. Negative thoughts nurture negative feelings and the resulting behavior is just as negative and continues the cycle. Thankfully, it only takes one change in the pattern to break the cycle.
Following through is one of the more difficult parts of this whole thing. When making changes toward positive outcomes, the change may be slower in coming, thereby making it more difficult to notice. When things are already negative, it is easier to notice that they have not changed because there is already so much of it covering up what positive changes may have occurred.
So how do you change this?
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Switch your mindset. Stop that stinkin’ thinkin’. Think more in terms of the outcome that you are looking for. While culturally we may be programmed to think of the many things that could go wrong, we have to change that to focusing on the many ways that things can go right. It’s not about taking pointless risks, like getting on a bike without a helmet because many accidents don’t result in head trauma. Rather it’s putting on your safety gear and then jumping on the bike because you’ve always wanted to ride, and knowing that when you follow certain safety precautions you can learn to ride and not get hurt, as opposed to not getting on the bike because people have had accidents. When you switch your mindset you are not necessarily oblivious to the fact that bad things can happen, you are just more focused to the positive things that you can make happen and taking the steps to bring them about. Instead of cowering in fear, you step out on faith.
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Analyze the behaviors that you have engaged in the past as well as the behaviors of those who have achieved the goal that you want to achieve. You’re not looking to copy; you just need to understand the difference. Then you can move on to an assessment of your own resources to determine what you have or will need in order to change the behaviors that have held you back in the past. Of course you already know that the next step will be finding ways to tackle them.
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Visualize yourself engaging in these behaviors. Whether it’s personal financial, professional or whatever- Visualize yourself taking the steps that are necessary and having the outcome you desire. If you can visualize yourself meeting your targets at work and getting the promotion, then your body feels safe engaging in the behavior and reaching for that outcome. Let’s face it, change is scary. If you can visualize making changes and getting the results, then you are giving yourself permission to go after them, because in your mind’s eye you have seen the positive outcome that can be reached. Once you’ve experience the feeling of being in your new home, it makes it easier to not whip out our credit card when you see those new shoes.
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Energize your actions. Don’t just go in with the hopes of it working. Go in knowing that this is what will work. If you’ve taken the time to do your research and preparations and discovered the tools that can work, then take ownership. Know that if you do your part certain things will happen as a result. Just as you know that if you poor water on paper it gets wet, know that when you study you will learn. If occupy your mind with hopping that you learn, then you are using mental energy that can be going towards your learning to entertain the potential of a negative outcome. You’re using learning space to store your fear of not learning. How much sense does that make? Take every step expecting it to yield the positive result that it should. If you are thinking that way, your body has way of taking the steps necessary to ensure success.
Remember, if it’s worth having, it’s probably not easy to get. That is one of the ways the value of our goals are increased. The more valuable your prize, the more difficulty you may encounter in getting it. This also means that the more difficulty you encounter on the journey to reaching your goal, the more rewarding the prize will be when you do get it.
I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
http://www.drjudic.com/
Testimonial? Yes, please! When Your Best Marketing Tool is Confidential
One of the best marketing tools of small businesses is the feedback from previous clients. Especially when providing services, your clients’ results are your greatest assets. When these assets are confidential it makes it difficult to promote your services based on success rates. But hey difficult does not mean impossible. There are a few things that you can do to get word out without breaching confidentiality. You can always aggregate numbers and provide percentages but that only goes so far. People like to hear from and about people; not numbers.
The first and easiest tool that I am certainly guilty of failing to use in getting testimonials. After you have provided services to your clients it’s ok to let them know that testimonials are valuable to your business. It’s ok to ask them, as long as it is not made to sound like an obligatory demand. One of the best entrées to the conversation is when they thank you for your service. Satisfied clients have a tendency to extend the invitation to reach out if they can assist you in the future; this is the perfect time to remind them that you would appreciate a testimonial or make a request that pass along your information to others that can use it. As you prepare to make your request remember the following:
Make it a serious request: When they are not comfortable making a request, people tend to use crutches, like asking jokingly. It’s not a joke and it’s not something that is done in passing where the client misses your request. You value your client’s feedback and the time they would take to provide you with a testimonial. That should be reflected in your request.
Avoid ambivalent requests: In order to avoid seeming pushy you may make your request in a way that leaves the client wondering if you were serious. You want the client to be clear that you meant to ask, and that they have a choice as to whether or not they fulfill your request.
Jump on offers for testimonials: You already know that’s the first one. Even a client who far beyond satisfied does not always offer a testimonial. On a rare occasion I’ve had clients who have seen others on my site offer to write one. When a client offers “Yes. Thanks” should be your first response. Make sure the client knows that you are both interested and appreciative of their offer.
Avoid Paying for testimonials: A testimonial that you pay for is a service that you are buying. Does not assure your potential clients of your skills. If you offer to pay a client for testimonials it devalues the other ones you have obtained. The client is thinking that if you pay him, you’ve paid others. [Maybe you’re not that great and they just lucked out.]
At the end of the day, your work matters and you are making a difference for your clients. The best way for potential clients to know, is to hear (read) it from previous clients. Don’t be afraid to ask, as long as your clients know that they can decline.
I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
www.DrJudiC.com
Beware of Good Intentions in Your Way
Sometimes people genuinely do want to help, but not everyone’s method of helping is what you actually need. When people don’t know or just can’t see your vision it can be difficult for them to advise you. This is another place where having your road map comes in handy.
Have a plan. The old adage “if you don’t stand for something, you’ll for anything” is never more true than when you are working toward a goal. This is one place where people get easily side tracked. Generally, everyone is sharing their recommendations because they want to see you succeed. But their ideas of what it takes are not always what works for your destination. When you have a plan, you will know. You will also be able to decide when a recommendation would fit well within your plan and should be added or when to just pass.
Be appreciative. When the person’s intent is to help, it’s hard to just dismiss them. You also don’t want to just push them away because you want the sentiment, their caring enough to want to help, you want that to continue. Always thank them for the recommendation. Some times that the end of it. If there is a follow up you can politely tell them that their recommendation does not fit with your current plan and what you are working to achieve. To take it a step further, you could even share with them where you are going and what you are looking for that way if they come across the resources you need in the future they will recognize them as something potentially useful to you.
Seek clarification. Sometimes an idea may not show its potential at face value. They person who makes a recommendation may know what they mean, but their presentation may not convey the benefits to you. Be clear about what is being presented as well as how you intend to use it and the benefits there in, before you run with anything. Otherwise you could find yourself perpetually in a starting point.
Be knowledgeable. People will bring recommendations. They will come to you with their good intentions, but it will be up to you to be on top of your game. Arm yourself with knowledge so that you are able to decipher valuable advice from the ones that won’t help with your progress. Unless you know what you are after; what it takes to get it; paths that can lead to success as well as those that can lead you astray, then you may be susceptible to influences that are less than helpful.
So the next time someone offers you a suggestion know what to PACK– Plan- Appreciate- Clarify- Know.
I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
www.DrJudiC.com
Go Big or Go Home! Don’t Fear Investing In The Future
Investing is not a game for the weak. Whether you are playing with money or your future, getting the desired results take heart. It requires definiteness of purpose and commitment. This is not a time for “sorta, kinda, not really, maybe, a little bit”. While I can usually get a chuckle with that statement or some version of it; it is simply that- a cute response that commands at smile. When it comes time for getting results these statements or others like them have no place in the conversations. Attaining definite results require definite purpose and plans, neither of which can be fully implemented without an unwavering commitment to both.
Definite purpose and plan backed by the strength of commitment is what fuels the actions that produce results. The future cannot be left to chance. While some may say that they are leaving it in the hands of a higher power, failing to use the resources provided by this higher power is leaving it to chance. If we were to find one great commonality between prayers to God, harmonizing with the universe, the law of attraction, law of abundance or any other source that people rely on, it would be their requirements of the requester. Whether you are relying on God or other spirits of the universe to help in your endeavor they all require that you believe AND take actions toward the results you seek. There may be trials and getting through them is a requirement for getting to that desired.
Approaching goals with definite purpose and plan backed by the strength of commitment also provide the key to overcoming fear. Fear may not cease to exist, but this combination of resources will take over the responsibility of guiding your actions. When you don’t have that in place your actions can easily and will very likely be guided by fear. Fear-guided action is small, and generally lacks strength of purpose and definiteness. As a result, you may be moving, just not in a manner that will get you to where you want to be.
When it comes to your future, every day is Game 7. If you don’t give your all at every opportunity, you can miss your chance and have to sit out until next year. When your actions are guided by fear you can’t go big. You take smaller steps- if you even dare to step. If you are not willing to take the big steps that get you the big results then you just don’t get them.
Going BIG is not about taking frivolous uncalculated risks. It’s about being fully invested. Going BIG involves doing the preparatory work that gets you ready when the opportunity presents. It’s not about taking shots from across the court; rather it is getting all the resources together and getting the practice so that the players on your team have enough experience and understanding of these shots that they will be willing to take them before the buzzer. Taking big risk without preparation and research is simply careless. It’s the addition of those two components that gives validity to the risk.
If you want great rewards go for it! Be willing to out in the work. Do the research. Gather resources. Most importantly keep pushing forward no matter what. If you even come to a point when it seems that you have nothing left to give or that you just might not make it through to the end, remember these lyrics from one of my favorite Rodney Atkins songs.
If your going through hell
Keep on going, don’t slow down
If you’re scared don’t show it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you’re thereYeah, If you’re going through hell
Keep on moving, face that fire
Walk right through it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you’re there
I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
www.DrJudiC.com
Three (3) Crash & Burn Networking Fails to Avoid
Networking is a great tool. Whether you are a small business owner an executive or an employee seeking upward mobility. When done right, networking opens many doors, including some you may not have even known existed. Unfortunately while the value of networking is emphasized, its essence and even how it’s done are often neglected in the conversation. It is an art that is unsuccessfully attempted by many but those who get it right often reap immeasurable benefits. While many tell you what to do, here are three mistakes to avoid when you step out there.
The Business Card Ambush. When someone walks up to me shoves their card in my face and proceeds to spill out a list of what they do, I generally don’t hear. For starters, once you give me something to look at I start looking at it, and if you didn’t already have my attention now you are in a competition with it. When I go home and I’m entering info in my database, I won’t remember you, except maybe as “oh yeah, that lady/guy”.
Instead introduce yourself. Have a conversation with the person where both your professional information can be shared. I recently read a book by Earl Graves where he talks about finding common ground with the person on which to build relationships. I have always believed that and it was so refreshing to finally see someone say yes that’s right. These are the little things that makes the person remember you and build interest in you professionally. Whether we both used to hang at Cambridge Commons, just started golfing or remember that KFC on Park and Washington, it’s something that makes you stand out from the other 60 people in the room that day. I’m more likely to remember that person I shared even the scantiest bit of history with than the 3rd Realtor I met that day.
The Recruiter. The idea behind networking is building a team of professionals and resources. While many people do go to networking events looking to find new clients, people don’t go in looking to become clients. That was one of the main reasons that I stopped attending local networking events. It felt like every realtor, every financial planner, insurance agent… wanted me to become a client. Not only, that many of them already wanted me on their promotional team passing out business cards. I was taken aback the first time someone handed me 5 cards so I could share just 5 minutes (if not less) after we met, but I later realized that it was not so uncommon. I’ve never been in a rude enough mood to come out and ask but I’ve often wanted to say “Do you really expect me to walk around with a stack of everyone’s card to give out?”
Don’t push your services on me the day we meet. If we end up having a follow up meeting, don’t come in looking to review my retirement portfolio. I don’t know you like that and I’m not about to hand you my personal information. Whether you give me 10 cards of one, the chances are the same- I may stick one in my files. The other ones will surely find their way to the recycling bag because I can’t give you all that space. If someone says they already have a person who does this for them leave it there for now, because that either means they already have someone or are not interested in your service. Let the person know you and be comfortable enough that you become their expert in your area. One can never have too many experts in an area that they can get information from. In due time your skills and knowledge can make you The Guy. When someone sees you as the go to guy, they don’t just come to your for their needs, they send others who have the same. It does take time to cultivate these types of relationships, but they are more valuable than those walk-by carding that a lot of people do.
The Professional Rainbow. We’ve all met the individual who has 3 or 4 or more businesses and different unrelated products that they are selling and hands you a different card for each one. If there are 50 people in this room that I could potentially meet and get a card from it’s unfair for you to want me to take 3 or 4 from you. While having multiple streams of income can be a good thing, I don’t need to know about all six of your businesses in this 5 minute conversation. You end up on a whirlwind trying to monopolize the time trying to get everything in, and the other party has the trying task of attempting to keep up. And the cards! The cards! The cards! Handing someone a stack of cards, one for each of your businesses does not make the impression of someone who could be an expert in any of those things on these cards. But no worries, as I try to figure out which category to list you under my address book, I’ll probably get a call that sidetracks me from deciding.
This is where selective marketing strategies come in handy. In lieu of trying to sell all your products at once, promote one at a time. Although most Professional Rainbows I’ve met say that their “target market is everyone” you have to narrow that down. If everyone is your target market, you have no target market and need to look up the word target. Once you’ve identified target markets for each venture then you can match events and product so that you represent each business at the functions where it is most appropriate and more likely to get you the desired results or expose you to the people you need to meet for that business. If you really cannot narrow your ventures down to match business to event, do it by days. But what ever you do come to each event representing one venture and have ONE business card. It’s ok to introduce someone to just one of your businesses. If you do your networking right, as they get to know you, they will also learn about the other businesses too.
At the end of the day, networking will remain one of the most valuable tools available to you as you work your way up the ladder of success or grow your business, but you have to get it right. Do your research. Talk to people and if you must, take a course. Be sure to do your homework. You can’t expect to get the full benefits when you are not fully investing.
I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
Picture What You Want- A plan is the roadmap to reaching goal
We often hear that the way to financial freedom is through self-employment, creating your own income stream… When so many leaders say that, becoming a business owner is the way of becoming financially free it is certainly enticing for people to start their own business. Unfortunately many people are just jumping in blind.
It is true that many small businesses do not make it past the first few years, but there is even more truth in he fact that many of them thrive. One of the greatest differences between the businesses that thrive in contrast with the ones that don’t survive the first few years is the soundness of their plans. In this economic climate, jumping in blindly is not an option. As our economy is being rebuilt, new opportunities are presented every day. These opportunities also require new approaches and fresh ideas, which many new and budding business owners can provide. Regrettably, a good idea is not enough to assure success. Investors, from the individual purchasing goods and services for end user consumption, to the large corporations and government entities purchasing for redistribution, everyone is looking for the best bang for their buck.
Every buyer is thinking about Return On Investment so as a supplier you need to be able to answer that. That’s one reason that having a sound business plan is mandatory. Developing a strong business plan forces you to look beyond your great idea. In the process of developing a plan you will need to conduct assessments of everything from the value that your goods or services will bring to consumers, how your offerings match up with the needs of your target market, how your organization differs from the completion and much much more. The strong business plan will also provide the information that is needed to make these client presentations. When you have the opportunity to pitch your services to your dream client, much of the information needed to create an engaging numbers-based presentation will be in your business plan. So all that will be left to do is research your audience and match the presentation to their needs.
Knowing this makes it difficult for me to accept when people say they don’t have or need a business plan. When you don’t have a plan, the question raised is how serious you are about your business. If you jump in blindly, armed with only what you believe is a good idea, how are you to gauge success? Know that you are on target to reaching your goal? Recognize and adjust to changes in the environment?
The key to succeeding in any endeavor is the willingness to put forth every effort necessary to achieve one’s goal. If you don’t have a clear idea of that goal and the steps necessary to reach it you are at risk of always being “three feet from gold”. Just as a savvy architect would not start laying bricks before he has developed the blue prints for a structure, a savvy entrepreneur would not start a business without a business plan. The architect may know exactly what the completed structure should look like, but he still takes the time draw out every last detail, which allows him to plan for every incident and secure access to resources even before they become needed.
While many entrepreneurs report that they do not know how to develop a business plan, that is not enough of a reason to go blindly. In this era of economic rebuilding, there are many resources that are available to help individuals get their businesses started off right. Community organizations such as local Small Business Associations (SBA) and SBA partners such as SCORE, Center for Technology, Enterprise & Development provide free services which include assistance with developing business plans. It is a great shame that many more people are not taking advantage of their services which can substantially increase one’s chances of creating a thriving business.
Taking the time to develop a business plan is a one of the first signs of your commitment to your business. People who take the time to develop a business plan are less likely to back away at the first signs of trouble, because in addition to the investment they have made in the plan, they have gained knowledge which prepares them for dealing with rough patches. From the time we were children we’ve been taught the value of drawing a picture, designing an outline or creating roadmaps to help us visualize our goals, understand the tools we need and see the steps we must take. As adults with much bigger goals it is now even more important that we remember these small lessons learned. From Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling to the 3 year-old’s hand print drawing- They all started with an outline that allowed every last detail to be in its designated place.
<span style=”font-family: ‘Calligraph421 BT’; font-size: 14pt;”><span style=”font-family: ‘Calligraph421 BT’; font-size: 14pt;”> </span><span style=”font-family: ‘Calligraph421 BT’; font-size: 14pt;”> I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
<a href=”http://www.drjudic.com/”>www.DrJudiC.com</a></span
We often hear that the way to financial freedom is through self-employment, creating your own income stream… When so many leaders say that, becoming a business owner is the way of becoming financially free it is certainly enticing for people to start their own business. Unfortunately many people are just jumping in blind.
It is true that many small businesses do not make it past the first few years, but there is even more truth in he fact that many of them thrive. One of the greatest differences between the businesses that thrive in contrast with the ones that don’t survive the first few years is the soundness of their plans. In this economic climate, jumping in blindly is not an option. As our economy is being rebuilt, new opportunities are presented every day. These opportunities also require new approaches and fresh ideas, which many new and budding business owners can provide. Regrettably, a good idea is not enough to assure success. Investors, from the individual purchasing goods and services for end user consumption, to the large corporations and government entities purchasing for redistribution, everyone is looking for the best bang for their buck.
Every buyer is thinking about Return On Investment so as a supplier you need to be able to answer that. That’s one reason that having a sound business plan is mandatory. Developing a strong business plan forces you to look beyond your great idea. In the process of developing a plan you will need to conduct assessments of everything from the value that your goods or services will bring to consumers, how your offerings match up with the needs of your target market, how your organization differs from the completion and much much more. The strong business plan will also provide the information that is needed to make these client presentations. When you have the opportunity to pitch your services to your dream client, much of the information needed to create an engaging numbers-based presentation will be in your business plan. So all that will be left to do is research your audience and match the presentation to their needs.
Knowing this makes it difficult for me to accept when people say they don’t have or need a business plan. When you don’t have a plan, the question raised is how serious you are about your business. If you jump in blindly, armed with only what you believe is a good idea, how are you to gauge success? Know that you are on target to reaching your goal? Recognize and adjust to changes in the environment?
The key to succeeding in any endeavor is the willingness to put forth every effort necessary to achieve one’s goal. If you don’t have a clear idea of that goal and the steps necessary to reach it you are at risk of always being “three feet from gold”. Just as a savvy architect would not start laying bricks before he has developed the blue prints for a structure, a savvy entrepreneur would not start a business without a business plan. The architect may know exactly what the completed structure should look like, but he still takes the time draw out every last detail, which allows him to plan for every incident and secure access to resources even before they become needed.
While many entrepreneurs report that they do not know how to develop a business plan, that is not enough of a reason to go blindly. In this era of economic rebuilding, there are many resources that are available to help individuals get their businesses started off right. Community organizations such as local Small Business Associations (SBA) and SBA partners such as SCORE, Center for Technology, Enterprise & Development provide free services which include assistance with developing business plans. It is a great shame that many more people are not taking advantage of their services which can substantially increase one’s chances of creating a thriving business.
Taking the time to develop a business plan is a one of the first signs of your commitment to your business. People who take the time to develop a business plan are less likely to back away at the first signs of trouble, because in addition to the investment they have made in the plan, they have gained knowledge which prepares them for dealing with rough patches. From the time we were children we’ve been taught the value of drawing a picture, designing an outline or creating roadmaps to help us visualize our goals, understand the tools we need and see the steps we must take. As adults with much bigger goals it is now even more important that we remember these small lessons learned. From Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling to the 3 year-old’s hand print drawing- They all started with an outline that allowed every last detail to be in its designated place.
<span style=”font-family: ‘Calligraph421 BT’; font-size: 14pt;”><span style=”font-family: ‘Calligraph421 BT’; font-size: 14pt;”> </span><span style=”font-family: ‘Calligraph421 BT’; font-size: 14pt;”> I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
www.DrJudiC.com
Don’t Let Success Eclipse The Objective- 5 Tips for Maintaining Success
For most of my life I have been known as the sleepless one. My insomnia would have me up at that oddest of hours, where I’m wide awake with nothing to do. About 8 years ago I found some tools that helped. The biggest component was creating a space that was for sleeping where when I entered the room my body and mind knew it was time to relax. This required a major change since I had bee doing homework and watching TV in my room since middle school.
I moved out of my apartment where I had a desk in my room and found a place that offered a designated workspace. Since 2003 my home has always had a designated workspace which has now grown into and actual home office. My room has always been set up to provide the necessary relaxing environment and the system was working fine. As long as I went to bed at what was my bed-time, I could fall asleep and get the rest needed for a productive next day.
Seven years later this was such the norm that I forgot all about the reason for it. During the recent cold days I would go to my room with my computer. I found myself going there to do my paperwork, research and writing. As I was working in the warm and cozy environment my mind and body were readjusting to the new program. Before too long I was still up at 3 or 4 AM with my mind in full productivity mode as I toss and turn. I was getting great ideas of thing I want to do, how to fix and issue, marketing strategies, but the only thing I wanted was sleep. Blissfully unaware of the world sleep.
What actually happened was having such great success that I was taking it for granted. I lost sight of the goal and in turn started to slip back into old patterns. I lost sight of the goal I started with, which is an error many people make. When starting out in a new school or new positions we often run into this. New business owner do this much too often. When working toward the goal, it’s easy to stay focused on t as a target to be reached, but success is not a one shot deal. Once you reach it the level of success you once sought you still have to continue to work on maintaining it. Non one wants to have a successful business this year and just drop it all next year. Once you set a goal you want to arrive at that point and stay there or move forward. If you forget what you are trying to accomplish or why, you are less likely to keep working for it.
This is not to say that you should not enjoy success, rather that you should be mindful of how you got there, so that you will not what you need to do to stay there. When you enjoy the benefits of your success you are more likely to want to work to maintain it. You just have to be cautious not to take it for granted and become so complacent that you are so busy enjoying that you forget to maintain.
When it’s time to maintain the success you have earned, keep these in mind:
- When you reach a goal set a new one- Whether you are working toward maintenance or advancement a goal keeps you working toward something.
- Always set and implement Action Plan for every goal- A goal without an action plan that is being implemented is just wishful thinking which does not yield results.
- Keep yourself surrounded with others in that stage- When you reach you the success that you’ve worked for stay close to others who are there keeps you doing the things you stay there. After working so hard to succeed, you need to be around people who can show you how to keep succeeding and staying away from those behaviors that prevented you from getting there before.
- Elevate others- Knowledge is one thing that you can get more of by sharing it. By helping others learn to climb the ropes you climbed you are keeping your skills while doing good for others and making a change in the world.
- Seek ways to improve your processes- The world is evolving and if you are not keeping up you are likely to get passed up. Staying away of new research, methods and products always you to grow with clientele and their needs.
I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
www.DrJudiC.com
Life & Success Lessons From The Golf Course 3: Reboot, Refresh, Resume
A few days ago I was out of the driving range and found myself wasting a bucket of ball. Some of them I hit so badly that I could just walk up a couple of steps to retrieve them, but the re-hits were not that much better. I had done much of what I needed to do from stretching, working on my stance and my grip. I must admit that it was getting frustrating, because just the other day I was doing so well after my lesson. With my driver, 7 or hybrid it was all either a complete miss or at best a few feet. The harder I tried the more comical the resulting misses. Eventually, it was decision time and I decided to move on to chipping which is the best part of my game, followed by a few minutes with the putter. I was getting great results.
What was happening was that I needed to break from what I was doing to regroup and start over. That is something we see often when working on certain projects or in some meetings. When you find that your actions are not yielding desired results, it’s time to step back to reassess and return for a fresher start. Many of us have had to sit through an overdrawn project meeting and came out wondering what happened to these last few hours. That was a result of the person leading the meeting not realizing that I was time for everyone to take a break from the issue at hand and come back later—often with fresh insights and new perspectives.
Taking a break does not necessarily mean hours or days, it could be as simple as 10 or 15 minutes just to step away. That brief moment allows you to shut down the current cycle of thoughts or behaviors and switch to a different mode. When you return, it’s like you are rebooting your mind and body to continue the work you had been doing. It’s almost like when your computer freezes up. In some cases you can continue to work with it, but it moves slowly, or sometimes not at all. After you take a moment to restart it, it starts to work again and faster than before. Yes, you lose the few minutes that it took you to go through the reset period, but in the end you make that up by not having to wait two minutes for every command to be executed as before.
By taking breaks, you give yourself the benefit of a fresh start, which also allows you to make the adjustments necessary to get you on the right track. If my swing is off I can most definitely stay there and try to fix it, but when my body is used to being in that off position it’s more difficult to change that than it would be if I was starting in neutral. We are pattern driven and once we settle into the rhythm it’s hard to transition out of it. A halt however gives you the opportunity for a new start and some rest in between to rejuvenate and give more energy.
So next time you find yourself stuck in a pattern that is not giving you the results you want, remember that it is ok to stop for a moment, because the break that you take to regroup and reorganize will more than likely be shorter than the time that you would lose trying to push on.
When you take a break you can do some of these things to make the break more productive:
- Just relax for a moment- Sometimes the body and mind need that.
- Find a distraction- Something that will force you to get your mind off the task at hand— My weaknesses are Tetris and Minesweeper. Whatever you choose, make sure you have what it takes to stop in five or ten minutes
- Meditate or do breathing exercises- This allows the recirculation of your energy which is great for fresh start. When you need to rebuild momentum getting oxygen into your body is one of the things you can do.
- Cat naps- Depending on the setting and time available this could be a great tool. Closing your eyes for a few minutes gives a great opportunity for introspective reflection- and if you dose off you feel refreshed when you awaken.
- Change course- If what you are trying to do is not working out, you can move on to something else that you need to do and return to the original task later. Just changing the schedule around a bit will not hurt much- just make sure that it is a change of pace that you need and not rest.
I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
www.DrJudiC.com
Are Meetings Killing Efficiency- 5 Steps Efficient Operation
What is a meeting? Too often it is an event where one person at a time gets up and speaks about something that many of the supposed-to-be- listeners have little or no interest. People attend this event because they been told they have to attend because their attendance was “MANDATORY” or they just wanted to justify their time at work while not doing real work.
Business in our society is no doubt meeting-driven. We have meetings about everything; especially in larger organizations. But does every announcement really require a meeting? We’re getting to the point where we’re having meetings about having meetings. Many of us have been subjected to the weekly waste of time some companies call staff meetings where you leave wishing you could have brought some work in with you.
Let’s monetize the cost of a meeting- Imagine you have 20 people coming to a meeting and 10 of them have to travel 30 minutes from a different site. Let’s say these meeting participants produce at a rate of $150 per hour. Just from the 10 people who have traveled a total of an hour to and from the meeting you lost $1500. If the meeting lasts 3 hours (the average is 2-2.5 hours), that’s another $9000 (or on average 6000 – $7500). The big questing is, are all these meetings being held worth more than $10,000 to the organization? Most meetings are not really worth the $7500 to $9000 they cost the company, so why are they still happening? There are many reasons, including:
- The monetary value is usually not calculated
- That’s the way they are used to doing things
- Lack of awareness that alternatives exist
So what can be done to help this issue?
- 1. Complete a cost/benefits analysis
Before a meeting is scheduled, it’s important to know if it’s worth disrupting everyone’s productivity. You need to know how much that meeting really costs, not just the obvious costs, but also the ones included in day to day operations.
- 2. Explore alternative to meetings
As you consider ways to share and gain information, you should explore alternatives. Are there ways to get the massage to your team without disrupting the flow of productivity? Could this information be relayed in and email? The 4-Sentence Email To Replace Meetings shows how efficiently an email can accomplish what we use meetings for.
- 3. Create an agenda
Once you schedule a meeting, decide exactly what you want to address and the succession of things from the introduction to the end. When you don’t know this information you are more prone to deviating into things unrelated to the meeting and transitioning from one point to the next takes longer. And don’t forget time for questions and discussion are a part of the agenda if they will be allowed in the meeting
- 4. Strategically invite participants
The more people you have in a meeting the longer it will last. One way to avoid too many people is to only invite people who need to be at the meeting. If the meeting is not relevant to some members of your team it’s a waste of their time to have them attend. It will also be a waste of everyone else’s time because they are likely to be less aware of some of the details the others already know and ask more questions.
- 5. Stick to the agenda
One of the main reasons that meetings run on longer than anticipated is deviation from the agenda. The purpose of the agenda is to guide the meeting. If you take the time to create an agenda and distribute it to invitees and give them the opportunity to submit input, then there is no reasons things should be coming up at the meeting. This includes the general input time. If you have 20 minutes set aside for input or discussion, that segment of the meeting should not last a whole hour.
Meetings do have a rightful place in the operation of every organization, but we need to be careful of over-using them. When you start having meetings too frequently, you diminish their effectiveness. You don’t want your team to just attend meetings because they were ordered. Meetings must be something that people attend because it was the most efficient method for the organization to communicate the particular agenda and they gain something from participating. If those two things are not present it may be more efficient to let your staff stay on task and earn money for the company.
I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
www.DrJudiC.com
The 4-Sentence Email To Replace Meetings
While some companies opt to have a meeting for every announcement, there are ways to communicate the message effectively and not completely disrupt the productivity of an entire staff to give them information they are likely not even paying attention to. An email is one way of making this happen that could eliminate constant meetings.
Quite often organizations call meetings to announce news and changes. The truth is, the people who listen for 20 minutes of the hour-long meeting will take the time to read a quick email. Those who don’t bother reading the email more than likely don’t care enough to listen at the meeting either. New processes and procedures announced in meetings often require and get individually addressed in one on ones or supervision, so that would not change in email announcements.
When announcing changes there are 4 things that matter to the people who will have to implement these changes
- What
- How
- Why
- Where
People want to know what is being asked of them. They want to know how to do what is being asked. Most importantly, they want to know why they are being asked to do something. Once they have this information they need to know where to turn if they need assistance with implementation. All of that can fit nicely in a 4-sentence short email.
Good Morning Team LTD…
At the last directors workshops we discovered a new clients intake system that has been very effective for one of our departments and are looking to have it implemented companywide.
All new intakes will be prescreened by the department coordinator and you will receive a copy of the screening form for al new clients you are assigned.
This new method will help reduce the number of intakes completed on clients who doe not qualify for our services, which will save you and the company some time and money.
A copy of the new screening for is attached, but do please speak with your direct supervisor or the client coordinator in your department if you have any concerns or questions.
Have a great day!
Judi
An email like this takes a few minutes to write and even less time to read and your staff can spend their time producing the value your clients seek, which of-course brings your company more money.
I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
www.DrJudiC.com
Are you hiding from opportunity?
Do you know the difference between a wish and a goal? A goal is the step that comes after the wish to make it come true. When you make a wish, you put it out to the universe that there is something you want. By setting a goal toward attaining that wish it’s like you are helping the universe grant your wish. Each step that you take toward achieving that goal brings you closer to having your wish granted.
Many people start a potentially successful venture, but hide from the opportunities to succeed. Whether your wish is for a healthier body, career advancement or growing a business you will need to be positioned where the opportunities are. If you want to eat healthy, yet hang at the pizza place, you may be making that wish longer than you would be in a place that serves healthy meals. If you want career advancement and don’t make time to attend company functions where you can meet the people who can promote you, you are denying yourself the opportunity to get that wish. Opportunities will be there, the question is- Will you be where they are?
Quality does matter. If you are a good employee, managers will know. When you have a great product people are likely to buy it. The key is to get that information out to those with use for it. They will find it when you place it before them. To do this, you may need to step out of your comfort zone. Imagine trying to run a successful business with only your family and close friends as clientele. You can have some earnings, but not as much as what you would have with an entire community as clientele. Friends and family won’t keep buying a product they don’t need, just like your supervisor may love you but will advance his career before yours.
To take advantage of opportunities you need to be where they are, even if that means stretching out of your comfort zone. Make use of opportunities to network with the leaders of your organization. Become more visible to potential clients. Until they know your name or your work, you may be just another one of many. It’s up to you to become the individual who is there for the right opportunity.
When it’s time to have you wishes for success granted, go after that desired outcome-
- Find out where the opportunities you want are
- Place yourself where these opportunities are.
- Get the credentials that place you in the right path for these opportunities
- Learn what steps you need to take to make your wish comes true
- Take these steps toward realizing your wish
- Don’t be discouraged by set backs
- Continue to stretch yourself and grow until you can reach your goal
If you can wish it, you can make it happen. You just need to be proactive about getting your wish. In every venture, success is most attainable to those who are determined to get it. Step out of your comfort zone; step away from your limiting beliefs, and into your wish come true.
I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
www.DrJudiC.com
