Business Lessons From the Bike Trail #1 – Knowing Where to Focus
Mar 30, 2016

 

 

There's a basic object to enjoying a safe ride on a mountain bike: Look where your going.

While the same can be said for business, it's amazing how many people focus on the obstacles in front of them instead of focusing on the track, but when you fixate on the obstacles which are in your way - they tend to magnify - which makes your changes of hitting one fairly high.

The same goes for them you start riding faster on the trail. The faster you go (ie: the more you grow) the further down the track you need to look. Just don't look so far down the track that you get blindsided from something you didn't see just up ahead.

Have a think about your business. How far down the track are you looking? What obstacles do you face that you could find the answer to if you just ventured to look a little beyond them? Are you getting blindsided by other things that are stopping you from making progress?

If so, you may need a growth check. Take our free 7-minute test to find out how to sail past the things holding you back and create the business you dream of.

The Secret to Managing Attitudes at Work
Mar 28, 2016

 

The number one stressors in business are (and may always be) money, and people. In fact, you likely know first hand how much emotional energy and loss of team synergy is wasted on a member of your team that just doesn't fit the bill.

It turns out - the key to managing attitudes in the workplace is as simple as communication and follow-up. Sounds easy, right? Well it can be more difficult that you expect to implement, but once the expectations are set, it can become remarkably easy to keep momentum in your team.

The tools we need start with creating our core value and culture. You see, if expectations for every member of your organization aren't clear, and we don't hold people accountable, you will always have an organizational culture that is driven by the quality of people within it.

A good starting point is to check out "The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business", by Patrick Lencioni it is a fantastic read about the concrete advantage that can be gained by having a healthy organization.

 

The Reality of Open Book Management
Mar 24, 2016

Truthfully, this is just one reality .. but a good one at that 🙂

Norm Jefferies of Computer Merchants has been running his company for over 20 yrs and I think it's fair to say, he's doing a damn fine job at it.

Norm and his team adopted the philosophy of Open  Book Management (OBM) at an early stage and it has become a key part of their culture.

In this interview, Norm shares how they implemented OBM and what the benefits and challenges have been of sharing the numbers within the team. We dive into the specific of day-to-day tactics, how OBM affects performance and how they make it a living and effective tool to align the team.

If you are thinking of implementing Open Book Management or are on the other side and think it's crazy, either way you'll get some direct benefit of learning from Norm's experience.

Enjoy!

 

Links from the interview:

Computer Merchants website - http://www.computermerchants.com.au/

Norm on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/normjefferies

The Great Game of Business - http://greatgame.com/

Ownership thinking - http://www.ownershipthinking.com/

What’s Your Daily Number?
Mar 14, 2016

What if you had a friend who was trying to lose weight, but they never stepped on a scale and didn't know their weight when they started? I'm sure, being a good friend you would suggest they find our their true weight, so they could track their changes and get a sense for if they were heading towards their goal.

Now take that same principle but apply it to your business. Whether it be sales, marketing ROI, or employee turnover, knowing where you stand is a huge part of success, and knowing if you are (or will) meet your goals. Having those metrics in hand will also help you determine the time it will or has taken you to reach your goal and provide a critical baseline for further attempts to improve your numbers.

The truth is this - if you don't keep track of your numbers, you will always think your track record is better than it actually is, because our brains can sometimes confuse intention with action. Numbers don't lie. Creating a hard goal will allow you to be objective in its achievement and is easy to measure. This number should be shared in your daily, yes daily, meeting with staff so everyone knows where you stand. Why daily? Well, if you measure the important goals quarterly, or even annually, you deprive yourself of critical moments to adjust your course which could mean the difference of a goal exceeded and one which has fallen short.

3 Critical Things You Need your Team’s Input on
Mar 10, 2016

When doing strategic planning, it is essential to gain some insights from your team members on their perceptions of the business, where it's going, and why things are the way they are. Remember when it comes to your employees, every action they make is a direct result of their perception of the business and their understanding of why it is being done. The important part is to marry their expectations with yours, so that the team can function as a cohesive unit for the purpose of growing your business. With that said, there are three key questions you needs to ask of your employees before the strategic planning process begins (and is something to keep a gauge on at least once a year):

1. What should we START doing?

2. What should we STOP doing?

3. What should we KEEP doing?

With the answers to those key questions, you will be able to spot trends and patterns of thinking in your employees which will guide your planning discussions.

Good luck, and have fun.