27 Business Tips

1
27 Business Tips

• from 25 years in business

2
A bias for the future require it!

• Orient your efforts around your view of tomorrow
• People drift backwards when they cant envision
  the future
• The best way to guide the direction of your group
  or yourself is to know the end goal
• Create a view with enough appeal to pull you
  forward

3
Major Accounts Know what else you can do for
them

• Know what sales could be, not just what they are
  now
• Never rely solely on the sales person to manage
  major accounts
• Create a consistent method for surfacing all
  account information, best case and worse
  case-type discussions
• Too many executives assume that things are fine
  when they arent

4
What drives your managers?

• There are three primary drivers that motivate
  managers
• A need for power
• A need for achievement
• A need to affiliate with others
• Take time to know your own drivers and then learn
  the drives of everyone on your staff

5
What do you really want?

• Accept that your own vision and purpose are the
  key success factors for the company
• People always want to serve the vision Keep it
  visible and fresh
• Adopt the concept Vision first, goals second
• Encourage your team to refresh team goals each 90
  days

6
Practice putting yourself first

• Self reliance and self trust are two skills that
  contain your greatest potential develop both
• Develop your own end view or primary aim as
  leader and trust that is what people need from as
  the leader
• You can avoid getting pulled in multiple
  directions by trusting your own set of high
  standards

7
Plans are good execution is better.

• Raise performance by insisting on full execution,
  follow through and reporting on all current
  projects
• Be willing to weed out those who cant perform.
  Doing so is a big change for the better for
  those who can perform

8
Laws of Attraction and the Creative Gap

• Assume that every condition you encounter is in
  harmony with the organizations current nature,
  beliefs and expectations
• Work on creating the desired conditions by
  changing expectations do not settle for what is
  
• Assess the dominant thinking of your management
  team
• What do you see, how do they think, what do they
  believe is possible, what do they expect
• Create and measure the gap

9
Anticipate what you think is next

• When you learn to anticipate what will happen
  next, you are better able to plan for it to
  happen
• Make it your practice to explore new/better
  opportunities for the coming 6 months all year
  long
• Work with your team to adopt a forward thinking
  element in all meetings and reviews

10
Insure long term progressThe 90-day feedback
report

• Develop the habit of comparing the actual results
  that you achieved with what you expected
• 90 days usually gives enough time for the action
  plan to take hold
• Get used to a 90-day re-assessment time frame
  i.e, 4 times per year
• Dont wait 5 6 months to assess progress. that
  may be too late

11
A sense of direction will accelerate growth

• When the team can sense that they are headed in
  the right direction, innovation, ideas, energy
  and effort will increase
• Apply a simplified Action Research model in all
  conversations. Ask What impcat will the action
  have on the direction we are heading?

12
Make up your mind

• Uncertainty creates stress. If you are stressed
  in any area, it is time to make a decision
• Problems are just a signal to your mind that it
  is time for you to either learn something or do
  something
• Make todays decisions based on your expectations
  for tomorrow

13
Increase the odds for a successful project
every time

• For any project, first know what factors are
  necessary to build urgency and sense of winning
  with your team
• Focus on what can be done today to improve the
  situation and clear the path. There is always
  something
• Build in short term, tangible results (wins) in a
  short period of time

14
Sales Force Upgrade a six month process

• Use three thought starters once each month
• What do we value most about our X process?
• What value does this sales department generate
  when at its best?
• What does a future-focused, effective sales
• department look like?

15
Lead by Expectations

• Most employees/managers suffer from low
  expectations
• The expectations you hold of the (sales) team
  will usually prove true
• High expectations send the message that you
  believe in the teams possibilities
• Decide to expect the best then go to work to
  make it happen

16
Invisible blocks to growth

• With any team or individual watch for these human
  dynamics.
• We are doing the best we can comments
• We have a routine that we follow and have had it
  for years attitude
• Performance expectations have not increased for
  years
• Work flow, plans and measures are all left to
  chance
• Accountability for actual results is not
  reinforced

17
Become a purpose driven business

• Organize around business goals (contribution) and
  personal values
• Build a belief in excellence, accomplishment and
  continuous improvement into all areas of the
  company
• Connect accomplishment with individual growth and
  fulfillment
• Know that the future is bright and in sync with
  your purpose

18
Clarify performance expectations every month

• Arrange a sit down, private quality discussion
  with each manager
• For every role, get all the expectations on the
  table
• Decide the 3 key results required from the role
• Separate the results expected from how those
  results may be accomplished
• Allow for maximum flexibility in how the job is
  done, as long as the results are delivered

19
Encourage self set goals and self evaluation

• Since it is never a good practice to judge
  others, have employees managers
• Fully discuss with each manager their role,
  expectations, guidelines and resources. Reach
  pinpoint agreement
• Have the manager write a summary of the
  discussion, the performance goals they have set
  and when the next discussion shall take place
• The core of this process is having managers
  manage themselves and staying focused on results,
  not activity

20
If you want change, get plenty of up-front input

• Avoid jumping on the change band wagon too
  quickly.
• If you expect commitment, you must first have
  involvement.
• Have your team
• Paint a detailed picture of the desired end state
  
• Move on to action planning
• Decide what conditions are causing a need for
  change

21
Stay alert to your priorities

• It more easy than ever to become distracted
  without realizing that you are off track
• Learn to ask yourself
• What one thing could you do this week that would
  make a tremendous difference in your results?
• The underlying goal is to develop self management
  and the ability to think ahead

22
Want change? Start a revolution!

• Stop solving problems. Move toward creating new
  possibilities instead
• Build on your teams individual strengths and
  talents, and watch new ideas flow
• Involve managers and employees that have a
  passion for creating new ideas, and problems will
  fade

23
Keep the big picture in full view

• Your view of the future is either
• a source for new ideas and energy
• or
• your biggest competitor

24
Sales managers must lead

• Sales people seek/require growth, possibilities
  at their work
• Since achievement motivates, plant seeds of
  opportunity week after week for the entire sales
  department
• Insist that sales people seek out and then report
  significant accomplishment every month
• Convey the message that constant, positive change
  is how we do things here

25
Why individual strengths matter

• Using strengths (in the role) is the shortest
  path to high end performance
• Individual strengths, when expressed, provide the
  person a sense of achievement, fulfillment
  contribution
• Achievement is the greatest motivator for high
  performing individuals

26
How to avoid getting slowed by the status quo

• Status quo is simply a result of a weak vision
• A picture of the desired future is the quickest,
  easiest, and most natural way to eliminate all
  status quo thinking
• Enlist everyone to map out what is positive,
• possible and rewarding for the company, the
  team, and the service you deliver

27
Raise your standards

• Learn how to employ a true win/win standard
• Knowing that you depend on others for results, be
  clear on the principles and values you stand on
• Clear standards help all to see the wins that are
  possible
• Be willing to say no when your standards are
  compromised

28
The leaders personal mission statement

• A personal mission statement should be a
  requirement for all leaders
• It will force you to decide
• What you want to be
• What you want to contribute
• How you want to impact others
• Your top three talents
• Your top three values
• The positive impact on the company from having a
  well thought out, current, and comprehensive
  personal mission statement cant be overstated