Strategic Solutions – Business Coaching Firm

We live in a 24 / 7 world. We live in an instant world. We live in a world where some people live time zones way from where they work. We carry our computer and phone with us wherever we go. In fact, the first thing people say to a group these days is “please turn off your cell phone.”

Therefore, there are tremendous demands on our time. People will often say “I just don’t have enough time or if only I had more time.”

This need for speed and responsiveness has left few people or businesses untouched. Only a few short years ago, we were amazed with the speed of the microwave and today we are impatient that a computer may take 2 minutes to boot-up.

There is no shortage of unique time management planning systems to solve the time management problem. However, the question is can you really manage time and the answer is not really. You can only manage you. Do you need a system? Yes. You need a system that fits your needs and one that you will use.

Before selecting a system however you need to develop a strategy that works for you. Effective utilization of time is a skill, a mindset and a lifestyle. It can be learned by:

Ø Anyone who has a desire to get more out of their life

Ø Someone who wants to feel more in control

Ø A person who wants to achieve success in business

Ø Someone who wants to reduce stress and realize more balance in their lives

So if you want to have more control of your time then you need to commit to Change. Everyone knows that if we continue to do the same thing, we will continue to get the same result. So if you want to have more control of your time then you need to change.

There are 3 basic things you can do that will result in better utilization of your time:

v Do It Now - We normally do what we like first and avoid what

we do not like. We often do things at the last

minute that could have been done earlier.

Change that habit with scheduling the things we do

not like to do first. It will give you more time for

those that you like.

v Dump It - We may clutter our desks and life’s with things

that should be thrown away. Piles of paper and

magazines for instance that really either need

to be read now or just dumped. It will clear the

way to getting important things done.

v Delegate - We do too many things that others should be doing.

We do it because we can do it cheaper, faster and

better when in fact it would be better to delegate.

So in summary, the effective use of time begins with you and your willingness to change your habits. In the words of Paul Meyer “Time is usually wasted in the same way every day.”

If you want more information about Time Strategies contact Hank Sullivan at Strategic Solutions. hsullivan@stratsolutions.net

“What we have here is a failure to communicate.” These words were spoken in the movie Cool Hand Luke and today we hear them repeated over and over.  The reason we remember this statement is that we can all relate and we clearly understand what it means. How many times have you thought, when faced with a problem, if they had only listened to me. Or have you ever been told that the other person just didn’t understand what you meant.

 An example in a business situation is Charlie. Charlie is a new sales manager who decided that in order to increase sales, the sales force would need to generate new accounts. At his next sales meeting he told the sales staff the following: Every one is expected to bring in new business this month. At the end of the month, sales were up slightly but the sales force had not generated any new accounts. When Charlie asked them why they had not generated any new accounts, they responded that they didn’t know that he meant business from new accounts.

What happened?  It is obvious he did not communicate clearly to the sales force. He never told them what he really wanted nor did he ask if they clearly understood how they were expected to increase sales. What could Charlie have done differently?

1. He could have written down what he wanted to say such as: I want each of you to get a specific amount of business this month from new accounts in addition to the amount of business that you have been getting from existing accounts.
2. He could have role played it with another person and asked them what they understood by his request
3. He could have asked all the sales staff at the meeting to tell him how they expected to accomplish the goal
4. He could have asked them to update him regularly on their progress

Communication is not a precise science. It is not the exact transfer of information from one mind to another. Communication is the exchange of ideas between people. It involves not just telling but as importantly listening. Unless the person on the receiving end is receptive to the thoughts being sent, no real communication occurs. If you make a phone call but are unable to make a connection then there would be no sense in talking.

This is true of any form of communication. If no connection is made then no communication occurs.

In business and in our personal lives, in order to be an effective communicator we must first put ourselves in the other person’s shoes. We must be empathic and try to understand how our message might be received. We must give them the message clearly, concisely and then check to make sure that the recipients understand the meaning and what is expected on them.

If you are thinking that you do not have the time to communicate that specifically, then ask yourself how much time do I have to make up for the mistakes that could occur for not being clear.

In order to understand how to get your message across, it is important to examine

four fundamental principles of successful interpersonal communication:

1. The human mind can only fully concentrate on one thought at a time. So don’t make the communication too complicated.
2. The human mind transposes words into pictures. Different words mean different things to different people.
3. Too many words will clutter up communications. Be concise. When communicating keep it as simple and to the point as possible.
4. Be aware that communication always involves non-verbal communication. As an example, if someone is telling you that they are very concerned about you and your issue but takes a cell phone call in the middle of the conversation, they are clearly saying  non- verbally that you are not very important.

Finally, the most effective tool we have for communicating is listening. Benjamin Disraeli noted that “nature has given us two ears but only one mouth.” This may be nature’s way of telling us that listening is vital to our ability to effectively communicate. Below are some effective listening tips:

                            1. Take time to listen

                            2. Be attentive

                            3. Listen with an open mind

                            4. Listen for feelings

                            5. Listen for retention

In summary, for communication to be effective it must be two-way. Both people have to be focused on the conversation and one has to be listening. “To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” Anthony Robbins

Wisdom is one of the primary characteristics of an outstanding leader – leaders have an insatiable curiosity for discovering and learning new things. Leadership and learning go together. If you have determined that your learning is behind the curve, then recommit yourself to seeking it out at every opportunity, in every conversation, around every corner. Do you have a process for continual self-improvement? Get hooked on the improvement habit. Here are some tips:

· Spend your time with optimistic, growing people.

· Become a reader. If you are not one already, this is an important source of learning and reflection. Many great books are available to inspire, guide, and instruct your improvement effort.

· Become a teacher. Give internal and external presentations on your area of expertise. Volunteer to present at the next professional conference you were just going to attend.

· Become a writer. Do you write in a journal for yourself? You can write articles for associations you belong to, your local paper, or internal newsletter.

· Become a speaker. I find that some of my best insights come from trying to articulate (or write) my thoughts.

· Become a listener. You can get hundreds of hours a year of education, inspiration, information, and instruction by listening. Try listening to audiotapes in your car.

· Become a student. Attend workshops, seminars, and training sessions. Take college courses.

· Keep your commitments. Call back when you promised (or before). Meet your deadlines. Show up on time. Under-promise and over-deliver.

· Put quotes, goals, reminders, and vision statements where you will see them throughout your day. Keep changing them and moving them around so you don’t start to look past them.

· Develop a personal improvement plan. Schedule time for personal and professional improvement as if your career depended on it. It does!

Finally, never give up. Leaders are people who show themselves and others that they set high goals and regardless of the obstacles will always work to achieve them. Here is an example of just such a person:

In 1831- He failed in business

In 1832- He was defeated for the Legislature

In 1833- He failed in a second business venture

In 1834- He was elected to the State Legislature

In 1840- He was defeated for elector

In 1838- He was defeated for Speaker of the Legislature

In 1844- He was defeated for a Congressional seat

In 1846- He was elected to Congress

In 1848-He was defeated for his Congressional Seat

In 1855- He was defeated in a run for Senate

In 1856- He ran for Vice President but did not win

In 1858- He ran again for the Senate and again lost

In 1860- Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States

Although Lincoln was a unique person , his life proves that setting ambitious goals and constantly striving for success are the attributes of good leaders.

Every sale involves no less than six ( 6) steps. You must complete each step in order to insure a successful outcome.

Step 1- Meet someone new. Even if you have been doing business with a company for a long time, you had to meet some one new to begin the relationship.

Step 2- Establish a favorable first impression. You need to make the person feel comfotable that doing business with you will be a good thing to do. This involves your demeanor, attire, smiling, concern, and in general putting them at ease.

Step 3- Find out where the pain lies. The new contact is not interested in what you have to sell unless they have a need. So you must discover what is of concern to them long before you can offer any solution.

Step 4- What’s in it for them. People do not like to buy unless there is something in it for them.So you need to make sure that the solution offers a benefit to them. Most people listen to the same radio station (WIIFM) What’s In it for me.

Step 5- Ask for the Order. More sales have been lost when the sales person simply never asked for the order. The customer expects you to ask and often when you don’t they will either simply not buy or will buy from another person who asks for it.

Step 6- Follow-up. Many customers will feel slighted because although they may have liked the product or service without proper follow-up they will go elsewhere for future purchases. Remember it is 5 times as difficult to get new business as it is to get repeat business.

Hank Sullivan

To get better results we must stay focused on the goal. How often have you heard or said:

•  Times are tough
•  The economy is bad
•  There is not enough time
•  Our prices are too high
•  We need more customers or prospects
•  Our competition has a better product

If we accepted those excuses for not achieving our business goals most businesses would go out of business and many do. To overcome this type of thinking we must stay focused on our goals and take action every day to achieve them.

When we stay focused on success we achieve the following:

• We change the way we look at things and the things we look at change
• We become aware of new possibilities
• We create new, different and more productive choices
• We create new and different life experiences
• We ask more questions and get more positive answers
• We create more opportunities to further sharpen our focus and improve the outcomes.

The importance of focus is that it provides you with your direction for success. It helps you remove the excuses and achieve at levels never attained before.

So how do you get that focus?

Ask yourself the following questions:

Ø      Am I doing what I need to do to be successful?

Ø      Am I asking for help when I need to?

Ø      Do I know what I am doing wrong?

Ø      Am I developing better habits personally and professionally?

Ø      Do I have a plan for success?

Ø      What is my real focus?

When you have the answers to these questions, then you can develop our focused plan for success.

Former Olympic Champion Bruce Jenner has this to say about focus “ To me, the definition of focus is knowing exactly where you want to be today, next week, next month, next year and then never deviating from your plan. Once you can see, touch and feel your objective, all you have to do is pull back and put all your strength behind it and you will hit your target every time.”

Hank Sullivan is a nationally certified business coach, author and speaker. His newest book is entitled “Speaking of Success”. If you need help in developing your focus contact him at hsullivan@stratsolutions.net or call 510-432-7596. 

We all have the same 24 hours in a day. The quantity of time does not change. There are always sixty seconds in a minute, sixty minutes in a hour. So how can you find an extra hour? The answer is to manage the time that you have available.

It is about our perception of time. When we are working at challenging projects, there never seems to be enough time. When we are bored, time seems to slow down. To change our perception, we need to change our attitude. To achieve more in the time available then you need to develop a time conscious attitude.

Examine your attitudes to determine if you need to change your thinking. If your goal is to make more sales but you avoid sales oriented activities, your behavior is inconsistent with your goals. If you want to achieve outstanding success, but you devote only minimal hours and average effort to work, your behavior is inconsistent with your goals.

Finally a time conscious attitude will help you develop new time conscious habits which will make you more productive.

Many managers (owners) have the authority to make decisions and manage their business. They also believe that they have the power. Unfortunately, they are working under a misconception. There is a vast difference between having the authority to manage and having the power to manage.

Authority according to the dictionary is the ability to exercise (administrative) control over others. It is granted to a manager by the company or organization in keeping with the position that position holds.

It is a right to settle disputes, to control operations, to make and implement decisions and to administer or manage.

Power is the measure of your personal effectiveness. It is a skill that you develop in the everyday use of your authority. You earn your power; it is granted to you by those over whom you have exercised your personal ability and capacity to influence their behavior. Power places few limits on your available lines of action and implies a flexibility of behavior suitable to a variety of situations. It is a form of individual freedom to be creative, innovative, and responsive to the needs of others who will assist you in reaching your goals.

Authority, on the other hand, defines limits and action that you have the contractual right to take or use. It is granted to you by the organization as part of the organization’s attempt to control.

Managers who frequently have to resort to using authority diminish their personal power and ultimately their ability to influence and lead others.

They often find themselves having to use coercion to get things done. As a manager, if you possess power, you need only use authority as a last resort to accomplish your ends.

Managers, who create a climate of trust and cooperation, help their subordinates maintain their dignity, pride, and autonomy. Employees working under such conditions have been found to be happier, highly productive, and personally motivated.

Therefore, it should be the goal of an effective manager, to create conditions wherein individuals can set and achieve personal goals while achieving the goals of the organization.

In the words of Dwight David Eisenhower: “Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.”

For more information on this and other leadership issues contact Hank Sullivan at Strategic Solutions 510-432-7596 or email:hsullivan@stratsolutions.net

A Certified Business Coach is a person who has had formal training in the process of coaching clients in many aspects of business. This person has many years of experience in the business world and is trained in how to help their client improve in all aspects of their business and personal life. The coach does not bring the answers, manage the employees, improve the balance sheet, increase production, secure more clients or in essence do your job. The coach helps you focus on the results that you want to attain.

A successful business coach helps you unlock your potential. Your coach is a person who makes you look deep into yourself and then you will take the action that will lead you down your path of achievement. In sports a good coach helps the players understand that the individual has to set high expectations for themselves and then practice-practice-practice. On game day it is all about the execution of the plays that have been practiced.

In the business world many people simply want to come to work each day and do their job. When they are not performing at the level they want, it is often blamed on some one else. A coach can help you look deeper for solutions that probably require introspection and change. You will probably , like the athlete, have to practice doing things differently to achieve a better result. A certified business coach is trained to listen to your issues and help you find the solutions .

Anyone who wants to increase their productivity in their life or profession has to get organized. Often that is easier said than done. The first step in to becoming organized is to set aside a specific amount of time to begin the process. Disorganization reduces your effectiveness and can make you feel out of control. A disorganized person often takes longer to accomplish a task because they have to spend time looking for things or information that an organized person has at their figure tips.

So how can you become organized? First thing is to make a commitment to yourself that you will become organized. If you are a person who says I would like to be more organized but I don’t know how, you need to stop and change today. It is a lot easier than you think. It involves the 3-D’s. No, that is not special glasses to watch a movie. It is Do it, Dump it or Delegate it.

Step 1 in the process is to set a minimum 2 hour appointment with yourself. Put it on your calendar. Turn off your phone , cell phone and computer. Put a do not disturb sign on your door.  During this appointment you are going to handle every piece of paper and other things in your office once.  You need to determine if it needs to be done, dumped or delegated. If you say that you have no one to delegate to, that is wrong. You can always outsource an activity. This is especially true if someone else can do it faster and better allowing you time to do what is more productive.

It is obvious that the dumped items are going away and uncluttering your office and life. Remember if you have not done anything with it in the past 6 months, you either need to throw it away or put it in storage. Even the IRS does not require you to keep things forever.

The delegated things are also going away where they will be properly handled and processed.

Finally you have the Do It group. Put them in 4 groups. Today, this week, Next week, When I have time. It is amazing how few things need to be done today. The problem is when we postpone doing them until tomorrow. The problem with tomorrow is that it never comes.  ” Today is yesterday’s tomorrow”.

So set yourself a goal to become a person who is determined to unclutter and begin doing today. You will amaze yourself on how much more relaxed and productive you will become.

Unless you know what you want to achieve, there’s no way to measure how close you are to achieving that objective. Goals give you a standard against which to measure your progress.

The goals you set for accomplishing the company’s/department’s mission must be in line with the vision and what your company wants you to do. If what you plan to achieve for your job, department, or team isn’t coordinated with the goals of your organization, you’ll waste your time and energy.

Goals are the foundation of motivational programs. By reaching toward your goals, you become motivated, and by knowing the goals of your team members and helping them reach those goals, you help to motivate them.

The process of setting goals takes time, energy, and effort. Goals aren’t something you scribble on a napkin during a coffee break-you must plan what you truly want to accomplish, establish timetables, determine who will do each action step, brainstorm all the possible obstacles, create a solution for the obstacles, review all of the rewards and consequences of achieving or not achieving the goal, and implement the goal.

Criteria for setting goals.

To ensure that goals can be accomplished, follow these guidelines for setting your goals. Your goals must be SMART.

S – SpecificM- MeasurableA – AttainableR – Realistically HighT – Target Date or Time Bound

Example: Your goal is to save money. This is a hazy goal. You could put one dollar in a jar and that hazy goal would have been accomplished. It does not conform to the above criteria.

Instead your goal could be – Save $100 per month for the next 12 months starting (today’s date) to be complete by (target date). This goal is specific, measurable, attainable, realistically high, and has a target date. Happy Goal Setting!