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Answer Upon - Work Smarter Not Harder
“Target marketing” may be a suitable term for marketers to use among themselves, but consumer groups should never be thought of merely as “targets,” as the ultimate focus of this campaign or that marketing effort. Consumers are people. Living, breathing, emotional people. You’ll be wiser to identify and target the most significant common emotions of the group – their “hot buttons” – than to target consumers as a group.Splitting hairs? Not really. One of the most effective ways to succeed at target marketing is to first develop a single composite image to represent your targeted group. Create one mental image, a make-believe individual – gender often doesn’t matter – who is truly representative of the consumers you’re targeting. That don
Enter the performance objective system. It starts with job descriptions – very detailed and precise (not so precise that it l
Accountability is an interesting phenomenon. Everybody wants some, most folks think that they can handle it, yet very few people know how to deal with it continually.Much of the problems in business and life are intertwined with accountability or lack thereof. Ill-defined goals, unfocused people, inadequate communication, poorly thought out delegation, low self-esteem and sometimes just bad strategic management often lead to a break down of accountability.When an organizational chart is muddled, the result is usually a bunch of people running around with an unclear understanding of who’s accountable to whom. And sadly, even when the chart is bold and clear, it’s not uncommon for an accountability vacuum to occur.Why? Insufficient
Here are a few other favorites of mine:
Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan
Inch by Inch Life is a Cinch….Yard by Yard it’s Hard
Everything in its Place….A Place for Everything
In my coaching practice I find there are two types of practitioners: visual and linear. One is not better than the other and many people are combinations of the two. Both types accomplish great things. They just get there differently.
This article is about visual entrepreneurs who, frequently, find that their vision gets all mixed up. They start out on a straight path – know where they are going – but, after traveling that same path for awhile they suddenly start doing S curves. They veer off target. Their days get all mixed up. So many things happen at once that each day now feels like one long crisis. For a while they hold things together. But, sooner or later, they need a life jacket to help them swim safely to calmer waters where they can relax and regain their vision and purpose. And, most importantly, direction. For these people it is putting systems in place that allows them to walk the high road.
For example, I coach the owners of one company that has grown quite substantially each year since inception. They do many things right and want to be sure they don’t miss something that will trip them up in the future. They are a husband and wife team. He’s the visual and she is the linear. She works at their business part-time, while holding down a full-time corporate job. They are about to have a baby so they are truly intent on taking the temperature of their business.
They have employees. Mr. X does a great job with the group of employees that closely matches his interests; however, he does a terrible job with the others. As we talk we see that there are no systems in place to set the employees up to succeed AND to make his job easier. As so often happens, employees hired in the early stages of a business become very much like part of the family. The owners become increasingly dependent on them as they become stretched in many different directions. How hard is it to discipline a member of your family? How hard is it to fire a dear friend? And, this is the predicament many new businesses get into and, worst of all, can’t figure out how to get off that track and onto a better one.
Enter the performance objective system. It starts with job descriptions – very detailed and precise (not so precise that it le
The way you reward people forms an essential foundation for effective people management. Money is by no means the only motivator of people, but too little money demotivates powerfully. Studies have shown that material reward is far more powerful than monetary.1. How To Determine Levels Of RewardTo determine how much reward is appropriate, consider the question what level of employee reward will attract, retain, and motivate people of the calibre that you require. If an employee does something that results in a one-time boost for the company, a one-time incentive is most appropriate.2. Why Give Employees Added Rewards In Addition To Wages?Keep in mind that the main reason why you are giving an employee reward is because you
This article is about visual entrepreneurs who, frequently, find that their vision gets all mixed up. They start out on a straight path – know where they are going – but, after traveling that same path for awhile they suddenly start doing S curves. They veer off target. Their days get all mixed up. So many things happen at once that each day now feels like one long crisis. For a while they hold things together. But, sooner or later, they need a life jacket to help them swim safely to calmer waters where they can relax and regain their vision and purpose. And, most importantly, direction. For these people it is putting systems in place that allows them to walk the high road.
For example, I coach the owners of one company that has grown quite substantially each year since inception. They do many things right and want to be sure they don’t miss something that will trip them up in the future. They are a husband and wife team. He’s the visual and she is the linear. She works at their business part-time, while holding down a full-time corporate job. They are about to have a baby so they are truly intent on taking the temperature of their business.
They have employees. Mr. X does a great job with the group of employees that closely matches his interests; however, he does a terrible job with the others. As we talk we see that there are no systems in place to set the employees up to succeed AND to make his job easier. As so often happens, employees hired in the early stages of a business become very much like part of the family. The owners become increasingly dependent on them as they become stretched in many different directions. How hard is it to discipline a member of your family? How hard is it to fire a dear friend? And, this is the predicament many new businesses get into and, worst of all, can’t figure out how to get off that track and onto a better one.
Enter the performance objective system. It starts with job descriptions – very detailed and precise (not so precise that it l
Presentation Technology in the Digital Age Presentation technology has changed the way our culture communicates. From the corporate boardroom to external communications with customers, presentations have impacted every aspect of the business community. This penetration has been largely achieved through two key advances. The first and perhaps most significant advance is the open accessibility to digital media. We suddenly live in a digital democracy, where everyone has access to and expects to consume vast volumes of digital media. The second advance is interactive presentation technology. Interactive presentations support active discussion, as opposed to the passive approach, where a presenter is talking to an audience who is listeni
For example, I coach the owners of one company that has grown quite substantially each year since inception. They do many things right and want to be sure they don’t miss something that will trip them up in the future. They are a husband and wife team. He’s the visual and she is the linear. She works at their business part-time, while holding down a full-time corporate job. They are about to have a baby so they are truly intent on taking the temperature of their business.
They have employees. Mr. X does a great job with the group of employees that closely matches his interests; however, he does a terrible job with the others. As we talk we see that there are no systems in place to set the employees up to succeed AND to make his job easier. As so often happens, employees hired in the early stages of a business become very much like part of the family. The owners become increasingly dependent on them as they become stretched in many different directions. How hard is it to discipline a member of your family? How hard is it to fire a dear friend? And, this is the predicament many new businesses get into and, worst of all, can’t figure out how to get off that track and onto a better one.
Enter the performance objective system. It starts with job descriptions – very detailed and precise (not so precise that it l
In this time of fast-changing workplace, employees need the skills and competencies to ensure future success, and to manage new work and life realities. Organizations need flexible employees, who can effectively manage change and adapt to new organizational directions. The key to achieving these goals, for both the individual and the organization, is a career plan. It is, perhaps, the most important document you will ever write.Knowing what you want is the key to getting it. So start by asking yourself some tough, fundamental questions, and answering them honestly.1. What is important to me and what am I getting today? 2. What do I like about my current position? 3. What do I dislike about my current role? 4. What career
They have employees. Mr. X does a great job with the group of employees that closely matches his interests; however, he does a terrible job with the others. As we talk we see that there are no systems in place to set the employees up to succeed AND to make his job easier. As so often happens, employees hired in the early stages of a business become very much like part of the family. The owners become increasingly dependent on them as they become stretched in many different directions. How hard is it to discipline a member of your family? How hard is it to fire a dear friend? And, this is the predicament many new businesses get into and, worst of all, can’t figure out how to get off that track and onto a better one.
Enter the performance objective system. It starts with job descriptions – very detailed and precise (not so precise that it l
Career planning is the process through which employees: Become aware of interests, values, strengths, and weaknesses. Obtain information about job opportunities within the company. Identify career goals. Establish action plans to achieve career goals. All career planning systems include the following components: Self-Assessment helps employees determine their career interests, values, aptitudes, and behavioral tendencies. It often involves the use of psychological tests. They help employees identify their occupational and job interests, the relative value the employees place on work and leisure activities. Reality Check. Employees receive information about how the company evaluates their skills and knowledge, and where they fit into the compan
Enter the performance objective system. It starts with job descriptions – very detailed and precise (not so precise that it leaves no room for flexibility or the opportunity to create or add other duties). The goal is to help your employees truly understand their job responsibilities. Next come performance objectives – sitting down with the employee and setting parameters within which both the employee and the boss can measure performance. From there it is easy to have reviews. If the employee performs well both of them know exactly what to do. If the employee does not perform well, they still both know what that means and how to handle it. Think of the peace of mind this owner will have – no more struggling with how to handle a situation. The system is in place and you work it! It’s easy and so stress-free. Entire books are written on this system.
Another productivity thief often lies in not developing systems to accurately bill clients. “What!” you say? “Billing is the lifeblood of my business. If I don’t bill I don’t have cash flow. I can’t pay expenses or make payroll.” Nobody doesn’t bill! True? Sorry, false is the correct answer.
Many (lots) sole proprietors, especially visual types, fail to accurately keep track of their time as they do clients’ work. They write notes all over the place, and then spend hours retrieving them to do the month’s billing. They get so mixed up that often they do not charge as much as they should and so collect two-thirds or less in fees.
Here are two systems to eliminate all the hassle in billing for time: 1. QuickBooks – QB has a time/costs menu that enables you to run a clock while working for a client. If you are a coach, like me, you can do this two ways: Either set the clock when you start work for the client (remember to turn it off!) or, fill in the clock when you return to your desk. Do this as many times during the month as needed. To create invoices enter the client’s name and a screen pops up that says “you have billing for this client”. Retrieve the entries you made during the month, click a box and the invoice is automatically filled out. Thanks to Mary Lynch, CPA f
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