View
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| Message
From the President |
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| August
has been a truly exciting month! |
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started off with the filming
of “Truancy”,
a public service announcement
for Maricopa County in which
I had, what you might call,
if I were famous, a cameo
appearance. More accurately,
I was an extra in a couple
of crowd scenes, but it
was fun being on a set.
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| Here
I am with some of the ‘cast’
in downtown Phoenix. The
homeless guy next to me
is actually quite attractive
but VERY well made up –
or should I say ‘down’.
His twin brother plays the
role of a CEO and the story
follows a young man at a
pivotal point in his life.
One road (without an education)
leads him to a life of strife.
The other choice or fork
in the road (staying in
school) yields a much more
successful and happy outcome.
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It
will start airing in September
and will likely run for
the rest of the year on
several Phoenix TV stations.
We shot a scene on Van
Buren and then in City
Hall. I don’t know
if I’ll even be
seen much. It’s
amazing how many hours
it takes to shoot a 30-
or 60-second commercial!
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| Also,
the AZ Woman article titled
"Good Morning" came
out. It was filled with lots of
tips on how to get out of the
house fast and I was one of the
women profiled. One of my big
tips was planning my day the night
before and packing everything
I’ll need, leaving it all
by the entrance to the garage
so I don’t have to rush
around in the morning looking
for necessary items. |
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| Other
tips included paring down your
wardrobe so there aren’t
so many choices to ponder. Make
smoothies rather than a full breakfast
or skipping breakfast altogether.
And here’s my favorite –
one that all of my coaching clients
are getting recently – DELEGATE!
Delegate to the kids, the spouse,
the staff, even the boss. Just
don’t try to do it all yourself!
Finally, I was
selected, along with about 15
other consultants, to participate
with the City of Phoenix in
its MTA (Management Technical
Assistance) program. Kedrick
and Sandy do a great job connecting
businesses with consultants
and helping Phoenix-based companies
grow and become more profitable.
Assistance is available in the
areas of marketing, financing,
workforce development and general
business assessments.
The program
is funded by a grant from HUD’s
Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG) and is designed
for businesses within the City
of Phoenix with less than 5
employees, owned by low- to
moderate-income earners who
are expecting to create at least
one new job in Phoenix within
the upcoming 24 months. If you
meet those criteria and want
to know more, visit MTA.
If you live outside of Phoenix,
look for CDBG programs in your
area.
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| Feature
Article - DELEGATION REVISITED |
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I
mentioned I’ve been on a tirade recently
concerning outsourcing and delegating. No, not
outsourcing off-shore, but outsourcing work or
activities that are not in your ‘sweet spot’
to free you up to leverage your true strengths.
I even wrote about it last April.
You might be wondering how
you can benefit from this simple, but sometimes
hard-to-implement strategy. Here are some ideas…
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Become an objective self-observer.
Pay attention throughout the day, to those
activities that drain your energy. Keep a
list for a week and then ask yourself “Who
is the best person to take this activity off
of my plate?” Then give it to him/her! |
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Identify
your high-payoff activities.
If you work for someone else, what is it you’re
really paid to do? Why does your job exist?
What is it that you do better than anyone
else around you?
If you’re in business
for yourself, identify those activities
that put you closest to the money. What
generates sales or strong referrals? What
gets you in front of prospects who are most
likely to buy your high-ticket items?
In either case - employment
or self-employment - make a list of those
high-payoff activities and commit to spending
more time executing them. Put them on your
calendar and focus your energies and talents
in relentless pursuit of them.
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Invest
the time in training your ‘delegatee’.
One
of the thoughts that stops us in our tracks
is “It will take more time to train
someone else to do it.” Or “I
can get it done faster (or better).”
Yes, it probably
will take time to train someone –
initially. But imagine the freedom you’ll
experience after just one or two episodes
of your NOT having to take care of that
detail, important though it may be.
I was vacillating over delegating
my calendar management to a remote ‘virtual
assistant’. I justified keeping it
on my plate because she worked remotely
and it seemed it would be cumbersome to
turn it over.
I knew
one of the systems I used would take a lot
of training and getting acclimated. It took
ME a long time to get used to it at first.
The prospect of making someone else go through
what I had one seemed almost punitive, yet
I knew in my heart that having someone else
learn how to do this and provide this service
for me would free me up to tackle more long-term
strategic and more short term revenue generating
activities.
Now,
every time a change needs to happen, I call
or email her (Thank you Patrice!!) It’s
such a relief to know that it’s being
taken care of without much intervention
on my part.
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Allow yourself
to bask in the concept of being supported
and nurtured.
There is something hypnotic, rewarding and
even addictive about having work done on your
behalf. I recall the first time I hired a
house cleaner almost 20 years ago. At the
time, I lived in a one-bedroom condo in Chicago.
The place was relatively small, but I led
a jam-packed life (how little things change).
I can’t tell you how happy it made me
feel when I’d walk into my clean ‘home’
and relish in the thought that it was sparkling
clean and I hadn’t cleaned it!
It was intoxicating…and
freeing. I get the same feeling now when
I allow myself to be supported and nurtured
by releasing current energy-draining tasks.
As I continue on this road to increased
freedom, I discover more and more ways I
can let go. That’s really what it
is…the freedom to let go and the freedom
to live.
Try it. You’ll like
it!
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Syndicated
Article - THE GRUMP FACTOR
BY: LAURIE BROWN REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION
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| You
are sitting at your desk, reading your email and
open the latest missive from your boss. Once again
the bonehead has come up with a new direction for
your company. You clear your throat and ask the
person next to you “Have you seen what the
idiot has sent us now?” In the cafeteria you
sit with your co-workers grossing about how stupid
this company is. But this doesn’t just happen
today. Everyday you find yourself at odds with the
management. And while you have always been a “good
soldier” and done exactly what was asked of
you, you can’t help but let your feelings
be known.
Or perhaps you are the more silent
type. Sighing, rolling your eyes, and simply showing
through your body language that you are greatly
put upon.
You might think that if you are
really good at your job, and you do everything
that has been asked of you that you will remain,
in the eyes of your employer, a valuable member
of the team.
However, in these times of cutbacks,
more and more employers are considering the “grump
factor.” Simply put, the grump factor is
a measure of how difficult it is to deal with
an employee. How grumpy you are.
Recently a Fortune 500 company
had to make a 20% cut in their workforce. The
management chose the people that were going to
be laid off. Every single employee was a hard
worker; in fact some off them were the best at
what they did. Each employee tried to figure out
why THEY were chosen. What was the reason that
the more incompetent employees were left standing
while they were let go?
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| Upcoming
Events |
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Get
Clients Now! Preview: Teleclass Wednesday,
September 5, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. PT/AZ Sign
up here>> Get
Clients Now! Scroll down toward the bottom
of the page.
Ramp up Your
Revenue with Referrals ASBA (Arizona Small
Business Association.) Live workshop, Tuesday,
September 18, 8:30 - 10:30 am. Call 602-265-4563
to register.
Get Clients
Now! Tele-seminar and group coaching program,
Wednesdays: September 19 – October 30 (Tuesday),
Sign up here>> Get
Clients Now! Classes
fill quickly. Sign up now!
Get Clients
Now! Preview: Greater Phoenix Gay/Lesbian
Chamber of Commerce (CPGLCC), Breakfast meeting
7:00 am - 8:30 am, October 9, Hilton Garden Inn
- Phoenix/Midtown, contact candy.robertsonaz@cox.net
Get Clients
Now! Preview: Scottsdale Express Network/ABWA
(Arizona Business Women’s Association) 11:45
a.m. – 1:15, October 9, www.scottsdaleexpress.org
Introduction
to Leadership that Transforms & Delivers:
American Council of Engineering Councils of Arizona,
Human Resources Committee Breakfast, University
Club, October 18, 7:30 am - 9:00 am. Call
602.995.2187 for more information.
Preparing
to Recruit, Hire, Train & Retain Employees:
City of Phoenix, October 22, 4:00 – 6:00
p.m. Click on Mind
Your Business to register and select
the October 22 Human Resources Workshop
Business
Leadership: Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber
of Commerce, Women in Business Luncheon, 11:00
am - 1:15 pm October 25, visit www.ahwatukeechamber.com
or call 480.753.7676
Setting &
Clarifying Your Vision and Goals, Alliance
of Technology and Women (ATW), January 22, 6:00
pm, Phoenix. Contact lysia.hand@gmail.com
for more information.
Private
Leadership
that Transforms & Delivers, September
27, Arizona Probation, Parole & Corrections
Association conference
When ‘Off
with their Heads!’ Won’t Work: Keys
for Dissolving Personal and Business Disputes,
September 27, Arizona Probation, Parole &
Corrections Association conference
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