The Business Litmus Test

Over the years, I've noticed that successful people and successful businesses and successful teams are at all times taking a “Litmus test” and adjusting their performance accordingly.
I am sure you remember the way a Litmus test works… to test whether a substance is alkaline or acid, the litmus paper is dipped in. If it turns red, that’s acid. If it turns blue, that’s alkaline.

For our Litmus Test, let’s do it slightly differently. You take a business idea and measure where you are in relation to it. There are only three possible results.

• Red Hot means you are doing it and committed to it 100 percent

• Pallid Pink means you are “sort of thinking about doing it”, or doing it a little bit.

• Ice cold means that, although you may have thought about it or remember it, you haven’t yet got round to doing anything about it.

At the end of January, let’s start with some basics to test…

Take the test for each of the following… 

1. Vision: is it complete, up to date, highly polished and clear. And is it on paper?
2. Goals for the year. Are they compelling self-promises?
3. Goals for the next 90 days (or ASMs as I call them). Are you clear about these breakthroughs? are they big and bold? will they have a huge immediate impact on the business? and a lasting strategic effect?
4. Environment. Is it uncluttered?
5. Daily Action Planning. Do you plan the day, every day?
6. Business –from the lead generation process to the post-business follow up. Is it an uncluttered journey?
7. Focus. Do you get the most productive (Key Result Area) stuff done each day? Do your team?
8. Belief. Do you and your team truly believe in your Vision and the route you are taking to get there?

Remember, there are only 3 possible results for each: 
Red Hot means you are doing it and committed to it 100 percent

Pallid Pink means you are “sort of thinking about doing it”, or doing it a little bit.

Ice cold means that, although you may have thought about it or remember it, you haven’t yet got round to doing anything about it.

 

When you are red hot at even just these foundations, it’s amazing what can happen!

Awful -to- Awesome Customer service

For many years I have kept an “Awesome/ Awful” log to record both ends of the customer service spectrum, and ask how to apply the lessons to both my own business and to my clients businesses.
I start the Awesome lessons from the front of the notebook, and the Awful ones are page by page in from the back. It’s a simple system that requires just a single notebook and your eyes and ears.

If you travel and get to see businesses at the frontline (and I know many of you do), why not just jot down a quick note on what you see when it’s awesome, or awful. And then ask: “What is the lesson here?”

On a recent drive south from my home in Scotland, I learned a valuable business lesson that wentstraight into the Awful-Awesome Customer experience log.
I was travelling south for a week of meetings and events (taking the car was the only convenient way to do it), about an hour into the 7 hour journey on day one I noticed a slight squeak coming from the car. Not one of those squeaks that’s enough to make you stop and seek immediate roadside assistance, but it was there. And it got gradually worse.

I reached my destination at the end of day one, checked in for a relaxing night, before I would drive the 20 miles next morning for my first meeting…But I didn’t sleep well thinking about the noise, the hassle, the likely cost. As we know, cars are fine when they are working well, and you are confident in them.
Day two saw me rise early, conducted the FOCUS Gym broadcast down the line from my hotel room while Liz, back at the office did an online check for garages in the vicinity of my first meeting and phoned around to get me checked in for a quick look over the vehicle.
Making my way to the most convenient garage, I was met by Jeff, the proprietor. He came out for a test drive, listened intently to both what I had to tell him, and to the now pretty evident squeaking noise. He hardly spoke as we toured the local housing estate.
He also appreciated I was on a tight schedule, a number of meetings in a number of towns up and down the M1 corridor for a few days. We returned to his garage.
“OK, Sir. Now, I’ve got an idea what it might be, but I want to put her on the ramp.”
Hmmm. A one ramp garage, with at least 6 cars ahead of me on his work schedule, and all packed into the small yard, so how was this going to work.
“Don’t you worry about that Sir. Where’s your first meeting? OK, well, we’ll get you to that no problem, even if your cars still here.”
Then, whoosh, and it seems mechanics and hired hands are everywhere, reversing cars out of the garage compound and off the ramp, to allow me to drive on.
Ramp up, me standing with bated breath (but by this time I have a coffee in my hand courtesy of one of the helpers).
Quick check over. And without the archetypal sucking of air through clenched teeth to make me fear the worse. Phone call, parts ordered. On their way. Will arrive in about 30 minutes.
Meantime… we can see you’re busy Sir, do you want to have a seat in the office, make any calls, etc…
I do, and enjoy the banter in the background about Leicester City’s footballing fortunes, the state of cricket at Grace Road (where Leicestershire play) and the latest on the rugby (Leicester Tigers).
Parts arrive, and work begins. In reality, work has already begun, dismantling the faulty parts from the car… wheels are off, and there’s gear everywhere. Every few minutes I’m given an update by Jeff, and shown what is happening at every stage.

Ninety minutes later I’m on my way, with new brake pads, full set, front and back, and a test drive done. Crikey, they have worked at Formula 1 Pit Stop speed to get me sorted. And the price… well not even a couple of hundred pounds. Brilliant.

OK… straight in the Awesome part of the Awful/Awesome Log.

And never had Jeff, or his assistant Chris, or the garage “old boy” (every garage should have an old guy who is past retirement but just likes hanging around, getting the morning papers, milk and rolls, and is ready to exchange happy banter with the customers) done a customer care training course in their lives.  Never had they used the platitude “There’s no I in Team”. Never had they had brainstorming or break-out sessions, or role-plays on how to make the customer journey a “satisfactory experience”. And there was no sign of a poster of a Lion with the words “Remember, the customer is king” underneath.

They just focused on sorting my problem, minimum fuss, maximum speed, to get me back on the road. And they genuinely cared that they did a good job and that I went away happy. No, not just happy. Delighted. I did.

So, if you are in the Leicester area, and need a garage… Jeff is at G&D 4x4 specialists…
0116 277 4111

Life is a series of lessons; how often we hear the phrase “The University of Life” (aka “The school of Hard knocks”!). Yet, many people, whilst they are in the classroom, don’t really pay attention. Many people have to learn the same lesson thousands of times, before they see the lesson and apply it. In business, it is easy to miss the lessons happening all around (normally because many executives are too engrossed in their blackberries and mobiles). Noting down Awesome/ Awful service is just one way of becoming more observant of the lessons.

The Work-Life Balance Myth

Work- Life Balance is a phrase I have always been set against.
In my first book Counting Chickens, back in 2003, I made the point, and I'm still making it today...
Work is part of life.. not set against it. It's not on opposite sides of some mysterious divide.
And this is especially so when you are working wih your Unique Talent at the centre of your life - or indeed running your own business.

The term Life Balance is much more applicable.

Yet, there's also a tendency to misuse the word "balance", especally when applied to goals.
It's sometimes a "cop out" isn't it?
I'm sure Iam not alone in having heard people say things like: "I want to set and achieve big goals, but, well, you know, you've got to be balanced with these things haven't you".

It's often used by others to diminish our goals too, isn't it (not deliberately but with the same protectionist mentality that the well-meant advice "don't Count your Chickens" entails). So we hear, "well, it's all well and good to be going for these ambitions, but you've got to keep balanced".

You see, for real achievement there's a need for absolute FOCUS. So that inevitably brings wat others may see as "imbalance".

Think of athletes, or top pefomers in any field. Think of musicians, or of actors. Of top scientists, or of artists.
To others they often appear obsessive and driven, and some may say "out of balance". But they are just focused aren't they?

And remember, when it comes to Life Balance, it's YOUR balance. No one else's.
It's a balance dependent on YOUR Values, your Purpose, your priorities.
As long as it's done through your choice, it can't be imbalance.

And it's those firm foundations of Values, Purpose and goals that allow you to be focused... to lean towards your "obsession" without falling over!

Are You Fully in Tune?

Have you ever walked into a room where there’s a radio on, and you immediately think “that’s not quite in tune, there’s a bit of crackling or a whistle to it”, but those people who are sitting in the room are happily listening to it, oblivious to any interference.
They have been listening to it so long they have become accustomed to the “interference”.
In business growth, business coaching and peak performance (and especially "time managemet") situations I often use the term “Interference” as something different.
It’s the psychological barrier that exists between knowing what should be done, and doing it… between Knowledge and Action.
It can affect focus to such an extent that it cripples a business.
You and I both know people who know they should do a Daily Action Plan, but, well…
People who know they should make one more sales call, but, well….
People who know they should do x,y,z to get fit/ build their business/ or achieve any goal, but, well…
Mostly this barrier comes in the form of self-doubt, old associations, poor beliefs, lack of focus. In fact, I often use the terms “Fuzz” and “Buzz” which is like a radio being not quite Fully In Tune.
And rather like listening to a slightly out of tune radio, at first we notice the high-pitched whistle in the background and the constant crackling. But after a while, we become accustomed to it and we hardly notice that it’s out of tune at all. In the same way, sometimes the level of “Interference” in our lives, in our businesses, in our careers becomes an ambient state and we don’t notice the dramatic and damaging effect it’s having.
Sometimes, I walk into a business and wonder why no one else has noticed the high level of “interference”, crackling away in every part of the marketing, the systems, amongst the people, and with the attitude of the managers and leaders.
Is it time you looked at replacing your old interference-riddled approach with a new, fresh, clear focus… Fully in tune? Take a step back. And take a sounding.

7 Steps to Success - in a Nutshell

Someone asked me recently to boil every idea on success, business growth, personal development and peak perfomance coaching down to a clear, manageable formula...
And I ended up writing a book about it! The result was RESULT: Think Decisively, Take Action, and Get Results!

OK, it’s all easier said than done, isn’t it… but there’s often a reason for that. Most people setting out to make changes, on the journey to success, don’t know where to begin.

Here then is a simple outline of the steps to take:

1.Choose to Change-time to get out of the quagmire
-TPR (we’ve covered this in a previous blog post- 13 May)
-Identify your Unique Talent (see Inspiration Room …)

2. Identify your Cause
-Your Purpose and Mission, based on your Values…
-This becomes your motive-for-action. Create a clear picture of what success is for you.

3. Create a Stunning plan-An outline strategy (not a straight-jacket).

4.Get sorted!Clear the clutter, get organised

5. Cultivate The Success Mindset
- get your subconscious beliefs on message.

6. Take Action!-spcial missions: generate breakthroughs for immediate results and lasting effects
-Allocate resources to make these happen -Time, energy, money… focus these in line with the plan.
-Key Result Areas- what are the key activities that take you to your results
-Overcome procrastination and get active

7. Sustain it… and create the habits of success
-a powerful system / structure – time plan/ regime
-Renewal and constant improvement

Simple... yes. Simple but not easy.
Or is it?