How big are the problems you solve?

The size of your business will be determined by the size of the problems you solve.

Can only solve little problems and not big ones?  Well, that will limit you like a small pot constrains the growth of a plant.

Ironically, often it takes just as much energy and life force to solve big problems as it does many little ones.  Often it just takes more courage and facing your fear about it.  You’ve got to step up and get out of your comfort zone.  Do what may feel like a risk (though the greater risk may be in NOT fixing the problem).  Make a decision and breakthrough.  Take a small step back to take many steps forward.

You are solving lots of little problems all day – but what are the big ones that need to be solved that will really move the needle?

High Performers and High Achievers

Some people are high performers, but not high achievers.  They don’t win awards, catch a lot of attention, or work for show.  But they are there getting great results day in and day out, making it happen.

Recognize them.  They deserve it.

Who are those people in your organization?

"Beginnings are apt to be shadowy"

“Beginnings are apt to be shadowy.” – Rachel Carson

Trying something for the first time, not having all the details figured out and not knowing the outcome can feel risky and unsettling.  But that how you find out better ways – 

Better ways of marketing

Better ways of selling

Better team members

Better ways of producing and operating

Don’t wait until outcomes are assured to try things.  Act intelligently yes – but try new things.  It’s the fastest way to really know.  You can always retreat or more likely, adjust to make it work.

Easy days, hard life. Hard days, easy life.

Successful people do things that unsuccessful people don’t like to do.

The successful are influenced by the desire for pleasing results.

Failures are influenced by the desire for pleasing methods and are inclined to accept results that can be obtained by doing things they like to do.

Do you take the easy way today because it’s easy?

Knowing WHAT to do

Many businesspeople work hard their while life and struggle, and never feel they are making progress.

Some are working diligently, not knowing they are headed for disaster.

Working hard is great.  But working hard on the RIGHT THINGS is what you need to do.

Learn what those things are.  Then work hard.

Pay attention to the results you are getting.  Pay attention to who you are being – how you are showing up as a leader.  Look at the response the world is giving you.

There is what works and what doesn’t work.  It doesn’t make any sense to keep going, and to even double down on what doesn’t work.

“Do you know that doing your best is not enough?  You have to know what to do.  Then do your best.” – W. Edwards Deming

Problem Solver-in-Chief

Leaders get the hard problems nobody else can solve or is empowered to solve.

Of course, the more you empower others to solve problems on the spot, the less of them you get. 

The more you push for change and improvement and growth, the more “problems” you will have.

Problems, challenges and obstacles are the way to grow and get better.

No problems, no growth.

Problems that keep repeating themselves means you have not solved the cause of the problem yet.

Eat challenges like energy bars.  Especially the big ones.  Face them.  Solve them and love solving them.

They are the way.

The "Fogg Behavioral Model"

BJ Fogg came up with this model.  He says the behavior happens when these three things are present – 

Behavior = Motivation + Ability + Prompt

When behavior fails to occur one of these three things is missing.

When the three things converge at the same time, behavior happens.

Think about your marketing. Are you marketing to a group that is motivated and has the ability?

Think about what you should be doing or need to be doing, but aren’t. 

What is missing – motivation, ability, or prompt?  

How can you fix that?

Emotion eclipses reason.

When emotion consumes you, reason leaves you.

Don’t let emotions run the show or make decisions.

Walk away.  Wait at least one full night.

Get your thinking and reasoning faculties back and think.

Bad information = Bad decisions

Our thinking can only be as good as our information.  

If we get bad information, we can’t make good decisions about it.

I have fallen for this before.  An employee comes to me with a report about someone, and I stupidly take action on it – only to find out the employee didn’t have all the information, had an agenda, applied their ego to filter the information, or something else.

If we get a piece of information and act, before getting all the information or different perspectives, we are going to make a bad decision.

Not all information is relevant.  Most is irrelevant.  You have to identify what information is important, and what is MOST important.

The quality of your decisions can never be better than the quality of the information you gather and how you sort it.

Slow down.  Ask more questions.  Think about where to get more and better information.  

What is your compelling offer?

Why should people buy from you now?

What is your compelling offer?

Don’t have one?

Make one.