Seek understanding

I’ve been in the same business for nearly four decades.  It’s amazing what I can clearly see now that I could not a few years in. There’s a big difference between memorizing and understanding.  When you remember this process or script, that’s not the same as understanding what you are doing and why.

On the surface, things seem simple.  But digging deeper and wider into your craft, upstream and down, reveals complexities and subtleties.  Searching, practicing and learning further, you come to understanding, which can make simplicity, again, from complexity. 

Once you really understand a business, you are now capable of what few are in it.

Seek to really understand what is going on in your business, or department, or industry – or all of them.

"I have this problem…"

Self-talk is important.  It can either lift you up or pull you down. 

If you have persistent problems and say “I’ve got these persistent problems”, then you look out into your business for confirmation; evidence you are right.

Studies show that in most cases we’d rather have our early decisions be right, than be wrong and have a better life.

As a leader, if  If you are saying negative things to yourself that are eroding your confidence and ability to see solutions, then you are creating your own problems and you’ve got to stop.

Leaders – ask!

The man who asks a question is a fool. 

The man who does not ask is a fool for life.

What do you need to ask now?

What you really want…

Freedom.  Isn’t that right?  Is your business giving your more freedom, or less?

Being a rugged individualist is likely what got you into business.  But toughing it out is not what’s going to give you more freedom.  

You have to design your life inside that business, so they both work – your life and your business.

It is possible, but you need an intentional effort.

You can't make this up on volume…

No profit margin on one sale?  You can’t make that up by selling more – at least not at that price.

If you aren’t making money, you either have no margin or your expenses are too high for the volume you have and you are not above breakeven yet.

Do you make money selling one unit?  One day’s work?  One job?

If not, fix that first.

"High Velocity Failure"

When you have no margin but work your butt off trying to make it up on volume.

"Hell yes!" or "no"

There are so many things you could be doing to soak up your time. 

Don’t waste it on mediocre activities or chasing mediocre opportunities.

Is what you are doing now a “Hell Yeah!”?

Solve bigger problems.

We all solve problems all day long. 

The most successful people solve the biggest problems.

What problems do you solve?

Win people over

I attended a meeting to train people (not in my company) how to do their jobs, because things were not going as they should.  First I told them “I am here as a friend, I come in peace, and I respect who you are and what you are doing.”  Then I spoke to them with respect as we reviewed what could be better, and painted a picture of who they could be to their customers and the world in a way that they would see as better – a world with pride and winning.

When we want to help people see what they aren’t doing well and to get better, it’s important not to win over people, but to win them over instead.

I spoke after the owner of the company where he took full responsibility and “blame” for the shortcomings.  he took it for the team by saying he didn’t train them well enough or follow up with how things were going.

Nobody left the room feeling that they were being attacked, embarrassed or unappreciated.

It doesn’t matter who is right.  Win people over so they accept your ideas.

Inspiring Change

“It’s not that people don’t like change, it’s that they don’t want to be changed.” – Book, Change or Die

A great leader inspires people to want to give their best for a better/greater result.  Using incentives, appreciation, being authentic and asking for their help, keeping score in public, and having the right voice that believes in people…people that want to always perform better than people who are dragged kicking and screaming.

How do you get your team to change?