Smart Thinking: Get your head in the Game
This has been an interesting year. For some business owners, 2009 is one they’d rather forget. For others, it represented, if not profit, then at least business as usual. Either way, 4th quarter is upon us, and with that, we begin to cast our eyes toward 2010.
It’s at this time of year when companies begin to murmur words such as budgeting, planning and strategic direction. It’s true that, for many, 2009 has taken its toll on the P&L statement. It’s also taken its toll emotionally on people at all levels of an organization. As my clients begin their journeys of writing a one-page business plan that will direct them over the next 12 months, the process of hammering out financials, clarifying objectives and committing to an action plan is, frankly, the easy part. The more difficult, albeit more important, part is setting your head and heart on a new path as well. If you’re one of those who found 2009 to be a struggle and want nothing more than to wave it good-bye, I have a few suggestions that will help:
Fiercely believe in yourself. Too many people swim in the muck of untapped potential. Lance Armstrong said it beautifully in his book, It’s Not About The Bike. He says: “Pain may last a minute, an hour, a day…but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. Quitting, however, lasts forever. So when I feel like giving up, I ask myself, ‘Which would I rather live with?’”
Work a plan. It’s been said that we all live with one of two types of pain: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. Running a successful business is about doing what needs to be done, even when you don’t feel like it. You wouldn’t dare go through a day without brushing your teeth. No matter what, you’d find a way. Develop the same attitude with your priority behaviors. It might be making cold calls, having an ownership team meeting, saying thank you or reading to your children at night. If it’s that important, get it done no matter what.
Engage the support of family and friends. Listen to others and learn from them. A Sandler friend once shared that his business grew tremendously when he started looking for what others could teach him. Everyone has something to offer you: a story, an idea, a wisdom. Listen, observe, and learn.
Develop the heart of a warrior and the spirit of a servant. Build up your Teflon coating that helps you withstand problems, naysayers and mistakes. They are a natural part of business. Be clear with your words and intentions, and make a passionate commitment to serving others.
Have faith — faith in your team, faith in yourself, faith in your God — that you’re living out your purpose and that it will be blessed.
Take time each day to think. Getting caught in the “doingness” will lead to unproductive behavior, which is a day spent busy but not productively. Never confuse the two. Periodically stop and think. Good ideas will emerge. They’ve been sitting against the wall of your mind, waiting for you to ask them to dance.
Enjoy the ride just for the sheer experience. A wise friend once challenged me, metaphorically, to stop furiously shoveling coal into the furnace long enough to enjoy the warmth of the room. It’s an exciting and often funny world we live in. Quit taking yourself so seriously. Be grateful for where you are, appreciate yourself and laugh at the oddity of it all.
Take care of yourself. As a business owner, people are depending on you. You can’t be your best
if your body-mind-spirit connections are out of balance. Eat smart, exercise, sleep, laugh and take time away. If you don’t like who you are when you’re alone with yourself, you won’t be an effective leader.
Let go of mistakes. We like to beat ourselves up over a mistaken notion that we can be perfect. Take yourself out of business “time-out.” Forgive yourself and others, make adjustments to prevent a repeat occurrence, and move on. Life is what happens on the other side of a misstep.
Be grateful. Say thank you, and mean it. At least five times a day, look someone in the eye and offer your appreciation. It could be your staff, your family, mail carrier, a cashier, a visitor — or yourself.
It’s been said that there are two motivations for setting goals; either you’re running away from something, or you’re running toward something else. Strategic vision can be both preventive and creative. Too many business people spent 2009 in fear, glancing nervously over their shoulders. As a result, they lost sight of where they were going.
It’s time to get your head in the game. Start your 2010 facing forward.
Catherine Atkins, president of Savant Business Development Systems, is the exclusive authorized franchisee of Sandler Training, a global leader in sales and management consulting. Visit www.savant.sandler.com c Sandler Systems Inc.