The courage to tell it like it is

In my posting today, I thought it necessary to deal with some leadership issues and challenges that over the last couple of weeks have been popping up on my radar.  It is my observation as we lead, that we have to have some type of balance and check system in place to ensure that we are leading with the upmost integrity and are being the most effective as possible.  That system or structure should strategically set the leader in a place where she can make intelligent decisions for the organization that will propel the vision of the organization forward. 

With the everyday hustle and bustle of leading, business can sometimes allow the leader to loose sight of the vision of the organization.  Thus allowing us to miss something crucial that can hurt the organization or business along the way.   So it is very important that the inner circles, your board of advisers, are a people of courage.  That courage is needed because with any organizations, circumstances arise that challenge the effectiveness of our business.  So the advisors, have to have the courage to openly communicate with its leader should they find her getting of course of the overall objective of the organization. 

It is a simple act of accountability for the vision you bought into.

So, if you function in a role where a leader looks to you for sound advice, and expertise in your field, you must not be distracted from the vision, worry about hurt feelings, or be fearful about the loss of your position because you have sighted something that needed to be exposed or addressed for the sake of the organization.  It is your job; it is your duty, to be forthcoming with anything you see that could cause the downfall of the organization. 

 I wanted to today give three principles for having the courage to tell it like it is:

1.  Prayer and Meditation before you speak- Before you actually approach a leader I think it best to get clarity about what you see in prayer, and get a release of peace about the situation.  Jot down some notes about what you think is the issue to be sure the nature of the issue is clear to both you and the leader you will be approaching.
2.  Look at the organization in a macro aspect not micro- Just because you are assigned to one area you should not limit your responsibility or accountability to just your corner of the organization.  If you identify that there is issue you need to start a conversation with the leader.  The start of a conversation on the matter brings about clarity of the issue, and resolution strategies to bring about change to it.
3. Be sensitive to timing- When approaching a leader about an issue, make sure that when you speak on it you are in the proper environment and that the conversation is conveyed in an appropriate tone. Even if your leader has fallen short, you must remain respectful in your confrontation.  Be respectful but firm.

 My hope is that these principles would be a catalyst for leaders who support other leaders to start a conversation that would take the organization in the direction it was purposefully intended and bring about dynamic change to the leadership cohort.  I would love to hear some of your comments on this issue.

3 Quick Wins for Building your Business Momentum

Have you had just one of those days when you are just not sure what to do next in your business?  You know those days where you kind of know what you should be doing but can not seem to get your MOJO going.  Well sounds like what you need and need pretty quickly is a way to build your M-O-M-E-N-T-U-M!  Momentum in business is a very important element that many entrepreneurs loose sight of especially when you experience inconsistencies in clients and customers.  So today, I wanted to spark a conversation on different tips for building your momentum.

 Ask yourself, “What can I do right now?”

Making a short term list of actionable items will get those creative juices flowing.  Your list should be very simple and concise business tasks that if you accomplish them you will begin to see immediate results.  For example, if you like me and you are still trying to build your list of target customers and have not been consistent in the process, go ahead and begin to set up the proper tools to make it happen.  So your list would look something like this:

1. Set-up aweber.com account
2. Create a free offering in exchange for email information
3. Create two follow-up emails, a thank you and next invite to experience your next product or service in your business funnel.

 Another momentum builder would be to review those business tasks that you have started and are about 80% done and complete them now.  Ask yourself, “What things have you been revising and tweaking and have not fully completed?

And last but least, “Just Do it.”   There are some business ideas and marketing tools you have been talking about implementing for some time now.  Go ahead make it happen.  Attend that networking group you have been trying to connect with, write the article you been thinking about, or start your own networking group.

Business momentum are those small success wins that keep you going in business.  The small wins give you the push to move forward in those bigger tasks.  Your successful achievements brew productivity and productivity brews motivation.  Now, let’s make it happen.  I would love to hear your ideas for building momentum and post them here.

Coworking? What this all about

Recently I came across an action plan I had created for a women’s entrepreneur community network.  The plan like most of the work I do would service those women entrepreneurs who are involved in new business start-ups, for profit or non, consultants /coaches and of course freelancers etc.  Together we would share a physical space and other office resources but most importantly we would have access to each other’s knowledge base.  As I started to rethink this idea, I did some research and found a new concept that is new only in term called, ‘coworking.’  Coworking according to The Global Coworking Blog says that coworking is “redefining the way we do work.”

“The gist of the concept is that independent professionals work better together than working alone.   Coworking spaces agree to uphold the values set forth by those who developed the concept in the first place: collaboration, community, sustainability, openness, and accessibility.”

With this idea in mind, I decided to blog about it to start the conversation regarding this idea of coworking.  Is this something that would fit into the local Houston community?  There are a couple of coworking spots I found the Caroline Connection and the Katy Dock.  But they are mainly focused on the techies.   

So let’s talk about it! 

Are there freelancers out there preferably in Southwest Houston, that would love to get away from the distractions of the home office and network for REAL?  This would be opportunity for us entrepreneurs to make a real business connection.  It would be more about sharing the space and a couple of printers but about learning from one another and engaging one another in relevant and exciting business developments.  I would like to also think that this is just what some of us need to get some of those creative juices flowing and a coworking environment just may be the answer.  Please post your thoughts;)

3 Steps for Creating a Process Plan for your Life and Your Business

As I continue to teach women entrepreneurs about strategic planning I am finding that many of us are still getting overwhelmed in the process.  The process should not be a plan of frustration but a strategic concept of elevation.  Meaning your process should create an opportunity for you to maneuver effectively and productively towards your vision with ease and understanding.  I use the word ‘ease’ because the way you look at your daily agenda will promote an ease of mind, and a more organized way of thinking.  I used the term ‘understanding’ because once you understand your business activities, why you are implementing them, and the objective of your implementation of the process you will then have a clear and concise understanding about your business.

The process should include bite sized tasks that help you reach goals in your overall vision.  We tend to try and take those large tasks and try to accomplish them in one fell swoop.  Most of us when we look at the entire plan or vision and we become overwhelmed by the number of tasks that need to be completed that we never even get started.  So here are some helpful hints that will allow you to get ‘IN’ the process without the feeling so discouraged that you want ‘OUT’ of the process.

1. When journaling your daily agenda items, list the tasks that bring you the most reward first.  The other tasks that need to be accomplish list them last.
2.  Carefully monitor tasks for completion.  Accomplishment of anything breeds momentum for what’s next on your list.
3.  And last share your daily agenda with someone who understand your industry, a second pair of eyes on your process/tasks will help eliminate and alleviate things on your list that bear no reward for the moment of time in question.

 Please comment let me know about some of the planning strategies you do to get things done and make things happen for your business and your life.

Your vision to be or not to be

My coaching process when it comes to business development is real simple.  I always start with the VISION!  What does my client see herself doing in full view when it is all said and done.  This part in the process is the most critical.  It is critical because if the person can not SEE the end then no one that they engage with will understand it leaving the liability of no buy in.  So I developed a list.  I call this list my ‘Vision Insight List’.  This list will be a litmus test for your vision statement.  Your vision of course will have some obvious elements, the who, the what, the why, but your vision should also be the voice of your organization.  This insight list is not all inclusive but it is an easy way to test if your vision is ready to be revealed to the world.

What Vision Is
A clear statement;
A dream for a community;
Relevant;
Visible;
Overwhelming;
Exciting;
Radical;
Present;
Team driven;
Provision attractor;
Evolving;
Perpetual;
Persistent;
Traceable;
Universal;
Inspiring;
Empowering;
Abundant;
Creative;
A Magnetizer;
Blessing;
Resilient;
Cultivator;
Powerful;
Knowledgeable;
Surreal;
Lively;
Energizes;
Has human value

What Vision is not
A cute statement;
Just Your Dream;
Limited;
A one man/woman show;
Complacent;
Slow;
Mediocre;
Small;
Divisive;
A negative burden;
Oppressive;
Digressive;
A headache;
Non-performing;
Methodical;
Driven by the Holy Spirit;
Indescribable;
Easily embraced

Know your lines!

I do not know a lot about acting as this is not my sweet spot.  But what I do know about acting is that in order to get the LEAD role there is a great deal of prep work that will need to be done.  A great number of actors and actress prepare themselves physically and emotionally when they have been given an opportunity to appear in a production.   

Their process of landing a lead role is a great metaphor for achieving SUCCESS in any industry.  Which leads me to my first principle in this blog posting and that is:

Principle #1 Get educated

Educating yourself about your industry is very important to your success.  Likewise actresses study at the most prestigious schools so that may set a foundation for their acting careers. 

Principle #2 Get mentored

Actors also understand the importance of wise counsel.  They employ mentors who can hold them accountable in their industry  and help further develop what has been learned in school so they employ acting coaches.   They strategically desire to put action to the theory they have ingested in the classroom.    

Principle #3 Textbook is not enough

They also understand that they will need some hands-on experience.  So, in the midst of the process actors gain even more experience in their industry by getting hired as extras.   They also know that movie producers are always look for talented individuals to play minute roles to support their big film projects.  This type of experience could lead to other acting opportunities down the road.   Serving the lower levels prepare you for the higher levels.

 Principle #4 Know your stuff

When actresses do gain a role they then have to spend a lot of time learning their lines.  The ability to memorize scenes and then act them out in the characters they are portraying is important as it affects the productions bottom line. You  have to know the language, the model and makeup of your industry.

All of these principles are building blocks for success in any industry.   In order to see real success there is a consistency in both study and work that must be applied. If you are aspiring for a leading role, or to become an expert in your feel you have to develop a discipline that encompasses the above principles.  I challenge you as you seek to be the best that you would show your passion by your diligence to strive for excellence.

When The Thrill is Gone: How do you know when to end a mentoring-coaching relationship?

I over the last several weeks I have spent a lot of time teaching women to be diligent about developing their circle of influence.  That they must create a wise counsel that will enhance their personal development.    This circle will serve as both a support system and as a development mechanism for both their personal and professional lives.  

But today I encountered a life changing circumstance. It’s life changing because in my mind I had to shift my thinking as it relates to coaching and mentoring relationships.  That there is a possibility that these relationships can end, they go wrong and for some can be a simple waste of time.

So how do you know when its time to move on from the relationship?  Try this litmus test.

When the person you are mentoring does not value your knowledge and expertise

When the person values scholastic knowledge over real world experience

When the person you are coaching is not forthcoming about areas they need to be developed and worked on

When the person decides what’s true for the other person without any real factual knowledge

When they do not receive constructive criticism well

When they become offended by your response to behaviors that you see in them

When there is confusion about the expectations of the relationship

When they make assumptions about the relationship as opposed to communicating for clarity

When the assignment for the area of development has been dealt with and completed

When there is negative non verbal communication, example of this would not returning calls, not participating in the coaching sessions and or teaching opportunities etc.

When they do not act on your recommendations

When excuses take over the coaching session

This list is not all inclusive but it is a good place to start!

Conquering the Spirit of Familiarity to Expand Your Business

Lately I have found myself engulfed in this book that gives loads of content on information marketing.  This book should be apart of every woman’s library as it allows us to expand and build business based off the knowledge you already have.  It takes that information that you have already vested and allows you to leverage it through products and various marketing mediums. There was one business idea that kind of floored me though.  It said, “People don’t value people who make themselves available.” And I thought, I myself believe that if you sow enough in the lives of individuals it will all come back to you.  I spend a lot of my time teaching and educating other women, I answer calls, emails at the drop of the hat.  I believe I do this because of the passion that I have for empowering women to work and live on purpose. 

As I coach, and a mentor my mindset is and has always been availability.  But the author suggests that this availability could hurt me and my business more than it can help me.  That people value people who make themselves less available.  They respect those people who are good stewards and sticklers about their time.  They respect individuals who make you follow structure and process to the letter.  I am trying to wrap my mind around this.  People will not honor those who are constantly available to them, those that are sold out for the cause Why?  Familiarity. 

We become so familiar with the gifts and abilities of people who are close to us that we loose sight of their expertise and their sacrifice.  So how do we come from underneath this?  As I think about this more I believe the first thing you need to do is:

Think about what kind of business/ministry you are running.  I mean we should really think about the, ‘Big Idea’ of the business. 

Secondly, once we have identified the Big Idea we need to communicate that to our clients, customers and if you are non-profit your members.

And last but not least set boundaries.  Your time, your gifts and your abilities have to be managed both strategically and properly.  You do this by being sure that you are not allowing others to rape your space.  I know that sounds harsh but you have to get to the point where you are valuing your own gifts and the abilities; your business so that it may be expressed that way to others that connect with you.  The Bottom line is :  It all starts with you, your intentions, your Big Idea, your vision for your life and allowing those thoughts to be expressed through your business activities.

Power Planning for Your Life and Your Business

Today I decided to Google the term ‘Procrastination’ and not to my surprise the search yielded over 7.5 million results.  Procrastination is a major time killer in the lives of so many women.  And today I wanted to deal with the subject matter so that we can get on with the business, the vision that God has ordained for our lives. 

Procrastination is the underlying killer of your daily agenda.  And so I have spent some time thinking about how we can diminish its power over us when we are trying to get our business dreams off the runway.  What I do find with women that I am coaching and mentoring is that the idea, the vision that you have in mind is so GREAT we become overwhelmed when we start to think about PROCESS and when we think about PLAN.  So I wanted to give you some strategies that I have implemented in my own business to try and help you begin to ignite and propel your business to its next level,   

The first thing you want to do is to map out the basics.  The basic elements are the tasks that need to happen in order for you to reach your desired goal.  Those elements include: 

• clear action steps,
• the resource/who will do it
• and then a timeline or date of when it needs to happen

You should then outline these elements which can be done quickly and effectively if you block out time the night before.  I use my Project Action Plan template to help me to achieve this.

My next step is taking each one of those tasks break them down into bite size pieces.  For example if my goal is to start a new online social media biz, the tasks in their unbroken state look like this:

Create a client contract, develop a blog site, create content for the site etc.

But if I really want to push the envelope I need to break each of these tasks down even further.  So the developing a blog site would be first to purchase a domain, then set-up the web hosting, then choose a template that will work for it and so on and so forth.  These bite size pieces gives me the energy and momentum I need to accomplish those task on action plan.   Simplifying your business goals will eradicate the spirit of procrastination leaving the door open for unlimited possibilities in your business.

39 of 99 Success Moves Every Woman Should Take Challenge

Hey everyone!  Just wanted to connect with you here a minute and talk with you about what I believe it is going to take for us as women to really see the plans and the promises of God manifest in our lives.  There are couple of things, but first we must become grounded in our FAITH.  What we believe about who God is calling us to become sets the tone for the journey.  No longer can we be unsure and uncertain about the promise, or about the destiny that is on our lives.  Second, we have to work IT!  In other words, Faith don’t have eyes but it does have FEET!  That means we believe in what we do not see, but we ignite our faith by MOTION.  We have to put some action to the vision we believe God for.  No longer will we sit on the sidelines waiting for the vision to happen to us.  We will now take a stand, with our faith, by partnering with God and do the work to make it happen.  So that business that you have been believing God for?  Research it, get the right information, get a mentor, write the plan and work it.  That book you believe God has given you to write, What are you waiting for?  Research it, outline your chapters, set a writing schedule and get to work!   I wanted to simply remind you that you play a very important role in your PURPOSE.  Your role is two-fold:  believe GOD and work it NOW!

Post James 2:20 near your work station, on your fridge, somewhere were you can SEE it!  It is a scripture that keeps me on course and keeps me on my God given assignment.

Success Move #39:  Put Your Faith In Motion

James 2:20 NKJV

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?