Provide Extraordinary Value

Posted on May 18 2012 | Tagged as: Business Owners, Coaches Being Mentored, Executives, Managers, Tip of the Week

Coach Andrea’s Intro

“How can I build my sales pipeline?” This is a question that a number of my coaching clients asked recently as we are getting close to the end of the first half of 2012.  One source is your existing client base. There may be additional services they need from you and/or they may refer you to other people.  The likelihood of their providing these leads is based on two things.  First, you ask.  Second, you have provided great value.  This week’s Tip focuses on the second point.

Quote of the Week

“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”

~ Warren Buffett

Provide Extraordinary Value

By Michael Schantz

Extraordinary value is defined as giving clients or customers three to ten times the amount of value as our fee would dictate. Leaders who embrace this practice enjoy a superb competitive advantage. They know that if their organizations provide this exceptional value to clients, they will have few real competitors.

The spirit of service is the ability to make a contribution. The greater the contribution, the greater the value received.  Companies that deliver extraordinary client service care about clients’ businesses as much as they do. As clients receive extraordinary value, they become continual sources of referrals.  Person-to-person referrals are often believed to be the most effective form of new business creation (Schantz, p. 83).

From: Schantz, M. (2008).  75 principles of conscious leadership: inspired skills for 21st century business.  Bandon, OR: Robert D. Reed Publishers.

Reprinted with permission from the OSU Leadership Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, (614) 292-3114,  http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu/

Coaching Call To Action

Where are you creating the biggest value to your customers?  How do you know?  What is one action you could take this week to increase your value? Will you take this action?

Some Light Weeding

Posted on May 04 2012 | Tagged as: Business Owners, Coaches Being Mentored, Executives, Individuals, Managers, Tip of the Week

Coach Andrea’s Intro

It is springtime here in New England!  Trees are blooming, plants are growing and weeds are starting to appear.  This week’s Tip by Simon Tyler reminds us to take some time for light weeding – remove the negative clutter and provide a fertile ground for the growth of what’s truly important in your business and life.

Quote of the Week

“It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.”

~ Whitney Young Jr.

Some Light Weeding

By Simon Tyler

I have a great garden, yet would not describe myself in anyway as a gardener, or especially motivated to get to work on a flower bed. However walking around the garden in the sun this week allowed the weeding metaphor to hit me.

Weeds, although not dominant yet, are many and thriving. Within a few weeks they will dominate the beds and prevent the desired plants from flourishing. It doesn’t seem urgent right now to attend to the weeds, but once done the space for growth expands, and even creates the opportunity to add new plants.

You get the metaphor, yes? Our minds, desks, plans, shelves, diaries collect weeds. They seem unimportant and inoffensive until we hit the point where concentration suffers, focus is hindered, we get tired, lose sight of our goal, and the dream gets lost.

It is springtime, time to weed out the unwanted, create some space, allow the good stuff to grow, and the new ideas and initiatives to be planted.

My challenge to you…

Schedule 30 minutes this week to:

  • Weed your desk, your diary, your involvement in peripheral projects
  • Become mindful of and reduce watching, reading or listening to negative news, negative people
  • Fill any obvious gaps with meeting positive and inspiring people

Keep it simple and let me know how you get on.

Simon Tyler is one of the world’s leading business coaches. His work simplifies the lives of business leaders and owners. He is an incisive consultant, inspirational writer, provocative public speaker and master facilitator. To learn more about Simon, visit http://simontyler.com.

Coaching Call To Action

I love when nature reminds us of what we need to do in our business.  This week, in addition to Simon’s recommended activity, consider what else nature is reminding you to consider in your work life. For example: Be in the sun – spend time with those people and clients who “warm” you up.

Eight Reasons Why You Need a Business Coach

Posted on Apr 27 2012 | Tagged as: Business Owners, Coaches Being Mentored, Executives, Success, Tip of the Week

Coach Andrea’s Intro

Why is it that so many people think they have to “do it alone”? This week’s Tip shares the pluses of not doing it alone and hiring a business coach.

Quote of the Week

“You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world’s happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or is discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.”

~ Dale Carnegie

Eight Reasons Why You Need a Business Coach

By Andrea Novakowski

When I started my coaching business, one of the first things I did was get a coach of my own. I purposely chose someone who had built a successful coaching business herself. After all, why reinvent the wheel? I wanted to benefit from the expertise and support of someone who had already done what I was trying to do.

Later on, after my business was established, I was ready to develop another part of myself. So I found a coach who could help me grow my spiritual side.

My current coach is helping me change some behaviors that are no longer working for me. I’m learning to be less analytical and structured in situations that don’t require it, and having more fun in the process.  I picked each of these three coaches based on what I needed at a certain point in my business and in my personal life.

It’s lonely out there, but a good business coach can make it feel less lonely. Have you been feeling burnt out or stuck? Tired of trying to solve every problem yourself? Here are eight things a coach can do:

  • Provide an outside perspective. If your work situation is muddied with internal politics and history, your coach can give you guidance based on what happens in the real world. At the same time, she can use her experience to help you navigate tricky political waters.
  • Save your marriage. You know how when your spouse tells you something, it may not sound like a good idea, but coming from a professional it suddenly makes sense? Run your thoughts and ideas by your business coach – and take your spouse off the hook.
  • Give you a safe place to let your hair down. Go ahead, tell your coach the real story: she has no ulterior motives, nor any agenda except your agenda. Her feedback comes without strings attached. She has no stake, emotional or otherwise, in what you do with her suggestions.
  • Offer you her undivided attention. Your coaching session is a regular segment of time when you focus only on what is most important to you. It’s all about you and your success. Let’s be honest: where else in life can you find that?
  • Be your creativity partner. Often, when we’re faced with a problem, we get caught in the trap of circular thinking. Recycling the same ideas over and over. A good coach will bring a fresh set of insights. She’ll ask what you want to do with your ideas, and she’ll give you the motivation to move out of your head and into action.
  • Encourage you to dig deeper. It’s easy to get lost in the minutiae of a situation. A coach will help you get to the root of an issue by asking you what you’re not addressing – and what you’re going to do about it. She’ll keep you focused on the big picture.
  • Break a problem down into manageable action steps. As we all know, goal achievement never occurs in a straight line. If you’ve wandered off course, your coach will remind you of your desired goal and help you do a course correction.
  • Help you troubleshoot obstacles and challenges before they arise. Your coach has walked this road before, so she can point out possible stumbling blocks you might encounter.

Looking for a business coach? Seek out someone, as I did, who has expertise in what you want to accomplish. Then schedule a preliminary interview to make sure you’re comfortable working together. You’ll know when the chemistry is right between the two of you!

Coaching Call To Action

Is it time for you to stop doing it all alone?  List the top 3 ways you would benefit from hiring a coach. What is that support worth to you?  If you’d like to explore this further, call me at 508-231-0766 or email me at andrea@coachandrea.com.

Spring Cleaning for Leaders!

Posted on Apr 20 2012 | Tagged as: Business Owners, Coaches Being Mentored, Individuals, Tip of the Week

Coach Andrea’s Intro

Spring is a great time for us as leaders to look at ourselves and see what we can do to improve ourselves.  Chris Widener’s article will encourage you to do just that!

Quote of the Week

“Walk through life eager and open to self-improvement and that which is going to best help you evolve, because that’s really why we are here: to evolve as human beings.”

~ Oprah Winfrey

Spring Cleaning for Leaders!

By Chris Widener

Many of us are up to our eyeballs in spring cleaning around the house and yard, but how many of us give ourselves a personal and professional “spring cleaning?” Here are some ideas for us to clean out the old stuff so we can put in the new stuff for spring and achieve the kind of excellence we are looking for in our lives.

  1. Kick the habits. Okay, just how much do our habits affect us? Too much. It goes way beyond our own sense of personal guilt, though that should be enough reason to kick our bad habits. Instead, our habits are usually out there enough that our family and co-workers, including our boss, are acutely aware of them – and driven nuts by them. This in turn affects your ability to get ahead and achieve your dreams. Do yourself a favor, and do what it takes to kick your bad habits!
  2. Reconcile relationships. Take a look at three relationships that aren’t what they should be or aren’t what they used to be. Remember, relationships are the most important and precious of the gifts we have here on earth, so make an effort to get them in line. I have found in most cases, a simple phone call or lunch where I express the thought that I would like to improve the relationship, be it personal or professional, goes a long way.
  3. Get your finances in order. It is one thing to grumble, worry and complain. It is another to do something about it. Take some time this week to get a financial plan in order. In fact, pull out your calendar and schedule that time before you move to number 4. Be specific, and give yourself some goals and deadlines.
  4. Get in shape. Winter is over and the sun is starting to shine. Now your last excuse is GONE! If nothing else, walk a few times a week. I read recently that if the average person were to walk 2 miles 3 times a week for a year, they would lose 14 pounds without even changing their diet. Remember that this is the only body you get – take care of it, for yourself and your family.
  5. Learn something. One of the key characteristics of successful people is that they are learners. Why not take this fresh start we call spring and make a commitment to learn something new? Take a class, pick up a book, or, if you are really pressed for time, enroll in what Zig Zigler calls “Automobile University.” That is, buy some personal or professional audio tapes and learn while you drive. And if you don’t want to spend the money, I have found that the library has hundreds of these tapes.
  6. Reconnect with your spiritual side. I love spring because it symbolizes new life. I also love pursuing spiritual things because they breathe new life into me. We are spiritual people and to not strengthen that aspect of our lives is to operate like a three legged stool – we’ll always be tipping over!
  7. Pursue recreation. All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy – and Suzie a dull girl. Remember that recreation is to “re-create.” Because all of the work and stress of daily life works to break us down, we need to put a little fun back into the day so we are strengthened the next time we get back into the ring. Take some time off, do something fun, exciting, and exhilarating! Get rid of the stress and prepare yourself for the next hurdle.

Chris Widener is the President of Chris Widener International. www.ChrisWidener.com Chris can be reached at Chris@MadeForSuccess.com

Coaching Call To Action

This week’s Tip includes many ideas for the different parts of your life.  Choose one area that you want to focus on this spring so that come summer you can say, “I did it!  I made this change and this is the impact it has had.”

Truly Accomplishing Goals that Matter

Posted on Jan 27 2012 | Tagged as: Business Owners, Coaches Being Mentored, Executives, Goals, Individuals, Success, Tip of the Week

Coach Andrea’s Intro

A couple of weeks ago, I gave a talk to a group of highly enthusiastic and energized business owners in Concord, MA.  The time for creating goals for 2012 was upon us. About half of the group raised their hand when asked if they’d already created their goals for 2012.  Congratulations was in order!  Next, I asked if they believed they would accomplish these goals.  Not all of those hands remained raised.  This week’s Tip includes the 6 steps I used to help the business owners in Concord, as well as my clients, answer YES I Can!

Quote of the Week

“We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible.”

~ Vince Lombardi

Truly Accomplishing Goals that Matter

By Andrea Novakowski

Matthew, the owner of a computer services company, greeted me at his office door with a big smile. It was the first week of January and he’d completed his 2012 goals worksheet. He was excited to share with me the vision he’d created for himself and his business. But three weeks later, when I asked what actions he’d taken on his goals, Matthew’s smile turned to a frown. He’d already run out of gas.

He’d taken a few stabs at the goals, he said, but they all felt too big and distant, and there were competing priorities, and his customers were complaining… the list went on and on. So many distractions!

Did you set big goals for yourself this year? How are you progressing on them so far? If you’re like many people, you started out the year with great intentions, but now we’re nearing the end of January and reality has set in. Not much has really changed. The same roadblocks you ran up against in 2011 are still here in 2012.

I’ll tell you what I told Matthew. It’s not enough just to list what you want to accomplish. You also need to examine each of your goals and figure out why it’s important to you, how you plan to achieve it, and what you’ll do when problems arise.

1. Before you get to work, look deeper into each of your goals. Ask yourself:

  • What is the purpose of this goal? Why do you want to achieve it? How will it make a difference in your life or the lives of others?
  • What are the benefits of reaching this goal? Does it honor your values?
  • Deep down, do you really believe you can reach this goal? As Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right!”

2. Identify the potential obstacles that might get in the way of accomplishing your goals. Be especially honest with yourself about old habits or beliefs that might otherwise catch you by surprise, such as procrastination, perfectionism, burnout, negative self-talk, lack of know-how, or having too much to do.

3. Discover your solution. How are you going to overcome each obstacle? For instance, if you’re chronically over-scheduled, check out Stephen Covey’s Time Management Matrix. Set aside time on your calendar to work on your goals. Recognize which tasks need 100 percent of your effort, and which can be done at an 80 percent level. Delegate or ask for help.

4. Goals usually take many steps to achieve. Breaking your goals down into these concrete steps – making what’s called a “project plan” – will help you visualize exactly what it’s going to take to get from point A to point B. Once you’ve listed these action steps, write the next step on your calendar. That will help keep it in the front of your mind.

5. Measure backward. Sometimes, when you think about what you’re trying to accomplish, it may seem as if you’re not getting any closer. Try looking at where you were when you started working toward your goal and measure your progress from that point instead.

6. Build accountability into your plans. The more people you tell about your goal, the more support you’ll receive. Design a follow-up process that works for you. Check in with your supporters on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, quarterly).

Matthew nodded throughout our discussion: he realized that while he’d listed some worthy goals on his worksheet, he hadn’t considered the steps along the way, nor had he anticipated the obstacles he was likely to encounter. We spent the rest of Matthew’s coaching session discussing how he could regain the momentum he’d had at the beginning of January — and make real progress on the goals he’d set for himself!

Coaching Call To Action

This week, pull out your goals for 2012.  Which ones are moving along on track?  Congratulate yourself!  Which ones are already stalled?  Review the six steps above and determine your next step to move into action.

You Were Born to Be Brilliant

Posted on Jan 13 2012 | Tagged as: Business Owners, Executives, Individuals, Tip of the Week

Coach Andrea’s Intro

This week’s Tip by Nancy Solomon is a reminder to continue to step into your greatness.  You are here in this life to be you! Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Quote of the Week

“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it – but sail we must. And not drift, nor lie at anchor.”

~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

You Were Born to Be Brilliant

By Nancy D. Solomon

Embedded deep within our souls, in the very fiber of our DNA, is our blueprint for greatness.  Each one of us has our own unrivaled brand of genius, irrespective of the fact that we may repeatedly forget that.  It is as exclusive to us as our thighs, and as quirky as our personalities.  Denying our brilliance doesn’t make it any duller, ignoring it breeds nothing worth mentioning and avoiding it brings unnecessary pain, misery, and suffering.

We came into our lives to get something done, something unique to us.  Our impact can only be accomplished by us. There is no job sharing.  Nor is there a do-over or makeup class.  This is it.  We are the keeper of our message.

You will never know the magnitude of the possibilities of your impact unless you show up in life (Solomon, p. 11-12).

From:  Solomon, N. D., (2010).  Impact!: what every woman needs to know to go from invisible to invincible.  Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Reprinted with permission from the OSU Leadership Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, (614) 292-3114, http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu

Coaching Call To Action

Where are you wanting to show up more in your life?  Where can you shine your brilliance?

The DNA of Top Achievers!

Posted on Oct 28 2011 | Tagged as: Business Owners, Executives, Individuals, Managers, Tip of the Week

Coach Andrea’s Intro

The good news is you can learn to be a top achiever! In this week’s Tip, Chris Widener shares 6 traits you can build and develop to become successful. He also notes you don’t have to be born with these attributes. How many do you already possess?

Quote of the Week

“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world. You impoverish yourself if you forget this errand.”

~ Woodrow Wilson

The DNA of Top Achievers!

By Chris Widener

This got me to thinking about what makes up those who are top achievers. Is there a “DNA” to them? Obviously, all top achievers wouldn’t have the same literal DNA but what about a figurative DNA? Is there a common “gene” that they all have? Are there common “genes” perhaps? I think so!

If we could get right down to it, I think these are the genes we would find in the DNA of top achievers:

  • A predisposition to setting high, lofty goals. Top achievers are people who won’t and can’t settle for the status quo. They see average as a place they want to keep in the rear-view mirror. Instead, they continually look for ways to stretch themselves, to get better, to do better, to be better! They set their sights on goals that others have never even thought of. They want to shoot so high that even if they miss, they go higher than everyone else. This is what makes them top achievers.
  • An ability to focus intently upon reaching their desired destination. Many people can set high goals, but just as many people get sidetracked by one thing or another on their way to those goals. High, lofty goals usually take a while to get there so there will always be plenty of time to be tempted to stray away from the road that is taking you to those goals. Often, those things that sidetrack people are good things, but not the best things. Top achievers do not get sidetracked. They stay focused. They know where they are going. They have an ability to say “no” to the good things in order to get to the best things.
  • The willingness to personally sacrifice in order to get to their goal. When the going gets tough, many people quit. When the going gets tough personally, most people quit. When the going gets tough for top achievers, they remind themselves of the high, lofty goals they have set for themselves. They remind themselves of what an accomplishment it will be for them and that the reward is worth pushing through the momentary trials. They are willing to sacrifice personally in the short-term in order to get the reward and the prize long-term. Keeping their eyes on the big picture enables them to persevere through any personal pain they may experience.
  • A predisposition to tenacity. Tenacity is the ability to “keep on going.” Tough times? Keep on going! Financial troubles? Keep on going! People are suspect? Keep on going! You look like a dreamer? Keep on going! Tired? Keep on going! Want to quit and take it easy? Keep on going! Just remember this: Keep on going! The prize is ahead! Many people quit just before they were to get the reward, so keep on going!
  • The ability to see available resources and to use them accordingly. Those who are top achievers know that they cannot be lone-rangers on the way to the top. No one makes it by himself or herself. Top achievers recognize their weaknesses – the weaknesses that if they don’t cover will keep them from becoming a top achiever! They see their resources and they work to get them into a helping position so they can continue the route to becoming a top achiever. And they don’t use them, they utilize them. There is a big difference! People, finances, etc are all brought in to help by the top achiever.
  • A desire to help others achieve more for themselves as well. The top achiever knows that they can make a difference for others by becoming a top achiever. They know that the wealth they make can feed the hungry. They know that the position of influence they achieve can open a door for someone who may not normally get a chance. True top achievers look at how they can bring many with them, not how they can leave many in the dust. People are helped by the top achiever, not trampled upon!

I think if we could get to the DNA of top achievers, the things we talked about above would be at the core and fiber of their beings. What about you? Did you recognize yourself at all? I hope so! The good news about the DNA we are talking about today as opposed to real DNA is that you can go out and work on top achiever DNA whereas you are stuck with real DNA. So if you lack a little in the above-mentioned areas, take heart – you can get better and work on them so that you can become a top achiever!

Chris Widener is the Co-Founder of Chris Widener International, www.MadeForSuccess.net, a wealth of ongoing motivation and leadership skills training.

Coaching Call To Action

Chris provides great reminders of what it takes to be a top achiever.  The one that speaks to me this week is tenacity, the ability to keep on going.  I would add a qualifier – keep on going without causing pain/hurt to others.  We can become so driven that we don’t see the impact of our actions on those around us.  Which trait above speaks to you – with or without qualifiers?

Success is Supposed to Be Fun and Rewarding

Posted on Oct 07 2011 | Tagged as: Coaches Being Mentored, Executives, Individuals, Success, Tip of the Week

Coach Andrea’s Intro

Like Natalie Manor, this week’s Tip author, I, too, have had people come to me who don’t know how to be “successful.” They are working with someone else’s definition of success and when you do this it isn’t inspiring. Our work is to help people create their own definition of success – one that has you jump out of bed in the morning, enthusiastic about going for it! Read further to see that success can be anything you want it to be.

Quote of the Week

“The truth is that all of us attain the greatest success and happiness possible in this life whenever we use our native capacities to their greatest extent.”

~ Dr. Smiley Blanton

Success is Supposed to Be Fun and Rewarding

By Natalie Manor

I find so many of my clients who are angry at the idea of success.  They do not feel they can attain it nor do they want to try. For them “success” takes too much effort, time, and sacrifice. I have heard many of them say, “I don’t have the talent anyway.” Actually, success is the daily deeds we do in order to live our lives. One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, Ralph Waldo Emerson, said of success:

“What is Success?

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived;

This is to have succeeded.”

Success is not complicated. If you think about it, you are already very successful in many respects. Find out what success means to you and do it.

Natalie R. Manor, CEO is an author, business consultant, speaker and executive coach. Her company, Natalie Manor & Associates, is the ultimate resource for business leaders, executives, owners and managers who want to master their life and their business by Getting Clear, Getting Confident and Being Effective faster than ever before. You can register for her free bi-weekly articles at: http://www.nataliemanor.com/newsletter/subscribe.html

Coaching Call To Action

This week, take on Natalie’s challenge and find out what success means to you in all areas of your life. Where are you going for it and where are you stuck?  Congratulations for the areas where you are making progress.  In those areas where you aren’t, what’s one step you can take to get unstuck?

Reversing “Buts”

Posted on Sep 30 2011 | Tagged as: Business Owners, Coaches Being Mentored, Executives, Individuals, Managers, Success, Tip of the Week

Coach Andrea’s Intro

Michael Neill’s articles always provide a new tool that’s easy to use.  This week’s Tip has you turn around the word “but” to help you increase your success.

Quote of the Week

“Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power.”

~ Shirley MacLaine

Reversing “Buts”

By Michael Neill

I believe the credit for this one goes to John McWhirter, a UK-based NLP trainer. I originally came across it as a sales technique for handling objections, but I’ve used it a lot in my own personal development work….

How many times have you heard sentences like this?

“I’d like to hear more about your idea, but I haven’t got time right now.”
“I think you’re a really great person, but I’m not ready for a relationship.”
“It sounds great, but I can’t afford it.”

Most of us have learned to disregard whatever comes before the “but” and take the second half of the sentence as the speakers “actual” message. But what happens if you reverse the sentence, using the “but” as the pivot point, and then take things a step further in the direction we want them to go?

Try reading the following examples out loud, emphasizing the underlined phrase!:

“So you haven’t got time right now, but you’d love to hear more about this? When would be a better time to set up a meeting?”

“Let me see… you’re not ready for a relationship, but you think I’m a really great person? How about if we just hang out together for a while?”

“If I’m understanding you, you can’t afford it, but it sounds great? Well if it sounds great, let’s see if we can’t sort out a way for you to afford it!”

Today’s Experiment:

1. Complete the following sentence stems. You may complete each one as many different ways as you would like.

a. I want to be successful, but…
b. I want to be healthy, but…
c. I want to exercise, but…
d. I want to have more money, but…
e. I want a great relationship, but…
f.  I want to be true to myself, but…

2. Choose your favorite completions from part one. Reverse the “but”, and sell yourself on a new belief!

Example:

  1. I want to have more money, but I don’t want to do more work.
  2. I don’t want to do more work, but I do want to have more money. What are twenty things I could do to make more money with less work?

Have fun and learn heaps!

Copyright 2011 Michael Neill, author of Supercoach: 10 Secrets to Transform Anyone’s Life.  All rights reserved – Read more tips at www.Supercoach.com.

Coaching Call To Action

This week do what Michael suggests.  I bet you will have some ah-ha’s (and perhaps some ha-ha’s)!

Seven Questions to Ask Yourself to Get Better Results

Posted on Aug 19 2011 | Tagged as: Business Owners, Executives, Goals, Success, Tip of the Week

Coach Andrea’s Intro

Periodically, the most important action you can take to improve your results is to stop.  Then assess, looking both forward and backward. This week’s Tip by Dr. Alan Zimmerman provides a simple exercise you can do whether you are sitting down with your first cup of coffee for the day or taking your first sip of wine watching the sunset. Grab your journal and pen and answer the questions below.

Quote of the Week

“Progress is the product of human agency. Things get better because we make them better. Things go wrong when we get too comfortable, when we fail to take risks or seize opportunities.”

~ Susan Rice

Seven Questions to Ask Yourself to Get Better Results

By Dr. Alan Zimmerman

We’ve all heard the motivational speakers preach the message of “Ya gotta have goals.” And they’re right. “Ya gotta have goals.”

That’s a very important start in any endeavor, but it’s not enough to guarantee your success. In addition to HAVING some goals, you’ve got to do some PERIODIC CHECKING to see if you’re going in the right direction and making sufficient progress towards your goals.

I recommend the following seven questions. They’ll keep your goals in the forefront of your mind, and they’ll help you stay on track … doing the right things to achieve your goals as you avoid the inevitable pitfalls.

  1. What three things could prevent you from achieving your goals in the next six months?
  2. What is the single biggest opportunity you will have to grow personally and professionally in the next twelve months?
  3. If you were able to do last week over again, what one thing would you do differently to have better results?
  4. If you were able to do last month over again, what three things would you do differently to have better results?
  5. Are you spending your time in a way that delivers the best possible results?
  6. What one thing can you stop doing today that will give you more time?
  7. If it were entirely up to you, what would you change in your work?

They’re great questions. And every time you ask yourself these questions, you’re going to get a payoff.

As published in Art Sobczak’s Smart Calling newsletter and from Dr. Alan Zimmerman’s Internet newsletter, the ‘Tuesday Tip.’ For your own personal, free subscription to the ‘Tuesday Tip,’ go to http://www.DrZimmerman.com

Coaching Call To Action

Alan has provided great questions that I’m going to spend time answering Monday afternoon as I do my monthly business planning. How about you? When will you set aside time to assess your business?

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