Thinking Differently

January 27, 2016 | Business Growth

THINKING DIFFERENTLY

Last week I discussed a quote that has been attributed to Albert Einstein: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Another great quote by this amazing individual is: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Both of these are exceptional quotes and they go hand in hand. My thought is that the problem quote most likely preceded the one on insanity. Often we as business owners try to solve problems that we have encountered using the same knowledge that got us into the situation to begin with. We have not spent time reflecting on the cause of the problems, gone out and tried to gain greater knowledge and information, nor have we availed ourselves of a mentor, expert or other individual that perhaps has already experienced similar problems and comes with an outside perspective. We tackle the problem with the same knowledge, experience and level of thinking that got us into the problem to begin with; thus, doing the same thing over again and expecting different results.

If we want a different outcome in our business we need to step back from it and see it from a different perspective. Often business owners are so deep in the weeds they cannot see clearly what is really going on. In order to see our current state we have to slow down, step back and have a 30,000’ viewpoint. Once we are out of the weeds and we see things from a different perspective we can better determine how to proceed. Then we should be proactive and seek new knowledge, including help from others around us, to determine a different alternative to the thinking that created the problem to begin with avoiding the insanity of doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.

Need help getting out of the weeds and seeing your business from a different perspective? Give us a call. We can help.

http://www.garyfurrconsulting.com

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JUST SAY NO

January 12, 2016 | Business Growth

JUST SAY NO

Just Say No! Some of us will remember back to 1982 when Nancy Reagan, the First Lady at the time, while interacting with some school children was asked the question, what to do when someone approached them and offered them drugs?

Her response was to; “Just Say No”. In 1986 President Reagan signed a proclamation creating the first Just Say No drug week. And the slogan became a National and International slogan to reduce drug use. By 1988 there were over 12,000 Just Say No clubs across the world. The results were that there was a significant drop in cocaine use in schools.

As I interact with business owners and we discuss how busy they are, perhaps it’s time again to break out the slogan; Just Say No, but this time it should be in regards to time wasters or busyness that take us away for achieving the results we desire.

Many business owners think that because they are busy, they are being productive, and this is not always the case. Too many of business owners, executives and staff are distracted by clutter, white noise and lack of clear direction and priorities.

As I write this blog post we are now in the 10^th day of the New Year. In my last post I suggested that we take some time to reflect on 2015 and what went well and what didn’t go so well. I asked the question what can we do better in order to make 2016 our best year ever.

I suggested that we ask ourselves the following questions:

How can you develop more clarity of direction?
How can you develop a relentless focus to succeed?
How can you become more disciplined to accomplish your goals for 2016?
How can you make 2016 the most extraordinary year ever?

Another question we should ask ourselves is what do we need to say no too, in order to focus on our priorities?

Everyday we are faced with multiple opportunities to be involved in some sort of activity, whether it is a fundraiser, meeting, club, networking event or a million other activities that will take our time away from focusing on our priorities.

Time is a very limited resource. We only have so much time and once the clock strikes 12, we are out of time. If we want to have greater success in 2016 personally and professionally, we have to take charge of our time and learn to Just Say No to activities that take us away from focusing on our priorities. In order to be more focused, we need to learn to Just Say No.

We need to take charge of our lives personally and professionally. Learn to eliminate the distractions and get more focused on what will move you closer to achieving a more successful 2016. Focus on your priorities and Just Say No to everything else.

Want a more successful 2016 then your 2015? Give us a call; we can help you make dramatic improvements in your effectiveness. http://www.garyfurrconsulting.com

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Make 2016 YOUR BEST YEAR EVER!

January 5, 2016 | Business Growth

MAKE 2016 YOUR BEST YEAR EVER!

As we start a New Year, it is a good time to reflect on 2015, and ask ourselves some serious questions. Our goal is to make 2016 a much better year then 2015. But in order to do so, we need to take time to reflect on the past. What has gone well, what could we do better and what are we going to do to make 2016 our best year ever?

Here are some things to think about:

1) What went well this last year?

List the things that you accomplished.
Compare the list to your goals that you set for last year.
How did you do? What can you do better?

2) What didn’t go so well this last year?

What can you improve on moving forward?
What strategies have you already tried to improve your business that worked or didn’t work?

3) What do you want to accomplish in this New Year?

What is your vision for 2016, 2017 and 2018?
What will be your goals be in the next 90-days to help you accomplish your vision?
What do you think you need to do to double your business this year?

4) How can you develop more clarity of direction?

5) How can you develop a relentless focus to succeed?

6) How can you become more disciplined to accomplish your goals?

7) How can you make 2016 the most extraordinary year ever?

These are just a few of the questions you can ask to ensure that you have a prosperous 2016. The coming year will turn out as you choose it to do so. But we must choose our direction and focus intently on achieving success. We must be more intentional. It doesn’t happen in a void.

We can help you plan for the most successful year ever. Give us a call.

We are here to help you achieve dramatic success in your coming year.

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BUSINESS PROBLEMS IN CHINA

December 3, 2015 | Business Growth

BUSINESS PROBLEMS IN CHINA

I was in China for the week of Thanksgiving. I didn’t go to China to celebrate Thanksgiving, since they don’t celebrate it there, but I went at the request of a client to see if I could help them with their problem project.

I have been to China before and the flight has not gotten any shorter, but the planes are certainly more comfortable then in years past and there are many more opportunities to be entertained while flying.

Running a business in China has a greater number of hurdles to jump over then here in the U.S. There is a lot of government involvement in China. Supplies are much more difficult to acquire, there is the language barrier and a number of other things, too many to mention. But there are a lot of similarities to business in the U.S. and business in China as well.

It doesn’t matter which country you are in or what business you are in, if you do not have a clear direction of where you want the business to go, there will be problems. If your staff and employees are unclear of the direction of the company, additional problems will occur. This lack of clear direction usually results in unclear communication as well. After all, if we don’t know where we are going, how can we communicate effectively to direct our staff and employee on what is the end result we are looking for is?

I have written about clarity of direction numerous times and the need to have a clear vision of where the company is going in order to create a plan on how they are going to get there. Without clear direction, it’s difficult or impossible to come up with an executable plan. It doesn’t matter if you are in the U.S, China, Russia or any other country. Clarity of direction is the start of creating and running a successful company.

I didn’t completely miss out on Thanksgiving. A group of expats had a turkey brought from the U.S. through Shanghai and made a traditional Thanksgiving dinner of which I was able to participate. And it was delicious. I also ate too much.

Are you struggling with developing a clear direction for your business? Call us. We can make a dramatic improvement in your organizational effectiveness.

Here is an interesting article on 5 Mistakes Small Business Owners Should Avoid: https://www.lendgenius.com/blog/5-mistakes-small-business-owners-avoid/

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It’s Thanksgiving, Give Yourself a Break

November 24, 2015 | Business Leadership

It’s Thanksgiving, Give Yourself a Break

Every year when Thanksgiving rolls around, we’re inspired to look within and consider the things we should be thankful for in life and in business. But it’s also important to take the time this season as a way to consider all your hard work this year and celebrate the strides you’ve made, both large and small – to look back and recognize the achievements you’ve made, especially over the last year. Remember it’s about progress, not perfection, give yourself a break. This year, as you celebrate Thanksgiving with your family and friends, remember to celebrate yourself as well and take a few days off!

If you can’t leave your business unattended or you don’t have someone who can fill in and you don’t want to close up shop, then it’s time to look at your systems and processes. Lets dedicate 2016 to putting strategies and plans in place to become the business owner you’re meant to be, one that works on their business rather then always in it.

In the meantime, if you can’t take a full-fledged break from the business, at least give yourself some small reprieves. Commit to planning time to spend with family and friends. Understand what you need to be happy and take breaks when you need them! Time is a precious resource and we only have so much of it. We can always make another dollar, but we can’t make another minute of time. Give yourself a break.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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STOP IT

November 17, 2015 | Business Growth

STOP IT

Peter Drucker once said: “We spend a lot of time teaching leaders what to do. We don’t spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop. Half the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to stop doing.”

This is largely because we get credit for doing something good and we rarely get any kind of credit when we stop doing something not so good.

As Marshall Goldsmith says in his book: What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There, they are the flip side of the same coin. Stopping some behaviors gets no attention but can be as crucial as everything else combined.

I run into many business leaders who could benefit from a Stop Doing List in addition to their To Do List. But we rarely take time to create such a list. Many of these business leaders are dealing with too much distraction in their business and personal lives and have not taken the time to think about what they shouldn’t be doing.

If we want to accelerate our performance, we need to learn to say no and stop doing those things that take us away from focusing on that which has the greatest ROI of our time, energy and money. When we are dealing with too much distraction, the day, week, and month slips by and we haven’t done anything.

We need to take our lives back and get focused on those activities that will have the greatest ROI of our time, energy and money. These are limited resources and need to be used wisely. How we invest these resources is critical to our success. We need to aggressively focus on distraction removal.

If you need assistance eliminating the distraction in your business and to get more focused, give us a call. We are experts in dramatically improving your individual and organizational effectiveness.

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Business is very much like playing Poker: Part Two

November 10, 2015 | Business Strategy

BUSINESS IS VERY MUCH LIKE PLAYING POKER: Part Two

Continuing Tony Hsieh’s comparison between business and playing poker and the lesson learned along the way, from his book; Delivering Happiness.

STRATEGY

Don’t play games you don’t understand, even if you see lots of other people making money from them.
Figure out the game when the stakes aren’t high.
Don’t cheat. Cheaters never win in the long run.
Stick to your principles.
You need to adjust your style of play throughout the night as the dynamics of the game change. Be flexible.
Be patient and think long-term.
The players with the most stamina and focus usually win.
Differentiate yourself. Do the opposite of what the rest of the table is doing.
Hope is not a good plan.
Don’t let yourself go “on tilt.” It’s much more cost effective to take a break, walk around, or leave the game for the night.

CONTINUAL LEARNING

Educate yourself. Read books and learn from others who have done it before.
Learn by doing. Theory is nice, but nothing replaces actual experience.
Learn by surrounding yourself with talented players.
Just because you win a hand doesn’t mean you’re good and you don’t have more learning to do. You may have just been lucky.
Don’t be afraid to ask for advice.

CULTURE

You’ve gotta love the game. To become really good, you need to live it and sleep it.
Don’t be cocky. Don’t be flashy. There’s always someone better than you.
Be nice and make friends. It’s a small community.
Share what you’ve learned with others.
Look for opportunities beyond just the game you sat down to play. You never know whom you’re going to meet, including new friends for life or new business contacts.
Have fun. The game is a lot more enjoyable when you’re trying to do more than just make money.

Do you want to Deliver Happiness in your business and take it to the next level? We can dramatically improve your individual and organizational effectiveness. You can take advantage of a mentor, coach and consultant or you can make mistakes. Which makes more sense? What are you waiting for? Give us a call.

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BUSINESS IS SIMILAR TO PLAYING POKER: Part One

November 4, 2015 | Business Strategy

BUSINESS IS SIMILAR TO PLAYING POKER

I have the opportunity to be associated with a very smart and successful businessman, and we were having coffee recently. He told me about a book that he enjoyed reading and asked if I had read it. I had not. Then on Saturday the book showed up in my mailbox as a gift from him and I started reading it that afternoon. This is a very good book and I finished it on Sunday, 24 hours later.

Thank you Nick Footer with in2itive search a website design and SEO company located here in Oregon.

http://www.in2itivesearch.com

Because of the length of this blog post, I will divide it up into two posts.

Delivering Happiness, A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose was written by Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com.

It is Tony’s story of success from starting a worm farm, to running a pizza business, to ultimately having Zappos acquired by Amazon for $1.2 Billion.

One of the analogies he used that I found fascinating was his comparison between business and playing poker and the lesson learned along the way.

BUSINESS IS SIMILAR TO PLAYING POKER

EVALUATING MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES

Table selection is the most important decision you can make.
It’s okay to switch tables if you discover it’s too hard to win at your table.
If there are too many competitors (some irrational or inexperienced), even if you’re the best it’s a lot harder to win.

MARKETING AND BRANDING

Act weak when strong, act strong when weak. Know when to bluff.
Your “Brand” is important.
Help shape the stories that people are telling about you.

FINANCIALS

Always be prepared for the worst possible scenario.
The guy who wins the most hands is not the guy who makes the most money in the long run.
The guy who never loses a hand is not the guy who makes the most money in the long run.
Go for positive expected value, not what’s least risky.
Make sure your bankroll is large enough for the game you’re playing and the risk’s you’re taking.
Play only with what you can afford to lose.
Remember that it’s a long game. You will win or lose individual hands or sessions, but it’s what happens in the long-term that matters.

Stay tuned next week to the conclusion of Business is similar to playing poker.

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GROW YOUR BUSINESS BY 30,40 OR 50% WITHOUT ANY CAPITAL INVESTMENT?

October 6, 2015 | Business Finance Banking

GROW YOUR BUSINESS BY 30,40 OR 50% WITHOUT
CAPITAL INVESTMENT?
Do you want to grow your business without any capital investment?

I frequently meet business owners that say they want to grow their business. The main reason they often want to do so, is that they are not making enough money.

But few will actually do anything about it. Most will continue to do the same things over and over and expect different results. We all know how that plays out and the definition of doing so. Many business owners can’t seem to break out of their comfort zone and they keep thinking it will get better. Maybe if I work even harder it will get better, if I try this new X, it will get better, but then it doesn’t.

We have to get out of our comfort zone and that takes making changes. And like most people, businesses often don’t change until the pain to remain the same is greater than the pain to change. It often takes a crisis to get individuals and businesses to change.

Are you going to wait for a crisis before you take action to change your business for the better? Are you going to wait until the wheels start to come off before you take the steps necessary to change your business or are you going to make a significant difference and grow your business by 30, 40, or even 50% without additional capital investment. Want to learn how?

It takes courage to ask for help. Do you want to make more money, have less stress and more free time? Hire a coach/consultant to help you. Only the best people have coaches. Only the best bother to get coached. Why shouldn’t you?

Find out how we are able to make dramatic improvements in our client’s success from 30% to 420% without any capital investment. Have the courage to give us a call. 503-312-3145

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BUSINESS BONDAGE

September 23, 2015 | Business Strategy

BUSINESS BONDAGE

IS YOUR BUSINESS LIKE A BALL AND CHAIN?

Many owners/managers feel like a prisoner to their business. They feel that the weight of everyday operations is like a ball and chain around their ankle or possibly their neck.

What are the common causes of such business owner bondage? How does the chain get tighter and tighter?

After working with a variety of business owners, I believe the following five to be the most common causes of business bondage: (1) technical tendencies, (2) busyness, (3) ineffective leadership and delegation, (4) inadequate or missing business systems, and (5) growing business complexities.

Technical Tendencies:

Habits determine destiny. Too many entrepreneurs are former technicians now performing as owners. They think they are entrepreneurs, but they don’t act that way. As once accomplished technicians, they have a hard time letting go of such expertise and familiarity. They remain trapped in a technical comfort zone, mindset and work approach. Sadly, such technical expertise is insufficient for managing a business. Moreover, they fail to develop the visionary, strategic, and leadership skills necessary to run a successful business

Busyness:

Many owners confuse activity with accomplishment. They confuse busyness with results. Hard work with smart work. Perspiration with purpose. Efficiency (doing things right) with effectiveness (doing the right things). Instead of working smarter, many owners hold tight to the delusion that working harder and harder is the solution. They keep trying to shift into higher and higher gears. The more the business grows, the harder they work, the more imprisoned they become. No matter how much energy you expend, however, lack of clarity and poor strategy inevitably leads to poor results – less freedom and more headaches. It is like trying to catch fish in a pond with your bare hands. No matter how many hours you work or how deep you wade, a poor strategy leads to poor results – there won’t be a fish dinner!

Ineffective Leadership & Delegation:

Far too many small business owners are by default small leaders. Instead of leadership, they excel at doer-ship. They are micromanagers that like to touch and control everything. They trust no one but themselves. They believe “no one does it as well as me”. They seldom delegate, if at all. They mistake such busyness for business leadership. Instead of thinking and leading like owners, most think and behave like employees. Instead of reflecting and planning, they excel at sweating and doing. They act like they have a job instead of owning a business. To lead effectively, one must trust others. Not developing their leadership potential costs them dearly

Inadequate or Missing Business Systems:

A vast majority of owners don’t know how to design a new business or re-engineer an existing one to be more systems-oriented and professionally equipped with plans, procedures and policies. As a result, entrepreneurs don’t create and document the processes (specific and repeatable ways to do something), procedures and policies that allow for well organized, smoothly running, easier-to-manage companies. Without defining and documenting the specific work that needs to be done, owners can’t delegate effectively and eventually remove themselves from their technical roles. As a result, owners are forever feeling “out of control”. Tragically, most entrepreneurs have unknowingly, reactively and accidentally created an owner-centered and owner-dependent company. They are trapped!

Growing Business Complexities:

A growing business with its increasing number of customers, transactions and problems will eventually crush a business not properly designed and prepared to handle such growth. Without effective leadership and adequate business systems (an integrated web of processes), a growing company does not stand a chance. Growing pains are unavoidable. Producing predictable and consistent results will be nearly impossible. By failing to plan for growth, you are by default planning to fail.

Busyness, technical bias, poor delegation, inadequate leadership and business systems, and the growing complexities of a business lead to a life sentence of working on the chain gang – your company. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way. A willingness to change, can serve as your “get out of jail free card”. We can help you to escape the blues and the tyranny of technical busyness. You will no longer have to be the jack-of-all-trades for your company. Growing pains will subside. You will learn to be master, not servant. You will learn to lead more and work less. You will learn to shape your company by design, not by default.

What are you waiting for? How much longer are you going to wear that ball and chain? Call us today! We can dramatically improve your individual and organizational effectiveness.

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Author name: Gary Furr