Work Less, Do More, and Have a Great Life!

Work Less, Do More, and Have a Great Life!:

As you head into 2012, here’s a simple thought to keep in mind. Sometimes what we care most about seems like an afterthought, but it really isn’t. Here’s how to make sure you don’t get lost in 2012.

Please read the rest of this article by my friend:

Stever Robbins, <http://www.SteverRobbins.com>  serial entrepreneur, productivity expert, adjunct lecturer at Babson College, and host of the top-10 iTunes podcast, The Get-it-Done Guy <http://www.getitdoneguy.com> . You can find more of his work at http://www.SteverRobbins.com.

Entrepreneurs ... are they Born OR Made?

It's a very interesting question and the answer is still up for debate!

We've set up a Poll on Linked-In and hope to share some of those responses with you following its close at the end of January 2012. 

If you have a Profile on Linkedin, please take a moment to vote in that poll at: http://t.co/5RIHzsME

PLUS - we'd love to hear your comments on this question ... 

"Are Entrepreneurs Born OR Made?"  

What are your thought on either side of that debate?

Success is a Team Effort!

As we were preparing a POST for our ProVision - Mentorship BLOG, we came across some wonderful information related to Andrew Carnegie.

The following can be found on the Website for the Carnegie Mellon Institute of Technology at: http://www.cit.cmu.edu/giving/index.html

Andrew Carnegie was a penniless Scottish immigrant who became a steel-maker, controlling over 25% of American steel production by 1899.  By 1902, he was the richest man in the world.  But if that was his only legacy, by his own words, Carnegie would have "died disgraced."

"There is no class so pitiably wretched," he said, "as that which possesses money and nothing else."

Over the course of his lifetime, Andrew Carnegie would give away over $350 million dollars. In today's economy, those gifts would surpass a half billion.  Most of us don't have $350 million dollars, much less a half a billion, but we can make choices about how to use the money we do have.  We can decide to make an impact.

The inscription on Andrew Carnegie's tombstone reads, "Here lies a man who knew how to enlist the service of better men than himself."

As we ponder those words, I am reminded that SUCCESS in virtually any field of endeavour is more likely to come only after years of dedication and discipline.  The reality is that this "success" has often taken years to achieve. Furthermore, there are truly very few success stories that are genuinely 'solo efforts'. The work that we do, and the work of other successful people has almost always involved others who have in some way played a part in the advancement of that effort.  (As was noted on Andrew Carnegie’s tombstone.)

That's why we believe that success is a 'team' effort!  It is possible to achieve success and help others to be successful in their development. That's why Mentorship is so important in the development of people.  Mentorship helps people to more quickly and more fully develop their full potential.  And that's why we've added these resources and made them FREELY AVAILABLE for anyone who is looking at developing their potential. 

View some of the video clips that we've put together.  We trust that you will enjoy and learn from our many interviews with people spanning a wide variety of careers and industry sectors.  

Visit our YouTube Channel at:
    http://www.youtube.com/user/ProvisionMentorship

Please feel free to comment on, and pass along the URL for our Mentorship and Business Success BLOGs.

The Biggest Challenge I Had to Overcome

Who doesn't love a good success story?  There's something that really inspires us when we hear of the challenges that others have overcome to reach success.  When it comes to "Success Stories", I'm reminded of the perspective that Dan Jelinski shared in our video clip, “Everyday Heroes” - one of several videos in our "Stories that Mentor" Series.  Dan describes the three stages found in the classic, Hero's Journey.  View his video now on our YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ProvisionMentorship    or at the direct link provided here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eUwW4QTHRE )

Perhaps you've got a story of overcoming a challenge!  Why not take a few moments to share it with others?  We'd love to hear from you!

Here's the perfect opportunity for you to express your unique story, of facing and overcoming some of the biggest challenges that a business owner may face along the road to success. 

Try using this simple framework to help guide you:

1) Tell us a little about the background and nature of the business.

2) What was the situation that you were facing? (The problem or challenge.)

3) What were some of the options that you considered, and the pros/cons associated with them?

4) What was your decision, how did you proceed, and what was the outcome?

5) Were there some lessons learned from the experience?  What would you do differently if you were given the opportunity to face that challenge again?

We welcome your contributions to this POST, and encourage you to provide a SECOND POST with your contact information.  This will be helpful because editing of your post is not permitted.  Having your contact information separately will allow us to get in touch with you for any further clarification and perhaps an interview for one of our future video clips on Business Success!  Thanks - We're looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Small Business Statistics in Canada

Every now and again I'm asked for information on how many small businesses there are in Canada. Here are some recent statistics that were recently compiled by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) related to small business in Canada:

Interested in how much small businesses contribute to Canada's economy?

Want to know how many small businesses are there in Canada, or how many people they employ? 

More information is available at: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/10-surprising-stats-small-business-canada-095704808.html

Canada - One of the Best Countries for Small Business

Please forgive me for doing something that Canadians are not known for doing ... but I couldn't resist 'running this up the flagpole' and letting others see this article. 

By all means, please read the full article in the Oct 31, 2011 Financial Post, written by Eric Lam   – http://business.financialpost.com/2011/10/31/world-beaters-for-startups/

Canada is one of the best countries among the G20 for small business owners, but there is still plenty of room for improvement, especially as the country will need to lean on younger entrepreneurs coming out of the current recession, Ernst & Young said in a new business barometer released Monday.

The study, prepared for the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Summit in Nice, France, that starts Monday, surveyed 1,000 entrepreneurs across the G20 (50 in each country).

It found Canada is among the leaders in several areas, including business confidence, startup costs, strong banking sector, and good coaching and education programs for young entrepreneurs.

“There is only one G20 country – Canada – that can claim that high levels of confidence among entrepreneurs in their country are reflected in a similarly high number of new businesses registered,” the authors of the study said. “For all other countries there are significant opportunities for improvement on one or both of these key measures.”

Read the full article in the Financial Post at: http://business.financialpost.com/2011/10/31/world-beaters-for-startups/

Working with Others Successfully

We recently had opportunity to take in the now world-famous production, STOMP.  Perhaps you've heard of it ... and, I'd be really surprised if you haven't!  :)


To be truthful, I wasn't really sure what we were going to be 'in for', but I anticipated that it would be LOUD. So, yes - I came prepared!  I had a set of ear plugs, just in case the volume became too overwhelming, and I also brought a couple of extra sets of ear plugs that I could pass along to others in our little group ... again, just in case they were needed!


Well ... I am pleased to let you know that the ear plugs were NOT required. In fact, the entire evening was a very pleasant surprise and totally enjoyable. VERY INTERACTIVE with the audience, funny, captivating, a definite production to take in - great for kids too!


NOW ... WITH RESPECT TO WORKING WITH OTHERS ... there isn't much getting away from it, is there?  You may operate your business as a sole practitioner, independent contractor, proprietor etc. BUT the reality is that every business is dependant upon OTHERS for their success!  The 'others' that I am referring to could include: customers, suppliers, employees, sub-contractors, funders, regulators, just to mention a few. The key to success is to find a way to work with the important 'others' that are a part of our lives.


We invite your suggestions in a comment to this POST, on HOW CAN WE BETTER WORK WITH OTHERS?


REGARDING "STOMP": (from http://www.stomp.co.uk/about/)

STOMP is a group of people, with very strong personalities, who work together using simple building blocks to create something complex , something everyone can identify with: everyone has, at some time, to engage in group activity, whether they like or know the people they are working with or not. It’s the little idiosyncrasies, the differences between people, and the games of one-upmanship that ensue, which define the group dynamic.

STOMP has no words – everyone can understand it. It has little or no melody in the traditional sense, so it doesn’t matter if your taste in music is jazz, classical, dance or pop. STOMP is about rhythm, which is common to all cultures. Everyone knows rhythm, if only from the beating of their own heart – it is the basis of all music.

BTW - there is a very funny sketch on NBC's Website from Saturday Night Live that I recommend you watch. It was referenced on the STOMP Website and comes with their endorsement!

Link to the SNL Digital Short: Stomp

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/snl-digital-short-stomp/1359562

"Success Thoughts"

I've been having a great time putting together a few "Success Thoughts" over the past month, and I'd like to share a few of them with you now.  Your comments, additions or contributions that will be helpful to others are welcome! (Feel free to share an example that supports one of the "Success Thoughts" listed here, although you may want to remove personal and business names in order to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of those involved!)

On Making Connections with Others: 

There is a very real difference between making "contact" and making "connection" with someone else. We all have contacts on a daily basis, but most of them are handled as ‘a matter of course’, providing a piece of information, a referral, or something that is similarly efficient. Sadly, real connections seem to be few and far between, so making an effort to build deeper relationships, with stronger connections, has great value and should be cultivated by us - at home, in our communities and in our places of work.

 

On Goal Setting: 

If you think about the importance of having a sense of purpose for your life, then Goal Setting really becomes a natural extension from that. If you know your purpose you will want to know your progress in relation to that purpose. The way to measure progress is by taking stock of the smaller goals that you have reached along the 'path' that is your life.

On Winning:
When we approach situations in life there is a tendency to think of someone Winning and therefore, someone else is going to be losing. Long-term, successful relationships are based upon finding creative ways to establish a "win-win" relationship. A "win-win" relationship will last infinitely longer than the one where the other party discovers that they have come out on the short end of the relationship. Therefore, real Winning needs to be "Win-Win".

What's Stopping You from Starting a Business?

Earlier this year (June 2011), I added a Post to this BLOG that mentioned some of the good research that the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has done. In a more recent study commissioned by CFIB, done in partnership with Hewlett-Packard (Canada) Co. and Intel of Canada, Ltd. - Angus Reid was commissioned to complete two opinion polls in order to better understand the public's opinions about small business. While many factors were addressed, it took an important look at aspects impacting entrepreneurship and conditions important to maintaining a vibrant small business sector in Canada.

Overall, the report highlights the high level of respect that the majority of Canadians place upon small business. Through the report, small businesses share a number of valuable insights related to the early stages of their development, and their plans for the future, including the use of technology.  

See the full report on the CFIB Website.  As of the date of this Post, it was located at:  http://www.cfib-fcei.ca/cfib-documents/rr3231.pdf

One of the highlights included the following CFIB Question and assessment that came after 2,028 responses to the Angus Reid Forum poll.

Question: What prevents you from going into business for yourself?

CFIB Comments:  The answer is that there is much at stake in terms of financing and risk. The biggest barrier to business ownership was the lack of money (57 per cent). The public’s views are very much in line with findings from CFIB’s Banking Matters report, which shows that 61 per cent of business owners had trouble securing term financing or a loan from their bank. (CFIB, 2007)   The next biggest barriers are the amount of risk involved (40 per cent) and uncertainty about the success of the business (36 per cent).

Other reasons included:
   Lack of skills or knowledge (29 per cent)
   Lack of resources (22 per cent)
   Lack of time (21 per cent)
   Other (19 per cent)
   Lack of support from friends and family (5 per cent)

SO - What do you feel holds people back from starting the business of their dreams?

Reducing the Risk - Having a Business Plan

BUSINESS PLANS - Those who start their own business are often called risk-takers. While there is some degree of risk attached to being an entrepreneur, having researched the opportunity and completed a through business plan will help to reduce the risk. This allows you to consider the potential impact associated with many of the variables you may face. It will help you to make better decisions when you need to face the changes that occur along the way.

I invite you to re-visit my POST of April 2011 which also addressed the topic of Business Plans, and then add some comments regarding what RISKS seem to be the most daunting for those thinking of starting a business.

Moving from the Dream, to Business Success

In having worked with many entrepreneurs who had a vision for a new product or service, I know that all of them believed that their business ventures would be a success.  But there is more to success than just believing. 

I had opportunity a few days ago to view a special video clip that was done by John Maxwell. For those not familiar with John - John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, coach, and author who has sold over 19 million books. His various organizations have trained more than 5 million leaders worldwide. Maxwell has three books that have each sold more than one million copies: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader Within You, and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader.

I encourage you to view the video clip while it remains available. As John talked about relationships that we are “... either repairing or we are preparing”, I was reminded of that phrase, “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.”  Preparing for success is vitally important if we want to walk the “Path towards Success.” 

The question that I have for you in this post is, What can a person actually do to start moving their business dream forward and head towards that goal of 'business success'? 

View John Maxwell's video clip at:  http://johnmaxwellteam.com/success-path

Has "multi-tasking" been over-rated?

I read an article a few months ago that mentioned the number of messages, or pieces of information we are bombarded with on a daily basis. The author was talking about how difficult it seems to have become to concentrate on any one thing for an extended period of time. Have you found that to be true?

We live in a multi-media age that seems to frame discussions into 'video clips' and 'sound bites'. In our individual lives, we take on a myriad of things to do, and it often seems that a lot of our energy is spent trying to re-focus our attention in order to get to the point where we can address the next pressing priority of the moment. I wonder if that time could have been better spent in actually addressing the issues themselves. In other words, our first problem is getting to the place where we can properly address the problem!

Has the perceived value of "multi-tasking" been over-rated? How many things can you really focus on and do well?  What does multi-tasking" mean to you? How have you balanced the various "in-boxes" on your desk?

Please share your thoughts with a COMMENT to this POST.

Asking, "Why" Five Times

Do you remember when you were younger ... how many people did you drive 'crazy' with that one simple question, "Why?"  But when it comes to making improvements in business, asking "Why" is a very good question to ask. In fact, you may have heard of "Asking Why Five Times" which I understand has it's roots with Toyota (speaking of driving)! 

Here is something on Toyota's philosophy of asking, "Why" Five Times.

We come across problems in all sorts of situations in life, but according to Taiichi Ohno, pioneer of the Toyota Production System in the 1950s, "Having no problems is the biggest problem of all."  Ohno saw a problem not as a negative, but in fact as "a kaizen* opportunity in disguise."  Whenever one cropped up, he used to encourage his staff to explore problems first-hand until their root causes were found. "Observe the production floor without preconceptions," he would advise.  "Ask ‘why’ five times about every matter."  Source:  http://www.toyota-global.com/company/toyota_traditions/quality/mar_apr_2006.html

* Kaizen : In Japanese, the definition of Kaizen is "improvement" and particularly, "Continuous Improvement"-- slow, incremental but constant.

Here is the example that Toyota uses to describe the application of "Asking Why 5 times":

1. 
   

   "Why did the robot stop?"

   The circuit has overloaded, causing a fuse to blow.



2. 
   

   "Why is the circuit overloaded?"

   There was insufficient lubrication on the bearings, so they locked up.



3. 
   

   "Why was there insufficient lubrication on the bearings?"

   The oil pump on the robot is not circulating sufficient oil.



4. 
   

   "Why is the pump not circulating sufficient oil?"

   The pump intake is clogged with metal shavings.



5. 
   

   "Why is the intake clogged with metal shavings?"

   Because there is no filter on the pump.

How could asking why 5 times help you get to the root cause of a problem that is keeping you from success?

Success - A Sense of Satisfaction

Every now and again I come across little pieces of information, stories or anecdotes that remind me that it is a wonderful thing to find satisfaction in what you do for a living. Perhaps you've seen statistics related to this and how a large percentage of the working population have an underlying sense of discontentment in the work that they do.

Perhaps you can add some additional stories to this section, but here's one about the mechanic and the surgeon that I located on the Internet at: <http://www.businessballs.com/inspirational_motivational_quotes.htm#come_to_the_edge_inspirational_poem_quote>
   

A heart surgeon took his car to his local garage for a regular service, where he usually exchanged a little friendly banter with the owner, a skilled but not especially wealthy mechanic.

"So tell me," says the mechanic, "I've been wondering about what we both do for a living, and how much more you get paid than me ..."

"Yes?..." says the surgeon.

"Well look at this," says the mechanic, as he worked on a big complicated engine, "I check how it's running, open it up, fix the valves, and put it all back together so it works good as new... We basically do the same job don't we? And yet you are paid ten times what I am - how do you explain that?"

The surgeon thought for a moment, and smiling gently, replied,"Try it with the engine running..."

Who's Helped You Reach Business Success?

When it comes to Business Success, I am reminded of the fact that success is rarely a solo endeavour. More often than not, there have been many people involved in the advancement of a business venture. While they may not always be seen in the ownership structure or on the payroll, the input, direction and efforts of many who are outside of the firm have often contributed significantly to the success of the venture.

So my question is: Who's helped you reach "Business Success"?

Keeping that thought in mind, the celebration of success is also very important. And what a wonderful time of celebration we had on the evening of Friday, June 24, 2011 as many gathered to honour Pat Klak, Executive Director at Leduc-Nisku Economic Development Authority. Retiring from this role, Pat has been a terrific role model, a tireless team builder and an outstanding leader in her community. In the midst of all of the accolades that evening, I lost count of how many times the word "Mentor" was mentioned in the various tributes. Mentorship has obviously been important in Pat's life and it has been very evident in her style of helping others to find success.

I was pleased to also reconnected with Grant McDowell, Lead Pastor at the Leduc Alliance Church. Grant has been actively involved in community development. Just a few months ago, Grant shared his unique perspectives on Mentorship with me, which can be seen on my YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/ProvisionMentorship

Client Service, and Angry Clients

One of my favorite comments to share with business audiences is simply this: "Without a client, you don't have a business."  Think about it for a moment - where would we be without clients, customers, shoppers, members? Yet, how often do we fail to fully appreciate the importance of those who choose to purchase our products or services?

Clearly, one of the keys to business success is to have a strong client base that not only buys what you have to sell, but become strong advocates and supporters for your business.  

Now, while we would all love to always have "happy clients", that isn't always the case. Sometimes we have clients that are less than satisfied with some aspect of our business. Something went wrong, didn't work as described, wasn't delivered on time, arrived damaged, came in the wrong size or colour. There are many things that could be the source of potential client dissatisfaction.

I recently had an opportunity to share some ideas on how to deal with "Angry Clients".  Hopefully your experiences with angry clients will be few and far between, but when the time comes, I trust that these comments will be helpful to you.

Here are a couple of thoughts to start. Please feel free to add a few of your own ideas as comments to this post!

When dealing with an angry client, make the effort to be:

POLITE – Try to appreciate that the "angry client" is likely at that state, not because of you personally, but rather, they are more likely to be angry because of repeated frustrations that they have encountered. A combination of things have not gone the way they anticipated. It will be helpful to remember that causing further agitate for the client is not going to improve the situation. It will be important to listen to the client, recognize what they have experienced, reassure them that you want to help them find a solution, or next step (as may be appropriate). 

PATIENT – When working with an "angry client" it is important to exercise an extra measure of patience. Listen carefully and try to understand what the client has experienced. Find out what went wrong, look for the root causes, and put the wheels in motion to fix things to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future. (It's a part of the cycle of continuous learning and improvement.)

POSITIVE – While it may be tempting to argue with an "angry client", a more successful outcome is likely to be achieved through positioning yourself as someone who wants to help the client find a satisfactory solution. In a very real sense, we should be thankful that they have brought the problem to our attention. Take the approach that you and your client are on the same team -  that by working together, a better solution will be found for your clients, today, and well into the future!

Secrets of entrepreneurial success ... What are they?

I was in Calgary awhile ago and had opportunity to speak with Richard Truscott - Director of Provincial Affairs at Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) following a presentation that he made to a business audience. The CFIB has done a great job of regularly seeking the opinions of their membership - currently, over 108,000 small business owners from coast-to-coast. With that kind of input, the CFIB has well represented the interests of the small business community to all three levels of government in Canada for the past 40 years.

In an April 2011 CFIB report, "Secrets of entrepreneurial success", by Nicole Troster, Research Analyst, you can discover some of the "keys to success" that every business owner should review.

In the opening comments, Troster writes: "Ever wonder what makes entrepreneurs successful? Business owners attributed their success to employees, customer loyalty and just plain hard work. And in return, entrepreneurs help to build communities by giving back to the very people that support them."

Read more in the full report that can be seen at: http://www.cfib-fcei.ca/cfib-documents/rr3223.pdf

The CEO's Challenge - Moving the Business Forward

I love that little phrase: "It's amazing how much can be accomplished when we're not worried about who gets the credit!" How does a business, or an organization instil a sense of teamwork and collaboration, and yet provide appropriate recognition for the contributions that are made by the individuals within the group? The scenario applies to the world of business, but we likely see more evident of it in the world of sports! While a team may have many good players, every team has a few that are recognized as being the stars - extremely talented and gifted athletes. Yet, these are often the same people who openly acknowledge that their 'lights shine brightest' when they work in synch with their fellow teammates. They realize that the collective efforts of the entire team has contributed to their success.

Oh yes, there can be some real challenges when it comes to working together, and ultimately, that responsibility falls to the owners, who if not personally active within the business, appoint others into positions of leadership to act on their behalf. Somewhere in this mix is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

In doing some research on the role of the CEO, I came across a wonderful series of articles written by Stever Robbins, which I encourage you to read in full. Stever provides a number of great insights that will benefit anyone in a leadership role within a business or other type of organization that gets results through the efforts of other people. Please see the note and link provided at the end of this post. I've asked Stever for permission to quote him and appreciate his "teamwork" on this one! (Thanks Stever.)  

Admit it. We all feel a touch of awe when someone has it: the CEO title. The power, the salary, and the chance to Be The Boss. It’s worthy of awe!

Too bad so few CEOs are good at what they do. ... Many don’t know what their job should be, and few of those can pull it off well. The job is simple—very simple. But it’s not easy at all. What is a CEO’s job?

More than with any other job, the responsibilities of a CEO diverge from the duties and the measurement.

A CEO’s responsibilities: everything, especially in a startup. The CEO is responsible for the success or failure of the company. Operations, marketing, strategy, financing, creation of company culture, human resources, hiring, firing, compliance with safety regulations, sales, PR, etc.—it all falls on the CEO’s shoulders.

The CEO’s duties are what she actually does, the responsibilities she doesn’t delegate.  Some things can’t be delegated. Creating culture, building the senior management team, financing road shows, and, indeed, the delegation itself can be done only by the CEO.

Many start-up CEOs think fund-raising is their most important duty.  I disagree. Fund-raising is necessary, but the CEOs contribution is in building a superb business with the money raised.

What is the CEO’s main duty? Setting strategy and vision. The senior management team can help develop strategy. Investors can approve a business plan. But the CEO ultimately sets the direction. Which markets will the company enter? Against which competitors? With what product lines? How will the company differentiate itself? The CEO decides, sets budgets, forms partnerships, and hires a team to steer the company accordingly.

The CEO’s second duty is building culture. Work gets done through people, and people are profoundly affected by culture. A lousy place to work can drive away high performers.  After all, they have their pick of places to work. And a great place to work can attract and retain the very best.

Culture is built in dozens of ways, and the CEO sets the tone.  Her every action—or inaction—sends cultural messages ... Clothes send signals about how formal the workplace is. Who she talks to signals who is and isn’t important. How she treats mistakes (feedback or failure?)  sends signals about risk-taking. Who she fires, what she puts up with, and what she rewards shape the culture powerfully. [A great example is provided by Stever related to expressing or withholding appreciation for jobs that are well done, and the motivation or demotivate that may result.]

Team-building is the CEO’s #3 duty. The CEO hires, fires, and leads the senior management team.  They, in turn, hire, fire, and lead the rest of the organization.

The CEO must be able to hire and fire non-performers. She must resolve differences between senior team members, and keep them working together in a common direction. She sets direction by communicating the strategy and vision of where the company is going. Strategy sets a direction. With clear direction, the team can rally together and make it happen.

Don’t underestimate the power of setting direction. In 1991, at Intuit’s new employee orientation, CEO Scott Cook presented his vision of Intuit as the center of computerized personal finance.  Intuit had just 120 employees and one product. Ten years later, it’s a billion-dollar company with thousands of employees and dozens of products. Worldwide, it is the winner in personal finance, bar none. The success is due in no small part to every Intuit employee knowing and sharing the company’s vision and strategy.

If vision is where the company is going, values tell how the company gets there.  Values outline acceptable behavior. The CEO conveys values through actions and reactions to others. Slipping a ship schedule to meet quality levels sends a message of valuing quality. Not over-celebrating a team’s heroic recovery when they could have avoided a problem altogether sends a message about prevention versus damage control.  People take their cues about interpersonal values—trust, honesty, openness—from CEO’s actions as well.

Capital allocation is the CEO’s #4 duty. The CEO sets budgets within the firm. She funds projects which support the strategy, and ramps down projects which lose money or don’t support the strategy. She considers carefully the company’s major expenditures, and manages the firm’s capital.  If the company can’t use each dollar raised from investors to produce at least $1 of shareholder value, she decides when to return money to the investors. Some CEOs don’t consider themselves financial people, but at the end of the day, it is their decisions that determine the company’s financial fate.

This article was written by Stever Robbins, <http://www.SteverRobbins.com>  serial entrepreneur, productivity expert, adjunct lecturer at Babson College, and host of the top-10 iTunes podcast, The Get-it-Done Guy <http://www.getitdoneguy.com> . You can find more of his work at http://www.SteverRobbins.com.

For the balance of this article and much more related to the role of the CEO, go to: http://www.steverrobbins.com/articles/ceojob#part1

Vision, MIssion and Values ...

How much thought should the business owner give to developing their vision, mission, and values? We had some great discussion around that subject with the group that participated in the 2011 BUSINESS START-UP SEMINAR SERIES, "Building the Basics of Your Business" - hosted by the Sherwood Park and District Chamber of Commerce and Strathcona County Economic Development and Tourism.

An interesting statistic was brought out by Tyler Westover, Small Business and Tourism Specialist with Strathcona County:  

● 71% of people surveyed said that they, “make it a point to buy brands from companies whose values are similar to my own.” (Source: Young & Rubicam, August 2010.)

 Sourced from Trendwatching.com - March/April briefing.

With that thought in mind, trying to find a way to connect what you the owner value, with the things that are valued by your target audience can make a huge difference in your potential business success.

As presented to the audience that gathered, your business can be 'the canvas' upon which you paint a masterpiece for the world to view. When they look at your business, what is the picture that they will see? Does it accurately reflect the image that you want them to have of you, and what you value?


WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS and COMMENTS?

Business Plans ... Do they help?

One of the things that I've found very helpful for people in business or going into business is to develop a business plan. The challenge is to overcome the temptation of saying to yourself, "I really don't need a business plan."  There are in fact, several very good reasons that you should have one, as I recently explained to a group of potential entrepreneurs in Sherwood Park, located just east of Edmonton, Alberta.  

This spring, I was very pleased to again facilitate the BUSINESS START-UP SERIES that was hosted by Strathcona County Economic Development and Tourism, and the Sherwood Park and District Chamber of Commerce. While some of the attendees were already 'up and running' most were still in the early stages of setting up their businesses.  Attendees were all eager to gather insights and information from the experts participating and appreciated the valuable learning that took place, with the generous support of the series sponsors: RBC Financial and Servus Credit Union.

For more information on "Business Plans" and a look at my video clip talking about it's importance, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgJmkqNwD5g

Shifting the Culture within an Organization

How do you create, or in the case of an existing business, shift the CULTURE within an organization?


Please share some of your secrets, because (as I'm sure you've noticed) this can be a huge challenge! 


1) Here is an exercise that I sometimes have people consider when I speak with audiences of potential entrepreneurs. This can also be adapted for audiences comprised of existing business owners as well. Simply, step back from the busyness of your current activities and allow yourself for a few moments to focus on your business from the perspective of planning to set it up.  Of course, this is easier to do if you haven't actually started the business! However, for those who are already up and running, use your imagination to take you back to that point in time just prior to starting the business.  


Now, think of your business as being a 'blank canvas' onto which you have the opportunity to paint a picture, any picture of your choice. Ask yourself the following questions: "What picture will you paint on that canvas? What is the image that will be portrayed to the outside world? What impression will others have of your business, and by extension, of you, its owner? What picture they will see?"

I believe that it is easier to shape the culture of your organization if you plan in advance, deciding what you want that culture to be. Change is challenging for most people to make. We tend to get comfortable with the way that things are, the status-quo. Even when we know that a proposed change will be beneficial, we tend to resist change. (File that under 'Strange, but true'.)

2) Related to this, I recently spoke with John Kuypers, author of the newly published, Who’s the Driver Anyway? Making the Shift To A Collaborative Team Culture. John is a collaborative leadership and productivity expert, and he kindly sent me a wealth of information. (Thanks John)


What you see below is a portion of John Kuyper's article called, 
How to Shift the Sales Culture in Your Company

After describing his experience in attempting to shift the sales culture in a business where he was the VP of Sales, John said it was akin to catching a tiger by the tail, John writes: 

"What I wish I knew then was a concept called Time Frame.  It explains the role of each level in the organization.  I adapted it from the work of Elliott Jaques of Requisite Organization fame.   Time frame helps everyone get that this is the way successful organizations function, and what it means for each level’s role in building a high-functioning team.  ...   Today, leaders need to engage employees and that means teaching everyone what it means to work together as a collaborative team within a hierarchical structure.  Leaders at all levels need to know how to shift and share decision-making power up and down the organization.  It is a skill and any leader who manages people needs to learn it or face severe consequences in the 21st century ...  Command and control is dying and collaboration is the new leadership style."

Learn more at www.performanceshift.com  and www.whosthedriveranyway.com

A Better Way to Business Success - PRME

Jonas Haertle, Elsie Elford & Jim Ewing

I enjoyed recently meeting Mr. Jonas Haertle, Head of the Principles for Responsible Management Education, (PRME) secretariat to the UN Global Compact Office.

Jonas was in Edmonton, Alberta for MacEwan University's, School of Business -  Global Awareness Week and the announcement of their signing on to PRME. With the official signing, MacEwan joins educational institutions and associations from around the world who are committed to achieving a more inclusive and sustainable global economy. You can find the PRME principles and more information regarding this initiative at: http://www.unprme.org/

While attending this event, I was also very pleased to have an extended conversation with Dean of MacEwan's School of Business, Elsie Elford. Thank you for your kind invitation to be with you and witness this significant event. Let me wish you, your colleagues and your many students the best of success in the future!

Question: What are your thoughts on the 6 principles that form the foundation of PRME? Are these reasonable expectations in a global economy - our shared 'global' village? What obligations, if any, should business have to the various stakeholders that they impact?

Click on the title for this Post to enjoy the video that MacEwan posted on YouTube ... and please add your comments here. Thanks

How can a Business Plan help you Succeed?

You've likely heard the well known phrase: "Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail".  In fact, it's one that I've used many times over the past 15 years in the "Preparing Your Business Plan" Learning Session that I've presented at The Business Link Business Service Centre.  One thing that I mention to my audience is that even if you were to develop the best business plan possible, there is still no guarantee of having a successful business venture. 


Why is that? One reason is that things will very likely have changed from the time that you prepared your business plan, to the time of its implementation. Having said that, I still believe that your chances of success are significantly improved by developing and following a solid business plan.


If you would like to view a short video clip of what goes into a business plan, please take a look at the video that I did for The Business Link a few years ago. Simply click on the video clip icon with my picture, which can be seen at: www.canadabusiness.ab.ca/start-up


ALSO:


* Plan to attend the next "Preparing Your Business Plan" session if you can. Check for details and the complete schedule at:    www.canadabusiness.ab.ca/sessions )


* Be sure to search for additional resources related to, "Business Plans" on The Business Link's website at:     www.canadabusiness.ab.ca