Posts in Meandering Genius

Personal Strategic Plan

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How do you create a personal strategic plan? How do you live your life with purpose and direction?

1️⃣ Determine what you ultimately want to do with your life. My Want: Travel first class, sightsee, and play golf.

2️⃣ Determine how you could get someone to pay for that, so you don’t have to. My Plan: Companies pay for a day-long visit of coaching, speaking, and training. I stay in that area for a week, sightseeing and golfing.

3️⃣ Determine what you have to look like for someone to pay for that. My Expectation: Companies will pay for a published #author and accomplished #speaker with a #PhD, strong business #experience, and #certifications, who had a strong #network of connections.

4️⃣ Determine the gap between where you are and how long it will take to get there. My Gap: No degree, never published, only experience in the military, strong military network only, just starting out with Toastmasters, and no certifications. Estimated time to close the gap: 20 years.

Developing your personal strategic plan is really just that simple.

20 years ago, I started on my journey — a journey of living my life with purpose and direction; not on autopilot.

Interested in learning more…message me.

#success #incubator #business #coaching #consultants

Commitment

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Entrepreneurs: Would you move from a 5,000 sq ft home to a 360 sq ft recreation vehicle for 2.5 years for your business?

How committed are you to your business?

What are you willing to risk for it?

How hard are you willing to work?

In 2016, we made a decision to buy a 100-acre piece of property and open a horse farm. Our decision meant moving onto the property and selling our “forever” home.

However, that meant that we couldn’t buy the property, start a business, AND build a new home. So, we bought a fifth wheel to live in temporarily until our house sold.

We expected that to take about six months.

Two and a half years later, we finally sold our home and were able to move into our new house on the property.

Being successful requires more than dedication — it requires commitment, the state or quality of being totally dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.

For entrepreneurs, commitment is paramount.

Entrepreneurs take risks, give up comforts, and go all-in.

What’s your commitment story?

#business #success #incubator #coaching #consulting

Spot the risk!

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What’s wrong with this picture? Can anyone spot  the risk? Why do we care about pans in business? 樂

If you’re a cook, or a parent of young kids, you probably noticed the potential issue.

For many, this obvious flaw might have gone unnoticed.

See the handle of the gold pan? See how it protrudes out in front of the stove?

This presents a potentially unsafe situation. Someone could easily bump the handle and knock the hot pan and its contents onto themselves or the floor. A child, being ever inquisitive, might reach up and grab the handle.

So, to be safe, you keep the handles turned to the side to help prevent an avoidable bad situation.

Why is this important in business?

How often do you take the time to study your company and assess your potential risks?

Do you have any pans on the stove that might be accidently bumped and burn someone?

Disaster, crisis, and risk management is a very important part of running a business. Unfortunately, business owners often have trouble seeing the forest through all the trees.

Annually, a business should examine its company and the environment, identify risks, determine likelihood and impact, and establish mitigation strategies.

Are their any pans protruding in your business?

#business #success #incubator #coaching #consultants

Your thoughts on planning

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Businesses fail for many reasons. However, at the nexus of almost every reason — there was no plan.

Business owners know they need a plan, but 9 times out of 10 don’t have one.

Even for those 10% that do have a plan, most (70%) fail to achieve the strategic changes desired.

As I write my book, Think Big, Take Small Steps, help me see if these numbers are accurate.

I welcome your thoughts on strategic planning.

– Too difficult
– A waste of time
– Too ridged and not agile
– Don’t see the importance
– Takes too much time
– Don’t know how
– …

Your thoughts and engagement are much appreciated!!!

#business #success #incubator #coaching #consultants
#strategicplanning #thinkbig

What is micromanagement?

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Is telling managers  how they should manage, micromanagement? 路‍♂️

Recently, I saw a post on LinkedIn that was telling managers to, “Stop being a micromanager.”

Of course, the post didn’t say how to stop…just that micromanaging is bad and those that do it drive employees away.

When I said something (questioning), the response was simply, “They should stop their BS.”

No conversation…no discussion. I’m right, you’re wrong, do what I tell you. What does that sound like?

Why do managers micromanage?

Could it be that no one has told them what causes micromanagement, how to identify it, and what to do about it?

I don’t think managers wake up in the morning and say, “I’m going to micromanage my people today!”

Micromanagement is basically telling your people the way to do something without telling them how or why. Micromanagement is always stepping in and doing it for them and correcting mistakes yourself.

I believe, telling managers to stop micromanaging (Stop their BS) without teaching how or why, is essentially micromanagement of managers. Stepping in and managing yourself or removing a micromanager is micromanagement.

#business #success #incubator #coaching #consultants

Do you have a vision?

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Do you have a Vision?

A Vision is something you can see, but isn’t there.

A Vision is something you can feel, but can’t be touched.

A Vision is what drives people without anything being said.

A Vision is a place we’ve never been, but want to go.

A Vision is something you can achieve, even though it’s bigger than you.

A Vision is in your grasp, even when its just out of reach.

What is your Vision?

#business #success #incubator #coaching #consultants
#strategicplanning

Breakthrough Silos

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Breaking ⛏ Through Siloed  Organizations  First Requires Leadership Awareness! 類

Silos exist in practically every company, business, and organization. For profit or non profit … doesn’t matter. I’ve even identified silos in solo proprietorships.

The natural tendency of leaders is to “tear down the silos.”

Oh, I’m sure you’ve heard it all before … maybe you’ve even said it.

Everyone knows silos are bad!!!

Right?

Unfortunately, very few know why silos exist in the first place.

Unfortunately, very few understand why and who created the silos.

And, unfortunately, very few understand why playing “whack a silo” in your company doesn’t work!

The first step in dealing with silos in your organization is to learn why they formed in the first place and why you’ll NEVER get rid of them.

I challenge you to read Overcoming Organizational Myopia and learn not only why they form, but how to deal with them.

Increase your awareness!!!

#success #incubator #business #coaching #consultants
#overcomingorganizationalmyopia

Volunteer Leadership

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Want to be a great leader…learn to lead volunteers.

In 1992, a mentor of mine, in the Air Force, got me involved in a volunteer leadership role with a professional military organization.

I completely failed in the position.

But, I didn’t quit. I stuck with that organization as an active leader through 2008 (my retirement). In fact, I’m still a life member and assist other leaders now and again.

When I started out as a volunteer leader, I knew nothing about volunteering or leadership — I was just a young junior enlisted member.

What I learned … unimaginable.

Today, I run two nonprofit organizations that my wife and I founded. We keep them small and serve niche needs in our community.

It’s our way we give back constantly to our community. Better than giving to a faceless charity with zero control on how your money and efforts are spent, huh?

Want to learn how to lead?

Lead volunteers.

Want to learn how to lead an organization.

Become a volunteer leader of a nonprofit.

The perfect place to start is Toastmasters International. Their nonprofit program has a leadership and speaking tracks that teaches you how to be a great leader.

What have been your volunteer experiences?

#success #incubator #business #coaching #consultants
#leadership #volunteering

Is consistency key?

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Pre-COVID Boss to Employee: We need to be consistent in our operations, processes, and products.

Post-COVID Boss to Employee: Consistency in our operations, processes, and products is killing us.

Consistency is Key   — Right?

But, what if it isn’t?

What if Consistency is Killing  Your Business?

Consistency essentially means to do things the same…right? And that’s a good thing! Or is it? 樂

As businesses all over the world ran headlong into COVID-19, many of them tried to continue doing what they’ve always done…regardless of the changing environment.

Innovative companies — maybe not so consistent companies — quickly adjusted and continued to operate.

So, is consistency really key or what?

Many a business has been left behind due to consistency … Blockbuster, Kodak, KMart, etc.

Standard work is good…yes. Having consistency in operations, processes, and products is good. As long as your constantly evaluating effectiveness and can quickly change with the environment.

Is it time to reevaluate consistency?

#success #incubator #business #coaching #consultants
#consistency #covid19 #coronavirus

Reopening

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What’s your plan  to reopen your business? Do you even have one? 路‍♂️

Do you feel you even need a plan?

What’s a business to do…just reopen their doors and start serving customers again?

What precautions should you take?

Will your employees come back or do you need to hire and train new ones?

Will you be busy or slow?

How will people know you’re open?

Last week, I visited a restaurant that has reopened. It was lunch on Sunday.

Everything shined it was so clean.

On every table, they had paper napkins, a clear spray bottle of some liquid (unmarked), and a bunch of individual hand sanitizer gel packs.

I could see that some if the tables had been moved — probably six foot rule.

Our waiter wore a mask (all employees did)…no gloves. The bartenders wore gloves.

All total, aside from the two of us, there were nine patrons — yea, I counted.

Visible employees were a hostess, two waiters, two bartenders, and a manager.

The manager came by to thank us for visiting…he wore his mask under his nose to breathe better.

Do you think they had a plan?

If they did, do you think they were following it?

Should a business, reopening after the COVID Lockdown, have a plan to reopen?

#success #incubator #business #coaching #consultants
#covid19 #coronavirus #reopening