Dealing With Difficult People

This is a topic that keeps coming up in professional circles over and over. Why such a hot topic? Is the world filled with horribly rude people, stepping on each others' toes? Well, while there are some horribly rude people out there, but the vast majority of "difficult" people are just like you -and me. People who get things done, people who are in a hurry, people who have trouble hearing or speaking are often seen as difficult. Regular people, me and you, can easily be seen as "difficult" in some situations. Which leads me to the first tip in Dealing With Difficult People:

Consider this about a difficult person:
They might just be having a bad day. See them as a regular person, and look to give them a temporary pass for their behavior. This works wonders for most encounters of the difficult kind.

But what if it's someone you know fairly well and they are a pain all the time? A temporary pass isn't going to cut it...

Realize this one key trait about chronically difficult people:

They are still human beings. Sure, they are rude and put a major cramp in people's days all over the place. How can they be so selfish? Can't they see that they are causing so much trouble? Maybe, but what if they don't realize it, or they have something going on in their life that is much bigger than a little rudeness? In this case, put yourself in their shoes and consider what the causes might be. Even if this doesn't change things, it may help you understand them better. Yes, you may need to use your imagination!

Seek to understand.  It is critical to realize that we are not all coming from the same frame of reference. What is tolerated or even revered behavior in some families or cultures could be considered in poor taste or downright unethical in others. When two people are not comparing apples to apples, they will likely never have full understanding. Realize too that people have different "wiring" in their brains; different ways of perceiving and dealing with the world around them, and of interacting with others. No approach is necessarily wrong, they are all just different. Attempt non-judging. If you don't respect them, it's very likely they don't respect you and see your behaviors as equally offensive (although you do not intend this outcome).

Pinpoint the specific areas of difficulty.
When dealing with a person, consider them as a whole person with only a few areas that need work instead of the reverse. a "halo effect" which assumes the worst about all things regarding them. Once you are able to separate the behaviors from the person, you are well on your way to better interactions with them.

Show them how it's done.
You know that saying about not worrying about your neighbors trash cans when your own lawn needs mowing?  Focus on making your own improvements regardless of how masterful you may be.  Strive for perfection if need be, becoming a better communicator and colleague/family member/friend.  Not only does it benefit you, but you can show those "difficult" people how it's done. Remember that the energy you bring to every conversation is being broadcast out through your words, actions, and even your thoughts.

Prepare for interaction.
Take a few minutes before anticipated or scheduled meeting times to consider what you'd really like to see happen. Remind yourself they are a human being, and who knows maybe they are going through some personal tragedy that they don't talk about. Be the best example of a master communicator that you can be. Take the high road and assume positive intent, seek to understand their point of view , and even forgive their trespasses, acknowledging that no one is perfect.

Smile, knowing you are a better person for it.
Communicate With Confidence.

Communicate With Confidence

Confidence.  A priceless trait of master communicators and successful people everywhere... 

How much confidence makes for just the right amount?  Most people are willing to acknowledge they would like more confidence, especially when communicating in business and relationships.  What follows are some concepts and techniques to help you create and exhibit more confidence in your communication:

The Message
What's the point? In order to communicate with confidence, you must first know what outcome you would like from your communication.  What response or reaction are you hoping for?  Once you've identifed the point, determine the key parts of the message and the best format, whether spoken, written, or otherwise communicated.

The Audience
You must also identify some of the traits of your audience, whether one person or a packed auditorium.  What matters to them? Understand that regardless of your audience, almost everyone feels some degree of attention deficit, overstimulation, and/or overwhelm in our modern time. Concise, clear communication is always best.

An easy technique for holding others' attention is to express a specific number of items to follow and a succinct summary of each, to build on the concept of tell them what you're going to tell them-- because it lets them know exactly how long they have to pay attention. i.e. "There are 2 primary reasons our team should _____; the first is X, and the second is Y."  Elaborate through meaningful examples or illustrative stories when appropriate, but be sure to cover the important points clearly. 

Say More With Less
Direct communication is underused in our society.  Many people fear being rude, but it's important to realize succinct comments don't have to be robotic or terse.  Clear communication is a courtesy worth extending to everyone.

Leverage Your Expertise
Everyone is an expert on something, on some level.  Therefore, anyone can strive to comfortable, or even worthy of, addressing a particular topic with others. Even if you don't necessarily feel like an expert, build your case (to yourself if helpful) before you start speaking so that you communicate with a feeling of authority.  Comments that dilute a good point, express self doubt, or are thinking out loud such as "Well, let's think about this" "It's just my opinion" "What do you think?" "I'm not really sure, but..." may result in your audience wondering why they are listening to you, and your message will be lessened significantly.  Use words and non verbal communication to make clear that you are intelligent, credible, and a powerful, dynamic person. 

Prepare to deliver your message; practice when you can.  The more important it is to you that your message be received well, the more preparation can help get the job done.  Although it doesn't have to be time-consuming, there is no substitute; and as a bonus, preparation builds your confidence automatically.  As an example, even professional speakers prepare and practice when giving a speech.  For us Regular Joes, whether you are giving a speech on stage, asking your boss for a promotion, asking a prospect for business, or asking your sweetheart something important, the best way I've discovered to prepare for a successful presentation is to 1) Write everything out exactly, as though you might read from a script,  in your own words.  2) Read it out loud several times all the way through, and share it with a trusted advisor if you have one, and practice your timing if needed.  3) Only memorize the main points by making an outline, highlighting, or using note cards, etc.... 3) Dress appropriately for the occasion and in a manner that boosts your confidence, get to the location early, remind yourself that you have prepared well, then picture the audience responding the way you'd like them to. 4) Forget about your detailed script and focus on delivering your message so that the audience benefits.

ACTIONS:
1. Practice clear, concise messaging: craft 2 sentences that say as much as possible in as few words as possible. (Hint: Ernest Hemingway was a master.)
2.  Use the technique above for enumerating how many points you have, then quickly summarizing them.  Do you notice a difference in your audience's reactions?

Visualize It

Visualization is a simple, yet powerful technique to achieve what you want.

Many experts agree that the skill of visualization is more important than natural talent for successful athletes. Need I say more? You might fall into the trap of assuming it's too hard or too "foofy" to actually take a few minutes to visualize what you want to happen. And yes, it's human nature to avoid things that require even a little bit of effort.

What if you knew visualization was fool-proof and/or could get you something you wanted? Hmmm...what if you were on a gameshow and in order to win the $100,000 prize you had to prove you could visualize winning the prize on the show. They could stick sensors to your head to measure brain activity and give you 30 seconds to complete the task. Could you do it? Would you hesitate?

It's easy.
The average person easily visualizes what they do NOT want to happen, many times a day. You are familiar with this; it may be a coworker with an offhand comment about "worst-case scenario." This is a great skill, because it is a proven way to influence the future (more on this in another post) -- BUT when considering worst-case scenarios verus best-case scenarios, which do you think yields more desirable results?

What's stopping you?
"Seems too hard." "Not sure how." "I don't know what to picture." Let's cover how-to here. Think about your car and the way the seat feels under you, the feel of the steering wheel, and the sensation of accelerating to pass. Ok, now do NOT picture your house right now. Whatever you do, don't think of the way the door looks, the style of the handle, or your favorite place to sit and watch TV. Congratulations! You just visualized. That's it. Easy.

It's always on, so use it to your advantage.
Now you know that it works either way: when you want to think of something, or when you are just going along with what someone else brought up. Wouldn't you rather think about YOU? OK, start now. Consider what you are working toward. How does it feel in the moment you just realized you achieved the big goal? Where are you, what sensations are you experiencing? Describe it as though you are sharing the story with another person and you want them to get the full effect. Although the first time you do this, it could take a bit of time to determine the details, every time you picture it afterward, it comes faster and more clearly. There you go, you are visualzing your success! In just a few minutes.

ACTIONS:
1. Write down what you want to achieve.
2. Picture yourself achieving it, from your own perspective (as it feels in your own body to experience it).
3. Now, add some color and detail to the story, and write down this updated description.
4. Picture it once a day for the rest of this week, and twice daily every day next week.

Now you see it; now you see it.
Yeah, exactly.



Want some ways to make this easier and more fun? Check out some fantastic Vision Board Software. Download it and create a beautiful custom visual presentation to use on your computers and phones - in just minutes. I have it and I love it!

Are You Setting Goals, Uh-Hem, Properly?

Are you setting your goals with the idea that you will achieve them?

It may sound like a rhetorical question, yet it is not. Now I understand quite well that there a lot of people out there who prefer not to set goals or think about them. This post is for the rest of you.

It's absolutely flabbergasting how many people I run into daily that aren't setting the right goals, aren't setting goals with the idea they will actually achieve them, and aren't setting goals with the ability to measure their success (or failure)! This might be a lot to digest, so let's break it down:

Are you setting the right goals for YOU? Are you bending under the weight of others' expectations, or worrying about what everyone else thinks of your goals and achievements? Are you fully tuned into your own desires, needs, wants, preferences? In one of my MasterMind groups, we discussed one person's new goal- it was a specific salary goal, but the more he talked about it, the more everyone realized what he really wanted was a specific car, more time with his wife, some more travel, and professional recognition. Think about this as you are getting into the groove of your 2010 goal-achieving. There is more to come on this! Don't want to wait for "How Do You Know You've Set the Right Goals?"? Join the RESULTS forum now.)

Are you setting goals with an expectation that you will achieve them? Are you REALLY expecting to do it, or are you wishing things were different? There is a chasm between the two approaches. When you believe that you WILL perform, that you have the ability to stick with it and find the resources inside and out, even if things get difficult -- then you WILL do it. When you go into something doubting your ability to complete it, why do it at all? There are myriad reasons why people continually set goals and don't give it their all during the "do it" phase. Obviously, it's not about purposely causing a cycle of hope and failure.

Hopes up, hopes dashed, hopes up, hopes dashed again. Do you ever feel like this? How do you break the cycle? Set a goal that REALLY matters to you (see above). Your desire must be strong enough to carry you through the tough days, it must be personally relevant, and you must be emotionally attached to the outcome. This is precisely why burning one's own ships in battle to cut off option of retreat is so effective. This is precisely why when the chips are down, people pull through.

Don't take the easy way...set a stretch goal and GROW for it. Expect to both dislike and enjoy the ride, but fall in love with the expected outcome.

How will you know when you succeed or fail? If you tell me "I want more money," and I reach into my pocket, flick you a nickel, and say "OK, you have more money. Happy?," how will you feel? How much money do you want, by when, and what exactly are you going to do with it? Making a wish doesn't mean it will come true. But there is magic in spelling out all the details. Achieving goals requires specificity. In other words, if I don't set a specific goal, then I don't know when I hit the mark. I don't get to celebrate. This is bad; everyone needs to celebrate their successes!

Use the SMART framework every time you are acknowledging a goal: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. As an example, "I want to earn 20% more income by June 15, 2010 so that I can purchase a new blue truck with light grey leather seats, spend a week in Aruba, and invest another 5% of salary into my retirement funds during this calendar year."

TAKE ACTION:
1. Consider your current goals. Do they matter to you? Do they fire you up? What great things will occur once you've achieved them?
2. Re-evaluate and analyze your goals now. Do they take you out of your comfort zone, and are they attainable at the same time? Find ways to make sure you have some "skin in the game" and watch your performance rise.
3. Do your goals meet the SMART criteria? If not, rewrite them now. This will be difficult at first, but is very liberating because is clears up anxiety and uncertainty very quickly. You should also feel like some clear action items are ready to leap into your planner from this exercise!

Happy New Year! Make this one more personally meaningful than any year prior!

Learn more about Envision Success RESULTS programs.

Coaching and Clogged Toilets?

I had a personal experience this week in my household, during the same few days I've been giving a lot of thought to a new coaching program debut for 2010 (Now LIVE!). I realized afterward that an interesting analogy formed.

I was dealing with a clogged toilet in my main bathroom.

If you've experienced a clogged toilet, you know that you can’t really ignore it. You can work around it by using a different toilet or other bathrooms for awhile. Ultimately you realize the problem won’t go away by itself, and you say, "Hey I am a perfectly capable person. I can fix this." And maybe you have successfully worked a plunger and triumphed over this kind of thing before, but this time it's different. So after struggling along, getting creative, making a mess, etc...the water is still not flowing. "Ugh, I don’t understand how the plunger doesn't seem to be getting the job done this time (and BTW why do they have a bright yellow handle? Weird.)"

Bottom line: I want it fixed and obviously I need to try another approach. I come to the realization that I have to call in someone with the skills to fix this. It’s embarrassing, I don’t want to admit that somehow little ole me clogged the toilet. However, I want it working again, so I'm going to have to swallow my pride and call in a professional. Let me just say..."WOW!" It was so easy, less expensive than I thought, and they got things flowing again...happy ending!

Well, that was just ridiculous. I am so glad that I was not going to let myself stand by and not fix the problem; I just needed to use my resources! Seriously, I could have continued using another bathroom in the house; although it was a total inconvenience, and what might have happened if I let it go on?

Sure, it's out of the way and a total inconvenience at first, but can you imagine that after awhile it would become a habit and a person soon wouldn't think anything of it. This could on, and on, and on.

The thought of letting it get too far shook me into action and I made the call. They came, they did their job, they were friendly about it, and I realized this is what they do. They fix toilets. There is NOTHING to be ashamed of. It’s something human beings living in our modern age have to deal with sometimes. No big deal. They got things flowing again so quickly it was amazing. I wondered why I didn't call sooner.

Coaching is like this. ALTHOUGH, a big difference is that coaching is not about fixing problems; it’s about breaking down hurdles and working around or through obstacles so that a person is able to grow and develop and achieve far more than they would on their own.

The better analogy here compares a person’s life habits to a household with a toilet out of order. What is at first an inconvenience becomes the norm, and other habits are built up around this new system over time, and pretty soon the person doesn’t even consciously think how much easier daily life would be with their [main bathroom] working again. Coaching helps a person identify the clogs, or tolerations, or hurdles, and partners with the person to determine the best options for them to create a state where things are working well. In addition, from this stronger foundation coaching helps a person to develop and grow further to achieve amazing things in line with their own unique definition of success.

ACTIONS:
Think about what tolerations you are putting up with...
Are there habits that started as workarounds in your life or work, that when addressed, will help you "get things flowing again?"

Here's to your success!
PS- Thanks to plumbers everywhere for the small miracles they perform every day!

Learn More about the newest Envision Success programs for working professionals...achieving more in 2010, with no more excuses. Are you IN?

Tackling Procrastination

It's Procrastination-Prevention month at Envision Success, Inc.

How much does procrastination get under your skin? If you're like most of my clients, we could spend a few sessions on it. Almost all working professionals suffer from procrastination at least sometimes, and some have a daily habit.

First, let's define it.
For the purposes of this post, procrastination simply means putting something off until another time instead of completing it on the originally intended timetable.

What it does for us and against us.
Although we tend to think of procrastination as negative because it is frequently accompanied by guilt, sometimes it is good to reprioritize things, shifting plans along the way. You need some down time on a regular basis. If you are chronically overscheduled or overcommitted, you are going to notice some procrastination, and you may want to embrace learning how to balance important tasks better.

As a result, most people are experienced procrastinators, and when we look for symptoms we can find them. Sometimes people are inefficient, ineffective, or just plain lazy. Usually, however, procrastination of important tasks happens only because people aren't being clear about what they NEED to get done each day. One simple change can make a world of difference!

What are you going to do about it?
Considering how procrastination affects your energy level, what's the value of changing your habits? I'm not talking about anything complicated or time-consuming here; IT CAN BE VERY SIMPLE. A significant chunk of procrastination comes from not having a task defined specifically enough. The mind cannot "do" when it doesn't understand what needs to be done. As an example, when you have something like "Sales Project" or "Marketing Plan" on your to-do list, you are much more likely to pracrastinate than if you have "Draft sales goals" or "Make list of sales growth ideas" or "brainstorm 15 marketing themes for next year." Do you see the difference? How can you apply it right now?

You own your life, you own how your time is used. Are you going to blunder through your day wasting 'unused minutes' or are you going to value opportunity? Ultimately, procrastination is a choice and when it brings bad feelings, then you need to question why you continue to tolerate it. Look for the root cause. Sheer discipline is NOT usually the answer...consider redesigning processes or elements or your physical environment to help support you to complete the most important tasks. (Ask your coach how.)

Follow-Up Actions:
1- Clear most distractions around you for the next 10 minutes.
Put the phone on silent, shut your door or plug your ears with earphones if necessary, close your email program, and stare into the corner or at the ceiling. Consider what's on your plate: what really HAS to be done versus what is NICE to do. Have a notebook and pen handly for this, and note down whatever comes to mind, but then add a star next to ONLY the most important THREE things you can do TODAY. You can draw another symbol next to other important ones, but pick ONLY 3 for this exercise. For each one, imagine what it would be like when the task is complete. If something pops into your head that seems helpful, write it down and act on it immediately after your 10 minutes is up.

2- Break bigger items on your to-do list into actionable tasks. Use action verbs and make them specific enough so you won't hestitate to consider what needs to be done.

Enjoy your increased productivity!

Contact Info

Effectiveness: Week 11

Read more about improving certain traits over 13 weeks.

Let's talk about Effectiveness!

What does it mean to be truly effective? (Read related post.)

Yes, it means getting things done, but not just any things. Many people could say over the course of a week that they were productive or efficient, but upon reflection, how effective were they? Did they make progress on the things that truly matter to them? My journey this week is to focus on what really matters.

It's worth noting here, that "progress" doesn't have to be tied to specific measurable goals, although for me personally and professionally that is how I prefer to do things. For many, it's more of an intention - spend more time with the kids, have a date night with my spouse, clean out the garage, enjoy some time to relax and reflect...all these count as "progress" as well as those tasks and goals we normally associate with goal-achieving progress.

Knowing all this, I am focusing on the following areas:

1. Right Things, Right Order: requires a bit of strategic thinking to determine what is the best use of my time today that moves me in the direction of my goals. I frequently caution clients to not select more than 6 things on this "critical" list. This can be difficult when we are used to having a working list of hundreds of tasks we'd like to get done. (How the heck can I pick 6 or less?) These are the important, realistic things I feel I MUST get done before I lay my head on my pillow. The rest of it is regular daily stuff, can actually wait until tomorrow, or doesn't really need to be done at all. I determine the right things, then do them in the right order. All things equal, it's best to start with the most important first. What will have the most positive impact?

Ah, it feels good!

2. 80/20 Rule: there are many interpretations of this rule, and the ones I like best for this week are A) do 80% of an important task, instead of a full 100% and evaluate if this is enough. I like to think of it as a "final draft" - the value of this approach is saving time. Instead of messing around trying to make it 20% better ("perfect"), which always takes longer than I think and is hardly ever a good use of my time, evaluate if it's enough. B) Realize that for business people on average, about 20% of time is spent on key activities that produce 80% of the revenue. I want to determine which key activities these are for my business and hone in.

3. Follow-Through: On those imporant tasks and activities from above, how to ensure good follow-through when busy days spiral out of control? For me, this means being organized and since I am visual, I need things right in front of my face. I reviewed options and downloaded some apps onto my smartphone so that I can enter tasks and display items/progress in plain view on the main screen. Every time I look at my phone's main display, I see them!

One last thought for this week's topic: for me, being truly effective is essential for really enjoying life. It may seem ironic, since many would feel the required focus and tracking to be less than enjoyable, yet I feel that by creating this structure to support me, I can work better and live more life, enjoying my new personal motto, "no unused minutes!"

Are You Truly Effective?

You get your work done, right? Sure, you could probably work a little harder. but you already put in so many hours. What if you could get more done in less time? How do you know if you are truly effective?

Everyone is busy these days. Every modern working person feels pressure to get things done in less time than is available. And for many, work includes constant deadlines, shifting priorities, and travel, along with a feeling that real progress remains elusive. So how many busy professionals out there are truly effective?

Being personally effective doesn't necessarily mean just working hard, or even getting things done. The "full" version of effectiveness is knowing exactly what to work on and when, and utilizing focus as needed until completion. And--it is also knowing when NOT to work on certain things. So how do you know if you truly effective? And if not, how do you improve?

JUST DO IT?
Know what needs to get done before starting work. What is the most important project or goal you could be working on right now? Consider the bigger picture. Is your current work (or activity) supporting the accomplishment of goals?

MEASURE IT
Set measurable targets. How can you know if you're effective if you can't measure how far you've progressed? Spend a minute or two determining the best way to measure if the work is getting the expected results. It doesn't have to be time- or money-related, as long as it's specific and measurable, it will work.

Track to completion. Hardly anyone enjoys tracking their work. Also, don't add work to your day by keeping detailed logs or spending hours showing off your wizardry in Excel. It can be as simple as pencil and scratch paper; the key is to do what works for you. Small tasks may be "tracked" with a check-mark or cross-out; bigger goals should be broken down into smaller tasks. Spend a little bit of time planning these out, and reap the rewards.

FOCUS
Ah-ha, this is the missing link for so many professionals out there (you know who you are). It doesn't have to be hard to focus on the task at hand. Take some control and work WITH your environment, or tailor your environment to fit your working style. (Stay tuned for post on "Your 9 Environments.") Look around and identify some simple changes that will help you focus.

Realize that you are wired for survival, so when you are constantly looking in the other room, or overhearing comments in the hall, or fidgeting and needing to use the bathroom, you are just being human. If your brain is racing with thoughts of a hundred things you need to get done, that's more likely habit than ADHD, and perhaps some caffeine. Grab a notepad and dump all that stuff out of your head onto paper (or type into the computer). Then focus. Try just 20 minutes at first. Pick the most important thing on your list, turn off the phone, set a timer and GO! You will be surprised at how much you can accomplish in a short time when you set your mind to it.

Frankly, a lot of busy people are not very effective. For all the hard work, hours, and stress put into their work, wouldn't it be better to improve results? It's important to note here that some socializing with coworkers is good, as is taking time out for lunch or physical activity during the work-day. The point is to be effective with actual work time, getting more done in less time so you can enjoy all the rest.

Remember that Effectiveness=Success, and to celebrate your good work!


ACTIONS:
Today, at least once, when interrupted in your work, ask yourself, "Is this the most important thing I could be doing right now? Am I being effective or just busy?"
Over the next week, ask yourself the same question a couple times daily until it's a habit. Make notes as needed. Watch your results improve. Enjoy.

Read a related post here.

Peacefulness: Week 10

Peace, Tranquility, and Relaxation.
Aaaaaahhhhh.

(Read about the 13 traits)

Yeah, there is some irony that I am writing this on a Sunday at about 9pm and I am committed to getting up at 5am for the gym. But well, since I own my business I also completely own my schedule and I can work whenever I like. And I can relax whenever I like.

My strategy this week is to incorporate some relaxing moments and/or tranquil thoughts daily, as well as try daily meditation Monday through Friday. This is the part where I tell you that I am a bit A-type and most of my life did not know how to truly relax, and clearing my mind is pretty much impossible.

Since becoming a coach, I have learned the power of the mind and have tackled many things I once thought impossible. Therefore, I am giving meditation a real honest-to-goodness shot this time. I have also learned the power of relaxation (even if I still have to set the timer to truly let myself relax- freakish, I know!), and of visualizing events and images for things I would really like to see happen. So I am excited to embrace this right now, plus it fits oh-so-nicely with one of the books I am currently reading: Eat Pray Love, and she is in India at the Ashram...

I still have a bit of a mental hurdle regarding the meditation, but I discovered that there are many forms of meditation and that pretty much everyone struggles initially - so it just takes practice. I also am thoroughly sold on the benefits.

So- here goes: I, Heather Legge, of Envision Success Inc, commit to posting my progress on this little relaxation and meditation journey of mine this week (and to catching up on past posts soon). Stay tuned!

Monday update: I recited several times "Om Namah Shivaya" aka "I honor the divinity that resides within me." It was definitely peaceful. Although I am honestly not feeling the mantra as just saying it, I know there is value in simply concentrating ones thoughts and voice in one direction.

Tuesday update: WOW, a VERY productive last few days. That's the good news. The bad news is that I've been staying up late and getting pretty caught up in " Get Er Done" mode, and I skipped the gym this morning in favor of sleep, didn't eat well, nor did I experience any tranquil thoughts since Monday update above. OK, wait - YET. I will make some time before bed to breathe, think calming thoughts, and do a 20-minute guided relaxation before sleep. Aaaaahhhhh, I feel better already.

Later update: I turned it around over the next few days and was able to embrace Peacefulness more fully. I found myself much more aware of my ability to be more relaxed, peaceful, or tranquil in just about any situation. Next round, I would like to sign up for a meditation class and force a bit more growth in this area.

Rebranding!

Note: This post is a bit different than my others. Coaches and personal services businesses may really benefit, and all are welcome to read on. I hope you gain some insight or at least validated your current branding strategy and efforts.

Rebranding! Wow, where to start? While branding one's business is complex enough, these days we now need to worry about all the web resources to fully engage our branding targets.

My company, for example, is business coaching and related services. After 3 years I just changed my logo and well, my entire branding strategy and methods. I realized that while I am the business and the business is me, I don't want that to continue infinitely. I am ready to consider growing and having a team of coaches working under the Envision Success brand. And yet, especially over the past year or so, MANY people have suggested that I brand the business as me, under my personal brand. In other words, they thought I should be similar to a realtor with headshot and name recognition, etc... I resisted this for quite a while. But a few months ago I received multiple questions merely upon viewing my business card about whether I bought a franchise. (NO, I did not, this biz is mine.)

Needless to say, that was a defining moment. I sought help from multiple marketing experts and had a logo professionally done (maybe you noticed the change to the blog design?) (thank you to Steve Van Buren, Firespring!) and I engaged myself into the world of social media and the fantastic opportunities on the web.

Just today, I claimed my name via Google; I created a personal profile, and then I even tweeted about it. :-)

Like many, I resisted this approach due to fears about how much time it will take (read: I may disappear into the black hole of web 2.0 for days on end, a worse fate than a weekend marathon of CSI Miami even if I love it!). Ah, but it's productive. OK, it can be. And since I am a business coach after all, I have to practice what I preach and utilize time management techniques to keep myself on track. So far, so good. I spend only a few hours a week thus far and although I have a lot more web presence to build, I am satisfied with the trade off at this stage.

Back to branding of the business. I learned that we service professionals that are also owners/entrepreneurs definitely need to consider whether people are buying the person as much as the business. In my case, they feel they are buying into me, the person but the professional company image is also necessary to lend credibility and helps when working with corporate clients particularly. I've realized I need the critical blend of both, and well frankly I am still learning. Feel free to check out my updated web presence and give me feedback; I appreciate it!

So -- Is it time for you to more intentionally brand yourself or your business? What about your personal brand? Are you sending messages that appeal to your target markets? If you're not sure, ask your clients. Look to your testimonials, and determine what traits appeal to your ideal market. Find ways to emphasize these (match the communication channels to your targets), and rock on!

Spontaneity: Week 9

"Be More Spontaneous." This is something I had been telling myself for years...
Read about Ben Franklin and the 13 traits.

I admit that I used to be kind of controlling and too "A-type" to enjoy ever really being spontaneous. I would try new things pretty easily and I actually like change, but when it comes to leaping right in on the spur-of-the-moment, I didn't used to be capable. I improved over the past few years, but it's still something I would like to get better at.

It may be surprising that a business coach would want to be more spontaneous. But here's the thing: I am so goal-oriented and always thinking of achieving more, that my tendency is never to do anything without analyzing it first. No doubt this has its place, and may even be considered a strength in some context, but we can't really live without some balance. I acknowledged this and allowed my inner wild-child to lead me into things I wouldn't have considered before.

I realized that spontaneity is still purposeful decision-making, but now it goes a lot faster and I've learned to rely on my gut. So maybe on some level, this is really about strengthening my intuition and embracing what comes as a result. Oh, and that includes releasing anxiety about the decision that was made, or worrying about whatever else I could be doing.

It was perfect timing for me this week because I was traveling. My cousin got married and several of us stayed with family instead of at a hotel. True to my old form, I was a little worried this might mean we were completely at their mercy (yes, I wanted to reconnect with family and spend good times with them, but hey, you know), so I rented a car for some flexibility. However, contrary to my usual approach of scheduling everything down to the hour with some contingency planning for good measure, I did NOT check out all the options before going on the trip.

I checked the weather forecast online, installed a GPS/navigation app on my phone, and decided to be fully spontaneous and roll with whatever happened. It was great! We had fun as a family and everything worked out well. We had some good adventures, as well as some nice time for catching up and relaxation. I couldn't have planned it any better. I learned to go with the flow and have a great time, and I am a richer person for the experience.

Organizing: Week 8

Organizing is this week's focus.
Read about the 13 weeks.

It's no surprise that Organizing would show up on a list of traits for personal and professional improvement. Most every person I know feels they would like to improve in this area. While there is probably such a thing as being too organized, it's pretty hard to imagine. Thus, I determined that some focus in this area would be of value for me too!

I listed 4 areas I wanted to address this week:

Processes- I looked at daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual processes for getting things done, mostly for my business, but I included some personal too. I am one of these people who can get really wrapped up in the details. If time was unlimited, I would enjoy detailed, complex planning and designing of processes. However, obviously I still have a business to run so I had to reign myself in and stick to what was really needed. It's worth noting here that we all need to work with our environments, finding ways to support our natural tendencies wherever possible, so that we can go with the flow. In other words, good processes should provide a supportive structure that allows greater productivity and creativity, using less energy.

Files- I organized my files, straightening some things up, putting some loose papers into folders, etc... I also organized the file and folder structure on my computer. This was mostly the kind of administrative work that office managers and assistants are so good at that makes offices run more smoothly. I also made some back-up files.

Financial- I not only installed and implemented new accounting software which was great(!), I also took a little time to determine what financial-related processes would work best.

Household- I identified several things I wanted to organize in our home, but beyond the basics, this category will wait for the next round of 13 weeks...

I feel that I accomplished some really good things in support of being more organized this week...now it's just a matter of maintaining it!

Relationships: Week 7

This week's focus is on strengthening & developing relationships.

Read about other focus areas.


My intention in developing this trait is pretty straight-forward, so frankly it's just a matter of determining which relationships to focus on and doing it!


First for me is my husband; like many other happy marriages, ours is also rife with busy schedules and less time together than we'd like. I committed to doing some nice things for him and for us, spending time as much as possible this week.


Other key relationships include family, friends, and clients. My to-do list could have just hatched out about a million more things to develop each of these relationships---but I resisted this and determined to be more mindful of the value of relationships this week, and to be more fully present when spending time with people I care about.


I succeeded this week- especially in terms of a general improvement in intention, awareness, and actions. The next time I visit this trait, I would like to add sending personal notes and cards to 5 people each day for that week, using SendOutCards.