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March
2008 Newsletter
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 Wow,
the end of the first quarter is almost upon us. Are you where you
want to be? My answer is "not yet, but I do like where I'm
going."
Hopefully, you'll take away some tips from our time managements experts
this month to get on track, or stay on track. The choice is
yours. The quarter is qoing to end whether or not you reach your
goals. Let's hold each other accountable and end Q1 on a high note!
"The productivity of work is not the responsibility
of the worker but of the manager. The purpose of a business is to
create a
customer."
"There is nothing so
useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all."
"Time is the scarcest resource and
unless it is managed nothing else can be managed."
Testimonials:
"Lori has been mentoring me as I
start my own business. INITIATIVE is Lori's greatest strength. She sees
where a person needs help or information before they know they need it.
She takes ACTION and PROVIDES just the right amount of assistance so that
a person feels EMPOWERED to move forward with a project. She truly has a
GIFT!" DeLynne
O'Toole, DeLynn'es Mobile Car Cleaning
"Lori offers a great service
connecting people with law professionals. She is honest, genuine, and
thorough. Anyone who I have referred to Lori has come back with good
reviews." Roxanne
Ward, Account Executive, CHUM Radio; 89X, 93.9 The River
"I found Lori to be an exceptional
resource for business owners and those seeking legal advice. Her vast
network spans many industries including legal, financial, and general
business consulting. She seems to know just who to recommend based on
that individual's unique situation. I will have no hesitation referring
Lori to someone in need. I know she will treat my referrals well, giving
them her maximum effort, just as I do." Bill
Pirtle, Authorized
Reseller, PayJunction
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Your Legal Resource
FAVORITE READS OF OUR READERS
1) You
Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar : The Sandler Sales
Institute's 7-Step System for Successful Selling (By: David H.
Sandler)
I highly recommend this book for business professionals
in the sales industry whose income is based mostly on commission
or on a bonus structure. Sandler covers the emotional side of
selling. His techniques are designed to deflect objections,
ignore questions and guide the prospect to overcoming his own obstacles
to hiring you or buying from you.
(Scott Sampeer, The Wilshire Financial
Group)
2) Saying What's Real (By: Susan Campbell)
Saying What's Real" takes the 10 Truth Skills from
Dr. Campbell's first book, "Getting Real" and develops them
even further. The book gives powerful tools for creating
"conscious communication" with others. She beautifully
illustrates that by transforming the way we communicate our wants,
desires, and needs, we're free to experience the fullness of life
without regret, limitation, or assumption. Can you imagine the
possibilities for the planet if every person read this book?!
(Rachel
Williams,
Accomplishment Coaching)
3) The E-Myth
Revisited (By: Michael Gerber)
This book teaches why entrepreneurs often fail, and how
they can find success. (Allison
Lumb, Tech Town)
4) The Go Giver (By: Bob Burg
and John David Mann)
Business books aren't supposed to be this enjoyable or
easy to read. Run, Don't Walk, and pick up a copy!
Here's a few of the points that stood out for me:
-You get what you expect.
-You can get rich and do good at the same time.
-Your network =Your army of personal walking ambassadors.
-A
genuinely sound business principle will improve your life's balance
sheet.
(Terry Bean, Networked Inc.)
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PROCRASTINATION
IS NOT A FOUR LETTER
WORD
(Part 1 of 2 Part Series)
By: Alita Marlowe Bluford,
President of Marlowe & Associates
We are well into the New Year. How are your 2008 New Year's Resolutions
coming along? Did you resolve to loose weight and get organized? Losing
weight? Becoming more organized? According to Dr. Pamela Peeke,
Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Maryland; losing
weight and becoming organized are connected.
Do you ever wonder why you haven't started?
(in addition to the fact that you can't exercise if you can't find your
walking shoes?) Or maybe you have started and hit a dead end. Suddenly
what seemed to be vitally important on Jan. 1 is now on the back
burner? It is because LIFE is what happens when you are busy making
other plans. Not to worry. It's OK. We all procrastinate about certain
things. It is not a character flaw.
The definition of
procrastination is delayed decision making. Guess what? No one taught
you how to prioritize and decide about what action is needed with the
190 pieces of information that fly into your radar screen each day.
Yes, 190 pieces. That's 190 decision, 190 times to ask yourself, what
should I do with this. You have a good reason to procrastinate. You
don't know how to do it, and you become overwhelmed. An overwhelmed
brain shuts down. Is it any wonder that we loose 150 hours each year
looking for things? In this society of
'hurry up, immediate need satisfaction and hi tech
interruptionitis', the voice mails, emails, phone calls, faxes, and
paper piles leave you feeling like you are drowning a flood.
By understanding our reasons for procrastination, we gain insight into
the skills we need to develop to overcome the habit and change our
behavior. Yes, procrastination is a habit. Habits are learned behavior
which can be modified in 28 days, according to behavior psychologists.
But it takes serious effort and commitment. Are you ready? (In case you
answered "not sure", or "I don't know", you
should know that the 150 hours we lose each year directly affects your
profits. If you estimate your time is worth $80/hr, that is $120,000.)
YIKES! Now are you ready?
Ok. Here are some common reasons for procrastination:
-Too much information
-False beliefs about working best
'under pressure'
-Avoidance of unpleasant tasks
-Avoidance of difficult tasks
-Inadequate decision making skills
-FEAR
o
False
o
Evidence
o
Appearing
o
Real
Fears of success, failure, expectations for repetition, task completion
are common fears. People are often afraid to be held accountable,
responsible and of making a wrong decision. In general, people prefer
the known to the unknown. Change is a precipitator of fear, as is the
perfectionist type of personality and the person who is afraid to be
judged or rejected. Organizing is about change. Organizing is a life
style, a process and decision making skills. Organizing is NOT a one
time event.
Stay tuned next month and learn how to overcome procrastination and
powerfully handle the flood of information.
_________________________________________________________________
Alita Marlowe Bluford is the President of Marlowe and
Associates, a six year old company based in Farmington Hills,
Michigan. Marlowe & Associates
specializes in the design and
development of programs and processes to enhance staffing, time management, information flow,
space efficiency, and inventory control - the facets of business that drain 160 hours
worth of profits from your bottom line each year. For more information visit www.efficiencyconsultants.com.
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10 Time Management
Strategies and Tactics
By: Coach Barry Demp
·
The
80/20 rule always applies - List two to four of your activities that
produce the greatest results and eight to ten that produce minimal
results. Focus on the ones that produce the greatest results.
·
Determine
your hourly value to achieve your annual income goals.
· Break projects down into
monthly, weekly, daily, and hourly income goals.
·
Plan
the next day in advance before you leave your office.
·
Think
geographically and avoid excessive travel time between appointments. Use drive time to learn or use a
"Bluetooth" device to talk with key people. Confirm all
appointments to avoid dead time.
·
Determine where your time is going. Do a time log on a daily, weekly,
and perhaps a monthly basis. Write it down exactly so you can find
the real time-wasters. Awareness
of your actual situation is critical.
·
Create
a new daily routine - 90% of all human behavior is habitual. "If you keep doing what you are
doing, you will keep getting what you are getting." "When patterns are broken new
worlds will emerge."
·
Prioritize
and stay focused. What one or two items on your list must absolutely be
finished? What are your priorities today, this week, and this month at
home and at work?
·
Reduce
interruptions by creating stronger boundaries. What are your ideas regarding the
establishment of boundaries?
·
Structure
your telephone time. Set up times
to accept, initiate, and return calls.
The best time to accept incoming calls is just prior to lunch or
at the end of the workday. The other person will not want to waste
time. Initiate or return calls
early in the morning, just before or after lunch, or at the end of the
day to contact difficult-to-reach individuals. Consider scheduling all, if not most of
your important calls. Consider a
phone call a Mini-meeting, so be prepared with an agenda and all you
will need to be successful.
Visit Coach Barry's Website for many more time management tips
at www.dempcoaching.com.
_______________________________________________________________
Barry Demp is a highly successful
business and executive coach based in Troy, Michigan. As a coach of over 1000 individuals
during the past 14 years, Barry has earned the distinction of Master
Certified Coach (MCC) from the International Coach Federation (ICF). He works with executives, business
owners, and high-potential professionals to help them significantly
increase their performance, productivity, profitability, and life
balance.
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