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Quickstart - Do You Know Your CORE Business?
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Quickstart
Grow a Profitable Consultancy and Still Have Time for a Life
In this issue
Note from Beverley - Change of Appearance!
One Step Further - Do You Know Your CORE Business?
Personal Reflections - So Many Views of The World
Note from Beverley
I have had some requests to change my photo. A couple of people think the one I have been using is a bit scary and a few people have told me they are just fed up with the old picture.
So I hope this new one pleases those people and is less scary.
Me scary - surely not!
Have a good week.
Beverley
bev@onestepfurther.co.uk
www.onestepfurther.co.uk
+44 (0) 1344 625713
One Step Further
As Independent Business Consultants (IBCs) or SME business owners, the feeling of needing, wanting or feeling you have to, do everything in your business and do anything your clients say they want can be very compelling at any and all stages of business development and growth.
This can very soon lead to loss of focus, feelings of overwhelm and a sense of confusion. AND if you are unfocused, in overwhelm and confused you will, consciously or subconsciously, project this.
Would you be attracted to a potential supplier or business alliance that portrayed these symptoms?
So what can you do to be focused, in control and clear at all times?
Go back to the CORE of your business.
C - Central Elements
a) Your business vision - the bigger purpose you want your business to be about
b) Your niche - the specific client profile you want to work with
c) Your key skills/knowledge and the things you enjoy doing
O - Objectives
a) Your 3 year, 1 year and 90 days goals
b) Why these goals are what they are and how they will deliver your business vision
c) Your monitoring and measuring processes for your goals - how will you know you have achieved them
R - Refocus
a) What are the main problems your niche has that can be addressed using your skills?
b) How do you want to spend your time, in the context of your business vision and what you enjoy doing?
c) What needs/must be done for you to achieve your business vision and still have time for a life AND that you don't want to or don't need to do your self?
E - Engage
a) Plan your activity to deliver your 90 day goals
b) Employ/contract other people to deliver what you don't want to or need to do
c) Schedule a meeting with your self 90 days ahead to revisit your CORE activity and adjust if necessary
You are not superhuman.
You are not a specialist in everything.
You only have 1 life, made up of days that will only ever have 24 hours in them.
How and on what you spend your 24 hours each day is 100% down to you. Your choices will have consequences - some positive some not so positive. Not making choices will also have consequences
So go back to the CORE and if need be, make different choices
Your future Your choice
What comes first, the compass or the clock? Before one can truly manage time (the clock), it is important to know where you are going, what your priorities and goals are, in which direction you are headed (the compass). Where you are headed is more important than how fast you are going. Rather than always focusing on what's urgent, learn to focus on what is really important. Anon
Personal Reflections
"Every issue, belief, attitude or assumption is precisely the issue that stands between you and your relationship to another human being; and between you and yourself." Anon
Last Monday, as part of a year long development programme, I facilitated a team session for the corporate management team of a local authority.
One of the exercises we did was designed to address assumptions.
Assumptions can negatively affect good communication, understanding and relationships and this particular group had highlighted "better communications" as a key area for improvement.
The exercise is based on a short scenario, explained in 47 words. The task is to consider a series of statements which are then answered true, false or don't know.
Of the 12 people only 1 person got the right answer. Therefore 11 people got the wrong answer and in total there were 12 different answers i.e. no 2 people got the same answer.
What this quickly highlighted was that presented with identical information, each person's interpretation of that information was completely different - even though there were only 47 words.
The reason?
We all have a different view of the world
We all have different experiences that form our view of the world
We all believe our view to be the "right" view until new information comes along that changes that view.
Political infighting, world wars, playground battles and dysfunctional marriages are often the result of different views of the world, at a fundamental level. The manifestation of those differences often turns into "warlike" behaviour as a result of an unwillingness to accept differences, a belief in "my own way is the only way" and blindness to "perhaps there is another perspective".
Imagine therefore how assumptions could be a hindrance in winning clients, building better personal and professional relationships and growing your business.
I have a card on my desk, which says, "There is always a way".
This doesn’t mean there is ONE way, MY way or THE way, it means A way.
I've come to believe that incorrect assumptions are the root cause of many ineffective decisions or choices I have made in the past. I now strive to be aware when I say, think or feel something, that I need to check my assumptions in order to make sure I make better decisions, take better actions and reduce the need for "recovery actions".
We are the result of our choices and those choices are often based on unchecked assumptions. So whilst I don't believe it is possible to avoid making assumptions completely, I do believe you can raise your awareness and check those that you are making.
"Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won't come in." Alan Alda
Best Regards
Bev
bev@onestepfurther.co.uk
www.onestepfurther.co.uk
+44 (0) 1344 625713 |
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