by Matthew Best
What do we charge for this service? Who's going to implement? Which company should
we partner with? Who has the right information? What should we eat for lunch? We are presented with question and decisions like these all day long. We make decision after decision after decision. Most of the time we don't even think about these decisions or stress over making decisions. But there are those times when we feel we are in the grip of indecision.
We just don't know what to do. I had an opportunity to speak before a chapter of the American Business Women Association this past week and the topic was indecision. I shared with them a simple three step process on overcoming indecision. I call it the stop, drop, and roll method. Of course this is the famous saying taught to children about dealing with fire. I hope you'll see the connection to decision making.
Step 1 - Stop. When you are in the midst of being indecisive the first thing you need to do is recognize that you are having trouble making a decision and just stop. Stop all the chatter in your mind. Remove yourself from the situation. Stressing over indecision consumes a lot of energy. Stop.
Step 2 - Drop. Drop the emotional baggage. As we start to think about all the things we can do, we become emotionally involved in many decision. Remember, the mind is a tool
for your use in making a decision. It's a rational tool. For those times when you can't just "go with your gut" you need to drop the emotional attachment the options and to your fears.
Step 3 - Roll. Use your imagination with this one. My kids love to roll down hills, just like most kids I know. It's next to impossible to roll down the hill though if there are obstacles in the way. When it comes to decision making, you have to identify all the obstacles that are preventing you from rolling down the hill. In most cases, you'll probably find that a good portion of your obstacles are due to a lack of information or criteria. Without important information or the criteria, how can you make an appropriate decision. Identify the information or criteria you need, find it and then roll right into making a decision. Peter Drucker once said something like this - Decisions are easy when we have all the information.
Sign-up at http://www.coachwithmatt.com/
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Instruction Manual
by Matthew Best
"Take this pill to cure your _______." "Read this book in order to _______." "Take this course so you can _______." "Eat this so you can feel or do _______." Directions, instructions, directives, regulations, rules, laws, etc. All day, every, day we hear innumerable directions from others either directly or indirectly telling
us what is good or bad for us. Those that tell us these things think they know what is best for us. And why shouldn't they? How many people out there are looking for direction or instruction - a sort of instruction manual for their life.
We aren't born with an instruction manual – at least not a written and edited version
anyway. The scary fact is that all this well - meaning instruction is nothing more than attempting to get one person to do what the other person wants them to do. Most people don't have a clue how to be themselves, let alone tell someone else how to= run their life. Here's the only instruction you need - You need to be the best you can be.
When we realize this, our first question is typically "how do I do that?" That's the wrong focus - that's looking for an answer that is "out there" as if there is some instruction manual or someone else actually knows the answer of how to be the best you. They don't and you won't find that external instruction manual.
"Being" is usually considered a passive word - just sitting around waiting for something to happen. My understanding of being is a bit different - it relates to the word obedience. The Latin origin of this term means "towards, to hear." Obedience has everything to do with listening.
When is the last time you really listened? Listen to yourself.Listen to what others are really saying - the meaning behind what they are saying. Listen to what is happening around you. There isn't a written instruction manual you can read on how to be you. However, I can tell you this - listen, it makes life easier. What can be said for you personally can also be said for your business, relationships, and so many other things.
Sign-up at http://www.coachwithmatt.com/
"Take this pill to cure your _______." "Read this book in order to _______." "Take this course so you can _______." "Eat this so you can feel or do _______." Directions, instructions, directives, regulations, rules, laws, etc. All day, every, day we hear innumerable directions from others either directly or indirectly telling
us what is good or bad for us. Those that tell us these things think they know what is best for us. And why shouldn't they? How many people out there are looking for direction or instruction - a sort of instruction manual for their life.
We aren't born with an instruction manual – at least not a written and edited version
anyway. The scary fact is that all this well - meaning instruction is nothing more than attempting to get one person to do what the other person wants them to do. Most people don't have a clue how to be themselves, let alone tell someone else how to= run their life. Here's the only instruction you need - You need to be the best you can be.
When we realize this, our first question is typically "how do I do that?" That's the wrong focus - that's looking for an answer that is "out there" as if there is some instruction manual or someone else actually knows the answer of how to be the best you. They don't and you won't find that external instruction manual.
"Being" is usually considered a passive word - just sitting around waiting for something to happen. My understanding of being is a bit different - it relates to the word obedience. The Latin origin of this term means "towards, to hear." Obedience has everything to do with listening.
When is the last time you really listened? Listen to yourself.Listen to what others are really saying - the meaning behind what they are saying. Listen to what is happening around you. There isn't a written instruction manual you can read on how to be you. However, I can tell you this - listen, it makes life easier. What can be said for you personally can also be said for your business, relationships, and so many other things.
Sign-up at http://www.coachwithmatt.com/
Running a Business is Like Buying a Vehicle
by Matthew Best
This past week we bought a "new" minivan for our family. It's not brand new - I'm not a big fan of buying new vehicles, we needed to do this. Our old minivan had just about 160,000 miles on it and was, as our trusted mechanic stated - "getting close to being on borrowed time."
Over the course of this process several things occurred to me that I think relates this process with running a business that I'd like to share with you.
1.Be Clear. You have to know what you are looking for in a vehicle. There’s a huge difference between a minivan and a two seated BMW Z4. While yes, the BMW is fun, is it practical to your situation? For us, it's not as much as I wish it could be.
You have to make several other decisions - what color do you want, or at least know
what you don't want. What's your budget? Are you getting a loan or paying cash? If you finance, how long? How much will you be putting down? Got a trade in? And isn't all this similar to a business? You have to be clear with your business - who is your target market? What's your message? What do you charge for your product or service? What's your profit margin? Etc.
2. Sales. The only way a car is sold is through a sales person ultimately. Of course in our tech savvy age, that sales person could be a website, but it still acts as a sales person. How does the sales person treat you? Are they the used-car salesman stereotype, or are they an assistant buyer asking you questions to find the best fit instead of trying to get the biggest commission. Sales are vital for any business. What kind of sales person are you with your client? What impression are you leaving with your clients? Are you a resource for people?
3. Details. Proof of income. Proof of insurance. Registration. Odometer reading. Sign here - this document says we can check your credit. Sign here - this document says you are waiving this option. Sign here.
This part of buying a vehicle can be confusing for a customer. With all the papers and documents and numbers flying around, you have to have your stuff in order. Is this any different from running your business. Your clients probably don't have a clue as to all the hurdles you jump through for some of the things you do for them. You have been organized and you have to understand it well enough to be able to explain it to your clients with confidence.
Sign-up at http://www.coachwithmatt.com/
This past week we bought a "new" minivan for our family. It's not brand new - I'm not a big fan of buying new vehicles, we needed to do this. Our old minivan had just about 160,000 miles on it and was, as our trusted mechanic stated - "getting close to being on borrowed time."
Over the course of this process several things occurred to me that I think relates this process with running a business that I'd like to share with you.
1.Be Clear. You have to know what you are looking for in a vehicle. There’s a huge difference between a minivan and a two seated BMW Z4. While yes, the BMW is fun, is it practical to your situation? For us, it's not as much as I wish it could be.
You have to make several other decisions - what color do you want, or at least know
what you don't want. What's your budget? Are you getting a loan or paying cash? If you finance, how long? How much will you be putting down? Got a trade in? And isn't all this similar to a business? You have to be clear with your business - who is your target market? What's your message? What do you charge for your product or service? What's your profit margin? Etc.
2. Sales. The only way a car is sold is through a sales person ultimately. Of course in our tech savvy age, that sales person could be a website, but it still acts as a sales person. How does the sales person treat you? Are they the used-car salesman stereotype, or are they an assistant buyer asking you questions to find the best fit instead of trying to get the biggest commission. Sales are vital for any business. What kind of sales person are you with your client? What impression are you leaving with your clients? Are you a resource for people?
3. Details. Proof of income. Proof of insurance. Registration. Odometer reading. Sign here - this document says we can check your credit. Sign here - this document says you are waiving this option. Sign here.
This part of buying a vehicle can be confusing for a customer. With all the papers and documents and numbers flying around, you have to have your stuff in order. Is this any different from running your business. Your clients probably don't have a clue as to all the hurdles you jump through for some of the things you do for them. You have been organized and you have to understand it well enough to be able to explain it to your clients with confidence.
Sign-up at http://www.coachwithmatt.com/
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Clutter
By Matthew Best
Last week I told you about my computer challenge - having to have Window's reinstalled and being grateful for having backup of my files. This week, I want to continue with another observation about being without my computer for a week. It's a simple observation really - When I went back to my computer and pulled in my e-mail, old files, old programs, etc., I was amazed at how much of it was just clutter.
When we are in the day to day of life, we seldom realize that subscribing to just
one more newsletter or adding one more program to our computer will pile on to the
zillions of things that are already there. Just today, I unsubscribed to about 70 newsletters - I can only imagine how many fewer e-mails I'll receive that I never read anyway. And don't worry - I still subscribe to many other newsletters, it's just that I'll actually value them more since they won't get lost in the clutter.
So how much clutter is in your life? Do you even notice it? Instant access can be a positive thing - look at all the great things we've accomplished as a society. Remember though, it's a tool. Instant access can also mean that there is no time to process the information. Poorer decisions are often made when we don't take time to process information. Sign-up at http://somedayisland.com/newsletter.html
Last week I told you about my computer challenge - having to have Window's reinstalled and being grateful for having backup of my files. This week, I want to continue with another observation about being without my computer for a week. It's a simple observation really - When I went back to my computer and pulled in my e-mail, old files, old programs, etc., I was amazed at how much of it was just clutter.
When we are in the day to day of life, we seldom realize that subscribing to just
one more newsletter or adding one more program to our computer will pile on to the
zillions of things that are already there. Just today, I unsubscribed to about 70 newsletters - I can only imagine how many fewer e-mails I'll receive that I never read anyway. And don't worry - I still subscribe to many other newsletters, it's just that I'll actually value them more since they won't get lost in the clutter.
So how much clutter is in your life? Do you even notice it? Instant access can be a positive thing - look at all the great things we've accomplished as a society. Remember though, it's a tool. Instant access can also mean that there is no time to process the information. Poorer decisions are often made when we don't take time to process information. Sign-up at http://somedayisland.com/newsletter.html
Saturday, July 18, 2009
It's OK to Not Be Stuck
by Matthew Best
A question that I ask my clients many times at the beginning of a coaching session is "Where are you stuck?" Many times the answers come easily. Clients come to a coaching session very open to learn when they are stuck. But what about those times when the answer to the "stuck" question is hard to find, really minor, or unknown?
I find it interesting when a client struggles with the question, seeking to find something to tell me. It's interesting to me because many times the client thinks I know something about them that would make me assume they are stuck. They are searching for an answer
based on an assumption. Guess what – the assumption is wrong.
I ask the question about being stuck because it helps to identify what type of coaching session we'll be having - problem solving, strategy, accountability, etc. It's ok to not be stuck. Just as it's ok to not be in pain, not be worried, not be tired, not be stressed, not be any number of other things that we invest way too much time and energy into each day.
It's ok to be just fine, normal, doing well, doing great, content, etc. In fact, it's more than
ok. We don't have to live our lives like a network news channel - always some problem or challenge being highlighted. The challenges and the problems should be the exception to normal, not the normal.
Your homework for today is simple - take a few minutes to think about what's going well. Why is it going well? How is it benefiting you? What opportunities are available because something is going well?
Like what you are reading? Want more? Be sure to sign up for my free weekly newsletter - Passport for Success. It is delivered to your e-mail box every Monday morning. Sign-up at http://somedayisland.com/newsletter.html
A question that I ask my clients many times at the beginning of a coaching session is "Where are you stuck?" Many times the answers come easily. Clients come to a coaching session very open to learn when they are stuck. But what about those times when the answer to the "stuck" question is hard to find, really minor, or unknown?
I find it interesting when a client struggles with the question, seeking to find something to tell me. It's interesting to me because many times the client thinks I know something about them that would make me assume they are stuck. They are searching for an answer
based on an assumption. Guess what – the assumption is wrong.
I ask the question about being stuck because it helps to identify what type of coaching session we'll be having - problem solving, strategy, accountability, etc. It's ok to not be stuck. Just as it's ok to not be in pain, not be worried, not be tired, not be stressed, not be any number of other things that we invest way too much time and energy into each day.
It's ok to be just fine, normal, doing well, doing great, content, etc. In fact, it's more than
ok. We don't have to live our lives like a network news channel - always some problem or challenge being highlighted. The challenges and the problems should be the exception to normal, not the normal.
Your homework for today is simple - take a few minutes to think about what's going well. Why is it going well? How is it benefiting you? What opportunities are available because something is going well?
Like what you are reading? Want more? Be sure to sign up for my free weekly newsletter - Passport for Success. It is delivered to your e-mail box every Monday morning. Sign-up at http://somedayisland.com/newsletter.html
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Careful What You Wish For
by Matthew Best
An interesting thing happened to me this past week. One day this past week I was attempting to get out the door to do some work at Panera,otherwise called my office
away from my office. The kids were asking me tons of questions,one of the cats had just done something unmentionable outside the litter box,the baby started to cry - we have a pretty full house,so all this is pretty normal.
I was a bit frustrated though. I was frustrated because I was concerned that I wouldn't have enough time to get my work done. I didn't leave the house in the best of moods. It hit me when I got into my car. At that moment I realized that I had gotten exactly what I wanted and I was frustrated about it. I wanted to spend more time with my family - which has been happening. I wanted to work less - which has been happening.I was getting exactly what I had asked for.
So why the frustration? What I came to recognize about the situation was that I was still dealing with the effect of old habits - habits about how much time I "needed" to work. I was used to working many more hours and now I was shifting to working fewer hours. My key for avoiding a recurrence of the frustration is to not only define the goal clearly, but also the consequences of achieving the goal - think of it as symptoms that let you know that you are completing a goal. When I had neglected to do this, I became frustrated at what was going on. When I remembered what the goal was - I remembered that less work time means working smarter, not harder. It means setting up better systems to handle time consuming tasks, etc.
So what are you attempting to accomplish? Are you making progress on this? How do you know? What are the consequences of achieving the goal?
Like what you are reading? Want more? Be sure to sign up for my free weekly newsletter - Passport for Success. It is delivered to your e-mail box every Monday morning. Sign-up at http://somedayisland.com/newsletter.html
An interesting thing happened to me this past week. One day this past week I was attempting to get out the door to do some work at Panera,otherwise called my office
away from my office. The kids were asking me tons of questions,one of the cats had just done something unmentionable outside the litter box,the baby started to cry - we have a pretty full house,so all this is pretty normal.
I was a bit frustrated though. I was frustrated because I was concerned that I wouldn't have enough time to get my work done. I didn't leave the house in the best of moods. It hit me when I got into my car. At that moment I realized that I had gotten exactly what I wanted and I was frustrated about it. I wanted to spend more time with my family - which has been happening. I wanted to work less - which has been happening.I was getting exactly what I had asked for.
So why the frustration? What I came to recognize about the situation was that I was still dealing with the effect of old habits - habits about how much time I "needed" to work. I was used to working many more hours and now I was shifting to working fewer hours. My key for avoiding a recurrence of the frustration is to not only define the goal clearly, but also the consequences of achieving the goal - think of it as symptoms that let you know that you are completing a goal. When I had neglected to do this, I became frustrated at what was going on. When I remembered what the goal was - I remembered that less work time means working smarter, not harder. It means setting up better systems to handle time consuming tasks, etc.
So what are you attempting to accomplish? Are you making progress on this? How do you know? What are the consequences of achieving the goal?
Like what you are reading? Want more? Be sure to sign up for my free weekly newsletter - Passport for Success. It is delivered to your e-mail box every Monday morning. Sign-up at http://somedayisland.com/newsletter.html
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Silence
by Matthew Best
Have you ever thought about silence?It's very powerful actually. This is a day and age of constant noise and activity - i.e. IMs,text messaging, phones that do everything, phone calls, e-mails, social networking updates, and especially Twitter, hundreds of TV options, Internet connections everywhere, and more.
Most people are uncomfortable when there is silence - they don't know what to do if nothing is going on. Try being in a room with just 10 people and seeing how long silence will remain. Usually what happens is that someone will cough, or get on their phone, or their phone will ring, or they will rustle paper, or chew gum, or tap fingers, or type something, or who knows what.
Why do we avoid silence? We do we become uncomfortable with silence and quietness? What do we fear? These are great questions to think about this week. You may end coming up with different answers than the next person. This week I want to challenge to be in silence and see what you learn from it. How might this work? When you feel compelled to give unsolicited advice, stop and just be silent and listen. What was the experience like?
When you are in a sales meeting and you really tell your prospect about all the great things your newest gadget can do, stop and let your prospect talk. What did you learn about your prospect that you didn't know before? When you are in a business meeting for your organization and a question has been thrown on the table, try having everyone being quiet for a minute or two. Let your mind do it's work before giving an answer. How were the solutions compared to earlier meetings when people came out with answers right away? What happened with the communication of the people at the meeting?
Here's a big one - try unplugging for a day. If you can't bring yourself to doing it for a whole day, try an hour. I'm referring to all the instant communication and news. What's your day like? Better, worse? How much of what you missed what important?
The old saying is "Silence is golden." What is it for you?
Like what you are reading? Want more? Be sure to sign up for my free weekly newsletter - Passport for Success. It is delivered to your e-mail box every Monday morning. Sign-up at http://somedayisland.com/newsletter.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)