Got to love honesty

Kelly, Teddy and I went to a Mexican restaurant in Austin this week. Our waiter came over and Kelly asked him if the daiquiri's were good. The waiter told her they were terrible. Kelly with a puzzled look on her face says,"really?" The waiter then says, "I won't drink them with your straw..."

They earned repeat business by being candid.

Got to love a staff that is candid and gives you the real story.

No business is perfect and we all have some imperfections. But what does your staff do with them? Does your organization give the clients the real story or is there nothing ever wrong in your business?

A critical element of all organizations, for profit to not for profit, is the presence of honesty. Great organizations call a spade a spade and are just plain honest. They embrace a culture of extreme candidness. That is not to say everything is perfect because it is not. When something is wrong, they call it out in an honest manner, and then attack it with great execution and benchmarking to make sure the cure in happening.

Be candid with your clients and employees. Your repeat business will increase and so will your profits. Good things just happen with 100% honesty.

Austin to DC to NYC to DC to Austin

Just got back from an Austin to Washington DC to New York back to Washington DC to Austin 4 day marathon. A blessing to spend 4 days with my Mom and my sister. In my notes yesterday I wrote, no better R.O.I than time with family! After seeing Teddy and Kelly last night, I believe it more today.

I got to see a ton of business and I am becoming more emphatic about a subject that really separates the "players/rule changers" from the "others". The subject is CULTURE! The really great companies have this culture that just rocks the world and can't be duplicated It's a culture of excellence. Examples from these 3 cities: Bath (NYC) Whole Foods (AUS) Matchbox (DC).

Culture is black and white. Culture is like pregnancy. You can't be a little bit pregnant. Either you are or you are not. Same is true with a Culture of excellence. Either you have it or you don't. But its my strong opinion that once you have it, you can move mountains in business and really rock the world.

Take a look at your culture today and give your company a candid review.

Question: Now the million dollar (or in some cases billion dollar) question: If I don't have it, how can it get it?

Answer: This is how I make a living. Call me!

Stop Talking....Think....Listen....Start doing

We have all heard the saying we were born with one mouth and two ears for a reason. So true. I hear far to frequently people talking about all the great things they are going to do or more likely; all the great things they did. Its just talk, talk, and more talk. Most of it is just wasted noise with little production, meaning and value.

One of the key areas I coach on is isolation time. As I tell Teddy, my son, time for Quiet Time. This scares many people. Look at our world today with text messages, I-Pods, emails, Internet, Direct TV with DVR, and no wonder why people hate Quiet Time. How much sense does this really make when you think about it. How much are we actually accomplishing in our lives and businesses? Do we really have a plan and execute our life plan in detail. I am guilty of this wasted energy. We all are. What we really need is so good old fashion Quiet Time. Just like my two year old son. We all need it but few really use it. You want to scare some people, just don't talk and listen. This freaks people out.

Most of us get up in the morning with racing minds on a checklist on all we need to get done. Then we go out and attack this list and come home at night tired. We then do it all over again the next day. We repeat this cycle day in and day out; week in and week out; month in and month out; year in and year out. But what is really being accomplished?

Stop. Has it ever occurred that you may be "working" on the wrong things? That your priorities may be off? That your aim for your Master Targets in life may actually be off target?

Take some time to think. Really think. By yourself. Make sure you are working on the most important things in your life and business. Make sure you are hitting the Master Targets. Make sure you actually are accomplishing right things and your priorities are in-line. Stop and listen. Stop and think.

After some Quiet Time and you have the right priorities in place. Then its time to execute; meaning actually getting the right things done. Not talking about all the tasks that need to be completed. But actually getting meaningful, key drivers accomplished in your business and life. This is the good stuff. This stuff that matters. The stuff that moves mountains!

• Stop talking
• Start listening
• Think....Quiet Time
• Then Execute. Actually accomplish things; the right things

Some key words to really think about: listening; priorities; execution; Master Targets; quiet time; thinking.

CADES

A great formula:

C+ Courage

• Take risk
• Get out on the skinny branches where the fruit is at
• Be in the sunlight and out of the shadows
• Do not fear failure
• Live the life you want to live
• No regrets ever

A+ Adapt/Change

• Embrace change
• Think outside of the box
• Seek points of view outside your comfort zone
• Quickly will make correction when you get in a rut

D+ Determination

• Stick with it
• Never give up
• Ferris Wheel; you will never be always on top or stay on the bottom in life
• Relentless pursuit of Master Targets

E+ Enthusiasm

• Attitude
• Abundance
• Joy
• Grace
• Being thankful for all you got

S= Success

• You are hitting your life's Master Targets
• A life well lived
• Inner peace, content, happy, full of joy, clarity of thought
• The inside voices and visions are more powerful and profound that any other outside opinions.

Courage + Adapt + Determination + Enthusiasm = Success

CADES

Exercise: Write down CADES and list out where you stand with each of them. For example on the S= Success and Master Targets. Do you have written down and a daily review of what your Master Targets are for your life? If not, you will never hit them. Period. This should be a very intense exercise. If its not, you are lost and take that as a sign of a serious problem.

A Great Exercise!

Manager’s Worksheet

I.

A. Our Average Gross per unit is $___________.

B. We have ______ sales people.

C. If each salesperson sold 2 more units per month, that would equal an extra _______________ units in one year.

D. Our Average Gross per unit of $________________(A.) X the number of extra units sales per year (C.) = $_______________________ in additional gross.



II.

E. This year we delivered __________ units.

F. If we increase our gross by 10% per unit, that would equal to $____________ additional gross.



III.

G. On my bottom line, I can add $____________________ (F.) in additional gross by adding 10% per unit plus the additional gross from increased sales $___________________ (D.) These added together a total of $__________________ ________________ additional gross to my bottom line.


Amazing what the results can be with small increases in both units and gross profit! Small steps can move mountains!

Read and Re-Read!

If you had a bad month, this is for you:

"Your greif will teach you more than any of your good fortune."

Time to dust off your pants and get back on the horse. It's a new month!