Eden Sunshine's BLOG

Steering A Rudderless Ship

I woke up this morning with an image in my head about a giant ship with powerful motors driving the vessel ahead. But oddly, the ship was without a rudder or instruments to steer the ship.

 

It was a weird visual because all the people on the ship seemed oblivious to the fact that the ship was heading straight to disaster. Nobody was paying attention to where the ship was going because it seemed irrelevant. They didn't have the equipment to steer the ship anyway. The only option to insure their safety was to stop moving all together. But a vessel sitting, floating at sea is at risk too. 

 

I suspect there is a moral to the story. You can't just sit still. If your business isn't moving forward in someway, you will eventually die.

 

But if you have your foot on the gas and don't have the systems in place to effectively guide the business, you will likely run aground or hit an iceberg.

 

Having a destination is critical. Having a method for steering and pointing your organization is a vital tool.

 

We call it communication. And highly effectively businesses have highly effectively processes for making sure the business is pointed and moving in the right direction.

This Guy is a Genius!

"Kyle, you're a genius," My three year old daughter said to my 12 your old son after he had finished adding up his allowance from last week.

 

My wife and I just laughed. "Where does she get this stuff?" I asked her.

 

"She hears us," She replied.

 

Employees in business hear the words of the leadership too. Then they repeat them. Unfortunately, most of the time, businesses are not intentional about the words or language of their business. As a result, there is no clear messages being conveyed throughout the organization. The language is different. There is no unity.

 

The Level 7 Principles of Defining Results and Conveying Information specifically address those issues.

 

When there clarity in the messaging...

• People are speaking to your clients and prospects in a manner that is compelling and relevant.
• People in the organization are focused, enthusiastic and intentional about the goals and direction of the organization.
• A culture is established that unifies and binds people and makes their work more meaningful and more productive.

It takes real genius, using the words of my daughter, to focus on the language and communication within an organization.

Are You A Verbal Brain Dumper?

Join me for the next Level 7 Experience on June 15th and 16th. click here >>

 

Are you guilty of Verbal Brain Dumping?

 

This is the process by which we communicate and train people by explaining things verbally and expecting them to get it, understand it, and replicate it based solely on your verbal communication.

 

I once read that when you train someone verbally they will only retain about 30% of what was communicated. Personally, I think that number is high.

 

If they see it only, they retain about 20%.

 

If they read it only, they retain about 10%.

 

But if they hear it, see it, read it and do it, retention goes up to over 80%.

 

Another argument for creating a system driven combined with solid training and an environment of accountability increases employee effectiveness dramatically and shortens the learning and success curve.

 

By the way, good training suggests that a person can demonstrate proficiency in the thing they were trained. How many times have you quickly explained something to someone and then were disappointed because they just didn't get it?

 

In a Level 7 Business, training includes:

1. Having people read the system
2. Having someone explain the system verbally
3. Having the individual watch as the system is being demonstrated
4. Having the individual being trained actually do it until they can demonstrate proficiency.

In this environment, which begins with having a quality, well developed, proven and documented process, a business maximizes employee performance and the success of the organization.

Getting Down? Establish Intentional Motivation

Staying on top of your game, keeping your people and business moving forward and creating the energy, momentum and enthusiasm to achieve the goals and vision of the business are core responsibilities of a business owner or leader.

 

If you own a business...this is one of your primary responsibilities. Certainly you expect your people to be effective in executing their primary responsibilities. Shouldn't you as well?

 

Here are a couple simple (simple doesn't always mean easy) steps to being more effective and consistent with your responsibilities as a leader.

 

1- Be clear with your goals and vision. Get them in writing. Schedule time to review and update them on a regular basis. I recommend weekly, but no less than once per month. The more frequent you review them, the more focused you will be.

 

2- Make sure your goals pass the goose bump test. Do they get you going? If not, go back to Step 1 and rewrite or define them until they do.

 

3- Create a system for communicating your goals to your people. Be consistent and intentional about it. Having a one-time conversation won't cut it.

 

4- Assess regularly if your people "are getting it." In other words, are they buying in. The simplest way of knowing is when you hear your people having independent conversations using the same language you've articulated when sharing your goals.

 

Example: One of my clients uses the acronym WIGS to describe there goals. WIGS stands for Wildly Important Goals. When they hear people saying something like, "Well this is one of our WIGS", they know they are getting it.

 

Implementing these steps will help you stay focused and motivated as you are developing and building your business.

Running business on a wing and a prayer...

There are still a few spots left for tomorrow's Level 7 Experience Teleconference. Click here >>.

 

Taking the risk to start and get into business takes courage, guts and confidence. I admire that about business people. I admire their aspirations to make things better. That's what business owners do. They take an idea, a situation, a condition and look and find a way to improve upon it.

 

To me, that's admirable.

 

However, that same confidence could also lead to their demise. Over confidence could result in an unwillingness to admit or recognize our short comings.

 

Over confidence could lead us to believe we have it all together. The reality is that most businesses are just "wingin it". What does that mean?

 

When it comes right down to it most are just trying to figure out how to make their business work. Some will spend a life time, granted with some or even above average success, to ultimately reach a level of accomplishment only to get stuck. Not knowing how to get to the next level.

 

In other words, they don't really have a formula. A system. A method. A philosophy that could be replicated time and time again. In any business, at any size. It looks more like survival rather than certainty.

 

Perhaps its the thrill of the unknown that we enjoy. Maybe we really like the idea, deep down, that we don't know how our efforts are going to play out. Although, I don't buy it. Most the people I know that own businesses want some certainty of success beyond their confidence in themselves or a prayer (Prayer can be powerful however).

 

If you want to stop relying on a wing and a prayer then...

 

...here are seven things every business must do to ensure continued and replicable success.

 

1- Set goals like crazy. Be intentional about everything the business does.

 

2- Measure your goals objectively. That which gets measured gets done.

 

3- Create systems so that every goal you have has a consistent, predictable way of accomplishing it no matter who is operating it.

 

4- Thread your culture on purpose. Most problems in business stem from people not knowing and understanding the key beliefs and values of the business. Businesses must be intentional about building a self sustaining culture. Otherwise the culture is dependent on the owner.

 

5- Ensure accountability. The business must be absolutely certain that people will do what they say they are going to do. EVERY TIME Period.

 

6- Make sure your business communicates effectively. This included communication from leadership through the organization, communication from employees to management, communication from employee to employee and even communication from the business to it's clients. Quality communication demystifies expectations.

 

7- Be intentional about innovation and improving performance. Don't over innovate or under innovate. Great businesses innovate and improve in areas when its relevant to do so.

 

If you want to better understand these 7 Core Business Principles - Read The Level 7 Manifesto: A Simple, Common Sense and Proven Approach to Businesses Most Complex Problems and Frustrations. Get it now >>

The Key to Winning is the Hand-Off

Wilson Kipketer of Denmark holds the men's world record for running 800 meters in 1:41.11. That's darn fast I say.

 

Yet the Santa Monica Track Club Men's Relay Team holds the world record for the same distance in 1:18:6. Granted each man ran 200 meters of the 800 meter race. It goes to show that a group of people working together towards a common goal can often produce a better result than one person can do on their own.

 

No one would ever deny that both Wilson and the track team are world class.

 

Both Wilson and the Track Team have the same goal; cover the distance of 800 meters as fast as possible.

 

There approaches were different. The team was able to leverage and combine talents. Walter was on his own.

 

One of the things Walter doesn't have to worry about in his race was dropping the baton. The team has to think about that. In fact, it is one of the keys to their success. If anyone drops the baton, they lose.

 

The baton pass is critical. Yes, having the right talent is important too. But all things being equal, that doesn't play into the equation. All the parties are talented. Or should I say, fast.

 

I propose that even though most businesses, unless you are a solopreneur, have team members working with them, they are dropping the baton often.

 

In business, your success as a leader and effective manager comes down to the baton hand-off. Let me put it in business terms. How well you convey information or communicate to people on your team is critical. Specifically, communicating the results you expect and how to perform their job or responsibilities the best they can is the key.

 

I have found that the simplest, most effective, reliable and proven way to improve or maximize employee performance is through quality systems.

 

I have seen businesses try to win the race without them and they NEVER perform as well as companies that use systems to ensure quality performance.

 

Handing someone a system will enable them to be the best they can be in their role in the business. And if your people perform well, then your business will win!

 

Want to be World Class? Then your job is to build a systems-driven business, made up of great systems, and make sure you get them in the hands of your people.

You Better Get Your People Together or Your Business is Toast!

"United we stand; divided we fall.” 
    Aesop

Here is a modern day spin on an old saying, "United you grow, divided you fail". In business particularly, and perhaps more than ever, we need collaborative, focused and purposeful efforts from all our people to grow and thrive.

Did you know that it is the responsibility of the leader to set the stage for unity and cooperation in a business? Or course you did.

What happens if you don't get your people on the same page? Very simply, you're toast. A business that desires to be scalable, replicatable and capable of breaking through growth ceilings while serving the lives of people within it must have people working together for a common goal.

The leader must make it known that the standard for the business is working together. They must then be a walking and acting role model for the standard.

The leader then must intentionally foster a culture that will support the standard so it will sustain and replicate itself even if the leader is not present.

So what are you going to do about it? Begin by doing the Implementation Step of the Day.

Implementation Step of the Day -

1- Come up with a definition for unity as it relates to your business.

2- Cite at least three examples where you have seen people demonstrate unity in your company.

3- Develop a strategy to integrate and regularly communicate that definition into your business.

Who Are You? What Are You Gunna Do?

Building a powerful brand requires three critical elements.

 

1- You must have identified your competitive advantage. A well established competitive advantage requires that you really know something about what your customer or prospect wants or needs and few are able to replicate your response to that need.

 

Starbucks competitive advantage: Mass customization, a cool place to hang out.

Southwest Airlines: Low fares, fun to fly.

Nordstrom's: Over the top customer service worth talking about.

 

2- Once you have established your competitive advantage it must be translated into a statement of promise you intend to fulfill that your customers and prospects will understand. In other words, you must get the message out that you will fulfill their need or want.

 

3- You must deliver on the promise. A lot of companies make claims or imply to fulfill a promise but they fall short.

 

Implementation Step: Consider today what your customers or prospects REALLY need or want in regards to the products or services you offer. Write them down. Be specific.

 

By the way, if your answer is customer service, that's fine as long as it is truly something worth talking about.

When E.F. Hutton Speaks...

When E.F. Hutton speaks people listen. Remember the commercials? Why exactly did people listen to E.F. Hutton anyway?

 

Well I don't know E.F. Hutton personally and I never listened to him but I would suspect the commercial was suggesting that when he or she (why do we assume E.F Hutton is a man?) has something important to say.

 

As businesses owners we have important things to say too, hopefully. Like the vision for the business, new strategies and ideas, standards and procedures. Things that people need to know in order to be effective. Are people really listening to you? Like E.F. Hutton, when you speak are you really being heard?

 

One way to ensure that you are being heard is to make sure you are listening to your people. I mean really listening. Not just going through the motions, but taking an active interest in their concerns and responding properly.

 

One of the most powerful ways of establishing an environment for effective leadership is to demonstrate a real understanding for other peoples needs and wants. That can only come through listening.

Times are Tough, Tempers are Up, Situations Extreme

It seems of late, perhaps more than ever, I have been having more and more conversations with employees in companies who are growing more dissatisfied with their working conditions.

My natural response would be, "Hey, you should be grateful that you have a job." But that would be a little insensitive. Although, I agree we need to grateful at all times.

Facts is during trying times people feel more pressure, tempers flair and we tend to be overly sensitive. As business owners we certainly feel this way from time to time. As do our people.

Granted the cold hard facts in some business require letting some people go in response to decreased revenue. Now is a golden opportunity, however, to take a tough situations and turn lemons into lemonade as they say.

More than ever we need to be engaging in conversations with our people. We need to mentor them. Invest in them. Show them they are valuable.

When your people are worried and stressed they simply don't performance as well.

Begin with some very basic conversation centered on job security. Be honest. Help empower them to be even more productive in the business by providing them specific and tangible objectives that enhance their value.

You might say something like, "I realize you might have some concerns about your job security. Many people do right now. In these challenging times all of us need to be as productive and efficient as possible. Here are some specific area that I would like you to focus on to add even greater value to the company. [now give them specific, value producing goals] It is our goal to continue to provide a great work opportunity and environment for everyone and so all our jobs are secure."

"Know that I am having this conversation with everyone. At this point your job is NOT at risk. I promise that I will be very communicative with you so if there is ever a time where that might change, I will let you know."

Obviously, you will weave this conversation to fit your style. The primary result is to get the topic of job security and certainty out on the table.

Great business leaders are not afraid to exposure the big pink elephant in the room that nobody is talking about.

Simple Business According to One of the Richest Men in the World

"The business schools reward difficult, complex behavior more than simple behavior, but simple behavior is more effective."

                Warren Buffett

 

There are seven simple behaviors that work and will transform the results you get in your business and your life if you apply them.

 

Be very clear on goals and expectations in every area of the business.

Be objective when you evaluate performance.

Be intentional when it comes to developing your company culture.

Develop great systems that produce optimal results.

Establish appropriate intervals to innovate your systems and business.

Make sure you have great communication throughout your business.

Create an environment where you and your people can trust, are accountable and can count on each other.

 

Take a moment and think about these for a moment. If you consider every piece of "business advice" you have every heard or seen, they all fall under one or more of these catagories.

 

Example. I see tons of folks out there promoting "how to get more business or touting cleaver or innovative marketing techniques".

 

What are they really saying? See the list above. They are really pointing to developing and innovating better systems.

 

Another Example. You are having a difficult time dealing with some of the people in your business. How do you solve a complex problem like this one?

 

It's actually rather simple. Take the list of Level 7 Core Principles above and ask yourself the question, "Which of these areas haven't we applied effectively?"

 

It's possible you haven't established clear expections. Or you haven't developed a good company culture. Perhaps you need to work on your accountability standards.

 

Business growth and problem resolution is quiet simple when you process them through The Level 7 Core Principles.

The Followerless Leader

On the Level Seven Principle of Conveying Information…

 

Leadership, as you know, is about influence. Essentially it’s about creating an environment where people will support and buy into a vision of hope for the future. More specifically, agree to follow you as you move towards achieving the goals of the organization.

 

Without followers you are not a leader.

 

Don’t deceive yourself. Position is not leadership.

 

When you are asking people to follow, as you share the goals of the organization, make sure they are BEHIND IT. So often people will blindly agree to WHATEVER to appease the boss.

 

You are wasting your time if you think you are going to get support in these situations. Better to take your time and really get enthusiastic collective focus from your team.

 

Sold! Getting Your People to Buy in to Your Goals.

We just finished the Level Seven Arizona Community Roundtable last Friday. The Community Roundtable is a quarterly event where businesses that are in the process of implementing The Level Seven System get together for a day to brainstorm, problem solve and innovate. Many breakthroughs are made through the process because the conversations are so focused and utilize the Level Seven Language and Way of Thinking to drive our solutions.

One of the big question that came up last Friday was “How to Get Our Employees to Buy in to Our Vision and Direction of the Company”. Several hours on the conversation lead to the framework of what is likely to be a very productive system.

1- The Owner or leadership of the business, applying the Level Seven Principle of Defining Results, must have his or her vision and goals for the business written out in a clear, communicable and understandable format. This applied to things like the vision for the business, core values, annual or long term goals and objectives and more.

 

2- They must install a system, applying the Level Seven Principle of Conveying Information and the Principle of Creating Replication, that regularly and consistently communicates the vision or goals of the company. One time dialogs or hanging a mission statement on the wall won't cut it.

 

3- They must regularly evaluate, utilizing the Level Seven Principle of Knowing What's True, how the system is working. Our group determined that there are several methods to evaluate if the employees of the company are buying in to the vision and goals.

 

One of the ways you will know is simply by observing changes in the language and conversations people are having independently in the business. Are they using terms and language from your vision and goals? If yes, then your system is beginning to work.

 

4- Finally, using the Level Seven Principle of Improving Performance, the business must regularly review and look for ways to improve the system. It was determined that we can't keep saying the same thing over and over in the same way and expect people to continue to pay attention. We must always be looking for new ways to get and keep our employees attention.

 

Apply this system and approach and soon you will find you wont be the only one in the business who understands and is committed to the goals of the organization.