MABC Blog

Chapter Fourteen - Discover Your Unique Selling Proposition - Tara Ingalls

"We Wish We Had Known - Everyday Tips from Consultants To Grow Your Business"

#Business Branding
#Sales

"Discover Your Unique Selling Proposition"

Tara Ingalls

 Tingalls Graphic Design, LLC
Owner and Creative Director www.tingalls.com / tara@tingalls.com 

“How is your business unique?”

I'm always surprised how many of my clients don’t have an answer to this simple question. Their responses are usually in one of two camps: either they’ve never been asked or they simply don't know. If you yourself don't know, how are your customers supposed to know why to choose you?

     When I give presentations on branding, I ask business owners to raise their hands if they have “excellent customer service, affordable pricing and friendly staff.” Without exception, everyone in the room raises their hands. They wouldn't be in business long without these things. But in continuing to ask more and more questions, what I realized is that true differentiation typically lies within four key areas: people, process, products and pricing.

      At Tingalls Graphic Design, we believe branding is all about differentiating yourself from your competition and then creating messaging and artwork based on those unique selling propositions (USPs). If you truly aren’t different than your competitor – or you don’t know how to articulate how and why you are better – how can you expect your customers to make their decision to support you?

      Throughout the years, I’ve been able to work with my clients to help them discern their USPs using simple questions based around those four key areas. Grab a pencil and let’s dig in!

People

• ·        Do you have team members that have reached milestone anniversaries?
• ·        What skills or ongoing education is your team provided to stay current in their trade?
• ·        Is your team empowered to make customer-centric decisions?
• ·        How quickly do you and your staff respond to customer requests or feedback?
• ·        How would you describe your company culture?
• ·        How does your company culture extend into the customer experience?

Process

• ·        How easy is it for clients to get information about your business?
• ·        Are you clear about the process of working with your company?
• ·        Is client onboarding effortless if they have to move companies?
• ·        Are you available after the project/service is complete?
• ·        Are you a one-stop shop so your clients don't have to complete portions of the project elsewhere?

Products

• ·        What features do your products/services offer that others don’t?
• ·        What solutions does your company offer others haven’t even thought of or can’t imitate?
• ·        Is your product or service more reliable/durable than your competitors’?
• ·        Can it be easily maintained throughout its lifetime?
• ·        What is your product or service guarantee?

Pricing

• ·        Does your pricing reflect the value you offer?
• ·        Is your pricing transparent and competitive?
• ·        How close are your estimates to final invoices?
• ·        Do you offer financing or a payment plan?
• ·        How is your pricing model different than others?

      The list above is just the beginning. Feel free to create new questions as they arise and keep asking yourself, “Why is this USP important to my customer?”

      When your list is complete, or when you’ve run out of steam, share it with your team members for their input. Employees in different departments – not just communications or marketing – may bring fresh and thoughtful ideas to the table owners. Do some online research to weed out any answers your competitors could also lay claim to, or that seem disingenuous.

Once you've compiled your list, perform an audit on current marketing efforts to see if they align with your new findings. Build messaging and create artwork to add to your website, social media, and employee onboarding paperwork so everyone on the team is clear on the company’s position in the marketplace.

TARA INGALLS

Tara Ingalls is owner and creative director of Tingalls Graphic Design, LLC. Since 2000, her firm has been Madison, Wis.’s go-to design agency for incredibly fast logo design, print collateral and website design solutions. Their stress-free design process keeps clients engaged with approval checkpoints along the way to ensure satisfaction.

View their design portfolio on the web at www.tingalls.com, email info@tingalls.com, or call 608-268-5525 to learn more.

Chapter Thirteen - Constructive Joy: The Indispensible Twin To Hard Work - Hollie H. Hollister

"We Wish We Had Known - Everyday Tips from Consultants To Grow Your Business"

#Leadership
#Coaching

"Constructive Joy: The Indispensible Twin To Hard Work"

Hollie H. Hollister

H Cubed Group, LLC
Founder and Principal
HCubedGroup.com / hollie@hcubedgroup.com

“Every JOY is gain.

And gain is gain, however small.”

 Robert Browning

My clients and colleagues often jest that I trick them and their teams into creatively approaching their most dreaded tasks and/or daunting projects from a place of “constructive joy,” ranging from networking at business events, growing their leadership skillsets to hammering away at high-impact projects.

      No tricking involved. It’s a customized practice fitted to each individual, team and organization.

 

      While it may appear that constructive joy has always been embedded as a north star guiding my collaborative work, this is not so.

      In one of my past lives serving as a new marketing services manager and first-time supervisor at an international Fortune 500 company, I was tasked with rebuilding the marketing services department during turbulent times. With so much riding on my position, I put in grueling hours months at a stretch with disregard to my wellbeing.

      Fortunately, I had the foresight to go against the grain of the company culture and invest in hiring a leadership coach to help me navigate the interdepartmental warfare and unchartered terrain.

      Prophetically my leadership coach shared that each time a person burns out, it will take them substantially longer to come back. Regretfully it took me three times to trust this advice with every fiber of my being. The third time I walked to the very edge of burn out, I wasn’t sure I was going to come back.

      What I wished I had known as I entered the business world is that constructive joy is not a nice to have. It is an essential form of self-care and an indispensable twin to the work we are called to do.

A bit of warning…constructive joy is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach. For example, it may look different to an introvert, extrovert, solo entrepreneur, leadership team and vary by industry type or if working from home, work office or in a hybrid work environment.

      Although there are hundreds of variations, the heart of this process involves teasing out each individual’s interests and passions (personal and professional) combined with drawing on their strengths.

 

      A core action step is to bake in the practice of constructive joy up front so that it becomes a key ingredient or component to help prevent or minimize depleting tasks or work environments.

 

Here’s a simple three-step exercise to jump-start your weekly constructive joy practice:

 

·        1)     List up to three recurring work tasks or events that regularly drain your energy.

·        2)     Select the one that feels the most draining.

·        3)     Brainstorm by yourself or with trusted colleagues how you could infuse one or more of your interests, passions and/or strengths so that it that would contribute to an uplifting or more energized work experience.

HOLLIE H. HOLLISTER

Hollie Hollister is a pragmatic visionary who aspires to combine the personal with the professional to bring fresh thinking, unique insights and holistic solutions that help heart-based small business owners grow their businesses and themselves (all without stifling who they are or selling their souls).

She has a talent for blending wisdom with “constructive joy” and creatively distilling it into guiding principles and simple, workable steps to help her clients, colleagues and friends reach their goals.

Specializing within the area of coaching and leadership development, Hollie has over 18 years’ experience working with organizational groups across diverse industries within the private, government and social sectors, including Fortune 500 companies.

     

Support services for heart-based small business owners to (re)discover and put into action their personal leadership practice include:

1) Kick-start strategic thinking sessions to identify and activate their core values.

2) Customized coaching and mentoring packages.

Hollie is active on LinkedIn and would welcome connecting there: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holliehhollister/

Chapter Twelve - How To Create A Strategic Marketing Plan And Take Action - Carol Goedken

"We Wish We Had Known - Everyday Tips from Consultants To Grow Your Business"

#Marketing
#Strategic Planning

"How To Create A Strategic Marketing Plan And Take Action"

Carol Goedken

Action Marketing, LLC
Chief Marketing Strategist
ActionMarketingStrategy.com carol@actionmarketingstrategy.com

The first step to creating an action-oriented strategic marketing plan is to hold a brainstorming session to review the elements of the plan. You can do this yourself by following the structure presented below or you can engage a facilitator to guide the process.

      The product and/or service, market and launch tactics should be reviewed at the brainstorming session. Set a three-hour limit for the session as this should be enough time to effectively brainstorm ideas in each area of the plan.

      Key participants who are working on the business should be involved in this session. It is best to have all functional areas represented but be careful about having over-representation from any one area as this might skew the discussion. Include participants who have knowledge about the current markets served, as well as participants who have knowledge about new markets you are considering. It might also be valuable to include participants who are not involved in your business. Participants should come with an open mind to explore new ways of thinking about the organization.

      A facilitator or a volunteer participant should be assigned to take notes with the goal of developing a working document to serve as an action-oriented strategic marketing plan. A timeline should also be created for further exploration and implementation.

      The next section is an outline of the format of the brainstorming session, split into the two major components – strategy and tactics.

STRATEGY: Products, Markets and Marketing

·       Objectives of the Organization

·       Product Overview

o   Product Description/Features and Benefits

o   Key Product Weaknesses

o   Future Product Development

·       Market Analysis

o   Product Category/Competition

o   Market Size/Target Customer

·       Marketing Strategy: Create a competitive advantage.

·       Name and Branding Strategy: Your name and identity should be memorable. Create your unique positioning:

 

COMPANY NAME is the best WHAT for WHO because WHY Example: Action Marketing is the best resource for a company that wants to build a strategic plan with a unique identity and competitive advantage because Carol Goedken has experience growing companies and launching new products.

·       Positioning: How do you compare to other products?

·       Pricing Strategy: Is your offering low cost or high value?

·       Sales Strategy: How will you reach prospects to purchase?

 

TACTICS: Review current materials, tactics and suggestions for the most cost-effective revisions and future tactics. For new products or markets, this session could evolve into a launch plan.

Collateral	Direct Marketing	Advertising
Social Media	Public Relations	Trade Shows
Market Research	Third Party Relations	Website

 

SUMMARY:Prepare initial financial projections, timeline, and challenges/risks to evaluate viability.

CAROL GOEDKEN

       Experienced executive with proven track record of growing companies and specializing in launching new products.

      Typical projects have included finalizing the product, developing positioning and copy, and executing product launches.

      Created a sales/marketing plan for a start-up educational software company. Executed a project completion plan to release the product which included finalizing the product’s feature set, setting the pricing strategy and managing release milestones. Managed the launch of the product at a major trade show and executed a tactical plan including public relations, email campaigns, trade shows, and telemarketing over a 12-month period.

      Transitioned a website from a free service to a paid subscription service through new positioning and revisions. Executed a launch promotion plan on a limited budget including email campaigns, an innovative collateral piece, new trade show tactics, new benefits-oriented advertising, and special promotional offers.

      Created the company identity and marketing plan for a service business, which involved conducting an extensive analysis of the competition, developing new positioning, and producing professional marketing materials and website. Launched an innovative 3D graphics product with a start-up software company. Executed the company's first official trade show within the first 30 days of hire, followed by five shows over the next six months. Finalized the product for shipment, developed collateral and promotional incentives, launched a public relations campaign, and executed direct mail campaigns. Won a national ADDY award for innovative CD/ROM packaging working with design agency.

            Smaller projects have included researching competitive products, writing marketing plans and conducting phone surveys to prospects/ customers for market viability or gathering testimonials.

Chapter Eleven - Be Your True Self - Scott Forester

"We Wish We Had Known - Everyday Tips from Consultants To Grow Your Business"

#Self Improvement
#Chief Financial Officer

"Be Your True Self "

Scott Forester
Think Forward

“Fractional” Chief Financial Officer

Thinkforwardcfo.com / scott@thinkforwardcfo.com

Chapter Ten - Be Kind To Your Client And Yourself - Ellen Foley

"We Wish We Had Known: Everyday Tips from Consultants To Grow Your Business"

#Client Relationships
#Personal Values

Be Kind To Your Client and Yourself

Ellen Foley

Ellen Foley, Ink

Consultant in Marketing and Communications

When I made the switch from a decades-long successful corporate career to consulting, I decided to build my company with a focus of kindness. I see that quality as a key tenet of my brand and the distinguishing character of my business. At the same time, I realize that many clients measure the success of a consultant by how many documents, plans, visitors to a website, etc. that he, she, they deliver.

      Melding these two major prongs of consulting involves setting good boundaries with clients. It’s easier to do in corporate life because we understand that in the workplace, we have one main role, and we go home each evening to another life.

      Consulting is often an intimate experience with a client who is in crisis. I’ve found that this kind of work consumes me if I let it. Maintaining good boundaries is a constant job for good consulting hygiene. Building relationships with our clients is key.

      Current clients are often our pipeline to future clients. One of my consulting colleagues likes to remind me that consulting is at its core “therapy.” As advisers, she’s not too far off. Each of us decides in our practices how we govern the boundary with clients.

1. My top priority in my consultancy is to be kind.

      In corporate life, the need to build profit for those who often do not work for the company can wring kindness out of work culture. As consultants, we give ourselves the permission and the opportunity to be kind. I operationalize that by focusing on three core practices that are sometimes more aspirational than I would like.

• ·       I am patient and not judgmental when dealing with clients.
• ·       I am curious about their business, personalities and foibles.
• ·       I believe they are capable people and I remind them of that in many ways.

2. To have good boundaries and not take the ups and downs personally, it’s important to know your strengths and your weaknesses.

      I happen to be great at identifying my weaknesses. A group of people who worked for me when I left one of my executive positions after a difficult period at a large company gave me a gift of telling me about myself and my many talents. They gave me a chart I keep in my office taped right above my desk.

Strong	Intelligent	Powerful	Empowering
Beautiful	Empathetic	Caring	Kind
Gifted	Loving	Loved	Weird Wild
Brave	Forthright	Talented	Cherished
Adored	Respected	Admired	Needed
Wanted	Missed	Inspiring	Friendly
Helpful	Understanding	Awesome	The Queen
The Goddess	Creative	Insightful	Intuitive
Noteworthy	Experienced	Special	Fun and Funny
The OGO	Role Model	Delightful	Simply the Best

      When I am tackling an overwhelming challenge with a client, I often look at this chart because it reminds me about who I am and how others perceive me. It gives me confidence.

ELLEN FOLEY

Ellen Foley, a prizewinning journalist, author and marketing executive, focuses on small to medium organizations that need one-on-one attention and large organizations that require quick strategies for thought leadership, crisis communications and employee engagement.

Ellen’s practice differs from others because of her many years of experience in higher education, health care, publishing and financial services. She currently teaches business courses at Edgewood College.

Key projects include branding, corporate narrative development, compelling storytelling for individuals and organizations, media relations and training, web content creation, and social media and digital advertising planning.

She works onsite and virtually at her office.

Ellen recently finished writing a memoir about resilience and redemption that chronicles her journey through the tragic murder of her sister, Mary, and her husband’s 13-year battle with brain cancer. She hopes to publish it in 2022.

Chapter Nine - Meet Employees and Clients Where They Are - Chris Flessert, CEBS, SPHR

"We Wish We Had Known: Everyday Tips from Consultants To Grow Your Business"

#Human Resources
#Employees

      After 30 years working in human resources for several small- and medium-sized family-owned businesses and large corporations, I wanted a change to finish my career.

      Having a broad human resource generalist background, bachelor’s degrees in management and accounting, and expertise in employee relations and benefits, seemed to be the right toolkit to be a consultant. Being an ear and expert to help small businesses solve their people problems and compliance headaches was what I enjoy doing most.

      Kollath & Associates CPA, a small, outsourced accounting firm in Madison, Wis., had numerous clients asking for human resource services. The accountants did not have the specialized human resource expertise to meet that need. Mike Kollath, president, decided it was time to add a human resource division to the CPA practice. Thus, SustainableHR was born.

      I was hired to start the human resource consulting practice for Kollath CPA in September 2016. Our consulting model is to be a hands-on, accessible human resource business partner. As an extension of a client’s company, our human resource consultant knows the client’s employees who contact us directly with their human resource questions. We provide counsel and expertise to our client’s manager ensuring the organization is compliant with applicable employment laws. We guide them in designing and offering benefit plans to balance costs with affordable benefits to support their employees’ needs and help to attract talent for the client.

      The key to a good consultant is asking the right questions, listening to your client, and reading between the lines. I have yet to find a manager that enjoys addressing employee problems!

1.     Ask the right questions. Clients know that they need human resource services but don’t know exactly what they need. I ask questions to probe and gain insight about the client company’s business and how they operate to determine their human resource service needs. For an existing business, we perform a human resource audit of their current practices, policies and records to see if the client is compliant with employment laws. If not, we work quickly to correct those noncompliant items that could cause the client penalties and fines. For a start-up, we have the opportunity design effective, compliant human resource processes and practices.

2.     Listen to your client.  A consultant must be adept to listen and ask probing questions to get to the real problem or issue. What is holding back this client company from growing and flourishing? Many times, it is a people issue such as the employee nobody wants to deal with, the chronically late/absent employee, or the employee who brings their personal problems/drama to work. I am the encourager to guide the manager to address these difficult employees.

3.     Read between the lines. What does the client’s tone of voice and body language tell you about the problem employee and frustration the owner/manager is experiencing? An example, Susan doesn’t come to work on time, but she has two kids and is a single parent, has an old car that breaks down…. (the saga goes on.) What can you do as an employer to support her efforts to get to work, especially in this current labor market shortage? That’s where brainstorming with the client possible options to provide a helping hand to Susan. It is getting the client to think “out of the box” to help them solve their problems with the goal of a win/win ending.

      Human resource consultants are the helping hand to guide clients towards workable solutions to maximize their staff and human resources processes to sustain and grow their business.

CHRIS FLESSERT

Chris Flessert, CEBS SPHR, offers HR services to small- and mid-sized companies with an emphasis on nonprofit companies.  Her human resource career started after finishing a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.  Her first job landed her at a manufacturing company in downtown Madison, Wis., as a personnel assistant. As her human resource career continued, she worked at three large insurance companies, three manufacturing companies, a large retail company and a local bank, gaining a broad base of experience as a human resource generalist. Along her career journey she found herself outplaced twice and retooled by earning a second bachelor’s degree in accounting. This opened new doors to opportunity.

To solidify her human resource competencies, she earned a lifetime certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). Having started a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) course in 1993, she resumed her studies with the remaining nine exams in 2011 and finishing in 2015. As a human resource “techie,” she enjoys the details, laws and challenges that benefit plans offer. Her other human resource area of expertise is employee relations or people problem-solving.

She gained a broad array of business experience through her life experiences so she can offer clients problem-solving skills and expertise to deal with any type of employee issue they may have. She is the encourager to help them address that “thorn-in-the-side” difficult employee problem they have been reluctant to address. Challenging employees can sidetrack a business in many ways.

#Human Resources
#Employees

Meet Employees and Clients Where They Are

Chris Flessert

Human Resource Services Manager
SustainableHR and SustainableHR PEO, LLC

After 30 years working in human resources for several small- and medium-sized family-owned businesses and large corporations, I wanted a change to finish my career.

      Having a broad human resource generalist background, bachelor’s degrees in management and accounting, and expertise in employee relations and benefits, seemed to be the right toolkit to be a consultant. Being an ear and expert to help small businesses solve their people problems and compliance headaches was what I enjoy doing most.

      Kollath & Associates CPA, a small, outsourced accounting firm in Madison, Wis., had numerous clients asking for human resource services. The accountants did not have the specialized human resource expertise to meet that need. Mike Kollath, president, decided it was time to add a human resource division to the CPA practice. Thus, SustainableHR was born.

      I was hired to start the human resource consulting practice for Kollath CPA in September 2016. Our consulting model is to be a hands-on, accessible human resource business partner. As an extension of a client’s company, our human resource consultant knows the client’s employees who contact us directly with their human resource questions. We provide counsel and expertise to our client’s manager ensuring the organization is compliant with applicable employment laws. We guide them in designing and offering benefit plans to balance costs with affordable benefits to support their employees’ needs and help to attract talent for the client.

      The key to a good consultant is asking the right questions, listening to your client, and reading between the lines. I have yet to find a manager that enjoys addressing employee problems!

1.     Ask the right questions. Clients know that they need human resource services but don’t know exactly what they need. I ask questions to probe and gain insight about the client company’s business and how they operate to determine their human resource service needs. For an existing business, we perform a human resource audit of their current practices, policies and records to see if the client is compliant with employment laws. If not, we work quickly to correct those noncompliant items that could cause the client penalties and fines. For a start-up, we have the opportunity design effective, compliant human resource processes and practices.

2.     Listen to your client.  A consultant must be adept to listen and ask probing questions to get to the real problem or issue. What is holding back this client company from growing and flourishing? Many times, it is a people issue such as the employee nobody wants to deal with, the chronically late/absent employee, or the employee who brings their personal problems/drama to work. I am the encourager to guide the manager to address these difficult employees.

3.     Read between the lines. What does the client’s tone of voice and body language tell you about the problem employee and frustration the owner/manager is experiencing? An example, Susan doesn’t come to work on time, but she has two kids and is a single parent, has an old car that breaks down…. (the saga goes on.) What can you do as an employer to support her efforts to get to work, especially in this current labor market shortage? That’s where brainstorming with the client possible options to provide a helping hand to Susan. It is getting the client to think “out of the box” to help them solve their problems with the goal of a win/win ending.

      Human resource consultants are the helping hand to guide clients towards workable solutions to maximize their staff and human resources processes to sustain and grow their business.

CHRIS FLESSERT

Chris Flessert, CEBS SPHR, offers HR services to small- and mid-sized companies with an emphasis on nonprofit companies.  Her human resource career started after finishing a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.  Her first job landed her at a manufacturing company in downtown Madison, Wis., as a personnel assistant. As her human resource career continued, she worked at three large insurance companies, three manufacturing companies, a large retail company and a local bank, gaining a broad base of experience as a human resource generalist. Along her career journey she found herself outplaced twice and retooled by earning a second bachelor’s degree in accounting. This opened new doors to opportunity.

To solidify her human resource competencies, she earned a lifetime certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). Having started a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) course in 1993, she resumed her studies with the remaining nine exams in 2011 and finishing in 2015. As a human resource “techie,” she enjoys the details, laws and challenges that benefit plans offer. Her other human resource area of expertise is employee relations or people problem-solving.

She gained a broad array of business experience through her life experiences so she can offer clients problem-solving skills and expertise to deal with any type of employee issue they may have. She is the encourager to help them address that “thorn-in-the-side” difficult employee problem they have been reluctant to address. Challenging employees can sidetrack a business in many ways.

Chapter Eight - When - Trey Fischer
"We Wish We Had Known:  Everyday Tips from Consultants to Grow Your Business"

#Strategic Planning
#Marketing

WHEN

TREY FISCHER

Kat Lan Tat Services

Contact Center and Customer Service Consultant

katlantat.com / tfischer@katlantat.com

Never underestimate the importance of “when.”

A major East Coast financial investment firm that you have heard of (and you can probably quote their tag line as well) invested heavily in artificial intelligence (AI) to help them identify how they could improve their add-on sales. The AI looked at all their previous customer interactions and marketing attempts to try and identify the patterns of what made their marketing the most successful.

      What they found was a fortunate mistake that had been made that had an important outcome.

      A couple of years previous, a file intended to send a batch of emails to new customers was corrupted and not sent on time. Nobody realized these emails were not sent until someone stumbled across it a couple months later. Naturally, the company resent the file two months late.

      This mistake turned out to be the most successful upsell campaign they had ever run. Why? Not because the advertising was any different, but because of when they sent the advertising. To this particular investment company, that meant millions in additional revenue.

1. Do not overlook the importance of “when!”

A lot of times we get very caught up in answering the other questions, who, what, where and why. I recommend that you spend an equal amount of time thinking about when.

In the example of the investment firm, when they eventually sent the emails, they learned who, what, where and why were not the most important factors.

What they learned is new customers are still getting used to using their services and have not made up their minds yet if they like and/or trust the company in the first three to four months. Customers were, however, more willing to add new services around five to six months after becoming a customer.

2. How to figure out your “when.”

If you sell chocolates and gift baskets, you probably already know your when is tied to Valentine’s Day and Christmas. However, for the rest of us, it can be difficult to figure out.

Sometimes finding your when in marketing might be as easy as reviewing sales data or take-rates you already have recorded. If that does not help, consider performing a test by sending your marketing at different times within the customer lifecycle and record the results so you can identify when marketing is most successful for you.

Trey Fischer has over 26 years of contact center, customer service, and operations leadership experience with companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Duluth Trading Company, Colony Brands (Swiss Colony), Optum and others.

Trey’s contact center service programs have been recognized by CIO Magazine and Consumer Reports as some of the best in the United States for being easy to use and treating customers well.

Kat Lan Tat Services provides consulting to businesses of all sizes. Their customers range in size from sole proprietorships to well-known national and international enterprise brands. Kat Lan Tat Services also provides insurance and human resources consulting.

Trey lives and works out of the Madison, Wis., area.

Chapter Seven - Collaboration is the Key to Masterminding Success - Stuart B. Fields

"We Wish We Had Known:  Everyday Tips from Consultants to Grow Your Business."

#Networking
#Mastermind

COLLABORATION IS THE KEY TO
MASTERMINDING SUCCESS

Stuart B. Fields

STUART B. FIELDS
Success Facilitator and Coach
www.stuartbfields.com / stuart@stuartbfields.com

Have you heard motivational speaker Jim Rohn’s quote? He states, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Following this advice, I recommend that you invest in building a quality network and surround yourself with success-oriented people. Befriend those interested in mutual support rather than hang out with those who bring you down. 

      As a misguided youth, being with the wrong crowd taught me an early lesson. I once had a court appearance where a surprised judge said to me, “You are a Boy Scout and an above-average student. I do not know why you are here. Perhaps you had better consider other friends.” Afterward, I started making different choices, and my circumstances changed. My life transformed. 

      My social circles continued to change. Continued self-development was expected by my employers – especially in the field of learning and development. Focus on education allowed me to grow both personally and professionally as well as intellectually. Having always wanted my own business, I decided to leave corporate. 

     At first, as a solopreneur, I was lonely. I missed being on a team. To recreate the “team” experience and sate my hunger to learn, I connected with success-oriented individuals from whom I could learn and grow. There I discovered the concept of mastermind groups. 

      Napoleon Hill, author of “Think and Grow Rich,” defined a mastermind as follows: “The coordination of knowledge and effort between two or more people who work towards a definite purpose in a spirit of harmony…no two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind also known as the Mastermind.” 

      I have been involved in various types of mastermind groups. Some worked well; others did not. Group commitment, facilitation, meeting structure, frequency and many other elements are important considerations leading to masterminding success.

What I have learned to create a great experience:

• Group size matters. Plan to include five to eight members.
• Meet regularly. I recommend twice a month.
• Identify a facilitator, timekeeper and invocator. Consider rotating these roles.
• The facilitator guides the meeting; the invocator brings people into mindful presence; the timekeeper allows everyone a chance for feedback.

Upon launching your mastermind meetings, I recommend:

1. Establish roles. Ideally, decide this before the meeting.
2. Open with an invocation to bring people to the present moment (a meditation, a prayer or a mindfulness moment).
3. Each member shares new and good; perhaps as a follow-up on commitments from earlier.
4. Determine timing to share and receive feedback, based on member numbers and meeting time. 
5. Negotiate time. One member may have an immediately pressing issue others may wish to release their time.
6. The first person shares. The more time spent formulating the question/request, the less time that person will get feedback.
7. After hearing each request, seek clarification. Ask questions until everyone fully understands the nature of the request. Avoid solutions as this step is just for clarification.
8. When the issue is clear, members contribute thoughts, suggestions and ideas. As person one finishes, move on to person two. Continue until each member has their allocated hot-seat time.
9. Wind down the meeting by asking for commitments based on the feedback received.
10. End the meeting with each person sharing gratitude.

As with anything new, this structure may take some time to establish. However, the closer you follow the steps and the longer the group meets, the more you will bond and share. 

STUART B. FIELDS

Co-Author of “Life Lessons in Success,” Stuart is a Jack Canfield certified success coach, master facilitator and workplace learning consultant. He enjoys connecting with corporations, teams and individuals across the globe, excelling at inspiring and encouraging others to step outside their comfort zones. Through coaching and facilitation, he becomes a trusted adviser who guides professionals to overcome obstacles on their path toward abundant success.

Stuart’s “Masterminding Success” program combines success principles with professionally structured and facilitated mastermind sessions.

Chapter Six - Conflict Advantage - Val Edwards

"We Wish We Had Known: Everyday Tips from Consultants to Grow Your Business."

#Conflict Management
#Team Management

VAL EDWARDS, MLS, NBCT

P2G Consulting | Conflict Mediator and Team Developer
p2gconsulting.com / val@p2gconsulting.com

Despite experiencing conflict in virtually every meeting, the prevalent response is avoidance. Avoidance is an ineffective means of addressing conflict and is a missed opportunity to improve outcomes. Unacknowledged and unaddressed, conflict will fester. Equipping yourself to recognize and respond to conflict allows your team to take advantage of conflict to improve outcomes, spotting weaknesses while strengthening relationships.

      Advantageous conflict highlights the need for change. Meetings, widely disliked by leaders and team members alike, provide an entry point for addressing communally felt conflict. The characteristics of an unproductive meeting (eye rolling, heavy sighs) can be traced to unheard voices and unaddressed conflict. Facilitators unwittingly accelerate conflict by allowing team members to interrupt, go off topic, arrive unprepared or disengage. Meetings with thoughtfully managed conflict (inviting constructive dissent) allow innovative ideas to be harnessed.

      Participation determines the success and outcomes of a meeting; all who are present share in this responsibility. If you engage in avoidant or disruptive behaviors (multitasking, side conversations) you must take responsibility for an unproductive meeting. If you have a differing perspective to share in a meeting, employ constructive avenues for voicing your concerns. If a colleague disagrees with your contribution, explore their thinking rather than refute it. The result will be more thoroughly analyzed strategies and greater potential for success.

      Meetings themselves are not the cause of conflict. A dysfunctional culture results in discussions devolving into conflict. Constructive conversations rely on a culture of trust and collegial respect. It must be safe to dissent. Train team members to listen and consider the perspectives of others.

      Damage is done when conflict escalates, and the essential advantage of innovation and growth is lost. Welcoming constructive dissent and exploring differing perspectives drives change, having a positive impact on organizational outcomes. Conflict is innovative!

LEARN to RECOGNIZE the signs of conflict (eye rolls, heavy sighs, interrupting) and PLAN to RESPOND when you observe signs of conflict:

• ●      Script and practice a “call in.”
• ○          Address eye roller, for example: “I’m hoping you have input that will help us develop this project.”
• ○          Try not to directly challenge or refer to the eye roll or sigh. Be invitational.
• ○          Anticipate and practice – do not rely on a “heat of the moment” response.
• ○          Anticipate a range of reactions (adherence to refusal).
• ●      Avoid escalating conflict. A refusal to be called in is best addressed with a private conversation.
• ○          Example: “What was your reaction to the proposal shared at the meeting? Do you have concerns that should be heard?”
• ○          Never assume you understand a colleague’s motivations or intentions

Welcoming dissenting ideas provides an advantage when strategic weaknesses are revealed and addressed. Constructive conflict strengthens outcomes and moves the team beyond prescribed or perceived boundaries.

AVOID INHIBITING MISPERCEPTIONS:

• ●      Don’t be reluctant to engage. Inviting input does not obligate you to adopt all suggestions.
• ●      Hearing, acknowledging, discussing and PERHAPS adapting ideas and alternate solutions is a trust builder and team strengthener.

Relieve anxiety about addressing conflict by finding a small entry point and planning the first step forward. Continue to test, plan and evaluate. You will make inroads, transforming your meeting into a constructive conversation that will strengthen the team outcomes.

VAL EDWARDS

P2G Consulting (Pulling2Gether) reflects Val’s commitment to unify team members and achieve organizational goals. Drawing on several decades spent developing professional relationships, building teams and mentoring colleagues, Val focuses on addressing workplace conflict and removing barriers to team success.

Navigating conflict relies on a framework of structured conversations between two or more colleagues leading to resolution. The process allows participants to work through personal, emotional reactions in their professional conversations and lays the foundation for preventing conflict from escalating in the future. The advantage is a newly developed understanding and movement toward resolution, strengthened relationships and improved progress on organizational goals.

Team training nurtures individual professional growth, addresses conflict and supports strategic planning and execution. Guided team efforts lead to clearly communicated expectations and desired outcomes, as well as concrete action plans for moving forward.

Val has led a variety of successful teams, one of which won a national award for its collaborative work. Positions on several local, state and national association boards have provided Val with extensive experience in trust building, collaboration and professional growth. Always eager to learn, Val tests the transferability of her practice to effectively scale conflict navigation strategies in a myriad of industries and settings.

Connect with Val to get the Conflict Advantage to address collegial conflict and move your organization’s teams toward a culture of trust and innovation.

Chapter Five - Starting Over From The Middle - Nancy Depcik

"We Wish We Had Known: Everyday Tips from Consultants to Grow Your Business."

NANCY DEPCIK

Unshakable Success
Professional Speaker and Communication Skills Coach

www.NancyDepcik.com / ndepcik@gmail.com

We’ve all experienced it. We’ve all faced challenges that have stopped us in our tracks and changed our lives forever. Maybe it was a halted career, lost love, health scare or something else. One thing is for certain, though. In order to survive, we have to find a way to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start all over again.

      So many times, I’ve heard people say: “I feel like I’m back to square one.” If you have ever felt like this, I encourage you to STOP, turn around and see how far you’ve come. With each challenge you have survived, you’ve learned lessons that have made you stronger and helped you bounce back sooner.

      This is especially true if you are starting your own business. At times it can be scary and difficult, and we begin to doubt ourselves. Where do I begin? Am I strong enough, smart enough, tough enough to make this work?

      Well, if these thoughts creep into your psyche, I encourage you to think about all the challenges you have survived in the past.   With each one you have gained experience and knowledge that you can draw upon. You are no longer starting from square one but are actually STARTING FROM THE MIDDLE.   You have learned to be resilient and will grow from your past experiences.

      One tricky thing about resilience, though. It does not come in a one-size-fits-all package. You won’t find a magic formula or a road map telling you when you have arrived at some resemblance of normalcy.

      Just like we all have different personalities, we all follow different resiliency paths. Some of us adjust quickly to the circumstances that surround us. We start a new business, develop new habits and change directions.

      Others find it more difficult, feeling like they can’t handle one more change. They struggle to adapt. That does not mean they are not resilient; they just need more time, more patience and more support.

      No matter what your resiliency style is, just know that everyone moves at their own pace. There is no right or wrong. Sometimes we are stuck, feeling confused and crummy. That’s OK. Embrace it and learn from it. Just be sure that when this happens, you recognize that this is a place you only want to visit -- don’t stay too long.

      Give yourself some time, surround yourself with supportive people, and you will begin to move forward once again. Draw on the strengths you’ve already developed over the years. These are the same strengths that have helped you succeed in the past. With a few changes and a willingness to learn, take your position FROM THE MIDDLE and start again.

      Remember, whenever you are faced with challenges, you are definitely not the same person you were when you first started your journey. Because of that, you cannot go back to the same place you came from. Your experiences have made you smarter, stronger and more resilient than ever before. Mostly, you know that you can survive the hiccups in your life because you have overcome them in the past and nothing can stop you now.

      Hopefully, the next time life throws you a curve, you will remember to stop, take a deep breath, acknowledge all you have accomplished, and begin again – this time FROM THE MIDDLE.