Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Accountability

What Works - What Doesn't

When it comes to getting more work done, sometimes I hear these questions and I'm embarrassed to say that occassionally I even think some of these questions.

--Who dropped the ball?
--When will I be appreciated?
--Why is this happening to me?
--Why do we have to go through all this change?
--Who left the peanut butter out?

According to John Miller, author of QBQ: Question behind the Question, practicing Personal Accountability these are all questions that indicate the organization in question is not using personal accountability as a core value in their culture.

Let's just talk about the dropped ball. This is part of the blame game and as a manager, the first response is to make sure the job was clearly assigned.

--If I'm asking "who dropped the ball", I'm going to review if I did a good job of delegating. Why? Because, if I had, I'd know who dropped the ball, dealt with that individual and gotten the project back on track. (Note: sometimes a ball dropper is in the wrong position or maybe even on wrong team - that is the job of a manager to assess and correct.)

--If I am part of a team and I dropped the ball - let's hope I have a team member that values the project and intercedes and asks the question "How can I help?" or "What can I do to help get this back on track?"

--If I am on a team that someone has dropped the ball, my personal accountably should do two things.
1. Asking the responsible person "How or What can I do to get this back on track?" or
2. If it is critical or urgent - doing what needs to be done and then seeking to correct the problem.

When Japanese manufacturers in the 1950s started allowing any assembly worker to stop the assembly line for a correction, the process was corrected and the team members were seen as being personally accountable ultimately to the customer. This was not a negative but a positive response to quality.

Making personal accountability part of your culture is a way to maximize the possibilities of your business. Staying out of the "Blame Game" will be key.

Copyright 2010 Linda Fayerweather
Is what you are doing right now helping you achieve your goals? If not. . . stop doing that!
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
419-897-0528



Conscious Entrepreneurs are Accountable
Many people cringe at the mere mention of the word accountability. They conjure up images of being judged, coming up short, and then having to bear the consequences of failing to perform as expected. However, that's not the purpose of accountability when thought of in the context of conscious entrepreneurship.

Instead, accountability can be a cornerstone for improving overall personal and business performance by developing and promoting change within a culture that embraces continuous growth. For conscious entrepreneurs, accountability is a value that is more about awareness of what needs to change or what is working or not working, than it is about judgment.

Stephen Covey had it right when he said "Accountability breeds response-ability." When you hold yourself accountable to take certain actions, for example to make 5 appointments a day, you can review your activity, at the end of the day, as part of your accountability process and with this knowledge, you can respond. If you didn't make the 5 appointments, you can analyze your activity to see how to improve, you might decide that a goal of 5 a day is too many or perhaps there's something you could tweak in your approach, etc. If you don't hold yourself accountable, you will miss the insights that you gather through your daily accountability analysis and also miss opportunities to grow and change.

Incorporate accountability into your life by choosing two or three small new behaviors that will enhance your life or business and at the end of the day, face the truth. Did you take the new actions? If not, why? If yes, celebrate! What can you learn from the process?

"It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable."- Moliere

Copyright 2010 Pat Altvater
Transforming Bodies and Minds
http://www.outsmartweight.com/
http://www.momsoutsmartingobesity.com/
http://www.choosesuccessbook.com/
419-344-6613

Monday, August 09, 2010

Question: What Does Every Business Need to Succeed?


Answer: Customers!
When I've taught undergrad business courses, at one session, upon arrival the students would see CUSTOMERS in huge letters with the question "What Does Every Business Need to Succeed?" in normal print at the top of the board. The entire class would be a discussion about all the aspects of customer acquisition, satisfaction and retention. On the final exam, there would be the above question and being the annoying person I can be, I'd leave a good two inch space for the answer.

The efficient student would just put "customers" in the space and move to the next question.
The creative student might write the one word answer in large letters to fill the space.
The clueless student would write on and on about business processes - if the word customer was in the essay, I'd circle it and give them full credit - no customers - no credit.

If you were thinking other things like great leadership, lots of capital, super employees, a fabulous idea or product you are not alone. There are so many things that need to be in place for a business to succeed in this world, but without customers, there will not be a business. Getting to know your customers' needs and expectations are key to business survival.

Keeping your customers and having your existing customers bring you more customers is key to business growth and longevity. How you communicate with your customers WILL depend on leadership, capital, employees and of course the perceived value of what you sell. This is where I say "Do you have a plan?" If you don't have a plan. . . get one.

Everyone in your business needs to know where they fit into the customer satisfaction cycle. This will make your job and theirs easier and help each person to be engaged with the customer even if you never actually see or talk to a customer.

Copyright 2010 Linda Fayerweather
Is what you are doing right now helping you achieve your goals? If not. . . stop doing that!
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
419-897-0528


Keeping Your Regular Customers Happy
Entrepreneur Magazine Entire article at: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/203726
By Suzanne Driscoll October 16, 2009

Some small business owners are so focused on attracting new customers they forget to take care of the ones they already have. And neglected customers will certainly be ripe for the picking by the competition. Bob Green, president of The Verdi Group, an advertising agency in Rochester, N.Y., offers some easy and inexpensive ways to make sure your regulars keep coming back--and get some more along the way:

1. Trade-ins for a good cause. Ask customers to bring in food, clothing or school supplies for the needy, and in return give them a discount off any of your products. People love to support a good cause as well as get a good deal. Cooks' World in Brighton, N.Y., asked customers to bring in old pots and pans to donate to soup kitchens, and in return offered a 20 percent discount for a new item.

2. Loyalty cards. A study by research firm Colloquy, found the average American household belongs to 14 different loyalty programs. Jerry Lewis, owner of Sports Clips barber shops has seen a high percentage of customers use their "get five haircuts and the sixth is free" card and believes his business has increased at least 20 percent because of this.

3. Keep in Touch. Green believes it's very important to consistently keep in touch with your regulars to ensure your business stays on their "radar screen." One of the best ways is to send out an e-newsletter at least once a month. Here you can announce new products, offer money-saving tips, advertise upcoming sales or talk up recent accomplishments.

4. Follow up. The best sales people keep track of the customers who buy from them, and then frequently follow up. Jim Greene, sales manager of Closet Maid, reports his dealers always call the customer after three days to make sure they are satisfied with the work and ask for referrals.

5. Get their opinion. Make the effort to invest customers in your business.. Ask their opinion about the quality of your product or service and how they can be improved. And make sure you actually implement some of the suggestions; don't just conduct a survey for surveys' sake. When customers feel vested, valued and heard, they are bound to keep coming back.

6. Good ol' coupons. A simple coupon in the local paper, a direct mail piece or a discount offered on your website can help keep your current customers coming back as well as entice new ones. A study by the Manufacturer's Coupon Control Center found that 75 percent of customers who believe themselves loyal to a particular brand would consider switching to a competitor if they received a coupon for it.

7. Rewards for referrals. If a current customer recommends your product or service to someone else who ends up buying, give them a reward. At a minimum, send a thank you note.

8. Conduct on-site classes. Whether it's cooking lessons, car repair workshops or gardening tips, offer classes at your place of business. While customers are there they can peruse goods and purchase everything they will need in order to duplicate what they've learned at home.

9. Target local companies. Whatever your business, if you offer a service that busy, full-time workers could use, extend special discounts to the local human resource departments. Employees will appreciate being able to run some of their weekend errands on their lunch hour.

10. Offer a freebie. "Every so often, we give our clients something extra: a free taste--something exciting they would never have thought of by themselves--and something they neither asked for nor paid for," Green says. "It pays off, not only does it make our clients happy, they look forward to working with us. And more often than not, the 'free' idea we present inspires a project that does bring in some revenue for us, if not immediately, often in the future."

Hopefully you already know that the very best way to keep your regulars happy is to offer impeccable customer service. You can read this article in its entirty at: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/203726







Have a profitable week.



Linda Fayerweather, Editor

Changing Lanes LLC

Monday, August 02, 2010

Lost Customers and Misbehaving

What Will You Learn About Your Customers this Week?

Peter Drucker is credited with telling businesses to "Grow or Die" because all businesses lose customers with an average being around 7% of existing customers, yearly. Realize that some customers do die, some find other friends but 68% leave because of an attitude of indifference toward the customer according to a "US News and World Report" survey. Since all businesses do lose customers each year, growth is necessary just to stay even.

Lost customers affect your bottom line in several ways:
-Cost of courting and acquiring new customers,
-Cost of lost referrals and
-Cost of employees' time to educate and train new customers.

Just to start a retention program means staying on top of customer trends and attitudes means being in touch with:
-World and national developments in your industry,
-New technology as it applies to your business to do more with less,
-Your colleagues, both locally and nationally for networking, support and trends,
-Systems that will improve efficiencies,
-Procedures that will keep systems in place,

You can read Jill Griffin's book titled Customer Winback: How to recapture Lost Customers and Keep Them Loyal at Google Books.



Copyright 2010 Linda Fayerweather
Is what you are doing right now helping you achieve your goals? If not. . . stop doing that!
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
419-897-0528

Tax Strategies for A-List Misbehavior
Actress Lindsay Lohan made her silver screen debut at age 12, playing adorably cute identical twins in Disney's The Parent Trap. But she grew up fast -- probably too fast -- and has since established a reputation as one of Hollywood's hardest-partying young stars. Now she sells magazines with headlines out of the police blotter, not movie reviews. Her life has become the sort of tabloid trainwreck that lets the rest of us feel smugly superior.

Back in 2007, Lohan spent a grueling 84 minutes in jail after pleading guilty to various drug and alcohol charges. Last month, she made headlines again after Superior Court Judge Marsha Revel sentenced her to 90 days in jail for missing the court-ordered alcohol treatments mandated as part of her last sentencing.

Hollywood celebrities have always spent small fortunes on professional advisors - agents, accountants, attorneys, and business and investment managers among them. But criminal lawyers are increasingly joining those ranks. While nobody wants to pay a criminal attorney, are there at least any tax advantages to ease the sting of the bill?

The Supreme Court says legal fees may be a deductible business expense if the unlucky defendant paying those fees can show a sufficient link between their trade or business and their (alleged) crime. In Lohan's case, though, there's really no connection between missing rehab and promoting movies. You might think it would be enough for her to simply say "I should get the deduction because if I'm in jail, I can't earn taxable income." But the Tax Court has consistently shot down that argument. (And don't forget the 11 cents/hour she can earn stamping license plates!)

Judge Revel also sentenced Lohan to another 90 days of inpatient rehab. Fortunately, drug and alcohol rehab costs are a deductible medical expense - to the extent total medical costs exceed 7.5% of "adjusted gross income." Most stars with Lohan's "A-List" name recognition earn far too much to take advantage of that deduction. In her case, however, her post-rehab income may be just low enough that she can use the help!

There's not really a specific tax-planning lesson here. We just hope you're taking care of yourself better than Lindsay Lohan -- so we can help you when the deductions really are tied to your business!

.Tim Pinkelman, CPA
Accounting Center & Tax Services, Inc.
419-882-9255 or 734-847-0400
http://www.accounting-centers.com/

Monday, July 26, 2010

Falling Through the Cracks - Part 1 As we approach August, many of us in the northern hemisphere gear up for vacation. In the last week, I've talked with six people that are stressed about vacation. Below, Pat has some great tips on having alleviating the stress. In fact, she wrote this near the shores of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin where the PGA will be in a few weeks! After her tips on getting ready, check out my thoughts on a proactive reentry. Hope your vacation is great, you deserve one! --Linda Fayerweather, Editor

Vacation - Don't Take Stress With You!
We're quickly approaching the biggest vacation month of the year; not sure about you, but I am looking forward to some well-deserved time away. We are taking our three young grandchildren on a trip to Mackinac, MI and I am so looking forward to it. The trick, however, is to manage those important days and hours prior to vacation, without totally stressing out with thoughts such as, "If I get all my work done, then I can go enjoy myself."

Unfortunately, with that approach, we usually find ourselves working long and hard right up until we leave. This actually triggers the fight or flight response in our body, releasing cortisol, and creating stress. If this is compounded by skipping self-care routines, like exercise or meditation, in an attempt to fit all the work in, we could end up carrying the stress into our vacation. You may have noticed that it takes time to clear stress-related chemicals from our system, which explains why for many of us it's the third day of vacation before we seem to feel relaxed.

Instead of falling into this common trap, there are a few things we can do:
1. Intend - make a decision that you want to have a calm, stress free week prior to vacation. Consciously pay attention to yourself and how you are feeling and if you notice stress, take actions to release it.

2. Delegate - vacation is an excellent opportunity to pass some tasks to your employees or possibly hire a virtual assistant. Be sure to delegate the tasks several days in advance of your departure to give them time to ask questions.

3. Prioritize - do this two weeks in advance of your vacation, so you know what projects and actions must be completed prior to vacation. Create a list of what absolutely can't wait until you return and make a plan for completing these actions. Schedule the other projects/tasks onto your calendar for after vacation.

4. Wrap up - dedicate the last day before vacation to wrap up loose ends, meet with anyone you've delegated actions to, set up your voice mail and email Out of Office Reply and leave yourself a note detailing where you got to on unfinished business, what tasks you postponed, what will need immediate attention when you return and anything else you might worry about while on vacation. Check out Linda's tips below for reentry.

It's much easier to relax and have a great vacation when we consciously manage the week leading up to our time off. Have a good time!

Copyright 2010 Pat Altvater
Transforming Bodies and Minds
http://www.outsmartweight.com/
http://www.momsoutsmartingobesity.com/
http://www.choosesuccessbook.com/
419-344-6613

Falling Through the Cracks - Part 2
Whenever I hear "falling through the cracks" or a variation of that, I'm sent back to the hot summers of my youth and the Central Park Pool where swimming was ten cents, the water was cold, and the changing/shower room had a floor that was wooden decking material over a cavernous space 20 feet below.

Whoa be the person that dropped their ice cream money or special belonging down there as it required a written request for its retrieval and, I was told when I lost my quarter "How will we know it is your quarter? Do you know the date on it?" I never got the quarter back. . .

Keeping your plan from falling through the cracks during vacation is a good way to practice using some productivity ideas. Here is my plan to stay on track:

1. Identify the strategic next action (SNA). When I am going to be gone for more than a few days, before leaving, I look at my upcoming work and then ask "when I return, what is the next strategic action I need to do on this project or task AND does it support my desired outcomes (goals)." I usually schedule the first half day back as SNA calls/email . And I actually use that category on my calendar and block the space.

2. Book it on your calendar before you leave. Controlling your calendar after time away from the office does require some proactive thinking. In my last job where I had a staff, I'd usually suggested we have a staff meeting at lunch on my first day back - "bring your thoughts, questions and ideas and we will all catch up". That did two things - kept them out of my office in the AM and gave me the opportunity to let everyone know what my agenda for the future was and get them to recommit to their projects.

3. Before leaving, review your plan completely. Make sure each goal or objective is being attended to upon your return. If a goal or objective is not being cared for it will likely fall through the cracks and you may find yourself having to requisition future time to retrieve it - time you may not have available then.

Both David Allen's Getting This Done (GTD) and Sally McGhee's Take Back Your Life! use Strategic Next Actions to stay on track. This may be too "heavy" for your beach reading, but they are great refreshers for staying on top of your life!

A little proactive planning will lead to a smooth reentry and the decompression from your vacation will last longer!

Copyright 2010 Linda Fayerweather
Is what you are doing right now helping you achieve your goals? If not. . . stop doing that!
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
419-897-0528



Just Like Them - Workshop in Maumee OH
Date: Thursday, July 28, 2010
Time: 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: Danberry Real Estate Briarfield Conference Room
Street: 3555 Briarfield Blvd. Maumee, OHsoc

Description
Marketing has changed dramatically in the last few years and if you are confused... you are not alone. Join Maumee Chamber of Commerce members Todd Pillars of SendOutCards and Linda Fayerweather of Changing Lanes, LLC as they help you wade through the mountains of media to find what works best for your business.

You will learn:
- Easy techniques you can start using tomorrow
- How to laser target your efforts
- What tried and true marketing still works
- What social networking is and why do it
- Why local networking events are crucial and how to maximize your efforts
- Handouts to maximize your education

And LOTS of time for Questions
Stop guessing and Start making sense of the New World (Wide Web) Order!

Who Should attend?
- Business Owners
- Sole Proprietors
- Partners (get a group rate)
- Business Decision Makers
 Register at http://justlikethem.eventbrite.com/  












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