Vacations and Expectations

June 4, 2012

"Advances are Made by Answering Questions. Discoveries are Made by Questioning Answers." --Bernard Haisch

Quick Tip for a Productive Week

Summer can be a wonderful distraction from the world of work.  To stay productive when it isn't your week to vacation, creating some distractions does helps.  The apple break has always been a favorite of mine.  When I'm feeling sluggish, can't finish the task or just having really heavy eyelids, it is time for a break.  Taking a walk in the summer sun or rain; crunching an apple or some carrots, even taking a lunch break away from my desk can be a wonderful time management tool.  So often when we feel overworked or overwhelmed, our brains hear us and checkout!  Making a healthy choice to step back, relax and revive can mean a huge difference in meeting my deadlines.  What is your favorite "get back on track break"? --Linda Fayerweather

Read the Rest of this weeks issue at MMM

View discussions about MMM at www.ChangingLanes.biz

New Adventures

May 28, 2012

"As America celebrates Memorial Day, we pay tribute to those who have given their lives in our nation's wars." --John M. McHugh

Quick Tip for a Short Work Week

This is a short work week and many of us are dreaming of summer fun. Making some short term expectations for the summer season could mean that beside affording you and your staff some much need R & R, you could reach September with some new ideas or skills. That brings a whole new meaning to the essay "How I spent my Summer Vacation". Things to do that will make the summer memorable: Read a business book - we at Changing Lanes have lots of suggestions, but even taking one off your stack of "to-read-someday" would be a good start. Read a fiction book - maybe even one of your kids' books; could be the conversation starter you would enjoy. Listen to educational information - so many podcasts are free and on just about any topic. You can even learn a language. Change something in your lifestyle to become more healthy; suggest a challenge to your colleagues, co-workers or family. Attend a Conference and it doesn't have to be work related; it could be something totally different or maybe a hobby! Now, to really make this happen, 1. Make a SMART goal, 2. Post it so you see it twice a day and we will 3. Have a celebration in September! Oh yes, sharing our goals often helps it happen! Check out the rest of this issue of MMM or read it and comments at www.ChangingLanes.biz

To:  Corporate Customer Service

Reason:  The message below was emailed on 12/27/06 after our experience *********

I am from Ohio and regularly eat at the Restaurant near our home in Maumee.  While visiting with my daughter and son-in-law in Providence, I suggested that we eat at the ************ that was very near her home. 

Since my daughter has an 11 day old infant, we thought it best to call ahead (we do this in Ohio and it really cuts our wait time).  I had my son-in-law, John call ahead at 5:30pm.  We requested the next available sitting for 6 (six) people which was 7pm.  We were given the number “702” and requested to arrive 15 minutes early. 

We did all this and arrived at 6:45pm.  I went to the reception stand and noticed a hand written sign that said wait time: 20-30 minutes.  I gave my number “702” and assured the woman with an orange baseball cap and retainer on her top teeth (she will be called “Orange Hat” from this point forward) that we had arrived and our entire party had arrived.  Orange Hat told us in an exasperated tone that we were early and would have to wait 30 minutes.  Well, we said, okay and we planned on being seated at 7:15pm. 

At 7:20pm, my husband went to ask when we would be seated and Orange Hat said “We are on a different clock, so you have really only been here 15 minutes”.  Now he was puzzled by this and came back and asked us what we thought this meant since he, too, is from Ohio. 

At 7:30pm, my son-in-law went and asked when we would be seated and he was told in a very surly tone by Orange Hat that if they had known we were a large party, they would have told us it was a 90 minute wait.  I guess waiting from 5:30 to 7 on the Call Ahead doesn’t count as even part of your wait time. 

At 7:45 pm, I got up and walked past Orange Hat and asked 2 of the 4 women standing around in Texas Roadhouse shirts to please explain what “Call ahead” meant.  They politely explained that procedure we had done and also the same way it is practiced in Ohio.  At that point I explained that we had called at 5:30pm, got a 7pm sitting, arrived at 6:45pm as suggested and have been waiting with the 11 day old infant for an hour and wondered when we would be “allowed” to have a table.  One of these very helpful women took our number 702 and had us seated in 1 (one) minute.  Now, when we turned into our booth, we noticed the clock in the kitchen that was 15 minutes slow!!!!!

Our server, Oscar was very pleasant and a helpful and the food was excellent, thank you. 

Now, which of these was most exasperating (this is multiple choice)?

1.  Orange Hat treating us as unintelligent morons (oh, did I forget to mention that out of the 6 of us we hold 10 college degrees?)

2.  That the ************ has a “secret time zone” that is 15 minutes slower than Eastern Standard time?

3.  That Call Ahead still meant we had to wait 1 hour (60 minutes) when the sign said 20-30 minute wait?

4.  That no one even cared and said “Gee, we are sorry this is happening to you, could we give you a cup of coffee while you wait”?

Did You Get Your FUD Shot!

In my travels and conversations with business owners from the east coast to the west and many places in between, I'm becoming optimistic about the future business climate. The great recession was declared done in 2009 and while many parts of the country are still trying to dig out of what resembles an ice age snow storm, business owners are speaking positivity about the future. Back to a FUD shot, it is an acronym attributed to IBM for an illness called "Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt." For all I know, the end of the world as we know it could be 12-12-12 or some other pivotal event, regardless, what if it doesn't happen?   Stepping outside the FUD and following your business plan is one way to capture market share while others are not paying attention. If you get this disease, realize that it will last for awhile but you can fight it - it just takes persistence and often less TV news watching.  Not paying attention to your metrics can lead to FUD and you may miss the important opportunity.  If you haven't seen the basketball video by Daniel Simons that helps you analyze your attention to what is suggested, check it out: Basketball  Make sure your attention is focused on what matters in your life. --  Linda Lucas Fayerweather www.ChangingLanes.biz  419-897-0528 linda@changinglanes.biz Consider working with a coach or a MasterMind Team to make 2012 the year of your dreams!

THRIVE! Workshop to Build the Business of Your Dreams. . . Details below

Be SMART

You may have heard the acronym before, but it is well worth mentioning again, S.M.A.R.T. goals. Setting goals the SMART way will help make your goals easier to obtain and help your staff get on the same page for the year ahead. Here is the breakdown of the SMART goal system. S - Specific - Your goals should be able to answer the 5 "W" questions; who, what, where, why, which M - Measurable - If your goal is not measurable, how will you know if you staff is making progress? Set target dates and create spreadsheets. This will keep the motivation high when your staff can see their success in progress. A - Attainable - Be realistic. It is nice to set the bar high, but too high only sets your staff up for failure. This part should answer the "How do we get there" question. R - Relevant - Make sure to choose the goals that are relevant. Are these goals worth your staff and company time? T - Timely - Give your goals a time frame, 6 months, 6 weeks or the entire year, make it clear what your target date is and stick to it. Remember to evaluate your goals often and make sure you are on target for completion. Check out our article at:  SMART --  Tiffiny Fayerweather tiffiny.fayerweather@ChangingLanes.com

It Doesn't Hurt to say "No"

Back when I first started out my professional career as a web designer, I would take on every and any web or media based job I could get my hands on. My list of services was a mile long. I did everything from web design to video work. I was the jack of all trades and the master of none. After about two years of this it became apparent to me that I couldn't keep up with the ever changing web languages, be proficient, feel comfortable providing services that weren't mediocre, and have a life. It was time to focus on a few languages and services. I cut down my services to only a handful that I'm really good at. Focused on them and what I needed to provide them. I am now a master of a few trades. My business has a focus and a niche in the market. My rates dictate that and so does the quality of work you will receive from my business. My clients and potential clients know exactly what my business provides. It was one of the best and most important things I could have done for my business. But it wasn't easy. Money is tempting, especially if you are just starting out and every penny counts or if you just like money (which who doesn't). One of the hardest days for me that tested my business integrity was the day a potential client asked me to do a service my business no longer offered. It was something I could do and it would have been a good pay day. I told the potential client I couldn't help them. I pointed them to a few businesses that could. At first it was hard knowing that I just let a bunch of money walk away from me. But deep down I knew that I wouldn't have been able to provide the best service and I would have spent way to much time on the project because of it. Now I have no problem passing up business even if I provide the service. There are various reasons. Here are a few. The project or service a potential client wants done is beyond what I can do or I'm capable of doing it but I don't offer that service. The potential client has unrealistic expectations for the project and I'm not able to educate them so they will understand a realistic expectation. Such as a web site will automatically generate business for them. After talking to a potential client it becomes clear they want more than they are willing to pay for. After talking to a potential client it becomes clear they are too demanding. There will always be some sort of aspect of the project that they will complain about. It means they won't be happy with my business. It can be have a negative impact that can cause all sorts of problems. At minimum I would lose time and maybe have to refund money. Or even worse, the client could say negative things about my business. If I took on the job that I don't normally do and failed to produce quality results, I'm responsible for that. At minimum I would lose time and have to refund money. Worse than that the client could say negative things about my business or they could sue me. I would rather not do the work, point the potential client to a business that can and have them be happy that I did because that business was able to fulfill their needs. If I don't know of any businesses that can help, I don't point them to any business, I just tell them sorry, I don't know of any. Instead of creating a headache for myself and some one who thinks negative of my business. Take the time to think about what services you offer. Are you actually providing the service to the best of your or your business's abilities? Are there services that your business provides that causes headaches each and every time. Can you improve on that service so it doesn't? Are there any services that you can cut out so you can focus your business and create a better niche market? If you know exactly what your business does and how it does it. It is easy to convey that message to the world. Its easier for people to understand your business. Which will make it easier to get business. --   Jeff Mendelsohn Liquid Mechanix Studio, LLC www.liquidmechanix.com 419.297.3364 --