Good. Better. Best. Which self do you want to be?

The 3-Minute Coach

November 15, 2004, Issue #62
10 Key Business Documents That Foreshadow Success

Welcome to The 3-Minute Coach

Thanks to all of you faithful subscribers who let me know you were glad to hear from me again and to those who passed the newsletter on. I really appreciate your kind support. It definitely helps keep me motivated.

In joy, peace and gratitude,

Louise

Food for Thought

"My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me." --- Henry Ford

Keep It Simple

Develop a "Common Language"

Most difficulties encountered in relationships can be traced back to communication problems. We confuse what we think we heard with what others said. Sometimes, we decide that others mean something when what they said meant something else to them. Other times, we develop a bad taste for a word or expression, and it doesn't matter what the other person means or doesn't mean. We transfer our bad taste to them!

How can we get around it? One solution is to develop a 'common language'. Use a name that is meaningful to you; for example, in our home it might be KCL or Kaelin Common Language. When you find yourself having a strong reaction to what another is saying, call a time out so that you can make sure you are both talking about the same thing.

I recently had clients, one who is quite visionary, the other who is terrific at implementing and very practical. Although they were 100% in synch on their goals, each thought the other was trying to bring them down because of the words they were using to describe their goal. Finding words you can both agree on can go a long way to resolving issues.

I am also reminded of a time in my corporate past, when I had a month-long disagreement with the Systems developer. I requested that a main-frame program be integrated into our desktop work system, something I knew would take 5 minutes. The programmer kept telling me it was a very large project and would command incredible resources. We were both adamant in our views until, by accident, we came to understand the problem was the word 'integrate'. For me, integrate meant put a pick on a screen that jumped you over to the on-line inventory system. For the programmer, it meant take all the data from that system and have it be accessible within the desktop application. Once we understood our use of the word integrate, we both agreed with the other person. My request would take 5 minutes; what he thought I was requesting would consume (unreasonably) tons of people and programming resources. What a difference a word makes!

Feature Article

10 Key Business Documents That Foreshadow Success

No matter what business you're in, or even if you manage a project or household, taking the time to plan where you want to go is a critical factor in creating success. Even if you don't hold to your plan 100%, the process of planning helps put you in control of the business. Each of the following documents can and will expand your understanding of the critical factors necessary to achieve your goals.

Personal Vision/Mission/LifeGoals
Before you can figure out where you want your business to go, it's essential to figure out where YOU want to go. Develop your personal vision (of the ideal world) and your mission (what you will do in your lifetime to help make that vision real). The next step is to get clear about what your ideal life looks like. Are you sitting on the beach or sitting in traffic waiting to get to the next meeting? Success in business should allow you the resources to (eventually) live your dream life.
Business Vision/Mission/Operating Principles
Now that you know where you want to go, what is the vision of your company. The vision should be big, bold, audacious! The mission is your company's role in implementing that vision. The operating principles are how you wish to go about doing business. Think of these as your corporate standards, the behaviors you hold youself to.
Business Plan
In order to get financing, you may have to complete a 20-page business plan (especially if there is a product involved). For yourself however, I recommend the "One Page Business Plan" as described by Jim Horan (Check out the book on : Amazon

In addition to your vision and mission, include (1) Objectives, the hard numbers you wish to achieve: 30 clients by February 2005, $200,000 in sales by September 2005. These should be clear goals you can check off when you have accomplished them. (2) Strategies, the high-level actions you plan to do to accomplish your objectives. For example, become an expert by writing articles, develop products with multiple price points, outsource as little (or as much) as possible. (3) Plans (the items that will build the business in the next time frame, 2 to 4 weeks at the outside. This is and isn't a to-do list. It's not your daily list, but it should help focus your priorities in the next week or so.
Ideal Client List
What are the qualities of your ideal client and what can they expect from you. Make as long a list as necessary, then highlight those qualities that are non-negotiable. These items should include personal characteristics as well as ability to pay, for example. Not everyone who breathes is an 'ideal' client, although many new business owners start by using the breath test - if they're breathing, they qualify!
'Why Me?' List
Identify 20 qualities or skills that make you an excellent business person (but specific to your business, for example, coach, lawyer, accountant, natural healer). If this is for a project or household, identify what makes you a good leader/mother/father. Make these as detailed as possible.
Marketing Plan
How do you plan to get the word out there about your business or services? This should go from strategies (advertise by flyers to local businesses) to specifics (take Fall Specials flyer to 40 stores in local area) to planning list (create flyer, get 50 printed, identify stores, take to stores, etc). Be sure to include multiple strategies and multiple specifics under each strategy. You may have a favorite marketing approach (e.g. giving talks at clubs), but it's wise to not restrict yourself to that unless you have enough business for the next two years.
Communication Plan
Think through every interaction your customers will have with you and identify what that interaction will look like. This should include pre-sale, acceptance, ongoing maintenance, complaint resolution, and feedback. For example, under "Signs up new client" you may have 1. Send welcome letter with directions to access client-only site. 2. Request completion of start-up package. 3. Identify payment method. 4. Get address, phone number, etc and add to client database.
Roles, Responsibilities and Competencies
What hat are you wearing today? For most small business owners and professionals, there are many hats and only one body -- yours! Even though you wear them all, it's necessary to get clear about the different roles necessary for the successful running of your company, and what qualities that ideal person should have. Besides preparing you to have additional people involved in your company, it helps keep you clear about what skills you need for the task at hand. For example, doing administrative tasks requires a different skill set than networking and marketing. I tend to think in terms of Vice Presidents, so Owner/President, VP of Marketing, VP of Sales, VP of Operations would be good places to start.
Business Recovery/ Disaster Recovery including Sucession Strategy
Planning for emergencies is a good way of figuring out what's really important in your business. For example, after a week's vacation we came home to find out that a freak storm had created a power surge that severely crippled my hard drive. MS Windows didn't work, which meant the cd drive wouldn't respond. I could get through to my data with DOS (remember DOS??), but didn't have anything large enough to copy the data to. This made me aware of the necessity of backing up my pc (which I now do both online and on another pc). Without my pc, I had NO business! [I now have a file called 'New PC Setup'. Whether I decide to upgrade or face an emergency, I know each and every step I need to take to get my pc up and running as quickly as possible, including where backups are kept and where to find the original programs].

When I was in the corporate world, we had a 3-level plan: if our floor was unavailable, if our building was unavailable, if the city of Boston was unavailable. For each of these situations, how quickly could we resume doing business, even if it wasn't quite 'business as usual'. Another dimension of this document should answer the question 'how does business continue after you're gone? or does it?' That may help you have a plan for selling, or training your son to take over.
MasterPlan
Once you've completed all these documents, the challenge is being able to get your hands on any one of them quickly. To make it easier for myself, I created an MSWord document that I call "Master Plan". It is divided into the following major areas: Planning, Personal Development Work, Professional Development Work, Technology, People, and Systems. For each item within a category, there is room to create a hyperlink to the appropriate file. If you are interested in seeing this file, send a blank email to masterplan@touchpointcoaching.com Directions for hyperlinking in MS Word are included. You'll see some of the items I consider important, but be able to adapt if for your business. (Please let me know if it works or not, or how I could make it better.)

Related Quotes

"Good plans shape good decisions. That's why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true." -- Lester Bittel

"In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." -- Dwight D. Eisenhower

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure." -- Colin Powell

"Plan your work, then work your plan." -- Jay Virgil Mayhugh

"The will to succeed is important, but what's even more important is the will to prepare." -- Bobby Knight

The Welcome Mat Guest Column:

The Top 10 Ways to Apply
AA’s Twelve Steps to Business Problems
by Elizabeth Tull and Louise Morganti Kaelin

One of the reasons for the success of the 12 Step programs is that they are based on solid principles that can be applied to many areas of life, and that includes business. A successful company takes stock regularly and. turns liabilities into assets. Here are some guidelines for applying these principles to business situations, whether with systems or people.

Admit there is a problem.
The very first step in dealing with any problem is to acknowledge that there is a problem. Surrendering to the idea that control is an illusion allows one to be proactive rather than reactive which creates opportunity for solution.

Recognize that a power other than yourself can restore you to sanity.
You do not have to do it alone. You can go to mentors, peer managers, a coach, or even business literature to tap into additional experience, tools and solutions.

Choose to turn it over.
Sometimes the biggest obstacle is you. There are times when the best thing you can do is to get out of the way and let others do their jobs.

Analyze the situation to determine the cause.
Where did you drop the ball or where could you have handled the situation differently? Look for specific situations, especially those where you can see you were part of the problem and not the solution. The question to ask: 'Have I truly set my people up to succeed in every area of their responsibilities?' Look for consistent patterns in which you are the liability. Remember, if it begins with you, it can end with you.

Create a successful plan of action with another person.
An objective view eliminates blind spots and also brings attention to what we do not see ourselves. This step must be taken with someone with integrity and who is concerned about both the business success and your success and a proven track record of creating results.

Humbly get into action.
There is a reason servant leadership creates companies that thrive financially as well as in employee/management relationships. Become a servant-leader and reap the benefits, both personally and professionally.

Let your side of the street sparkle.
Take stock of your personal inventory and identify where and with whom you need resolution. Then, decide what action you will take in order to complete/restore relationships.

Be entirely ready to implement your plan of action.
Be committed to resolving the situation. Any second-guessing or conflicting intentions should be discussed and put to rest. Willingness is a state of being, not just an attitude. It may sometimes be necessary to modify your plan of action if you are not getting the results you looked for, but 'don't quit before the miracle'.

Lead by example.
Be an active part of the solution and admit your piece of the problem. Show up as a leader who accepts personal responsibility and earn respect. You don't need to demand it. People will go where you lead them, so lead by example.

Create an outline for others.
Once you have increased productivity and have the trust, respect and loyalty of the people involved (up, down and across); write down these steps as guidelines for yourself and others to operate from. In addition, they will available to support other managers in similar situations.

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Copyright 2004, Elizabeth Tull & Louise Morganti Kaelin , All rights reserved.

Elizabeth Tull is a professional coach who specializes in helping individuals craft and design personal legacies and enhance sober living. She also works with families dealing with clinical depression. Visit her website at www.agapelegacycoach.com and sign up for her newsletter or one of her classes.

Working Towards Wholeness: Action Step

[This is a new section of the newsletter. For me, wholeness represents being my best self living my best life. I believe there are 12 keys to living in wholeness. Each newsletter, I will look at one action step you can take so that you may get one step closer to wholeness.]

WHOLENESS KEY: Complete the Past
ACTION STEP: Let Go of Your Shame

Taking accountability for one's actions is one of the key steps towards wholeness. However, there is a difference for being accountable and taking responsibility and punishing yourself forever. If you find yourself coming up against the wall time and time again, look within at what you feel the most guilt or shame about. Very often these are thoughts (not even actions!) that we have never shared with anyone, but which leave us feeling so guilty or ashamed that we decide that we are so bad we don't deserve joy or happiness (however that would show up in our lives). Talk about putting someone in jail and throwing away the key! Very few crimes warrant punishment for life and those are meted out by a court of law. Most people who get a court sentence have an end date established, with time off for good behavior. I am willing to go out on a limb and say that, if you are punishing yourself, you've way outdone your time!

To find out if there is something you feel guilty about that is keeping you from experience wholeness, follow the next few steps:

LET GO OF THE SHAME EXERCISE

Take a long, slow breath. Really allow your mind to get involved with the process and follow your breath in, hold as long as possible, and exhale out (really push it out).

Complete the following statement (preferably out loud, but write it down it that's not possible): "The thing I am most ashamed of is ________________________."

Become aware of your first thought or feeling. All you want is awareness of what the feeling is. If it's too general, try to pin it down, but once you've done that, keep moving.

Take a long slow breath. Repeat the sentence outloud. Become aware of your first thought or feeling.

Take a long slow breath. Repeat the sentence outloud. Become aware of your first thought or feeling.

For most people, by the 3rd repetition, they notice that the feeling has changed, that there is a lightening of the guilt/pain/sadness that usually accompanies the first time they acknowledge their shame.

To find out if this is true for you, complete the following sentence: Right now, the thing I am most ashamed of is ________________________."

Follow steps 3 to 7 until you feel 'complete'.

After a week or so, look back on your life since doing the exercise. Do you notice any changes? Has anything become easier? Is there something else that has surfaced? Return to the exercise if necessary, but also start to enjoy the benefits of having freed yourself.

Three-Minute Tools

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FREE TOOLS & INVENTORIES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX: My Autoresponders

Here's what's available to you:

ONE-PAGE SUMMARY PDF of ATTRACTION PRINCIPLES
Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction
ONE-PAGE SUMMARY PDF of THE FOUR AGREEMENTS
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
ONE-PAGE SUMMARY PDF of 21 LEADER'S QUALITIES
21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader by John Maxwell
100-POINT CLASS ACT ASSESSMENT
Track your progress towards becoming a Class Act.
100-POINT SUPERRESERVE ASSESSMENT
Identify areas where you already have reserves and find new ones.
EXERCISE: RELEASE THE PAST
PDF file with directions for letting go.
EXERCISE: WHEEL OF LIFE
PDF Exercise for gaining clarity on goals
EXERCISE: QUILTING BE
PDF Exercise to step outside the box and get a fresh perspective on a situation.

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All That BIZ

Louise Morganti Kaelin is a Life Success Coach who partners with others to help them turn their dreams into reality.
Phone: 1-617-984-2868 or 1-866-COACH-99 (toll-free inside USA)
Email: louise@touchpointcoaching.com
Web: http://touchpointcoaching.com

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