We all have the same amount of hours in a day, it’s how we spend them that separates the good from the great. Productivity seems to be an age-old enigma; how do we get the most done in the least amount of time? How do we guarantee we’re still doing high-quality work? How do we not go overboard with organization? One can achieve this by experimenting with the 5 productivity hacks below. 1. Schedule BlockingThis is the perfect way to map out your day. Instead of to-do lists you never look at again, or planning your whole life down to the minute, utilizing your time in chunks is the most efficient and effective way to ensure you stay on task. All this consists of is breaking up your hours in groups of one to four, and only completing specific tasks during predetermined times. For instance, your first hour is strictly for emails, your second three hours can be allocated to working on your big project, your following two hours are entirely dedicated to brainstorming ideas. Of course, everyone’s “blocks” will vary depending on your job and everyday tasks. This keeps your thoughts separate instead of trying to juggle several very different tasks back-to-back. You’ll be in email-mode then project-mode, instead of trying to switch back and forth. It will make your work quality better while also keeping all of your duties in order, and you’ll finish them in a more timely manner. Schedule blocking is a more useful alternative to a classic to-do list or planner. When you’re using one of these methods, your brain isn’t entirely focusing on the task at hand. You’re always thinking about what you need to do next, whereas if you only allow yourself to do one thing during your “block” you can get in a zone.
2. Create A ProblemMost people work better under pressure. By creating a “problem,” you’re giving yourself a specific thing to do; solve it. Without a crisis, there is no sense of urgency. The best way to do this is by first creating a question, “What do I need to get done?” For example, you need to get your PowerPoint presentation finished. The “problem” is that your presentation isn’t completed. The next step is to identify how you’re going to solve your problem. Your solution is to create an outline, find artwork for each slide, and insert all the text and photos. This is more beneficial than just saying you need to “do your whole PowerPoint.” By breaking your project into smaller tasks, you’ll know exactly what you should be doing. The block scheduling method goes hand in hand with this one. Solving your problem deserves its own block of time. A great tactic for this method is to give yourself a time limit for each item. You can use the timer on your phone. You can create your blocks in long periods with hours, or use smaller increments like minutes. 3. Limit DistractionsThis one is pretty obvious, put down your phone, don’t open a Facebook tab on your laptop, stop excess chatter with your office neighbor. This one is also much easier said than done. A great tool is the “Do Not Disturb” feature you most likely have on your phone. You can decide which notifications you see, and which notifications you don’t see. It allows you to focus on what is pertinent instead of Nancy’s new Instagram photo. Don’t be afraid to tell your co-workers when you can’t be distracted. It will most likely give them more respect for you by being vigilant about your work. They will be more than happy to abide by your requests. There are programs you can run on your computer to temporarily block websites that are time-wasters at work like social media. If you’re a twitter-addict, this might be a good option for you. 4. Stay HealthyThis tip seems self-explanatory as well, but it’s the most important one. Don’t get so wrapped up in your work that you’re not drinking water or eating unhealthy just because it’s quick. It’s so easy to get super excited about a project, but you can’t let it take over your whole life. Always put yourself and your well-being above everything! You’ll get no work done if you fall ill. You’d instead take a five-minute break than have five whole days out of commission because you’re sick. Always try to pack your lunch (this saves money as well), and keep a water bottle with you at all times. Dehydration is a massive culprit for illness.
5. Don’t Sacrifice EverythingWhile following these tips, make sure to not sacrifice too much for your work. It’s okay to get Taco Bell for lunch every once in a while, and it’s also okay to take an Instagram break. You’re going to be more productive if you’re happy and enjoying what you’re doing. If you’re completely cutting yourself off from everything, it’s going to be worse for you in the long-run. Everything in moderation works better than cutting things cold turkey. You should strive to lessen your “Instagram time” every week, or decide on different goals for staying productive, but you don’t have to stop having any fun. Productivity is the key to success. By following these tips, you have a much higher chance of getting your work done on time, submitting fantastic work, and having fun all at the same time. You spend half your life at your job, so make sure you’re getting everything out of it that you can. from https://addicted2success.com/life/5-productivity-hacks-to-help-you-win-at-anything/
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Your brand is more than just the colors on your website. And for startups, it’s important to create a strong and memorable brand from the beginning if you want to stand out from the competition, scale your company, and find your ideal customers faster. Here are 5 simple tools that will help your company avoid branding mistakes, take charge of your visual identity, and set a solid foundation for future growth:1. Graphic Design SoftwareThe word “design” doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Before deciding on your startup’s logo, colors, designs, and overall tone, consider working with a brand strategist who can translate the core ingredients of your startup into a visual identity that speaks to your target market. Brand strategists have expertise in the psychology of colors, shapes, textures, and words, and they will work with you to make sure that your branding appeals to your target audience. Once you have those basics of your brand established, there are several tools that can help your company refresh and maintain your visual identity. The absolute best graphic design tool for non-designers is Canva. While the free version has a lot of functionality, the paid plans offer more customization such as the ability to import your exact brand fonts and colors. But if your company handles all of your design in-house, you will need something more advanced than Canva. In that situation, I would recommend Adobe Creative Cloud to startups who work on their designs in-house, as it includes top-notch design software like Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, InDesign, and more.
2. Visuals & Creative ImageryHave you ever wondered where your competitors get those beautiful branded photographs that end up on their website? While it’s possible that they worked with a photographer, it’s also likely that much of their imagery comes from stock photos. Here are my recommendations on the exact places to purchase stock imagery to improve your company’s branding:
3. Social Media SchedulerYou’re a leader. You’re an entrepreneur. Your staff, board, funders, and admirers depend on you to make big decisions, lead the ship, and plot the vision towards your company’s future. You don’t have time to stare at a blank screen every day wondering what to post on Facebook. By using a social media scheduling tool, you can sit down for a few hours, schedule batches of content, and schedule the dates and times when it will post to your accounts over the next couple of months. Then, once the content is posted, you only need to worry about responding to comments and engaging with your customers. 21st century efficiency at its finest. Popular social media schedulers include Buffer and Hootsuite, both of which include free and paid plans. Not sure what exactly to post? Check out these social media ideas from influential businesses. And if the idea of writing and planning months of content still overwhelms you, our next tool will help you stay organized and on-brand. 4. Editorial CalendarWhen it comes to your content, it’s time to step it up a notch and start thinking like a media outlet. Every piece of content that you put out as a company, whether it’s an e-mail blast, blog post, social media post, podcast, or video, needs to be aligned with your brand. Each major magazine maintains an editorial calendar which outlines the overarching theme for each of the upcoming 12+ months. By establishing a monthly content theme in advance, they create a framework to generate and organize their ideas. Consider creating an internal editorial calendar that will guide your startup’s content over the next 6-12 months. The software tool you use to maintain your editorial calendar isn’t that important — I like to use Trello, but you can also create a simple numbered list in Google Docs or Microsoft Excel. You may be surprised at how quickly the creative juices flow once you have an editorial calendar in place.
5. In-Person NetworkingOffline efforts count towards your branding too! And if you run your entire startup from behind your laptop screen, you miss out on ample opportunities to build your business offline and gain local referral partners. If you’re new to in-person networking, start by visiting Meetup.com or Eventbrite.com where you can browse for events in your area. Think outside the box when it comes to selecting events to attend. For example: If you’re a chiropractor, it makes sense to attend local holistic health meetups. But you could also attend a travel event and meet digital nomads who don’t yet realize that a chiropractor can help them recover after long plane rides. Remember that you’re not at the networking event to make instant sales, you’re looking for referral partners and connections. Don’t be the person who tries to shove your sales pitch down everyone’s throat upon meeting them. As you can see, there are many simple online and offline resources that can help you spruce up your branding, reach new customers, and pique the interest of your target market. If you take branding one step at a time and start with the tools above, you will be well on your way to creating a brand that your customers will cherish and remember. Have you used any of these branding tools before? Are there any additional tools that have helped your startup’s branding shine? Share your thoughts below! from https://addicted2success.com/startups/5-must-have-branding-tools-for-your-startup/ To be successful in the new age of small business, you need to think about things in new ways, you need to do things in new ways, as well as say goodbye to habits and dogmas that no longer serve you. One of the biggest concepts that needs to change is how you view work. No longer are you confined by corporate policies or expectations around the hours you work. Most business owners are paid for the end product, the services they provide, their expertise and their knowledge. In order to continue to innovate and evolve in business, you need to understand why working more does not work for small business. Read the 5 reasons below:
1. It is not about working more or harder, it is about working smarterThe great American work ethic is defined by ‘hard work’, and in true American fashion, if a little is good, then more must be better! That’s not so in business. Dedication, determination and consistency are important to being successful in small business – but working smarter means you get to your goals quicker with more resources, energy and brainpower to take things to the next level. One of the biggest reasons businesses fail is because they physically reach a point where the business owner and their staff just can not work more. There are no more hours to work because the resource of time has been exhausted. Working smarter is a key habit that creates scalability in your small business, which benefits your employees, your clients and your family. Scalability is the gateway to building a legacy that contributes and impacts everyone who touches your business. Scalability brings profits and freedom. 2. It is not about doing the work, it is about ensuring the work gets doneMost business owners start their business because they find that they were really good at their corporate careers, but want the freedom that entrepreneurship can bring. You are used to doing the work, so it is really hard to let it go. It’s not surprising that you may find value in doing a ‘good job’ or by doing the work that ‘no one can do like me’. This is a trap that will forever limit your ability to grow and scale. Gone are the days where you can be successful in a silo. While you are working on building the stability of predictable cash and clients in the business, you most likely will be doing the work of servicing those clients, while still carrying out the responsibilities of being the owner. This is what you do in this stage of business growth. When you reach cash stability, it is time to define how the work gets done so that you can work ‘on’ the business, not just ‘in’ the business. In order to scale richly in your business, you’ll need to transition out of the ‘worker’ role in order to transition into the ‘manager’ role, and eventually transition into the true role as an entrepreneur leading an organization into profits.
3. Busyness does not make a good businessYou can get a little lost in business to the point where you aren’t sure what to do next. Or sometimes, you know what to do – you just don’t want to. So you avoid it by getting caught up in the busyness of the business. Busyness is energy and time wasted on unimportant and non-urgent tasks that do not move the needle in your business. As an employee, you are often rewarded when you ‘look busy’ – so you get really good at it. The average productivity of a working day is a mere 3 hours. What you are doing with the rest of your time matters. Your time is precious, spend it on revenue or result-oriented action. Scaling your business is knowing the difference between what there is to do and what needs to be done. 4. Hustle and Grind leads to Broke & Tired“Hustle and Grind” makes for a great motivational poster and shareable quote, but hustling without clear goals and results, often leads to burnout. Women business owners have a special gift to take ‘Hustle and Grind’ to a whole other level, and not in a good way. When you spend every single moment working, you often lose your health, your joy and get lost in a circular loop that leads nowhere. There’s also this ‘unspoken’ belief that you have to earn your way and pay your dues which drives many owners to ‘Hustle and Grind’. That creates a negative space that does not create success. ‘Inspired Action’ and the KISS method tend to produce more gains than ‘Hustle and Grind’. When in doubt, see #1. Scaling your small business successfully means that there are time periods of intensity, launching and pushing – but they are periods. They are not meant to be the status quo. You are not a machine, you are a human.
5. All work and no play makes Jane a cranky girlThe most unhappy small business owners are the ones working the hardest. Their faces say it all – bags under their eyes, dull skin and cranky attitudes. Overworking and not enjoying life leads to resentment. The saying that, “Entrepreneurs give up working 40 hour jobs, so they can work 80 hours in their business”, is an unfortunate story for many business owners. If you really want the freedom that can come along with owning your business, you need to live it from day one. You need to design your business to deliver that freedom. Waiting for ‘someday’ winds up becoming ‘never’ for many entrepreneurs because they can’t break the habit. Positivity in a business owner is contagious. People want to be around it in whatever way they can. When you lead a more balanced life, you encourage others to do so as well. Think of it as an attractive form of marketing. 6. Even Formula 1 racers take pit stopsLearn to value the “in-between.” Ever wonder why you have your best ideas in the shower, or in the middle of the night? Chances are, that’s because you are not working. The biggest value you can have in the success of your small business is to solve problems. It is the inspired ideas, the simple solutions that come to you in these moments that drive you forward. This also speaks to the fact that to be successful in business you need to take care of your physical and spiritual health, so when you do reach your finish line, there is enough of you left over to enjoy the success. Just like the racers, learn to take pit stops. Sometimes, in order to speed up, you need to slow down. The more successful you are in your business, the more demands you have on your time. The greatest asset in your business becomes you. You need moments of rest, recovery and ‘in-between’ to allow your greatness to flourish. You do not earn a gold star for ‘working more’ in business, yet so many business owners let busyness become their distraction of choice and wonder why they are not able to grow and scale their businesses. The best businesses are often simple. The most successful businesses are singularly focused. The wealthiest people say no the most. These are the skills you need to be able to scale your business richly. What is one thing you learned from this article? Share your thoughts below!from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/6-reasons-why-working-more-isnt-optimal-for-your-business/ Many believe that the characteristics that make a good leader are the traditional traits, such as charisma, drive, and vision. However, what’s more important than all the other characteristics and is present in all of the greatest leaders is emotional intelligence. The best and most successful leaders are considered emotionally intelligent, meaning they can understand their own emotions and those of others. This term became popular in 1996 when Dan Goleman published his book “Leadership: The Power of Emotional Intelligence” and defined the five parts of emotional intelligence which are self-awareness, self-regulation, internal motivation, empathy and social skills. Below are the 5 components of emotional intelligence critical to be a great leader:
1. Self-AwarenessSelf-awareness is the ability to acknowledge in real-time your own emotions and passions and the effect those have on others. You know the impact your emotions have on your behavior and that they can be contagious. This means that an emotionally intelligent leader will keep a positive and inspiring tone to their emotions to motivate their team and keep a calm office. Someone who has a short fuse and irrational reactions to certain things will undoubtedly affect the morale or their team. A leader who behaves in a calmer, more relaxed way, even in the face of unexpected obstacles or challenges will gain the respect of their team. 2. Self-RegulationUnderstanding your emotions and their effect is one thing, but a truly important aspect of emotional intelligence is self-regulation, the ability to channel or refocus potentially negative emotions into constructive action. For example, fear doesn’t lead to a failure to act but inspires a leader to tackle the thing they fear. Self-regulation can be defined as personal accountability or staying in control of your emotions. If you are tempted to let your frustrations out on someone else, instead of holding your breath and counting to ten, try writing down the negative comments on paper then shredding it – this can be really helpful for letting off steam and regaining your calm.
3. Internal MotivationA key component of emotional intelligence is self-motivation. This means that a person does not need external validation or factors such as money or status to drive their work. A self-motivated person will have naturally high standards, optimism, and passion towards achieving their purpose. This, in turn, motivates individuals working under such a leader. How can you become more self-motivated? Consider why you’re doing your job, and why you were passionate about it in the first place. It’s important to understand your purpose and remind yourself why you love your job. If you come across an obstacle in your work, try to find a positive from it, or a lesson learned. 4. EmpathyEmpathetic leaders can relate to what other people are going through and can adapt their approach accordingly. Empathy in a leader means they listen to their team, both what they are saying verbally but also non-verbal cues such as tone and body language. This is critical for a good leader, as it creates an inclusive team with engaged and loyal members. A leader without empathy won’t realize the impact their decisions or words have on others, which affects their ability to self-regulate. They may also ask too much of their team, or make unreasonable requests, whereas a leader with empathy will understand the individuality of each person’s situation and how that affects their work. To improve your empathy, it’s as simple as putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. Seeing something from someone else’s perspective is invaluable for understanding their motivations.
5. Social SkillsSocial skills can include building rapport, team building, and networking. Social skills are important for dealing with awkward situations, conflict resolution, and motivating and praising team members. These 5 components of emotional intelligence are important for any aspiring leader to understand. As an emotionally intelligent leader, you know how to manage your emotions and use these to motivate and inspire your team. The better a person becomes at managing these 5 aspects, the more chance they have of being a successful leader. Which one of the emotional intelligence components described above do you find most important? Share your thoughts with us below!from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/the-5-components-of-emotional-intelligence-for-great-leaders/ Our lives are messy and complex, and there are always problems that need to be resolved. One of the best approaches you can use to deal with the complexity of life is the design thinking process. The process is based on principles that can help you discover your new passions and career. If design thinking can transform organizations and inspire the next, it certainly can help us change our life to a more purposeful and fulfilling one. The process can be used by anyone, no matter his or her age, current situation, or occupation. It will help you to discover what you need to try next or to make you rethink your approach to success even. What is Design Thinking?Design thinking refers to the cognitive and human-centered processes: Empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test. On the contrary to how it sounds, it is not an exclusive practice for designers. Design Thinking is being taught at leading universities around the world. Innovators, entrepreneurs and leading businesses have also practiced it. Here are some of the lessons you can learn from design thinking to rethink how to make your life better:
1. Start with EmpathyAll success in life will start with empathy. You need to look at your life clearly; it is important that you understand all aspects of yourself. You need to be critical also and examine your relationships, your health, and your mental state. The same also applies when you work with others. If you want to be a good leader, you have to be empathetic. It is important that you are empathetic to their needs. When you show empathy to others, they will reciprocate it. Design thinking builds a framework where through empathy, you can meet the needs of others, and they can help you succeed by meeting your needs.
2. Connect the DotsIf you aim to succeed, it is necessary that you learn to see the bigger picture. It will thus require that you first define the issues. You will then need to correlate and connect things to ensure you know what actions will help you achieve your goals. In essence, you need to learn how to visualize abstract concepts. With these visual maps in your mind, you can define a path for success with ease. Whether you are working as the head of a group or on your own, having these mental maps is always important. 3. Improve Often Based on FeedbackThe design thinking process requires that you are open to feedback daily. Use this feedback to make meaningful improvements to your life. Keep in mind that what works today might not work tomorrow. Thus, it is important to constantly imagine new scenarios and try to find solutions to them. In short, never get too comfortable in one situation that appears to be working. Tomorrow, you might find that it actually causes you a headache. The aim is to seek out problems proactively before they start to harm your success and even cause you to fail. Feedback here comes from making a self-analysis or listening to the opinions of customers if you run a business. 4. Talk to Those Who Already Made itIf you are thinking of entering a certain career, it is essential that you talk to those who are already there. This might entail shadowing successful people or having normal conversations with them. In the end, you might understand how things work better. It can help save you the time of getting to some unanswered question you have. The best way to understand anything better is conversations (and reading too). These conversations can be over coffee or on the weekend. However, ensure that you ask probing questions such as the difficulties people face and how they solve problems. Even when they don’t want to talk about something that has gone wrong, you can discuss the practices that keep things running smoothly. 5. Take Actual Steps in the Real WorldWhile it is important to visualize success, it is always vital that you take real action in the real world. You can’t just sit and think about what those jobs or ideas may be like. Go out and try some of the things you think might help you succeed. Always keep in mind that you will never know whether you could have succeeded unless you do some testing in the real world. It is one of the definitive methods to help make a decision.
6. Be PersistentThe design thinking process requires you to persist in whatever you chose to do. Achieving goals will not happen overnight. A repetitive process requires a lot of willpower at times. The more you persist, the more lessons you get to learn in life. In the future, you will be able to make better choices for your success. Successful people are learners and observers. They show empathy but also take a critical look at themselves, at others and at the problems. Successful people are also the people who devote their time to learning from other people and experimenting. Design Thinking is definitely one of the practices to help people rethink their approach to success while in the process. Which one of these lessons from design thinking resonated most with you and why? Let us know your thoughts below!from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/6-lessons-from-design-thinking-that-will-help-you-rethink-success/ Having listened to all of our stakeholders and being fully aware of the situation, spring is a good time to conduct a quarterly review to see exactly where we are in order. This helps us have a clear starting point to re-adjust our goals for the coming year. One of the main problems tends to be that we look back at the things we haven’t done and where we didn’t get the results we intended. Because of this, we get ourselves in a state of anxiety which is hardly a resourceful state for setting positive goals. A better approach is to be nice to ourselves. Have a look back over the last three months and check all the things you have achieved. Give yourself a treat for all of the things you planned to achieve and did. They may be something as simple as maintaining a to-do list or smiling more. Afterwards, think of all the things you achieved which weren’t planned and congratulate yourself on your flexibility and creativity; for the person with the greatest flexibility of behaviour controls the outcomes. For those results that weren’t as you intended, remind yourself that we all make the correct choice at the time we make it. We don’t deliberately make the wrong choices and whatever the outcome, there’s always a positive intention. There’s no failure, only feedback, and we learn more from our failures than we do our successes.
Look to yourselfIt is vital, especially for sole proprietors or owner/managers, to manage themselves in order to be fit, healthy, and relatively happy. Evidence points to a clear relationship between our moods and assorted aspects of job performance such as decision-making, creativity, teamwork, negotiation and leadership. While success may put us in a good mood, an organisation that sees the glass as half full rather than half empty, stands a better chance in these difficult times. Depressed individuals will always see the glass as half-empty and even rapidly emptying. This attitude saps energy and leaves those affected feeling worthless, helpless, and hopeless. In its worst case, depression can impair the ability to communicate and it’s not hard to see the organisational parallels. Below are three elements within all of us that need to be taken care of:
1. Your mindThe key to a healthy mind is variety, so take an interest in other people, things, events and current affairs. Adopting an open and curious mindset allows us to see future possibilities and hence be more empowered. 2. Your bodyA healthy body requires a solid routine. Ensure you eat and drink healthy products (especially water) and get plenty of rest and exercise. Knowing our own limitations and taking action to stay within them ensures we operate at our best. 3. Your spiritMuch has been written about feeding or maintaining the spirit but I believe there is one simple rule. Believe in something that is true to you and spend time each day with your true beliefs. Solitude is the nurse of enthusiasm and is as needful to the imagination as friends are to our character.
Beyond individual performance, there are broader issues at stake. None of us are islands, happy in our own little depressed world. Moods, good or bad, are infectious and some people or positions can have a greater ripple effect than others. If a shy apprentice has a gloomy outlook, few may notice. But if people like the owner/manager are wandering around looking like the end of the world is coming, that can directly affect team spirit. Water bearer or well poisonerSo what can the organisation do? Firstly, as individuals, we must show a positive and upbeat demeanor. That’s not easy and faking it will easily be spotted as the deception will be transparent. This isn’t unauthentic, but merely an attempt to empower ourselves. Congruent leadership offers the means to put into words what it is you are experiencing with the person in order so your behaviour is consistent with your own values and beliefs such that you always appear to be what you desire to be. Your mood as a leader then is highly contagious. Even though leaders or opinion formers aren’t always in leadership positions, they’re at the centre of informal networks. They have charisma and magnetism, possess strong opinions, and express them forcefully. Therefore, they have considerable social power and can have a direct effect on morale by being a water bearer or well poisoner. Which are you today? What resonated most with you about this article and leadership? Share your thoughts below!from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/3-areas-you-should-focus-on-to-become-a-great-leader/ Startups are on the rise and youngsters are keen to launch their own business instead of a nine-to-five job. As simple as it sounds, opening a business needs patience and the right planning. Moreover, the profits gained can help you meet your financial obligations and realize other dreams. Young entrepreneurs must learn the skills of investing money within the right channels as most startups fail because of a shortage of funds. Every entrepreneur has a chance to innovate, create new jobs and have an influence on society. It’s our responsibility to continually grow and push forward, usually beyond our comfort zones. Here are the seven must-learn tips to grow as an entrepreneur:1. Read Books and ArticlesFor many new entrepreneurs, your first mentors are usually found in the pages of books and blogs. Much often learned from the writings of others, and fortunately these days, people are sharing their experiences. A survey found that 88% of the world’s wealthiest people read for a minimum of 30 minutes daily. By comparison, only 2% of the overall population reads this much daily. Read chapters in books, and articles to get new ideas and skills. Some ideas might not be directly relevant to what you’re doing these days however, it could come helpful a year or so down the road. My advice is to search out those leaders and writers who resonate with you. You’ll understand when you’ve hit on something when you find yourself returning to a book for answers and inspiration time and time again.
2. Perform SWOT AnalysisBusiness students and old-school marketers should be very aware of mapping out SWOT Analysis charts (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). If you’ve never made a SWOT chart, write out the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in four quadrants on a piece of paper. In reality, you’ll jot down a couple of notes on the back of a cocktail napkin, however despite the simplicity, if done right, a SWOT will shed light on crucial areas that require improvement. Most significantly, don’t shy away from the truth. Dissecting your weaknesses isn’t fun however, no good comes from avoiding the fact. 3. Be Willing to Take RisksIt’s impossible to become an entrepreneur if you don’t take risks. Doesn’t matter how many times you’ve fallen. See how many times you stand-up. Being an Entrepreneur isn’t that easy; it’s an up-and-down game like a business. Be willing to come up with new plans even when old strategies are working. It’s through such risks that your business will grow. You’ll learn and meet new partners or investors. Even so, the risks must be calculated. Doing the analysis and making consultations is vital in this case. 4. Open Your Eyes WideMany opportunities are arising in the business world every day. For instance, many companies are willing to come up with a mobile solution for a startup without charging immoderate prices. This info can only be discovered if you’re keen. Before dismissing adverts from websites and mainstream media, conclude if they’re relevant to your business. Also, follow the events happening in the stock market and international business summits. You’ll find the opportunities which will take your business to a new level. Becoming successful as an entrepreneur is possible if you learn, take risks, evolve, innovate, and stay motivated. You must be realistic regarding your abilities and watch the events that unfold in your world. 5. Lead the Way for Your TeamYoung entrepreneurs need to encourage employees and provide help at every juncture. For any young entrepreneur who aspires to be a leader it’s necessary to be:
An entrepreneur who has all the attributes of a leader leads the employees to productivity. It’s essential that the team respects a leader. The hunger and aspirations of the leader to strive for success inspire the employees to put in that extra effort to be successful.
6. Learn How to Keep Initial Success at BayDo not enjoy the shrubs of initial success for too long. Return to the drawing board and draw the future course of action. To move on to the next phase:
Never let the initial success get to your head. The online platform is an ever-changing arena. Analyze what’s working and what new tactics can be utilized to strengthen the market base. 7. Find and Keep Business PartnersYou will always go far if you have people to carry your hand during hardship in business. They’ll share ideas that have made them successful and provides you funds whenever necessary. Demonstrating that you are organized, capable, and serious is vital when nurturing such relationships. Keeping records, creating financial contributions to society, and attending forums are some of the choices worth trying. Being an entrepreneur isn’t as easy as it looks. You’ll face many up-and-downs, risks, financial crisis, and many more. Be ready to face these problems if you want to be an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship isn’t about making money, it’s about innovating new things and represent new concepts and ideas to the world. from https://addicted2success.com/entrepreneur-profile/7-things-you-need-to-do-to-grow-as-an-entrepreneur/ We have all been in the position where we knew we needed to have a difficult conversation at work that involved delivering constructive feedback. Maybe a major deadline was missed, there was a clear decline in performance, or someone blatantly dropped the ball. Most of us avoid delivering the feedback, and the conversation can get pushed back again and again, wasting valuable time and money. Delivering constructive feedback is challenging, and uncomfortable for most people, even highly trained leaders. Yet, delivering and accepting feedback is one of the most important keys for success. So why do we avoid these conversations? Because we never learned how to have them. Open, honest, direct communication is not a skill we are taught in school. There is no “How to Have Tough Conversations” 101. As a clinical psychologist that specializes in couples work, I see just how important communication is in maintaining thriving relationships. I understand that good communication is the foundation of every successful relationship; both intimate relationships and your work relationships. Below is a 6-step guide to providing constructive feedback:Step 1: Clarity on the Goal of the ConversationThe first step is to get clear on the goal of the feedback conversation. Are you planning to see a change in performance, simply communicate how you felt, or receive an apology? Get clear on what you are hoping to get out of the conversation. Be honest with yourself about what you need, what is most helpful to the relationship, and what is most helpful to the organization. Getting clear on the goal also ensures you are speaking with the right person.
Step 2: InvitationSet up a time to talk. Feedback conversations are not meant to be had in the hallway. It is important that both parties can set aside adequate time and have the space needed for dialogue. Additionally, there must be respect for both parties’ need for time to process information. For example, if you are delivering feedback, and the receiver needs time to process the feedback before responding, setting up a subsequent meeting will be most helpful. Step 3: OwnershipOwn the role you played in creating the situation. When you model ownership of blind spots, failures, or missteps, you set the stage for the receiver to do the same. For example, you may acknowledge that you were not aware of how to support your employee and not aware of the problem until x situation occurred. Equally important as owning your role, is owning your emotions. Own your emotions using “I” statements. For example, “I felt disappointed when I realized your sales performance had substantially declined”. Step 4: Open, Honest, Direct FeedbackFeedback that dances around the problem does not do anyone any good. It only increases anxiety on behalf of the receiver, and potentially causes the feedback to get totally lost. The conversation needs to be open, honest, and direct. For example: “I felt concerned when you did not attend the last two strategy calls this month…It brought up questions for me about your commitment to the company.” Step 5: Listen, Validate and AcceptWhen providing feedback, it is important both parties maintain an open mind, and respond in a way that communicates validation and acceptance. As soon as an individual gets defensive, feedback cannot be taken in, and the value of the conversation dramatically decreases. When providing feedback it is important to listen, validate, and accept your receiver’s viewpoint. Notice, I did not say agree. This looks something like saying: “I can see why X led you to commit Y , I understand you were under a great deal of stress/dealing with a personal situation/frustrated.”
Step 6: A Clear Plan for Moving ForwardIn providing feedback, the magic is that now things can change! If feedback is never given, relationships end, things will stay the same, businesses will die, and money will be lost. If you have gotten to this step, that means you did the hard work, and now you get to put change into action. A clear plan includes an acknowledgement from both parties regarding what they will do differently to prevent the situation from occurring again, and how they will stay accountable in making the change happen. The good news about delivering feedback is that the more you do it, the easier it gets. Remember, giving and receiving feedback is one of the most surefire ways to open yourself up to massive growth. As a giver of feedback, it is your job to model openness and a desire for growth, so that the receiver may take in the feedback and make the necessary changes. Exceling at feedback delivery will help you set you apart from others and enable you to achieve extraordinary relationships, in both your personal and work lives. from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/the-6-step-process-for-delivering-critical-feedback-in-a-constructive-way/ For me, this conjures up a scene in Monty Python’s Holy Grail where the king is explaining about how he built his castle on a swamp, each castle sank into the swamp until the fourth one stood firm. It’s so incredibly important to have solid foundations on which to build your life or business. There are times though where we think we have a rock-solid foundation and ignore the holes forming in it. Just like we think we’re invincible and nothing can hurt us or affect us, we think our foundations are too. There are times when we need to fix those holes and cracks but that means taking a step backwards and many see it as a weakness. Their ego will tell them they’re going in the wrong direction. Their ego will tell them they’re letting themselves down and they’ve become as weak as a little field mouse. I disagree though. I see the act of taking a step backwards to be one of the strongest and most powerful things we can do! We begin these journeys whether in life or in business with big plans. We’re excited, our emotions are running high and just like a kid on Christmas day, we forget about most things because our focus is on the prize (or the presents). Maybe we forget to put the battery door back onto one of our gifts properly. At first, everything is amazing. We spend hours playing with the new toy, it seems like only surgery will remove the smile from our face. Then it happens, the toy stops working because the batteries have fallen out (remember the door?), the smile weakens, the tears begin, the special day is filled with wails of sadness. All because you’d missed something at the beginning.
Tame our egoOne of the most powerful things that stop us taking that step backwards is our ego. It would be like asking a NASA rocket scientist if they would like to read “Rocket Science for Dummies”, they just wouldn’t do it because they would see it as belittling their existing knowledge. I’ll be honest, I would have felt the same if someone had handed me an “Archery for Dummies” book just as I’d won my second British championship title. These are the times when we have to suspend our ego. It can be difficult and many times we have to force ourselves to do it, but when we do we massively grow. It’s like when we go to a workshop or conference. The speaker lineup is awesome, you’re excited to see them. The event begins, the house lights dim and the stage is spotlit. The first speaker comes on stage, begins talking and your first thoughts are “But I already know that”. The mental walls shoot up and you miss all of the golden nuggets available because your ego shut off your mind to any new information. This is exactly the same process that happens when someone suggests to us that maybe we should take a few steps backwards to strengthen our foundation. The mental walls go up and our mind goes into lockdown. It’s like sticking fingers in our ears and loudly shouting “La La La La La La” so we don’t hear someone saying things. So what can you do?The first step is to slap your ego around the face with a wet trout. Your ego is used to being in control so doing something to disrupt that situation gives your conscious mind the control back long enough to jump in and begin reasoning and questioning the situation. Start asking yourself “What do I REALLY need to do to fix things?”. The solution won’t be to stick a band-aid on, it’s to fix the core issues which can be anything from lack of systems/procedures, lack of academic knowledge or lack of experience. All of these fall into the realms of your foundations and that’s where your focus should be. All too often we complicate things to the point where we stop seeing the solution. To stop your pizza from sticking to the box lid, you wouldn’t start to develop a non-stick cardboard coating so the cheese doesn’t stick to the lid when it gets dumped around by the delivery driver. You’d keep it simple and put the little plastic thing in the centre of the pizza instead.
When we complicate things, not only do we lose sight of the end goal, but we forget about the simple solutions. Those simple solutions reside in the realm of the basic, that place you get to when you take this valuable but sometimes difficult steps backwards. Yes, it’s going to be hard at first, yes it’s going to give you those feelings of failure and going back to school, but believe me when I tell you they will be the best, strongest and most powerful steps you take, on a par with Neil Armstrong’s small step for man. from https://addicted2success.com/life/how-one-small-step-back-backwards-is-one-giant-leap-forwards/ Studies show that 15 million Americans are self-employed full-time and that an estimated 27 million Americans will transition from the traditional workforce to full-time entrepreneurship by 2020. Additionally, it is asserted that entrepreneurs are 125% more successful if they have previously been employed in the industry in which they presently do business. This is all great news on many levels. Chances are, if you are reading this article, you are considering transitioning from employee to entrepreneur, or perhaps you have already made the shift. I get it. I am one of the millions who has made the switch – trading stability and comfort for passion and freedom. However, if you are a potential full-time entrepreneur, there are many things to consider before making the leap. How will I support myself and my family in the initial stages of development? What do I do if I fail? How do I maintain the drive needed to make a business successful? How will my business harness the creativity and innovation required to thrive in the marketplace? These are all valid questions and should be considered deeply. If only there were a training ground to test your management capabilities, gain knowledge, think innovatively and be solution-focused. But, wait, there is. Your current employment can offer these opportunities and more – through intrapreneurship. By definition, an intrapreneur is an employee of a company who has adopted an entrepreneurial mindset. Intrapreneurs are highly motivated self-starters and innovative, solution-driven thought leaders, who work within an organization. Because of this definition, acting in an intrapreneurial capacity in your current place of employment makes a great deal of sense when considering the move to self-employment. You can use your current employment status as a testing ground for where you want to be. Here are four reasons why intrapreneurship can work for you:1. See a problem. Solve a problemAll businesses should be designed to fulfill a need. Just as your own business should be able to justify its existence in the marketplace, initiatives within an organization should do the same. Closely examine processes and products in your place of employment. Determine what could be executed more productively. Alternatively, design a new initiative to creatively meet and exceed customer expectations. Acting in this manner will prepare you for building the structure and mission of your own business. 2. Creatively capitalize on skills and talents gained outside your employerIn many instances, we separate business from personal, and there are many good reasons for this approach. However, there are notable skills and talents used in your personal life that are transferable to the workplace. For example, if you engage in team sports, use your team building skills and charisma to involve your colleagues in projects. If you love to read fiction books, integrate the creativity of the stories to bend the thinking of traditional methods of operation. The possibilities are many. Business owners rely on all life experiences, directly or tangentially related, for the benefit of their enterprises. 3. Intrapreneurship is for all employment levelsIf you think intrapreneurship is only for c-suite executives, think again. Intrapreneurship is for the mailroom to the boardroom. As noted in the definition, intrapreneurship is about being a self-starter. You do not need permission from anyone to be highly motivated. Just as all parts of our bodies have a function, so do all positions in an organization. Even if you feel your position has no purpose in your organization, make one. We all have to start somewhere in our entrepreneurial journeys, so start right now, where you are. 4. Experiencing failure is inevitable. Move forward anyway.All of us will experience failure at some point and multiple times as well. Failure will happen regardless if you remain employed or set out on our own. Be bold enough to move forward with establishing your voice and your place anyway. Business and life are about forward movement. Decide now what next step you will take if you fail. There is always a path forward. Get used to the possibility of your ideas being rejected and your designs being flawed now, so when you are a full-time entrepreneur, you will know how to advance. Whether you are at the infancy stages of developing your own business, currently self-employed or even wish to remain an employee, establishing yourself as an initiator and innovator can reap many benefits for you and your company. That is the beauty of it. from https://addicted2success.com/entrepreneur-profile/transitioning-from-employee-to-entrepreneur-try-intrapreneurship-first/ |
ABOUT USHi I am Stacy Klein. I like swimming and i enjoy being organized and strive to become more efficient every day. Archives
November 2020
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