Well, we’re into a new financial year and many of us I’m sure are hoping this next one is going to be better.  So what can we learn from last years figures and how can we use that to improve our results. We can’t improve what we don’t measure… but what should we measure? Every business is different however there are some standards that everyone needs to understand and keep a regular eye on… let’s explore a few…  Read the rest of this entry »

An interesting read by Jeanne Bliss, highlighting a strong approach to customer service. If you think you are good at Customer Service then perhaps you can learn some new things to make you even better. The book questions the value of Customer Surveys… or the resultant actions (or lack of) that follow them…. then provides a 10 step process to improve your level of Customer Service. Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever stopped to think how do I actually beome an Entrepreneur… does it happen just by chance… I’ll let you answer that one.

Those of us that have those aspirations, follow a path… a system to give ourselves the best chance. There are steps to take on the “ladder” to success, so let me share them with you as something that I teach as an ActionCOACH… Read the rest of this entry »

Gung Ho

An easy read that highlights the steps to increasing productivity by fostering excellent workplace  morale. 

Based on a storyline with the key figures being a new General Manager, Peggy Sinclair and a Native American Dept Manager, Andy Longclaw. They embark on a plan to save against the odds, a loss making plant full of poor management.

Andy explains that “Gung Ho” is apparently chinese for “working together” and the slogan of Carlsons Raiders in WW2 a troop formed shortly after Pearl Harbour. A subsequent movie made the term famous and described boundless energy, enthusiasm and dedication to the task.

Peggy soon works out that Andy has a very productive department and that he is her only hope of success. They strike up a great relationship and Andy starts to introduce Peggy progressively how he has created such a motivated department, based on his old Grandfathers Indian philosophy which comes in 3 stages. Read the rest of this entry »

Lesson 1.

Dream, Believe and you can Achieve..! Thousands turned up in Sydney last weekend to watch the return of a 16 yo girl sail into the harbour after a single handed, unassisted sail non-stop around the world. Millions tuned in to their TVs to marvel at Jessica Watsons bravery and ability in completing what many thought was an adventure doomed to failure. But as we all watched in awe and excitement for her I think many realised or started to see what she is made of, and how she actually pulled it off.

Lesson 2.

Plan and Prepare Properly..!  I smiled as I heard her responses to many of the interviews during the last week, and one in particular stood out as one of the many lessons business owners can learn from her… when quizzed about how she felt when confronted by massive waves and storms, she calmly replied that when you have completed all the right planning and preparation, you simply have to ride it out knowing that you have done all you can do and it doesn’t seem so bad.   Read the rest of this entry »

Making It All Work

As a sequel to his best selling Getting Things Done…David Allen in Making It All Work focuses more on actually doing things, helping us with prioritization of the many items on our action lists. Probably not as simple a book to read as GTD with more complex issues to address, he spends a considerable amount of time explaining the “horizons” of focus. The clarity that comes of working from a trusted system rather than in our heads frees us up to more effectively trust our intuitions about what we should be working on in the heat of the moment.

Allen has added to this an attention to focus and perspective, and Making It All Work provides a valuable addition to Getting Things Done. The book’s subtitle, “Winning at the Game of Work and the Business of Life” highlights that he is committed to also bringing these systems into our non-work lives. Read the rest of this entry »

GOALS by Brian Tracy is effectively 21 great points to consider in achieving your goals. As one of the worlds renowned speakers and writers on this subject this book is an interesting summary of the main things that you need to make happen to set yourself up with a good chance of striking gold…Achieve Clarity on what you really want to achieve in life. 
The book also has a series of questions around this.

1. Unlock Your Potential
Brian starts by talking about our unlimited potential. He says to take the belief that no one is smarter or better than me…all I have done up to now is getting me ready for what’s to come. In others words have belief in yourself, think bigger, and overcome your fears.
2. Take Charge Of Your Life
It’s all about your attitude… Action clients will understand “Above & below the line”. Focus on positive emotions. Read the rest of this entry »

More Oomph to your business

Sitting here watching the V8s in Adelaide my attention wandered to my baby… a Soobie 4 paw STi… a Turbo, and wandered further to thinking of this in relationship to business sizes… many of us don’t have a big V8 business… but we could all undoubtedly turbocharge it.

You’ve heard the word “turbo” tossed around a lot, especially by performance car enthusiasts. But all that most of us know is that it means an engine has more “oomph” to it than normal. Would you like your business to have more “oomph”… then let’s look at turbocharging it….systematically!

Internal combustion engines are “breathing” engines. That is to say, they draw in air and fuel for energy. This energy is realized as power when the air-fuel mixture is ignited. Afterward, the waste created by the combustion is expelled as exhaust gases. This is your average business… it breathes and expends some energy… not bad, but could most likely do better! Let me explain how… Read the rest of this entry »

Good marketers know that cusomter centered marketing is mandatory. However, we are not the customer. What the customer perceives as relevant is the thing successful marketers must anticipate, plan, and deliver on. Don’t miss out on learning about this six-sigma marketing approach that can skyrocket the effectiveness of your interactive marketing.

Chapter 1: Dogs, Cats, and Marketing ? WIIFM, old marketing based on Pavlov’s Dogs

Chapter 2: Experiencing the Brand?Using Maslow’s ‘hierarchy of needs’ (diagram below)… Read the rest of this entry »

The One Minute Manager Meets The Monkey – Kenneth Blanchard

Kenneth Blanchard is well known in business circles as co-author of the best selling ‘One Minute Manager’ series of books. These quick and easy to read books (all around 150 pages) can be found on the bookshelf of any serious self-development book advocate, right alongside Blanchard’s other well known publications, ‘Raving Fans’, ‘Whale Done’ and ‘Gung Ho’.

Although published in the late 80’s it’s basic principles on dealing with day to day operational issues still apply today. Read the rest of this entry »