The Internet continues to grow new media and social networking is one that offers value for both the individual and the business person. It’s not just buzz word, but rather an Internet phenomenon. It’s like a global cocktail lounge or living room gathering. It is a way for people to interact, get to know each other and connect, without traveling half way around the globe or even leaving the comfort of home.
Social networking is a familiar activity, meeting and getting to know people but in a totally new venue. We’re used to doing it at work or church or the golf course but many can be intimidated by opening up to meeting new people via an Internet site. Social networking sites provide this new platform for getting to know more “friends.” You can reconnect with old friends or meet and connect with new people. Just like any other networking activity it takes time to make connections and time to build meaningful relationships.
Social networking took off among the younger generation first. Like much of the Internet it was developed at college campuses. Social networking sites were a way to stay in touch with friends when they weren’t right there with you. It also became a way to make new friends in a less stressful social situation.
But, social networking is not just for the teeny boppers. Adults now enjoy social networking as well. The first social networking sites we all heard about were Facebook and MySpace. This was mostly due to controversy surrounding what some Generation X kids were posting, but it made parents aware of the social networking craze. Parents joined just in order to monitor their teenager and found usefulness on the site for themselves.
Now, adults are using social networking for several different purposes. First, it is a venue to reconnect with old classmates, friends and colleagues: the use is personal. It is easy to stay in touch with many people at the same time and build and rebuild relationships. You can keep in touch with that world traveler and also see pieces of their travels along the way instead of waiting for them to return.
For business owners both small and large there is value in social networking. Marketing gurus found they were able to build meaningful alliances and business partnerships through their connections on social networking websites. In addition, social networking has become valuable to building your web presence as well. A social networking presence is akin to going door to door and telling people about your product. But you can easily reach people globally and not just in the neighborhood. For each site that you decide to join create a powerful profile, include pictures and details. Add personal info such as likes and dislikes to give people a feel for your personal side. Join groups of people with similar interests.
On first look, social networking appeared to be a venue for the young, but what many have discovered is that there is value for individuals, businesses, corporations and age doesn’t matter. When you make your first visit to a social network you could easily feel intimidated but don’t worry, the groups are friendly and there is a wealth of info to get you started.
Social networking has a place in the life of both young and old alike. Use it to meet new people, make business contacts, stay in touch with family, or just to beef up your Internet presence. The wave of the future is social networking. Don’t you want to join?
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Thursday, January 08, 2009
What is Social Networking?
What is Social Networking?
The Internet continues to grow new media and social networking is one that offers value for both the individual and the business person. It’s not just buzz word, but rather an Internet phenomenon. It’s like a global cocktail lounge or living room gathering. It is a way for people to interact, get to know each other and connect, without traveling half way around the globe or even leaving the comfort of home.
Social networking is a familiar activity, meeting and getting to know people but in a totally new venue. We’re used to doing it at work or church or the golf course but many can be intimidated by opening up to meeting new people via an Internet site. Social networking sites provide this new platform for getting to know more “friends.” You can reconnect with old friends or meet and connect with new people. Just like any other networking activity it takes time to make connections and time to build meaningful relationships.
Social networking took off among the younger generation first. Like much of the Internet it was developed at college campuses. Social networking sites were a way to stay in touch with friends when they weren’t right there with you. It also became a way to make new friends in a less stressful social situation.
But, social networking is not just for the teeny boppers. Adults now enjoy social networking as well. The first social networking sites we all heard about were Facebook and MySpace. This was mostly due to controversy surrounding what some Generation X kids were posting, but it made parents aware of the social networking craze. Parents joined just in order to monitor their teenager and found usefulness on the site for themselves.
Now, adults are using social networking for several different purposes. First, it is a venue to reconnect with old classmates, friends and colleagues: the use is personal. It is easy to stay in touch with many people at the same time and build and rebuild relationships. You can keep in touch with that world traveler and also see pieces of their travels along the way instead of waiting for them to return.
For business owners both small and large there is value in social networking. Marketing gurus found they were able to build meaningful alliances and business partnerships through their connections on social networking websites. In addition, social networking has become valuable to building your web presence as well. A social networking presence is akin to going door to door and telling people about your product. But you can easily reach people globally and not just in the neighborhood. For each site that you decide to join create a powerful profile, include pictures and details. Add personal info such as likes and dislikes to give people a feel for your personal side. Join groups of people with similar interests.
On first look, social networking appeared to be a venue for the young, but what many have discovered is that there is value for individuals, businesses, corporations and age doesn’t matter. When you make your first visit to a social network you could easily feel intimidated but don’t worry, the groups are friendly and there is a wealth of info to get you started.
Social networking has a place in the life of both young and old alike. Use it to meet new people, make business contacts, stay in touch with family, or just to beef up your Internet presence. The wave of the future is social networking. Don’t you want to join?
The Internet continues to grow new media and social networking is one that offers value for both the individual and the business person. It’s not just buzz word, but rather an Internet phenomenon. It’s like a global cocktail lounge or living room gathering. It is a way for people to interact, get to know each other and connect, without traveling half way around the globe or even leaving the comfort of home.
Social networking is a familiar activity, meeting and getting to know people but in a totally new venue. We’re used to doing it at work or church or the golf course but many can be intimidated by opening up to meeting new people via an Internet site. Social networking sites provide this new platform for getting to know more “friends.” You can reconnect with old friends or meet and connect with new people. Just like any other networking activity it takes time to make connections and time to build meaningful relationships.
Social networking took off among the younger generation first. Like much of the Internet it was developed at college campuses. Social networking sites were a way to stay in touch with friends when they weren’t right there with you. It also became a way to make new friends in a less stressful social situation.
But, social networking is not just for the teeny boppers. Adults now enjoy social networking as well. The first social networking sites we all heard about were Facebook and MySpace. This was mostly due to controversy surrounding what some Generation X kids were posting, but it made parents aware of the social networking craze. Parents joined just in order to monitor their teenager and found usefulness on the site for themselves.
Now, adults are using social networking for several different purposes. First, it is a venue to reconnect with old classmates, friends and colleagues: the use is personal. It is easy to stay in touch with many people at the same time and build and rebuild relationships. You can keep in touch with that world traveler and also see pieces of their travels along the way instead of waiting for them to return.
For business owners both small and large there is value in social networking. Marketing gurus found they were able to build meaningful alliances and business partnerships through their connections on social networking websites. In addition, social networking has become valuable to building your web presence as well. A social networking presence is akin to going door to door and telling people about your product. But you can easily reach people globally and not just in the neighborhood. For each site that you decide to join create a powerful profile, include pictures and details. Add personal info such as likes and dislikes to give people a feel for your personal side. Join groups of people with similar interests.
On first look, social networking appeared to be a venue for the young, but what many have discovered is that there is value for individuals, businesses, corporations and age doesn’t matter. When you make your first visit to a social network you could easily feel intimidated but don’t worry, the groups are friendly and there is a wealth of info to get you started.
Social networking has a place in the life of both young and old alike. Use it to meet new people, make business contacts, stay in touch with family, or just to beef up your Internet presence. The wave of the future is social networking. Don’t you want to join?
Friday, January 02, 2009
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Your Personal Life Map: EnVision Success
Donna Price
Copyright 2008
All rights reserved
Success is a personal journey. It looks different for each person. It is more than money, professional titles, or higher education degrees. Planning a life of success is about mapping out the aspects of your life. It is a holistic approach to success that includes mind, body and spirit. (even if you are a corporate junkie you need this balance. Similar to a map, you need to define the following details: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route.
Origin: Who you are
A journey has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now, at this moment. Most people when asked to introduce themselves identify themselves with their name and occupation, saying something like: “Hi, I’m Jean and I am a 17-year old, senior high-school student.” It does not tell you about who Jean is, her values, her character, her interests or passions; it only tells you her present focus. Your origin and who you are is more than your name and occupation. It is your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, Jean realized that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impatient. Her inclination was in the biological-medical field. Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars were destructive to human dignity.
Destination: A vision of who you want to be
“Who do want to be?” this is your vision. Now it is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.
Continuing Jean’s story, after she defined her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decided that she wanted to have a life dedicated to service.
Vehicle: Your Mission
A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about yourself. Based on Jean’s self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a doctor, and that she wanted to become one. Her chosen vocation was a medical doctor. Describing her vision-mission fully; it was to live a life dedicated to serving her fellow people as a doctor in conflict-areas.
Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude.
Food, drinks, medicines, and other travelling necessities are contained in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. Jean realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge and skills in medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was something she wanted to change.
Landmarks and Route: S.M.A.R.T. objectives
Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track; while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years. Going back to Jean as an example, she identified the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor’s degree in biology by the age of 21; completing medicine by the age of 27; earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30; getting deployed in local public hospitals of their town by the age of 32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35.
The landmarks become your goals. The route is your strategy for reaching each landmark or goal. You can see that it all ties together with your vision. Without the vision it is hard to create a map with landmarks and routes. As you develop your route, you are working on strategies that make the most sense for getting to the next landmark along your journey.
Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes
The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But oftentimes our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes thus; we must anticipate them and adjust accordingly. And occasionally the road ends at a cliff that we didn’t anticipate and we find ourselves plunging out of control. In each of these situations it is where a compass becomes a vital tool. Your compass keeps you headed in the right direction, helps to get you back on your route. Your compass contains your values and principles. It is what guides your life along your journey. Values and principles are what guide your decisions. When a road block appears or a detour comes up, you need to take out your compass and get a new bearing of where you are headed.
A life map is a valuable tool for building success year after year. You are not just driving down the road blindly. You have envisioned your destination. It is okay if the vision isn’t totally clear. The clarity can come as you come closer and closer to that vision. It is when you drive without a plan that you end up in a destination unknown and wonder how you got yourself there. By being the driver of your life and have a life map you are more likely to achieve the success you desire.
Register today for our EnVision 2009 Tele-Seminar at:
http://www.tinyurl.com/teleclassregistration
and our Building Abundance Workshop (with life mapping) at:
http://www.tinyurl.com/buildingabundance
Happy New Year!!
All the best,
Donna
Copyright 2008
All rights reserved
Success is a personal journey. It looks different for each person. It is more than money, professional titles, or higher education degrees. Planning a life of success is about mapping out the aspects of your life. It is a holistic approach to success that includes mind, body and spirit. (even if you are a corporate junkie you need this balance. Similar to a map, you need to define the following details: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route.
Origin: Who you are
A journey has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now, at this moment. Most people when asked to introduce themselves identify themselves with their name and occupation, saying something like: “Hi, I’m Jean and I am a 17-year old, senior high-school student.” It does not tell you about who Jean is, her values, her character, her interests or passions; it only tells you her present focus. Your origin and who you are is more than your name and occupation. It is your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, Jean realized that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impatient. Her inclination was in the biological-medical field. Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars were destructive to human dignity.
Destination: A vision of who you want to be
“Who do want to be?” this is your vision. Now it is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.
Continuing Jean’s story, after she defined her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decided that she wanted to have a life dedicated to service.
Vehicle: Your Mission
A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about yourself. Based on Jean’s self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a doctor, and that she wanted to become one. Her chosen vocation was a medical doctor. Describing her vision-mission fully; it was to live a life dedicated to serving her fellow people as a doctor in conflict-areas.
Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude.
Food, drinks, medicines, and other travelling necessities are contained in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. Jean realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge and skills in medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was something she wanted to change.
Landmarks and Route: S.M.A.R.T. objectives
Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track; while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years. Going back to Jean as an example, she identified the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor’s degree in biology by the age of 21; completing medicine by the age of 27; earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30; getting deployed in local public hospitals of their town by the age of 32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35.
The landmarks become your goals. The route is your strategy for reaching each landmark or goal. You can see that it all ties together with your vision. Without the vision it is hard to create a map with landmarks and routes. As you develop your route, you are working on strategies that make the most sense for getting to the next landmark along your journey.
Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes
The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But oftentimes our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes thus; we must anticipate them and adjust accordingly. And occasionally the road ends at a cliff that we didn’t anticipate and we find ourselves plunging out of control. In each of these situations it is where a compass becomes a vital tool. Your compass keeps you headed in the right direction, helps to get you back on your route. Your compass contains your values and principles. It is what guides your life along your journey. Values and principles are what guide your decisions. When a road block appears or a detour comes up, you need to take out your compass and get a new bearing of where you are headed.
A life map is a valuable tool for building success year after year. You are not just driving down the road blindly. You have envisioned your destination. It is okay if the vision isn’t totally clear. The clarity can come as you come closer and closer to that vision. It is when you drive without a plan that you end up in a destination unknown and wonder how you got yourself there. By being the driver of your life and have a life map you are more likely to achieve the success you desire.
Register today for our EnVision 2009 Tele-Seminar at:
http://www.tinyurl.com/teleclassregistration
and our Building Abundance Workshop (with life mapping) at:
http://www.tinyurl.com/buildingabundance
Happy New Year!!
All the best,
Donna
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Great Book
I am just finishing a book I found at the book store called Photo Reading. I am historically a pretty slow reader but I have alibrary full of books I want to read and share. Photo reading is a phenomenal process for reading a book in a fraction of the time. While reading the Photo Reading book itself I also read The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey. It is one of the books that we will be covering in the new book club that I am starting in 2009. More info to come on that. I also read Eric Butow's book on using LinkedIn. I've been on LinkedIn for years but hadn't really mastered it. I"m not saying that I've mastered it yet (do you ever?), but I did learn alot and am using LinkedIn more. In fact-- early in 2009 I am planning a tele-seminar on using LinkedIn. Sign up for the newsletter -- link is to the right there, and I will let you know when the tele-seminar is. Let me know what your successes and challenges with LinkedIn are and I will research them and answer them on the the tele-class.
Do you have other business questions? Let me know!! I am always working to find answers to client questions and would love to be helpful to you too!!
What business books are you finding helpful?
Have a great one!
All the best,
Donna
Do you have other business questions? Let me know!! I am always working to find answers to client questions and would love to be helpful to you too!!
What business books are you finding helpful?
Have a great one!
All the best,
Donna
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Incredible Training Opp
>>> If Only Napoleon Had This 83 Years Ago <<< If you can have a conversation on a telephone, It took Napoleon Hill 23+ years to write his But by utilizing teleseminar marketing, you can Find out how during our live $20 teleseminar * * * Your VIP Discount Code is: AM3964 * * * To get the full story, click this link now: |
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Strategic Leadership
Strategic Leadership
Strategic planning and strategic leadership styles vary just as the employees and owners of companies involved in the planning process differ. Visit local bookstores or check on line to see hundreds of books claiming to have the secrets to a successful business and easy strategic planning. Technology and the Internet has forced companies to make changes. Has the ability to get along with and manage others changed? Many businesses today are international. Constant news reports keep everyone updated on issues affecting the business world. The skills needed to effectively manage others have not changed that much. Rather employees today are not as willing to put up with poor leadership or bullies in the manager’s office, anymore. Employees have more choices and they expect leaders to be authentic.
Strategic leadership is defined as determining where an organization is going and how to get there. Years ago this was called long-range planning. Decisions then were made by upper management behind closed doors. Today strategic planning is likely to involve individuals from all levels of management and staff. Companies are learning the best way to achieve excellent plans and full company support is to involve individuals from all levels of the business.
Strategic leadership usually involves planning. Companies do not achieve their goals accidentally or by luck but rather by setting goals. Companies use different methods for strategic planning. They are based on the type of business, the mission statement or the marketing strategy. Basically the steps are the same with each model, some models are more complex and detailed. Small business owners and companies alike should adapt strategic planning to fit their situation. It's helpful to review how other leaders determine business strategies. It's critical to know leadership of a company is not one size fits all.
Thinking about where a company is going leads to discussions on what they do – their product or service. Without this knowledge strategic planning will not work. Sometimes companies write their mission statements during this stage of planning. Mission statements range from one simple sentence to numerous detailed paragraphs. Regardless of length the intent is to state the core purpose of the corporation what’s at the heart of the business. Companies then elaborate on their mission statements by adding vision and value statements.
Value statements usually deal with customer type, target markets, business activities or things they will not do. Moral values and public sentiment sometimes play a role. Companies that misjudge this often lose customers and market position. Vision and value statements, just like mission statements, are unique to the business. Truett Cathy, the owner of Chick-fil-A, is a good example. They will never open their restaurants on Sunday. This planning stage is sometimes referred to as strategic analysis.
Howard Behar, author of "It's not about the Coffee/Leadership Principles from a Life at Starbucks" defines his leadership philosophy as people are more important than the coffee. He believes when companies take care of their people – employees and customers – the business is profitable. Sometimes companies struggle to define their product. In the above situation many individuals define coffee as the product. Yet their strategic leaders define it as people. It helps to go beyond the physical product to see what need the product fills. Companies can't engage in strategic planning until there is clarity and agreement on what needs the company fulfills.
When determining the purpose of a company it is critical to analyze the environment they operate in. What's the competition? What are they doing to generate sales? What future trends might affect the business? If they market to a certain segment do they need to change or update their services? Are they using the most up to date technology available? How does the Internet apply to their business? Should they shift from a local to an international focus? Questions such as these help strategic leaders decide what major issues the company faces as well as potential opportunities available.
Once a company completes strategic analysis it's time to add the details. What actions are needed to fulfill their mission statement while balancing their values and vision? At this point the process becomes very detailed and specific. Usually there are multiple goals or objectives. It's helpful to divide these by product, task, location, customer, or some way unique to the business. Each of the divisions has a different manager with different tasks/goals specific to that aspect of the business. It's not enough to say the company wants to increase business. It's better to be very specific. How does the company want to increase their business? How do they plan to do this? Add dates, amounts and numbers.
The company has determined their mission and what's needed for this to happen. At this point the strategic leader usually releases details to the employees. The managers of each division usually report back to their managers with a trickling down effect. Team leads/managers explain the strategic plans during team meetings. Sometimes this announcement is kicked off with much promotion – lots of bells and whistles. Employees sometimes walk away thinking it's just another year. Strategic plans do not affect me. Employee acceptance of mission and vision statements is largely determined by their involvement in the planning process and their attitude toward management.
Employees can struggle with the goals attached to mission/vision statements. To insure companies meet their goals, strategic planners include responsibilities, timelines and accountability in the mission statement. Sometimes this involves change which employees do not always embrace. If negative consequences result from unmet goals, employees usually have negative attitudes. Management doesn't always recognize the feelings or issues of their employees. It's essential that all employees understand what's expected of them. Take time to answer their questions. Encourage teamwork. Listen.
Strategic plans usually involve budgets. Everybody likes money especially in their paycheck. If a company is doing well financially, and the new strategic plan does not include cutbacks, this is good news. But on the other hand, if money is tight, and the employees will not receive money as expected, this is bad news. Usually employees think of themselves first. When presenting a new mission statement to employees they typically think what's in it for me. If the company needs to cut corners or eliminate positions, this causes stress for everyone involved. Part of strategic planning includes how to deliver strategic plans to the staff. A good leader makes sure this is done in a positive way with consideration for the feelings of everyone involved.
Strategic planning isn't just for corporations. Small businesses, even a sole proprietor, benefit from making strategic plans on an annual basis. Usually the small business owner starts a company because they are good at one thing, but many times they don't have the skills needed to develop a successful company. They provide a product or service but don't know how to analyze the market, set goals, promote their business, or manage money. Writing a mission statement - determining where the company is going and how to get there - puts the business owner closer to the road of success.
Strategic planning is vital to business success but even more important is the implementation of the plan. Donna Price, Strategic Planning Facilitator and Business Success Coach guides clients through an easy process that gets them focused and aligned around their top goals. Ongoing coaching and facilitation keep the plan in motion and moving to accelerated results. Test your success factors at:
http://www.compassroseconsulting.com/business-success-inventory.html
Strategic planning and strategic leadership styles vary just as the employees and owners of companies involved in the planning process differ. Visit local bookstores or check on line to see hundreds of books claiming to have the secrets to a successful business and easy strategic planning. Technology and the Internet has forced companies to make changes. Has the ability to get along with and manage others changed? Many businesses today are international. Constant news reports keep everyone updated on issues affecting the business world. The skills needed to effectively manage others have not changed that much. Rather employees today are not as willing to put up with poor leadership or bullies in the manager’s office, anymore. Employees have more choices and they expect leaders to be authentic.
Strategic leadership is defined as determining where an organization is going and how to get there. Years ago this was called long-range planning. Decisions then were made by upper management behind closed doors. Today strategic planning is likely to involve individuals from all levels of management and staff. Companies are learning the best way to achieve excellent plans and full company support is to involve individuals from all levels of the business.
Strategic leadership usually involves planning. Companies do not achieve their goals accidentally or by luck but rather by setting goals. Companies use different methods for strategic planning. They are based on the type of business, the mission statement or the marketing strategy. Basically the steps are the same with each model, some models are more complex and detailed. Small business owners and companies alike should adapt strategic planning to fit their situation. It's helpful to review how other leaders determine business strategies. It's critical to know leadership of a company is not one size fits all.
Thinking about where a company is going leads to discussions on what they do – their product or service. Without this knowledge strategic planning will not work. Sometimes companies write their mission statements during this stage of planning. Mission statements range from one simple sentence to numerous detailed paragraphs. Regardless of length the intent is to state the core purpose of the corporation what’s at the heart of the business. Companies then elaborate on their mission statements by adding vision and value statements.
Value statements usually deal with customer type, target markets, business activities or things they will not do. Moral values and public sentiment sometimes play a role. Companies that misjudge this often lose customers and market position. Vision and value statements, just like mission statements, are unique to the business. Truett Cathy, the owner of Chick-fil-A, is a good example. They will never open their restaurants on Sunday. This planning stage is sometimes referred to as strategic analysis.
Howard Behar, author of "It's not about the Coffee/Leadership Principles from a Life at Starbucks" defines his leadership philosophy as people are more important than the coffee. He believes when companies take care of their people – employees and customers – the business is profitable. Sometimes companies struggle to define their product. In the above situation many individuals define coffee as the product. Yet their strategic leaders define it as people. It helps to go beyond the physical product to see what need the product fills. Companies can't engage in strategic planning until there is clarity and agreement on what needs the company fulfills.
When determining the purpose of a company it is critical to analyze the environment they operate in. What's the competition? What are they doing to generate sales? What future trends might affect the business? If they market to a certain segment do they need to change or update their services? Are they using the most up to date technology available? How does the Internet apply to their business? Should they shift from a local to an international focus? Questions such as these help strategic leaders decide what major issues the company faces as well as potential opportunities available.
Once a company completes strategic analysis it's time to add the details. What actions are needed to fulfill their mission statement while balancing their values and vision? At this point the process becomes very detailed and specific. Usually there are multiple goals or objectives. It's helpful to divide these by product, task, location, customer, or some way unique to the business. Each of the divisions has a different manager with different tasks/goals specific to that aspect of the business. It's not enough to say the company wants to increase business. It's better to be very specific. How does the company want to increase their business? How do they plan to do this? Add dates, amounts and numbers.
The company has determined their mission and what's needed for this to happen. At this point the strategic leader usually releases details to the employees. The managers of each division usually report back to their managers with a trickling down effect. Team leads/managers explain the strategic plans during team meetings. Sometimes this announcement is kicked off with much promotion – lots of bells and whistles. Employees sometimes walk away thinking it's just another year. Strategic plans do not affect me. Employee acceptance of mission and vision statements is largely determined by their involvement in the planning process and their attitude toward management.
Employees can struggle with the goals attached to mission/vision statements. To insure companies meet their goals, strategic planners include responsibilities, timelines and accountability in the mission statement. Sometimes this involves change which employees do not always embrace. If negative consequences result from unmet goals, employees usually have negative attitudes. Management doesn't always recognize the feelings or issues of their employees. It's essential that all employees understand what's expected of them. Take time to answer their questions. Encourage teamwork. Listen.
Strategic plans usually involve budgets. Everybody likes money especially in their paycheck. If a company is doing well financially, and the new strategic plan does not include cutbacks, this is good news. But on the other hand, if money is tight, and the employees will not receive money as expected, this is bad news. Usually employees think of themselves first. When presenting a new mission statement to employees they typically think what's in it for me. If the company needs to cut corners or eliminate positions, this causes stress for everyone involved. Part of strategic planning includes how to deliver strategic plans to the staff. A good leader makes sure this is done in a positive way with consideration for the feelings of everyone involved.
Strategic planning isn't just for corporations. Small businesses, even a sole proprietor, benefit from making strategic plans on an annual basis. Usually the small business owner starts a company because they are good at one thing, but many times they don't have the skills needed to develop a successful company. They provide a product or service but don't know how to analyze the market, set goals, promote their business, or manage money. Writing a mission statement - determining where the company is going and how to get there - puts the business owner closer to the road of success.
Strategic planning is vital to business success but even more important is the implementation of the plan. Donna Price, Strategic Planning Facilitator and Business Success Coach guides clients through an easy process that gets them focused and aligned around their top goals. Ongoing coaching and facilitation keep the plan in motion and moving to accelerated results. Test your success factors at:
http://www.compassroseconsulting.com/business-success-inventory.html
Friday, July 18, 2008
Happy Summer!
Happy Summer! I hope you are enjoying the season. We are, here in New Jersey! I just returned from a few days at the shore, enjoying castle building , sea shell hunts, and walking on the board walk.
We hope to get in some camping and other travel later in the summer.
There is lots happening at Compass Rose Consulting too!
I recently presented 2 workshops at the Holistic Mentorship Network Conference. It was held in beautiful setting in New York State. Very restful. The Vision Board workshop was again such a success that I am planning to offer it hear later this summer and again in the fall. Be sure to keep an eye out.
I am also in the process of moving my websites to a new hosting company that will offer me additional resources AND will be moving my list. That means you! I will need you to confirm your participation on the list when you recieve the email. Otherwise you will be dropped. I will also be sending you a link for several different opportuntities! My Launching Your Dream e-course, free reprots etc. My plan right now is to continue Bearing Points. It is going to have a totally new look and feel. I think you will be impressed. It will focus on leadership in business. I will also be adding a marketing newsletter. I need a name for it! Do you have any ideas? The marketing news will give you marketing tips, access to marketing resources, software, reports, etc.
If you have a name for that newsletter -- send it to: donna@compassroseconsulting.com
Compass Rose Consulting is evolving this year -- it's fifth anniversary into a company focused on leadership development for small businesses and leadership teams. My vision is to continue to offer Bizology.Biz to micro businesses, the Leader's Book Club will be up again, along with programs for leadership teams, sales teams and management teams. Is Compass Rose Consulting the right name? Perhaps Compass Rose Center for Leadership; or Compass Rose Institute for Entrepeurial Leadership; or Compass Rose Entrepreneurial Leadership Center.
What do you think? The ultimate vision is to have a center where business owners can come for training, coaching, retreats etc.
You know, that I believe in sharing vision. This is a part of mine. I hope you will continue the journey with me. My passion is supporting your success! I have many things happening this fall. I hope you will be a part of them.
Happy Summer!
Donna
Donna Price
Compass Rose Consulting, LLC
931 Maple Ave
Newton, NJ 07860
We hope to get in some camping and other travel later in the summer.
There is lots happening at Compass Rose Consulting too!
I recently presented 2 workshops at the Holistic Mentorship Network Conference. It was held in beautiful setting in New York State. Very restful. The Vision Board workshop was again such a success that I am planning to offer it hear later this summer and again in the fall. Be sure to keep an eye out.
I am also in the process of moving my websites to a new hosting company that will offer me additional resources AND will be moving my list. That means you! I will need you to confirm your participation on the list when you recieve the email. Otherwise you will be dropped. I will also be sending you a link for several different opportuntities! My Launching Your Dream e-course, free reprots etc. My plan right now is to continue Bearing Points. It is going to have a totally new look and feel. I think you will be impressed. It will focus on leadership in business. I will also be adding a marketing newsletter. I need a name for it! Do you have any ideas? The marketing news will give you marketing tips, access to marketing resources, software, reports, etc.
If you have a name for that newsletter -- send it to: donna@compassroseconsulting.com
Compass Rose Consulting is evolving this year -- it's fifth anniversary into a company focused on leadership development for small businesses and leadership teams. My vision is to continue to offer Bizology.Biz to micro businesses, the Leader's Book Club will be up again, along with programs for leadership teams, sales teams and management teams. Is Compass Rose Consulting the right name? Perhaps Compass Rose Center for Leadership; or Compass Rose Institute for Entrepeurial Leadership; or Compass Rose Entrepreneurial Leadership Center.
What do you think? The ultimate vision is to have a center where business owners can come for training, coaching, retreats etc.
You know, that I believe in sharing vision. This is a part of mine. I hope you will continue the journey with me. My passion is supporting your success! I have many things happening this fall. I hope you will be a part of them.
Happy Summer!
Donna
Donna Price
Compass Rose Consulting, LLC
931 Maple Ave
Newton, NJ 07860
Monday, May 05, 2008
Strategic Planning Improves Results with Consistent Implementation
Strategic plans only help organizations when they are kept active and implemented. The strategic plan defines the business direction. That direction is based on the future, the vision of the company. Before an effective strategic plan can be developed a clear and compelling vision is needed. Visions are optimistic, the ideal picture of the future. The strategic plan is the map to the vision and then only effective if it is implemented.
Strategic plans can sound intimidating and overwhelming to many small business owners. The most effective strategic plans are those that are simple, completed with the leadership team and key people in the company. Complex documents that consume excessive amounts of time to create don’t guarantee success. In fact, the large and cumbersome strategic plan can be so overwhelming that it just doesn’t work.
Start with vision. Write down what you envision for the future. What does the future of your business look like? What do you want for the future? Vision stories are inspiring, it’s your dream. Once you have created your vision you can begin building strategies.
The vision is the destination, where you are going. The strategies are the map that gets you to the vision. Company values are the guide or the “compass” in our map metaphor for making decisions along the way. Values keep you oriented and in alignment. When values are out of alignment the company is off track; not moving in the direction of the vision.
Strategic goals can be limited to the top 6-10. By having fewer goals the plan is able to stay alive and in front of you. By alive, it means that the plan is always where you can see it, use it and keep working on it.
To set strategies for your business first look at the vision, the different aspects of the vision. Brainstorm all of the goals, all of the strategies for each aspect of the vision. With brainstorming it is important to get all of the ideas out and write them down without judging them or editing them. Often the best idea comes from an idea that at first look seems too wild or crazy. Ideas jump off of other ideas.
Once you have brainstormed all of the ideas, prioritize them. Often ideas can be grouped with similar ideas. This can help in the prioritization process. The goal is to narrow the list down to the top 6-10 strategies. What are the goals or strategies that will give your business the future you envision, that will create a breakthrough that will produce the results that you want? Those are the goals that you should be selecting as top priorities.
Creating a powerful strategic plan is just one of the first steps. Many organizations have strategic plans that are well thought out and crafted. Where they fall short is in the implementation of that plan. Implementation is the key. If you fail to implement, the results will not be what you set out to achieve.
Implementation is the result of focused and continuous action. Strategic plans don’t just happen on their own: they require your attention. By keeping the plan in front of you and the team responsible for the plan, focus is maintained. Regular meetings about the plan also keep the plan moving in the right direction. Check-in meetings hold people accountable. When teams don’t meet and don’t keep their eye on the plan, the day to day interferes and the status quo remains. In order to make changes in the results that you achieve there has to be intention and commitment on the part of the team. The check-in meeting gives the team the opportunity to review what is happening, what is interfering with the results they want and need and make the changes necessary to change the outcomes. Through the intention of the leadership, the plan and the team, the culture of the workplace can shift from one of non-performance to one of performance focused.
Performance focused companies are companies that are thriving. The energy performing teams shifts the energy of the whole organization. It becomes more positive and contagious. People become excited about the vision, the plan and their implementation of the plan. Results create energy and excitement that keeps the plan moving, it propels the plan.
Organizations that produce results have a clear vision of the future; have a plan that is simple and strategic; and they work on the plan all the time. Their actions are designed to move that plan forward. They don’t let themselves or others get in the way. By implementing the strategic plan organizations achieve results.
Monday, April 07, 2008
We Sold Our House!
Last Friday we sat with lawyers and our buyer and sold our house. It's been a long drawn out process of over 16 months on the market. We bravely bought a new house in August and moved. Confident that we would sell. Throughout nervous that we wouldn't and constantly listening to the news and the "crumbling housing market". I have often wondered how the Law of Attraction played into the whole thing. I am a skeptical believer in the Law of Attraction. I struggle with the concept and continue to read about it to try and figure it out. But, I do believe that the media has contributed to the economy that we are seeing. If you believe in the Law of Attraction then all of the negative talk about the economy and the housing market is creating just that a negative economy and a negative housing market. We see this played out over and over. There are leaders like the Fed Chairman that know when they speak, what they say directly affects the economy. So, if this is so clearly known what would happen if they were to talk differently, talk more positively, highlight the positive aspects of the economy?
In looking at the affect of negative talk on the country's economy and relating it to the Law of Attraction I began also looking at myself and my personal economy. Part of what I have learned is the believing in the vision, writing it down "as if" it is happening now. Going and test driving the car, getting the FEELINGS of it. I have done all of that and at the same time in my head and my heart been saying "Yeah, BUT, the reality is: we don't have the money to pay the bills; or, our debt is too high; or we aren't going to be able to.... " and my negative talk goes on and on, based in "reality", just like the country, the FED, the media.
Ah haa! It's one of those ah haa moments; where lights go on in your head, bells ring and you shout: "OH, I GET IT!!" I am creating that personal negative economy just by continuing to hold that energy, stay in that thought pattern. The mindset that it's "reality" isn't helping me to change it, it is keeping me right there in it.
How do you stay in the positive flow? Just like everything else in life: PRACTICE.
This is what I have learned:
What do you do to stay in the flow?
In looking at the affect of negative talk on the country's economy and relating it to the Law of Attraction I began also looking at myself and my personal economy. Part of what I have learned is the believing in the vision, writing it down "as if" it is happening now. Going and test driving the car, getting the FEELINGS of it. I have done all of that and at the same time in my head and my heart been saying "Yeah, BUT, the reality is: we don't have the money to pay the bills; or, our debt is too high; or we aren't going to be able to.... " and my negative talk goes on and on, based in "reality", just like the country, the FED, the media.
Ah haa! It's one of those ah haa moments; where lights go on in your head, bells ring and you shout: "OH, I GET IT!!" I am creating that personal negative economy just by continuing to hold that energy, stay in that thought pattern. The mindset that it's "reality" isn't helping me to change it, it is keeping me right there in it.
How do you stay in the positive flow? Just like everything else in life: PRACTICE.
This is what I have learned:
- Meditate regularly (each day, and practice being in the flow)
- Create a meditation CD or Audio if that is helpful.
- Journal -- I keep what I call a passion journal -- accomplishments, gratitude and intentions
- Stay connected to the vision, write and read it.
- When I get distracted by the negative talk that is mine, acknowledge it, take a breath, hold my hands on my heart and breathe in the positive flow
- Read my vision again if I am really stuck in the negative talk
- Have faith and believe.
What do you do to stay in the flow?
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