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> Creating Successful Small Businesses > Creating Successful Small Businesses Blog > Categories > Teams and Teamwork
Teams and Teamwork HAVING THE RIGHT TEAM....PRICELESS!!
Having a great team, Boss...
That's absolutely PRICELESS.
Having the right resources that you can
lean on to do what we need - PERFECT.
I'm so glad that you've paid really good
attention to finding the absolute right
resources for us at every turn.
Can you imagine the trouble we'd be in
if we had team members that weren't
competent??
WE'D BE MISERABLE!!!!
So don't forget - if someone isn't up
to standards - let them know - and give them
the chance to handle things better or....
We go search for a replacement.
-Your Business
P.S. And Boss... It's ALWAYS a good
idea to keep our ear to the ground for replacements!!!
P.P.S. Don't forget - NOTES FROM YOUR BUSINESS - The
First Year is available HERE.
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posted 2/27/2008 |
| START EVERY GAME LIKE IT'S A NEW GAME!
TGIF Boss...
To finish off BASEBALL WEEK, we'll just
mention one thing from last night's game...
START EVERY GAME LIKE IT'S A NEW GAME
I know - You're thinking:
"Wait a second - every game IS a new game!"
And you're right.
BUT...
A lot of people can't shake off the last game.
A lot of people let it carry right over.
They don't regroup.
The Colorado team REFUSED to let the
previous night's thrashing continue.
They stepped onto the field and played
GOOD - SOLID - BASEBALL.
So.....
After you've been "THUMPED" - take that same
attitude. It's the only way to play.
-Your Business
P.S. I know they didn't win, Boss.
But they shook off the previous night.
That's the lesson here.
P.P.S. Don't forget - NOTES FROM YOUR BUSINESS - The
First Year is available HERE.
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posted 10/26/2007 |
| Send in Your "A" Team First!!One game into the World Series, Boss
And what have we learned????
Lead off with your BEST!!
That's what we learned!!!!
Boston played their Ace FIRST
which ended up with an
ABSOLUTE WHOLLOPIN' of the
other team.
A score of 13 to 1 after the first game
is an absolute knock-out.
In business this translates to:
always sending in your A TEAM
to get things started.
It impresses the heck out of everyone there!
-Your Business
P.S. Yes, I know Boss....
We've only got an "A" TEAM!!!!
And You're the CAPTAIN!!!
P.P.S. Don't forget - NOTES FROM YOUR BUSINESS - The
First Year is available HERE.
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posted 10/25/2007 |
| BE PREPARED!!
Today we talk PREPARATION, Boss...
That's what has been going on for the two
teams in the World Series....
PREPARATION!
They've been preparing physically.
They've been preparing mentally.
They've been scouting the other team.
They've been strategizing.
As best as they could - they've thought about
as many possibilities and figured out how to
handle them - IN ADVANCE!
Translation for us???
Well...
Take the time to prepare for all of the really
important events in this business. Is there
something coming up that we should spend a bit
more time preparing for???
Well - LET'S DO IT!!!
-Your Business
P.S. The Boy Scouts built their entire reputation
on being prepared, Boss. Let's take
that page from their play-book!
P.P.S. Don't forget - NOTES FROM YOUR BUSINESS - The
First Year is available HERE.
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posted 10/24/2007 |
| LESSONS From Baseball!
More LESSONS FROM BASEBALL, Boss...
One of the Cleveland team's players made an
interesting quote to the press before they
played the last two games in Boston:
"The champagne tastes just as good on the road
as it does at home".
WELL NOW....
One of the things that happened was...
That very quote was put on the BOSTON team's
locker room door.
What did that do????
Well...
It reminded everyone on that team that they
wanted that Cleveland player to eat those words.
AND...
It worked!!!!
You can bet that every Boston player remembered
those words throughout the two games.
-Your Business
P.S. That phrase made them UNSTOPPABLE, Boss.
Is there a phrase that would make you UNSTOPPABLE TOO???
P.P.S. Don't forget - NOTES FROM YOUR BUSINESS - The
First Year is available HERE.
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posted 10/23/2007 |
| TeamworkThings are SO MUCH EASIER, Boss...
When people work TOGETHER!!!
And not only is it easier, but it is BETTER!
When everyone contributes their talent and their
experience to a project (and it is appreciated
that they do this) - the end result is
far beyond what anyone could do alone.
So....
Look for places where you can build
TEAMS into the solution. Look for ways
to bring the talents of many people together
to create what is needed.
And Boss.....
This is SO MUCH EASIER to manage!!!
-Your Business
P.S. Teams - GOOD!
P.P.S. Don't forget - NOTES FROM YOUR BUSINESS - The
First Year is available HERE.
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posted 9/26/2007 |
| Forget Your New Year's Resolution (If you haven't already)First of all.....Happy New Year! I hope that 2004 is your best year yet. Let's get going on making that happen.
Ahhh New Years, what a celebration!! New Year's Eve parties. Watching the ball drop at Times Square. Parades on TV. And then the inevitable question: "What's Your New Year's Resolution?" At the beginning of 2003 I hired an independent research company to poll the masses for the answer to that very question (data available on request). The results fell into three categories: Alcohol, Diet and Finances. It seems that upon further research, the individuals whose answers revolved around Alcohol had a very bad experience with the substance the night before (or that very morning). That leaves us with Diet and Finances. The survey teams found that those who responded "Diet" and "Finances" had made this very resolution on other New Year Days in the past (averages were 23 years for "Diet" and 35 years for "Finances"). I had the same test population re-polled in early February of 2003 regarding how their New Years Resolution was coming along. 91% responded "What New Years Resolution?", 8% responded "Go Away", and 1% didn't respond, instead... they began to weep. There is even an internet poll that suggests that the "average" length of time that someone keeps their New Year's Resolution is only 17 days!
This is NO WAY to bring in a New Year, dear readers. So again I say "Forget Your New Year's Resolution". That's right. Drop it. Forget about it. Walk away. But let's replace it with something new and better. Ready to play along? Good. Just follow these three easy steps.
Step One: Fast-forward to the end of 2004. Now that you're there, look back on the year. What was the ONE THING that happened during the year that you're very, very happy about? What happened in your life or in your business? What happened in terms of your health? What is that ONE THING that you're reflecting on that has given you great pride and joy? This should be an accomplishment. Examples of business oriented accomplishments: Beating last year's revenue by 25%, Opening a new location, Bringing a new product line or service to market. Personal accomplishments: Taking that Vacation of a Lifetime, Quitting smoking, Having more free time.
Step Two: Now think about that accomplishment, and make a list of all the things that had to have happened for that to occur. Some of these things could be very specific, and some more general. For the ones that were general, continue to explore the very specific things that happened for them to come true. When you've got everything down to specifics, put the actions into present tense and map out what has to occur to make your year-end vision happen along with dates.
Step Three: Follow the actions and dates that we created in the last step to accomplish your goal for the year.
We just replaced your New Year's Resolution with an Action Plan for 2004, centered on the one thing that would make you most proud and happy with the year. There wasn't enough room in this article to give you a full example of this technique for planning, but I did put a great example on my website. Click on January 2004 Newsletter Example to see my plan for sending my youngest daughter to college. I think you'll enjoy it.
Till next time.....
© 2004 Jerry Wistrom and All Out Coaching, LLC
All rights reserved.
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posted 4/21/2005 |
| Teams and TeamworkThis month I'm devoting the newsletter to the concept of TEAMS.
First off, we need a working definition of TEAM; How about: "A group of people working together toward a goal or having a shared purpose".
Who benefits from being a member of a team?
Everyone should. AND... the team itself needs to prosper.
Examples of Teams:
A) Members of a high school sports team. Do they all benefit from being a member of a team? Absolutely. Each one grows in their skills in the sport. Each one shares in the victory and learns from the defeat. Does the team itself prosper? Yes, I think so. The better the team is, the more attractive it is to other potential players.
B) Members of a "sales team" within an organization. Each member should share in learning and growing as sales professionals. The team helps to keep each of its members motivated. And maybe it shares in the victories and defeats. Should the team itself prosper? Yes. The team needs to find ways to expand and grow. It needs to continue to find ways to bring more value to its members.
C) A less traditional or obvious one is being a member of your trade or professional association. The association may certify it's members, help to promote the profession itself, help to pass legislation which aids it's members, hold conferences and meetings to help educate/motive/expand the member's skill set.
Is there an "I" in T-E-A-M ????
"I" sure think there is.....
Although your coach in High School may have said that there's no such thing....
This coach would beg to differ.
Here are some thought provoking questions:
1) What do "I" bring to the team?
2) How can "I" help improve the team?
3) How can "I" best help each team member individually?
You may have been taught a couple of things over a long period of time:
1) It is great to be a Team Player.
2) In business you have to "Go it Alone"
Well, these are certainly contradictory!!
As you read about teams, one of three thoughts probably come to mind:
1) I'm already in a team and it's great.
2) I'm already in a team and it's terrible
3) This team concept doesn't apply to me
4) I don't have a team "available" to me, but I sure wish I did
Let's take these one at a time and give value to each.....
If you're already in a team and it's great WONDERFUL. You know exactly what I'm talking about. My questions to you are: Can you make it better? Is it great for everyone, or just you?
If you're on a team that's terrible let's dig a little deeper.
First off, are there clear objectives for the team?
Are there clear responsibilities for the people on the team?
Are there personality or other conflicts with the teammates?
How can you be a part of fixing these issues? OK, that one's not a rhetorical question. I mean: How can YOU be a part of fixing this?
If you don't think that the team concept applies to you, think again. How much better would you or your company be if you could utilize some of the skills and talents of other people? How much more productive could you be? What further service can you be to your customers? How much better could your profits be? Many professionals are in business for themselves, but are part of an "informal team or network". Why can your physician easily recommend another doctor who specializes in something that your doctor doesn't? Because they're part of "a team". If a lawyer can easily refer her clients to an accountant because they already know the ethics and capabilities of the accountant, you've just witnessed a "team approach" to helping their clients.
Maybe you're a "solo-preneur". Could you use some creative help? How about some financial advice? Help marketing your store/product/service? Why not have a team do it with you?
If you don't have a team "available" to you, but you'd like one... CREATE ONE!!
There's nothing stopping you. It doesn't have to be formal. It doesn't have to be "approved" by anyone. It can be something that you put together that helps all the people involved. If you think that a team could be appropriate, I offer my "How-To-Guide for Creating a Superb Team."
1) Get a vision for the team Make sure there's a purpose. One that everyone can understand and "buy into".
2) Determine the rules for the team Who does what and when. Why? How?
3) Determine leadership Who's going to play that role? How often will it change? How will it change? What responsibility will the leader(s) have?
4) Determine how will the team communicate. There are so many options open to us today. We can communicate in person, by phone, by email, by tele-bridge, by video conferencing.... Etc.
5) How will the team expand? And Why?
6) When a goal is met, how will the team celebrate? - Think this isn't important? Ask any insurance agent if they want to be a part of the "president's club" or whatever the top sales professional's "club" is called for their company.
OK- here comes the plug..... Seriously consider having a business or personal coach fill one of the spots on the team. A good coach is trained to support/motivate/inspire/set direction/help create vision/find and fix problems...and in general, be a great team player.
Until next month then... Be Well, and I Hope to See you Soon,
Jerry
PS - Those of you in Windsor, Connecticut - Don't forget to turn your TV to Cable Channel 21 for the Windsor Fun Facts LIVE game show this Friday, March 21 at 7:00pm. You just may see your favorite coach dressed as "Hulk Hogan". The rest of you will have to beg for a tape of it! The things I do for publicity.... Geesh!!
PPS As you may or may not know, I build my practice ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY through your referrals. If you know someone who's business or personal life just isn't where they want it to be, please give them my name and number. During a complimentary session, I'll be happy to see if there is a way that I can help. All sessions are strictly confidential.
© 2003 Jerry Wistrom and All Out Coaching, LLC
All rights reserved.
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posted 4/21/2005 |
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