Month: April 2020

7 Steps to Achieve Your Business Goals

When most of us think about Navy SEALs, we think of their bravery and toughness. They take on dangerous missions and seem to achieve the impossible.

In the book The Navy SEAL Art of War by Rob Roy, he talks about how Navy SEALs accomplish these amazing feats. He explains that it’s more about the process than the ability. He lays out these seven steps that you can use to tackle your scariest goals.

1. Always ask clarifying questions. SEALs ask very specific questions to understand their mission clearly. You need to ask yourself the who, why, what, when, where, and how questions about your goal. Use each of these questions to better clarify your objective. You don’t want to go into a mission misinformed about what the objective of it was. The same thing is important when you go after achieving a goal.

2. Inventory all of your available resources. This includes knowing what you have now and what’s coming down the road. Note your tangible resources such as technology and money. Don’t forget to include the intangible resources such as your network and your skills. Consider every resource available to you that can help you reach your goal.

3. Clearly set up roles and responsibilities. If your goal involves help from your team, make sure they know their role and responsibility in achieving it.

4. Maintain hyper focus on your goal. Leaders don’t make excuses and they don’t let circumstances cause them to need an excuse.

5. Think through all possible contingencies and outcomes. Be prepared to work around any problems that may arise. A failure to plan is a planned failure.

6. Train every day. SEALs train a lot. They practice over and over again until they’re stress proof. You need to do the same. The more you train, the faster you’ll be. Training can help you quickly evade problems that arise.

7. The last step is to celebrate! Scratch that. This step is definitely not on the Navy Seals list. It’s great that you reached your goal but now you need an after action review. Navy SEAL’s do a debrief after every mission. You need to do something similar. Look back to see if there are areas you can improve on when you go after your next goal. Rehash the mistakes you made and learn from them to do better next time.

Leaders can learn from Navy SEALs and utilize their processes in the business world. Implement the seven steps above and you’ll be on your way to achieving your next goal.

Need help getting started? Contact us today! *

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

Fast Decision Making Can Keep You From Experiencing Disruptions

Whether you working in a company or running one, it’s important to make quick decisions. There are times when you should take time to think and make a plan. However, making quick decisions in some cases can keep your company running smoothly. Here are a few things to put into practice to make this happen.

Pay Attention To Opportunities

In today’s world, everything can change quickly. Advances in technology and growing trends can make it hard to adapt. However, if you’re looking out for these new opportunities, you won’t get surprised. In fact, you should always look for opportunities that will benefit your company.

Some people set an internal focus within their business. This is harmful and will keep your company from growing. An external focus will help you notice outside factors that will help or harm your company.

Be Flexible

When you find various factors that will help or hurt your company, it’s time to adjust your plans. Sometimes you may discover harmful factors to your company and you need to shift your focus. In this case, it’s best to practice being flexible.

Gather your team together and discuss the best course of action. Evaluate all of your options and think through the outcome. Don’t get discouraged when you need to make adjustments.

Take Time to Think Clearly

Making fast decisions requires clear thinking. If you struggle to think quickly in the moment, start by asking key questions. Get your team together and answer questions about the decision.

Taking time to answer your questions will help you prioritize the important areas. Consider the areas your company is vulnerable and what you can do to strengthen those areas. This strategy will help you think clearly and put things into perspective.

Maintain Confidence In Your Actions

Thinking quickly requires you to delegate to your team members and maintain confidence in your decisions. If you’re the only one making decisions, the process is overwhelming. Start by giving some responsibility to your team members. Explain your expectations clearly so there is no uncertainty.

Make Sure Your Company Is Unified

If you’re going to make fast decisions without disruptions, everyone in your company must understand where you stand. Make sure everyone understands the company’s goals and expectations. This will ensure you don’t waste your time growing a company where people don’t agree.

When you need to make fast decisions, try these few steps and watch your company succeed.

We would love to hear your comments. Please email or call us today!*

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

How Your Company Can Communicate During The Coronavirus Outbreak

COVID-19 has forced businesses and organizations around the world into dealing with unprecedented circumstances. While there may be no tried and true roadmap available to help guide companies through these trying times, there are a few basics companies should continue to practice. Proper planning, communication, and transparency can help you make sure your business sees the other side of this pandemic.

Create a COVID-19 Task Force

First and foremost, you should be assessing how your company is going to be affected by COVID-19. Form a team from different functions of your company to asses your needs and risks. This team should include representatives from the key functions of your business including supply chain, human resources, communications, sales, legal, and more.

Determine who in the task force will make decisions and who will have ultimate authority. Make certain that it is understood throughout the company that employees should only listen to the task force for company updates regarding the virus. Agree internally about what will be communicated before making any announcements to avoid confusion.

Communicate

The most important part of this pandemic for your company will be how your company communicates not only with the customers but with the employees as well. Review the needs of your audience and determine who needs what information and who needs it first.

Your communication plan should be centered around the measures you’re taking to ensure your employees and customers are safe during this pandemic. Regularly pass on information and news to your employees. Don’t let them find out information about the company second-hand. Be sure they are in the know at all times to avoid confusion and a spread of misinformation.

Media Inquiries

This pandemic should change the way your company moves in regards to media inquiries. Consider pushing back any announcements you had planned for the foreseeable future. Journalists, news outlets, and media consumers are focused on COVID-19.

It’s recommended that companies only release statements informing the public on any policy changes during the pandemic. Do not release any information on how the business is being affected by the pandemic.

During these uncertain times, it can be easy to lose yourself in panic when thinking about the future of your company. However, with proper planning and communication, your company can make it out of this pandemic. *

Need help? Contact us today!

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.