Tag: Training

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How Your Company Can Communicate During The Coronavirus Outbreak

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.

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Focus on Your Strengths and Not Your Weaknesses

Focus on Your Strengths and Not Your Weaknesses

It seems in every performance appraisal or job interview it comes up. Yep, your weaknesses. We all know there are things we could do better, but seriously, do we need to shine a bright spotlight on them?

What Happens When You Focus on Your Strengths

Some entrepreneurs believe it is better to focus on your strengths. Focusing on what you are good at enables you to be at your best. It increases enjoyment in your work, and you accomplish more. Instinctively we all enjoy doing things fit are our strengths. When we do things that we love, we get excited. When we are doing things we love, time seems to fly by. It makes us shine, feel good about ourselves, and we perform better.

What Happens When You Focus on Your Weaknesses

Take a moment to think about your weaknesses. How does that make you feel? Tired? Defeated? Drained? When you’re procrastinating it usually involves something you don’t enjoy doing. It stops you from being your best. Focusing on your weaknesses is not the way to make headway in your career.

Improve Your Successes with a Mentor

A mentor can help you make the most of your strengths and use your strengths to solve problems. They know you and can help you get through the difficult days. A great mentor helps you to see that you don’t have to be a pioneer all the time. Your dreams are achievable.

Reframe How You See Problems

Reframing helps you to overcome negative thoughts and use them to feel good about yourself.

Sometimes you may feel that you feel you don’t ‘fit in’. Many successful people have felt that way. You can let the feeling of being different eat at you and undermine your self-esteem. But try to ‘reframe’ the situation to look at it differently. Reframing can help you overcome those feelings. For example, reframe those thoughts with, ‘what makes me strong and different is a good thing. If someone underestimates me, it’s OK. It allows me to catch them off guard.’ Look for ways to turn those moments into something that helps you.

Finding Success

If you want to succeed, focusing on your strengths is the answer. Recognizing your strengths will help you be better and push yourself harder. Keep your eye on your strengths and find ways to enhance and improve them. You’ll love what you’re doing and enjoy your journey to success. *

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.

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Successful CEOs Spend Less Time Managing Then You Think

Successful CEOs Spend Less Time Managing Then You Think

Successful CEO’s have the ability to spend their time in the most efficient way possible. Their focus is to grow their organization. They’re focused on encouraging their employees to work hard for their company. CEOs are master delegators. They spend less than 40% of their time focused down, managing others. Instead, they spend upwards to 30% of their time looking up and another 30% looking out.

Looking Up

One of the CEO’s main purposes is to be the public face of their organization. They’re the person that shareholders and boards of directors look to for answers. They communicate direction, information, and offer reassurance. This leaves stakeholders feeling confident on where to spend their money.

Well informed stakeholders are able to make better decisions. This includes where and how much they invest in an organization. With investment funds at stake, spending time with stakeholders is an effective use of a CEO’s time.

Looking and Listening Out

What good is the public face of an organization if it’s not seen? An amazing CEO is a well connected and networked CEO.

This means they can’t get stuck behind a desk managing. They must get out and spend time with customers, competitors, influencers, collaborators.

If they want to help their company grow, they need to open their ears. They should always have their ear to the ground listening for ways to improve and grow in innovation. They need to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly. They use this information to mold their products into what customers want. Industry trends change daily. It’s important to be able to move and flow with those trends. This is all the more reason for a CEO to spend time looking out and listening out.

Knowing When To Look Down

Effective CEOs, know how to identify tasks they must complete and tasks they can delegate. They delegate those tasks to leaders in their organization who know how to do the same. Those leaders use the same process to move the tasks down to the appropriate department. This way tasks get assigned to employees whose time is best served completing them.

This process of delegation gives CEOs more time to spend where it’s needed most. They don’t get bogged down with managing their teams. They know when and where to spend their time. This allows them to lead up and out more than they lead down. *

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.

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Tackle These 3 Things Before it Kills Your Company

Tackle These 3 Things Before it Kills Your Company

Keeping your company competitive can be risky business. Every industry has its challenges, but all will face these three universal risks. As an exceptional leader, you need to take a proactive approach when it comes to risk management. Now is the time to put safety procedures in place. Protect your business from these three risks.

The Fight For Talent

No industry is immune to the talent war. There’s a growing talent gap between employees with skills and those without. As this gap increases, finding great talent is getting harder daily. Companies are having to pull out all the stops to find talented employees and keep them.

You can prepare for this battle through great recruiting and training.

Recruiting amazing talent is essential. Even if you don’t have any job openings. Hiring a skilled recruiter is a great investment.

Be proactive by auditing your employee benefits. Benefits can attract talented applicants. Survey your current team to ask them which benefits they value. Find out if there are any benefits they recommend.

Another way to close the talent gap is by focusing on educating your current team. Investing in existing employees saves you money in the long run. Your company should provide continued education and access to developmental training programs.  Offering extensive learning and development plans is an important step. This shows your employees that you care about their career goals.

Embrace Digital Transformation

To keep your business relevant you need to be innovative. This means embracing accelerated digital transformation. As a leader, you need to look at how you can leverage digital, especially AI. You don’t need to buy into every new tech program on the market.

As a leader, you have a responsibility to stay informed of new technology. Look for ways to increase productivity. This means purchasing valuable AI tools for your company. Look for ways to use these tools to remove unnecessary stress from your team. This will free them up to focus on more important tasks.

Protect That Data

Data failures at major companies are big news. Mistakes and data breaches don’t get swept under the rug. You’re probably thinking of those companies now. Invest in protecting and keeping your customer’s data safe. Audit security processes today to prevent being a major headline tomorrow.

These three risks can break a company that’s not prepared. As a leader, you need to face these problems head-on. You need to stay vigilant. Being proactive today can save your company tomorrow. *

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.

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3 Practical Tips for Great Bosses Who Are Never in the Office

3 Practical Tips for Great Bosses Who Are Never in the Office

As a boss, your busy travel schedule often prevents you from working in the office with your employees. In fact, most bosses spend more than half their working hours away from the office. While it may feel as though you’re struggling to properly run your business, there are some things you can do to make sure you’re being the best boss you can possibly be even away from the office.

Delegate the day-to-day

When your travel schedule keeps you out of the office, the most important thing you need at the ground level is managers you can trust. These people are the single most important thing in making sure everything is running smoothly on a day-to-day basis. Trust these managers with handling the tasks you would normally be handling.

It’s also important to show confidence in the people running things for you. As a boss, we get you may be a perfectionist, but it’s important not to undermine those to whom you delegated. This will be a big hit to their confidence.

Use Remote Tech

Remote tech is becoming more and more commonplace in the working world. Video calls via Skype give you the opportunity to check in with your employees in real-time. Take advantage of this!

You should also take advantage of the real-time reporting tools available to you. These programs allow you to keep tabs on your company no matter where you are. If any red flags pop up while you’re on the road, you can pinpoint and address them.

The Importance of Scheduling

If possible, many CEOs try to reserve their traveling to certain days of the week. This allows them to have concrete times where they’re available at the office. For example, you travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays but are available at the office on Mondays and Fridays.

You can use these days at the office to meet with direct reports. Your business will run smoother when your employees know when you will and won’t be in the office. Of course, schedules can be hectic and all over the place at times, but when possible, try to stick to a set in stone schedule.

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.

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How to Develop a KPI That Works For Your Business

How to Develop a KPI That Works For Your Business

If your company has no vision, then you will not see success. In order to grow, then everyone needs to be on the same page about goals. In the famous words of Stephen Covey, “Begin with the end in mind”. Let’s take a look at these 5 steps that will help you build world-class KPI’s.

1.Figure Out the Issue

Ask yourself, “What problem do I need to solve?” That will be your root issue and the landing point from where you will build up from. That way, you can tie the rest of your metrics to this issue.

2. What Indicates Progress Toward Your Goal?

One mistake many leaders make is that they go from figuring out the problem they need to solve to trying to measure their success. However, you first need to figure out some indicators that you’re on your way towards your goal. These indicators will also help keep you on track because they can help steer you back towards the goal.

3. How Will You Track Performance?

This is something else that will keep you on track towards your goal. Remember, that the KPI is measuring the outcome. You need to be able to measure all the steps in between to make sure you’re still on track and to make adjustments if necessary.

For example, if your end goal is to add 5 new customers to your client list, then your metrics would be how you measure this.

Would you achieve this by having a certain amount of meetings? Cold calling a certain amount of potential clients? These would be your indicators to help you achieve your goal. The metrics you would track would be how many meetings were held or how many cold calls were made.

4. What Is Your KPI?

This would be the overall goal. In the example above, the KPI would be adding new customers to the client list. Your KPI is actionable and explains what you’re tracking and why you’re tracking it.

5. Where Is Your Information Coming From?

The last thing you need to do is figure out the source for where your information is coming from. How is information being tracked and is it accurate? The best way to ensure the information is accurate is to ensure you assign only one person to each metric. That way, you have one informed person who will know if the information is accurate.

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.

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Leadership Lessons We Can Gain From FDR

Leadership Lessons We Can Gain From FDR

We have all heard the stories of the stock market crash in 1929. Thankfully enough, we had a great leader in place when that happened. Franklin D. Roosevelt showed us how to navigate those devastating times of loss.

Modern day business owners can take a lot of lessons from the way FDR led our nation through that terrible time.

These are the lessons we can use today:

Get People Excited

Give your employees and team something to be excited about. Create your own slogan or chant that you speak to them on a regular basis. When you have a vision and make it clear to those that work with you, you’ll create a sense of unity among the group.

Be Optimistic in The Face of Devastation

When things are going south in your business, you need to give people hope for the future. No matter how bad things are, find ways to highlight the brightside. Never let the situation or circumstances darken your mood.

Rely on Your Colleagues to Help You Create Plans

Don’t go it alone; you’ve got a team for a reason.

Set up regular meetings where everyone has a chance to share the solutions to the problems. Write down all suggestions and then as a team, go through them one by one to figure out if it will solve the problems you are facing.

Be Bold!

You have to be bold and push through any fears that you have during these times. Being courageous doesn’t mean you aren’t scared. It means that you keep moving forward no matter what is happening. Show your team that they can keep going in the hard times.

Make Good Decisions For the Benefits of Others

At all times, a good leader makes decisions that benefit those around them, even if it doesn’t directly help them. Your team needs to know you have their best interest in mind. That’s how you develop long-lasting loyalty from others. They must know that when times get tough, you are advocating for them.

A Few Questions to Ask Yourself

If you truly want to be a better leader, here are a few things you should ask yourself:

  1. Do you have a vision for your company? If not, create one and rally your team around it.
  2. What actions can you take to increase moral in your employees?
  3. What specific goals to you want to meet in the next year?
  4. Do you have a game plan in place of how you will take your company to the next level?
  5. Are you showing courage in the face of uncertainty?

These are questions that all leaders need to answer. Always look for ways to increase your leadership abilities.

We would love to hear your comments. Please email or call 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 Professional.

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When Buying a Company, Get to Know the Employees

When Buying a Company, Get to Know the Employees

Acquiring a new company can be a rewarding experience, for obvious reasons. Profit is probably the biggest goal you have in mind when looking to purchase a company. Next, is productivity. You want the newly acquired company to be productive in nature, which will, in turn, increase profit. What about the people who work within the company?

That is where your heart should lie. People are what make the world go ‘round and what will make the company more profitable than ever. The employees should be your top priority.

Here are some ideas on how to make people your priority:

Make a Personal Connection

Meeting with employees personally rather than in a large group can really set the right mood.

It shows the employees that you really care about them as people, and not solely on the profit they can provide you. By having one-on-one time, or at least time in smaller groups can ultimately lead to more profit because the employee will feel they are valued as a person.

Let’s face it, everyone wants to feel needed and wanted, and what better way to show that you value someone than meeting with them in smaller, intimate groups rather than in a larger, more intimidating setting?

Have Open Communication

Company acquisitions can cause a lot of anxiety for employees. They are worried about what is going to happen, who is taking over, etc. It can be a scary feeling when you don’t know all of these things, mainly because many of us have families to support. This can happen with your current employees as well. No one wants to wonder if they still have their position when a new company takes over.

Honesty is the Best Policy

Be upfront and honest with your current and new employees. Be compassionate and understanding. If you must do some restructuring, honesty sooner rather than later is the best thing.

Once trust is broken, it’s hard to get it back and the company profits, along with everything else, start a downward spiral. Don’t let this happen. Don’t make promises that can’t be kept. Once the reputation of a company has tarnished, it is difficult to get a good reputation back. Address the issue honestly and move on.

The people you are inheriting are what will make the new acquisition a successful one. Show the employees that you really value them as people and not just a dollar, and they will really work for you, making the company productive and profitable.

We would love to hear your comments. Please email or call 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 Professional.

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Common Weaknesses in Leadership And How to Fix Them

Common Weaknesses in Leadership And How to Fix Them

We’ve all been around leaders that weren’t so great. In fact, if we are honest with ourselves, I’m sure we can see the areas in our own leadership style that is lacking. These are some of the most common weaknesses in leaders today and how you can fix them.

1. Micromanaging Employees

Micromanaging your employees is one of the worst things you can do as a leader. While some of those tendencies may be rooted in your own perfectionist nature, it more often has to do with a lack of trust for those around you.

In order for your employees to really rise to your standards and invest in the company, they must feel trusted. If they feel unappreciated for the job, their performance will go down. To make a win/win situation for both of you, ask them for checkups every month.

2. Becoming Stuck in Your Ways

One of the biggest weaknesses that leaders face is that they can get stuck in a certain way of doing things. If you have done something a certain way and it’s worked, it is really easy to think that is the best way of doing it. But, when you trust your employees’ feedback, invest in your own development, and stay flexible, you will be able to lead well.

3. Wanting to Be Popular

Unfortunately, you are not always going to be popular with your employees. As a leader, you can get accustomed to the attention and desire to please everyone. No one wants to be perceived as “the bad guy”.

As a strong leader, you have to be willing to make the tough decisions, even if it doesn’t make you popular with your team. Also, find ways to communicate with your employees, that while you heard them, you are making the choice that is best for the greater good.

4. Do What I Say and Not What I Do

You must lead by example. It’s really easy to tell your employees you have one set of expectations out of them, but then do the exact opposite yourself. When you say one thing and do another, it will cause your team to feel resentment towards you.

5. Not Being Clear With Your Expectations

In order to lead your team well, you must provide them clear expectations. Give them a goal and set up checkpoints along the way. Tell them the timeline you expect from them and at what points of the process you need them to check in. When they know what you need from them every step of the way, they’ll be able to meet those expectations.

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.

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Here’s How You Can Improve Your Team’s Production

Here’s How You Can Improve Your Team’s Production

It’s no secret that a team should be able to get more done that someone working by themselves. If you are a team leader than it is up to you to help your team be the best they can be. One of the top ways that you can help your team improve and succeed is teaching them quality time management skills.

Limiting Casual Conversations

If you are working with the same people every day, then you are going to have casual conversations during work hours. There is nothing wrong with talking with your co-workers about everyday life, however, it’s important to know the time and place. You should be able to read the room and know that if a co-worker is busy with work then that is not the time to start small talk.

Setting Your Team Up For Success

A team is only as good as its leader. You wouldn’t expect someone to get a job done with if they aren’t set up with training, instructions, and the tools necessary to do so. So much time is saved when your team isn’t having to ask a million questions that in turn slow the team leader down.

Make sure you are clearly communicating your expectations and what your goals are to your team. Let them know when due dates are and which projects are of top priority. Spreadsheets and Google Docs are great ways to share ideas with your entire team.

Meetings

While meetings are important and can be necessary, they aren’t needed every day. In order to avoid the amount of time they leach from being productive, make sure to have a set meeting time. You shouldn’t be calling impromptu meetings at random times every day.

Meetings should have a purpose and not be about something that can be sent in an email. They should be productive and solve some, if any, problems that you are having. They can also be great for creating goals and hearing any issues that your teams are running into.

Not Just For The Team

Time management should be a priority for everyone, not just reams. Make sure you are blocking off time to meet with your employees and not stopping everything multiple times a day. Make a list of questions for employees and things you need to know so all your meetings are productive.

Time management should be utilized by everyone on the team if you want your business to thrive. Some processes and systems that in place right now might need to be changed, but that is ok. Having a happy and productive team is worth it.

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.

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