How to Avoid Facilitating Your Meetings as a Lion Tamer

Business owners - want to have fewer yet more productive meetings?  

Welcome to “Conversations every business owner has with their team.”  And today’s topic is how to have your people in fewer more productive meetings without you having to be a facilitation lion tamer.  

Situation - “Another meeting, I don’t have time for a meeting.”  “We never accomplish anything.”  You get the sentiments.   Yet you must have meetings to exchange ideas, engage your group, problem solve or coordinate action.  

Let’s assume you’ve done the meeting basics - clear agenda and purpose and invited the right people to participate.

 

Here’s a simple tip to keep your group more productive and engaged at your next meeting or work session.

The crux of the solution is a large sign.  It has an arrow pointing up corresponding to constructive and a down arrow siting a destructive comment or question.  Participants ask themselves to which degree their comment or question moves the agenda forward.  You get the picture.  With these two arrows they can test whether they are about to suggest adding or subtracting from the agendas purpose.  

This doesn’t mean that important or negative views or news is not spoken, quite the contrary.  It’s saying, “Stay on the agendas topic.”  

A simple pointing to or looking at the arrows keep participants on topic.

A Hierarchy of Constructive Comments or Questions are described as:

Destructive  comments or questions are increasingly detrimental if?  

Introduce these arrows and descriptors at your next meeting, explain the meeting ‘rules of the game’ and you’ll improve productivity, increase moral and leave with clear next steps.  That’s everyone’s definition of progress!

Still having challenges making your meeting as productive and positive as possible, then let’s talk.  I offer a complimentary 60 to 90 min session to understand your team dynamics.

I guarantee you at least a half dozen implementable ideas to maximize your time by reducing the number of meetings and improving the effectiveness of the ones held.

Call me at ph:  972 709 6776 or Email:  StephenMarino@ActionCOACH.com

Let’s get started...building and operation as a high quality team.  You’ll work less and make more.

What Level Business Do You Operate? And What You Can Do to Move Up

Business Owners – Do you notice the term “take your business to the next level a lot?”

What does that mean?

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It assumes clarity on where you are, where you’re going, as well as, the resources and time to get there.  If you’re like many of the thousands of business owners ActionCOACH has coached over the past 20+ yrs, you'll be interested in these 3 significant findings…

First, we have general agreement that the goal is…

“to create a commercial profitable business that ultimately works without the owner always being there.”  

What was vague were the intermediate levels to achieve this?  Vagueness created reservation, doubt and maybe fear, thus kept you from achieving the critical mass necessary to accelerate you and your business forward.  You end up languishing - taking longer, working harder and incurring too much debt and stress along the way.

Second finding was that most owners believed they really deserved better for the energy, money and time they committed.  Their families especially believes this.

Finally, when asked are they open to accelerating their growth - less stressfully?  Most were initially curious and appropriately skeptical yet eager to know more…

Hi this is Stephen Marino - ActionCOACH - The Worlds #1 Business Coaching Firm.  And for the past 21 years, through numerous boom/bust economic cycles, we’ve successfully coached thousands of business owners.  Specifically coaching owners globally between ~$1 mm to ~$9 mm revenues with 3 to 45 employees…through our 6 levels of business development in dozens of industry segments, with all types of business owner personalities from over 800 offices around the globe.

So we know this path works.  

I’ll share how in a coaching relationship we mitigate the time, team, money and systems obstacles that get in the way of predictable increasing profits and productivity.

Here are the 6 levels to your “commercial profitable business what works without you.”

What level business do you operate?

I’ll share the 6 levels, starting with top level 6 – Results because that’s where we want to be and work backwards down to level 1 - Mastery.

Watch for the level that's most descriptive of your current situation.

When I’m finished, you’ll know exactly where you’re starting and how much further it is to the profitable business that works without you.

The top level is Level 6.  It's a RESULTs business.

The business operates “for” the owner, without the owner working “in” the business.

The RESULTs are so stellar you have freedom of choice, lots of dividends, discretionary time and operational capabilities to expand, diversify and/or replicate…

And when the decision to transition from the business comes, you earn the premium valuation.

At Level - 6 Results, you’re feeling great and have lots of options.

Congratulations if this is where you operate.

Otherwise, you may be at a level 5 business…

A Level 5 business is at the Synergy Level with a COO, President or GM conducting the day-to-day business.

At Synergy the Owner/Operator does only what they are genius at…

Sound like you?  Great.

If not, then you may operate at Level 4?

Level 4 is a TEAM Level business – where your team makes decisions in your economic and customer interests.

There is strong leadership, a common goal, rules of the game, action plan, initiative expected and 100% team inclusion and participation.

At Level 4 – Team, business is fun.  You’re surrounded by a high quality team.

Not you, then you may be at Level 3…

Level 3 – business level is at LEVERAGE for maximum productivity and effectiveness.

The routine is systematized and exceptions are humanized.

A vision, mission, values, SMART goals, KPI’s, position agreements, procedures for marketing/sales, operations, admin/log/finance/IT, customer retention and management are all documented.

It's a great feeling knowing that once a sale is made it’ll be delivered on time, spec, budget and wow!

Every time!  

Not at this level then you may be at level 2…

Level 2 – business is at NICHE Level.  It has predictable cash flows generated from marketing and sales.

The customer experience delivered differentiates you from the competition.

You’re not competing on price.  You have a great guarantee.  It’s easy to do business with you.

You’re attracting more and more new customers and retaining your existing customers longer.

You measure and test all strategies for lead generation, conversion rates, number of transactions, average dollar sale, and your margins.

Your marketing machine is generating more leads than you can handle.

You have a predictable rewarding sales process.  

You know your customer acquisition and retention cost and their lifetime value.

Level 2 Niche gives you confidence in your future.

Not at this level, then you may be at level 1…

Level 1 – Business has MASTERY of the fundamentals.

A compelling direction, why you’re in business and control of your money:  a budget, cash flows, break-even, margins and…KPI’s, capability of delivering as promised after the sale and wisely uses the owner/operator’s time.

At this level you experience being God-like as described in Genesis…“And saw that it was good” going from chaos to control.

Which level was most descriptive of where you’re at?

Regardless of where you're starting...Here’s your way to close the gap between your current level and the level you want to be.

It starts with us having a conversation and sharing information about the level business you operate today. We’ll invest time and energy to know each other.  We’ll exchange information on the phone, FedEx, email and web about who I am and ActionCOACH while I gain insights from you about your business.

If we both decide we want to know more we’ll invest another 60 to 90 mins one-on-one for a business diagnostic, with your key decision makers, likely at your business location, to assess solutions and options.

The business diagnostic is a complementary session.

We seek understanding at what level the business is operating at today, your objectives, what’s working and where are the shortcomings. 

Only now we’re ready to assess strategies to move you forward…

And, we’ll even take this discussion to the crucial next step of quantifying the benefit of increasing the number of customers, revenues and profits by working together in a coaching relationship.

How encouraging is that…?

Do we guarantee our work? 

Short answer is “Yes.”

You do your part and I mine. And if in the first 17 weeks you don’t receive at least a benefit greater than the investment in coaching…the next 17 weeks are free.

So you can see why I’m selective about who I coach?

Because you control my reputation which I’ve kept unblemished for 15 years. And that’s all I have.

And professionally, if we both don’t see at least double digit increases in customers, revenues and profits or major freeing up of your time and stresses then we’re not likely to to proceed forward.

There are several coaching options from our flagship one-on-one coaching to group coaching, workshops and seminars, digital and book libraries on the 6 levels.

There’s even a special projects coaching option.

Now we’re in a position to make an informed decision on whether working together is mutually beneficial.

I can determine whether I can help you and you can determine if coaching is right for you.

Now you know what it means to take your business to the next level. Let’s get started…

Call me at ph:972 709 6776 or

eM: StephenMarino@ActionCOACH.com
It’s that simple. 

For those that say you’ll think about it… 

Think about this…

If you continue working harder and longer, are you likely get any special heroic recognition from your banker, your spouse, your accountant, your kids or your attorney by running your business through back-breaking work and long hours…?

Do you have every right to expect and achieve your goals as fast and least stressfully as possible?

Finally, as you reflect on these questions can you think of any good reason to operate a business in Texas and lack the knowhow, accountability and motivation to move to the next level?

Let’s get started…

Your business coach…
Stephen D. Marino

Master License Partner - OneCo

Ph: 972 709 6776

Em: StephenMarino@ActionCOACH.com

Recruiting for Competitive Advantage - The 16 Cylinders of High Performance

Business Owners - what's your guidance on recruiting and retaining people to out perform your competition?  

A 6 cylinder car engine is powerful enough for most transportation purposes, but is that really high performance?  Not compared to the 16 cylinders of a Bugatti Veyron - the fastest street-legal production car in the world.  Who is the human equivalent of that?

Most owners accept 6 cylinder employees - adequate for the job.  3 cylinders are for the body – someone who turns up, occupies the seat, covers the job description skills.  The next 3 cylinders are for the mind.  Mind encompasses education, experience and training – all those things that are proudly stated on resume.  Yet we've often recruited someone who seemed to have the right background, experience and educational levels, and then found that they didn’t really rise to the challenge.

The missing 10 cylinders come from heart and spirit.  The 5 cylinders of heart are about commitment, initiative and emotional involvement with a role.  The 5 cylinders of spirit are about vision, inspiration and having a “higher purpose”.  What are the implications of looking at human performance this way?

Firstly, at 10 of 16 cylinders, heart and spirit are more important than mind and body.  It follows that selecting people should be more about finding the right attitude than training and experience. You can train new skills relatively easily, but it is very difficult to correct the wrong attitude.  But too many employers define the necessary training and experience of desirable candidates that they narrow the field of selection unnecessarily.  We tend to hire for skills and experience and fire for attitude and lack of commitment.

Secondly, while you can find people with heart and spirit if you look for it, you won’t retain those valuable qualities if you don’t respect and nurture them.  People will switch off, and retain those qualities for friends and family, or they’ll just leave you.  Such people need to be led, not just managed.  They need to find a higher purpose at work than just turning up for the pay, whatever that might be.  Some organizations find it easy to offer the higher purpose that helps people unleash all 16 cylinders – in different ways social services, religious, health care, teaching, military and social enterprises can do it.  It is more of a challenge for profit making enterprises, but it’s not impossible.  Today the coolest job are going to high tech vs investment banking or medical doctors for the interesting and meaningful work.

Thirdly, be very clear that leadership is a 16 cylinder activity, while management may just be a 6 cylinder one.  Only 16 cylinder people make great leaders.

Fourthly, what does the employment market value the most?  It usually values the mind element the most, even though mind – education, qualifications, sector experience.  So if you recruit people with the right heart and spirit, treat them right and have systems in place to deal with any initial lack of experience, they may actually cost you lower salaries.

Finally, it is not impossible to train heart and spirit.  Organizations that acknowledge their importance, who want team members to bring emotional commitment, passion and a sense of real responsibility to the job and use it positively, who cherish and acknowledge those qualities and which don’t only reward knowledge, logic and technical skills, will develop the heart and spirit of those working for them.  But it has to be genuine or it is likely to be counter-productive – how many people have you met who are working on organizations that espouse high ideals but who are entirely disillusioned by their own reality?  Who are the 16 Cylinder people in your organization?  For that matter, how many cylinders are you firing on yourself?

How do you find and develop these people?  Can you develop a recruitment process that allows existing team members to show their own emotional commitment to their jobs?  Can you use behavioral profiling or even emotional intelligence analysis better to understand those areas?  Can you define what 16 cylinder performance looks like in someone’s job description and contract?

At ActionCOACH we believe you can - let's have a conversation that'll allow you to recruit for competitive advantage and have your team members operate at the 16 cylinder performance level...

Let's get started.  Call me at ph:  972 709 6776 eM:  StephenMarino@ActionCOACH.com

How Aligned are Your Employees to Your Growth Targets? And What You Can Do About It

Is your business on track?  Yes, toward the double digit growth targets that you’ve set for increasing customers, revenues and profits.  If you’re like most business owners with 3 to 30 employees it’s the daily time, team, money and system challenges that get in the way of predictable increasing profits and productivity.

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Here’s a business tip that will test how well aligned your employees are to your growth targets:

1.  Ask each employee to describe how their specific job impacts customers, revenues and/or profits?  Now how does that description compare to their key performance indicators?

2.  How do their performance matchup to your expectations for the strategies employed?

3.  How big is the gap between where your are and where you want to be?  

4.  And finally, what gives you confidence the team and strategies you’ll employ will get you to your growth targets?

If you’re open to getting solutions that will overcome the time, team, money and system challenges and humble most business owners then let’s talk.

Call me today at ph:  972 709 6776 or eM:  StephenMarino@ActionCOACH.com

How to Attract Top Talent...

Whether your company is experiencing rapid growth or replacing people, knowing how to attract top talent is an essential business function.  

Here are 5 essential steps to this function to save you time, money and ensure a great fit for your company. 

1. Define the position - skills and competencies as well as the cultural fit with your vision, mission and values
2. Attract a large pool of applicants.  In today's job environment there are nearly 90 applicants per job with a well written and placed advertisement
3. Design the recruiting process that mimics the qualities you want completed.  With a large number of applicants, you can manage the process by having applicants demonstrate their competencies and show their desire to go the "extra mile."  Allow your candidate to de-select themselves based on the initial advertisement and instructions throughout your process
4. Once that applicant number is manageable, then invite those selected to a group interview with your team.  Make this a multi-hour session where you share information about your company, the position and get the applicant to step up and perform many of the essential job required tasks
5. Review input from your entire team and decide 

This process is efficient and effective for you and your team because in a relatively short amount of time there is more input and insights gained to help you make a decision on selecting not only for skills and capabilities as well as a cultural fit. 

If you're adding talent to your business this quarter then give me a call and let's discuss how to make this process work for you.  This is one more capability ActionCOACH - Business Coaches have…ph:  972 709 6776 or email:  StephenMarino@ActionCOACH.com  

Leaders - Want Results...? Include These People!

Want faster more effective results?  Include these types of people in the decision making process up front.

1.  Set out the issue and desired outcome to those directly involved

2.  Include those to be consulted - when and how

3.  Give feedback to those that need to be informed timely 

Make decisions using this guide, then you'll achieve results faster and more effectively than you would otherwise.

Let's have a conversation on leadership and team issues if they are getting in the way of predictable increasing profits and productivity.

Business Owners Rewarded for Value & Results vs.Time & Effort

Business owners recognize the two competing economies.  There is the "Time and Effort" economy which seeks security, predictability and stability.  A trade is made for an employees time and talent to be applied in a job.  This represents the preponderance of the workforce.  The other economy is defined by "Value and Results."  As an owner, your customers don't care how hard, long or stressed you work.  They expect the product or service promised on the other side of price.  Owners focus on the opportunity to delight customers as their reward.

What separates the two economies is the perception of "Risk & Reward."  The world rewards high risk and high reward.  Yet, business owners are some of the most cautious people I know.  They make a distinction between Risky and Risk.  Jumping out an airplane without a parachute is risky.  A trained jumper with equipment is less risky than driving.  Business owners assess risk - determine what they know and mitigate what they don't and prepare.

If you're a business owner preparing for new opportunities or reviewing your current direction, then let's talk.  We'll facilitate a brainstorm or strategy session to ensure you can make an informed decision and avoid risky.

4 Words Guaranteed to Make Your Team More Productive...

Ever leave a meeting with questions about who's doing what per issue?  You're not alone, this confusion often leads to enormous mis-communication and waste.  Here's how to bring clarity and higher productivity after each meeting by assigning names to these key words.  Who's Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed...

Whether you’re participating in your business, charitable foundation or local tennis club, meetings are meant to lead to decisions, action plans and results.  So let’s place the name the person responsible, accountable, consulted and informed per ActionPLAN or Issue.  The chart's visual simplicity provides clarity, aligns interests and leads to higher productivity.

ActionPLAN / Issue	Responsible	Accountable	Consulted	Informed
Issue #1	(Put the names of individuals in these blocks)
Issue #2
Issue #3

These team building skills are what our ActionCOACH business coaches do daily with our clients.  If leading teams to higher performance is your responsibility, are you open to the idea of getting there faster?  Let's get started. 

The Business ActionPLAN...Rangers go from Poor Pitching and No Postseason to Consecutive World Series Appearances

Texas Ranger American League
Championship Rings
2010 & 2011

Since the arrival of CEO Nolan Ryan, general manager Jon Daniels and field manager Ron Washington, the Texas Rangers rewrote their playbook to change the culture of a franchise previously known for power hitting, poor pitching and lack of regular and postseason success. Today that playbook shows a team build around pitching, defense and aggressive base running resulting in consecutive American League Championship rings and World Series appearances.  

That journey began with a new playbook. From the "big picture" down to every pitch, there was a plan.  

How much more business could you be doing with a new playbook?

Here's the workshop that gives you the confidence and conviction on how to rewrite your playbook to higher profits and productivity for the next 90 days and beyond.

The Ranger Ballpark venue was selected to see yourself in a championship environment, to step outside your day-to-day perspective and to surround yourself with like minded business owners & top business coaches focused on your growth.

Do you know of a single successful business owner who isn’t GOAL directed, persistently measuring, perfecting and re-directing their efforts?  When your GOALs remain in your heart and head, how much chance is there of achieving them in the shortest amount of time and energy?  And if you are one of the select few with written goals, are you holding yourself accountable to doing the small things today that get you to your BIG dreams of tomorrow?

So let’s get started...!

Yes!  I’m taking control of my business.  Sign me up for the Massive Action Day - 90 Day Planning Workshop – Playbook for My Business. I’ll prioritize this time to step out of the business and get focused.  I’ll participate with a group of like-minded business owners and experienced business coach committed to moving my business forward.  No more procrastination, no more excuses, I’m ready to take ownership of the company’s performance and have an incredibly successful 2013.  

After each 90 Day Planning Session, I’ll leave with the right specific actions in each of the following areas:

Level 1: Mastery - Time, Delivery, Processes, Purpose and Money - Move from Choas to Control

Level 2: Niche - Attracting and Keeping Customers, Easy to Buy from you with Iron Clad Guarantee - Not Competing on Price

Level 3: Leverage - Systematize the Routine for Effiiciency - Humanize the Exception. Production On Time, Spec, Budget and Wow - Every Time

Level 4: Team - From Employees to Team - Team Makes Decisions in Interest of Owner

Level 5: Synergy - Well Oiled Machine - Sustainable Growing Cashflows. Owner Works "On" the Business. GM/Pres/COO is doing the Day-to-Day Operations

Level 6: Results - Business Works "For" the Owner. Gains Freedom, Capability, Opportunity & Growth

There are various ticket options so you can bring your team and get results faster as well as invite others.  I know the investment amount is not an issue at $395…because as usual, I give you my Iron Clad Guarantee that if you participate - you'll leave energetic, passionate, enthusiastic, self-directed, prepared, focused, supported, systematic, timely and proactive. If you continue to feel drained, directionless, pessimistic, vague, reactive, impulsive, critical, haphazard, scattered and hesitant or just plane dissatisfied you can just stand up and walk out with a refund…

For every other business owner, vendor or client you refer, I'll refund you $100 off your ticket and they'll receive $100 refund off their ticket too. There's no excuse to operate a business in Texas and not have plans to achieve your goals.

There is a Prep Pack that requires you to think about your business ahead of time so that you can get the most from this Massive Action Day. We're also going to remain there for lunch on us as we maximize our time.

Here's what other business owners have stated about their experience from the Massive Action Day...Click Here

Yes, taking massive action is optional but getting more productive and control of your business is not.  Investing in yourself and your team is a surefire way to get your business on the track to more productive time and personal gratification. 

Register here and rewrite your playbook for more customers, revenues and profits! Playball!

How to get Your Plans, Goals & Actions Landing in Fair Territory

Every baseball season - owners, general managers and coaches are setting a vision, making plans, setting goals and implementing action. Few know this better than Ranger's GM - John Daniels, CEO - Nolan Ryan and Coach - Ron Washington. You can see their concern when they heard your business was not registered for this Massive Action Day, yet!

Here's the workshop that gives you the confidence and conviction on how you'll achieve your productivity and profit goals these next 90 days and beyond.

The Ranger Ballpark venue was selected to see yourself in a championship environment, to step outside your day-to-day perspective and to surround yourself with like minded business owners & top business coaches focused on your growth.

Do you know of a single successful business owner who isn’t GOAL directed, persistently measuring, perfecting and re-directing their efforts?  When your GOALs remain in your heart and head, how much chance is there of achieving them in the shortest amount of time and energy?  And if you are one of the select few with written goals, are you holding yourself accountable to doing the small things today that get you to your BIG dreams of tomorrow?

So let’s get started...! Register Here

Yes!  I’m taking control of my business.  Sign me up for the Massive Action Day - 90 Day Planning Workshop – Playbook for My Business. I’ll prioritize this time to step out of the business and get focused.  I’ll participate with a group of like-minded business owners and experienced business coach committed to moving my business forward.  No more procrastination, no more excuses, I’m ready to take ownership of the company’s performance and have an incredibly successful 2013.  

After each 90 Day Planning Session I’ll leave with the right specific actions in each of the following areas:
 

Level 1: Mastery - Time, Delivery, Processes, Purpose and Money - Move from Choas to Control

Level 2: Niche - Attracting and Keeping Customers, Easy to Buy from you with Iron Clad Guarantee - Not Competing on Price

Level 3: Leverage - Systematize the Routine for Effiiciency - Humanize the Exception. Production On Time, Spec, Budget and Wow - Every Time

Level 4: Team - From Employees to Team - Team Makes Decisions in Interest of Owner

Level 5: Synergy - Well Oiled Machine - Sustainable Growing Cashflows. Owner Works "On" the Business. GM/Pres/COO is doing the Day-to-Day Operations

Level 6: Results - Business Works "For" the Owner. Gains Freedom, Capability, Opportunity & Growth

There are various ticket options so you can bring your team and get results faster as well as invite others.  I know the investment amount is not an issue at $395…because as usual, I give you my Iron Clad Guarantee that if you participate - you'll leave energetic, passionate, enthusiastic, self-directed, prepared, focused, supported, systematic, timely and proactive. If you continue to feel drained, directionless, pessimistic, vague, reactive, impulsive, critical, haphazard, scattered and hesitant or just plain dissatisfied - you can just stand up and walk out with a refund…

For every business owner, vendor or client you refer, I'll refund you $100 off your ticket and they'll receive $100 refund off their ticket too. There's no excuse to operate a business in Texas and not have plans to achieve your goals.

There is a Prep Pack that requires you to think about your business ahead of time so that you can get the most from this Massive Action Day. We're also going to remain there for lunch on us as we maximize our time.

Here's what other business owners have stated about their experience from the Massive Action Day...Click Here

Yes, taking massive action is optional but getting more productive and control of your business is not.  Investing in yourself and your team is a surefire way to get your business on the track to more productive time and personal gratification.

 

Click here and start hitting, scoring and playing solid defense for more customers, revenues & profits - Fair Ball!