10 Characteristics of a MAN of INTEGRITY

1. Root yourself in a moral foundation. It's been said that everyone has a god; the question is only "What god do we choose?" But many of us fail to even address the issue. Once considered, this question can give us a firm place to anchor.

2. Look for the positive. Load your consciousness in a positive direction by scanning the news for examples of integrity. Then talk about those with friends and family rather than the latest scandal. Make endorsing integrity a stronger value in your life than criticism and scorn.

3. Resist the temptation to compartmentalize your life. Too many of us are different people in different places. Determine to be a man of integrity; then practice at home, at work, at play—wherever you are.

4. Determine to live for others ahead of yourself. The root enemy of integrity is selfishness. The "Golden Rule" requires treating others the way we would like to be treated. It is impossible to follow the Golden Rule without a boost to personal integrity.

5. Participate in an active accountability group. There's a great story about the great leader Moses when his friends Aaron and Hur stood with him to hold his arms up high until the battle was won. We all need friends to hold our arms up, to help keep us strong.

6. Partner with a friend where you need to make progress. Take accountability to the next level by asking another man to hold your feet to the fire where necessary. This can be a mutual arrangement. We know a man who asks his friend to call several times a week and ask point-blank if he's been looking at porn. The promise of a pointed question can help any area of weakness.

7. Be in the habit of sharing everything with your wife. When we don't keep any secrets from our spouse, it tends to have an impact on who we are. 

8. Practice the habit of imagining the presence of someone whose opinion you value. What if my father was present at this business meeting? I wonder how Grandpa would enjoy being part of this foursome? Would I tell this joke in the presence of my wife? How would my kids feel if they listened in on this conversation?

9. Hold your children accountable. It's cliché to say that "to teach is to learn." But the truth is, every lesson we bring to our children is something we need to hear too.

10. Practice having a "principle of the week." Elaborate the teaching equation to highlight a "principle of the week" at home. Have a week devoted to conversations about honesty, another week highlighting trust, then a week where everyone in the family pledges one act of selflessness per day and then shares over dinner.

 

08 - Types of Values for an Individual

Personal Values - Personal values are those traits we see as worth aspiring to, and that define our character.

Spiritual Values - The values that connect us to a higher power and give us a sense of purpose beyond our material existence.

Family Values - To love and care for those we are close to; our children, our parents, other family members, and our friends.

Career Values - The best use and expression of our talents and skills for the purposes of contributing to society and for monetary compensation.

Business Values - The best use and expression of our talents and skills for the purposes of contributing to the Business

Professional Values - The best use and expression of our talents and skills for the purposes of contributing to the Image Management

Traditional Values - The best use and expression of our talents and skills for the purposes of contributing to the Traditions

Cultural Values - The best use and expression of our talents and skills for the purposes of contributing to the Culture

 

 

 

09 - BOSCARDET Formula for Inception of Projects

Background

Objectives

Scope

Constraints

Assumptions

Reporting

Dependencies

Estimates

Timescales

 

Very useful acronym (thanks J O'Connor) for inception of projects, committees, investigations (inquiries), studies, reports, etc, where purpose, parameters and ground-rules etc., have to be established. It was/is used (apparently originally by Hoskyns, who later became Cap Gemini) as a reminder of the headings for a terms of reference document. You will note there's no specific heading for costs/budgets/financial controls, so care needs to be taken to include these items, logically within Constraints and/or Estimates

 

05 - BOCCA Steps to Bring a Change

1. Belief -  Start believing a Change is Needed and will happen

2. Optimism -  Start Plan with a positive note

3. Courage -  Have Courage to withstand the Rejection Initially

4. Conviction -  Have the Conviction to Bring the Change

5. Action -  Start the process of Bringing the Change as Planned

08 BENDWIMP - Sales Intelligence Formula

What is BEND-WIMP?

Before meeting with executive decision makers, it’s critical to have a deep understanding of who they are and what they think. BEND-WIMP is a checklist that – by touching on each point – ensures you are armed with maximum sales intelligence prior to meeting with an important prospect. Luckily today, with tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator and the expanded profile viewing capabilities within it, gaining sales intelligence is easier than it’s ever been.

Here is the BEND-WIMP checklist:

B – Beliefs. This is what the decision maker believes about you, your company or your product. Knowing this prior to a meeting gives you an idea of what you’re up against, including any misguided thoughts you may need to dispel. Check your CRM records for any notes regarding previous meetings or conversations with the decision maker or anyone else within the decision maker’s organization. And if your CRM is integrated with LinkedIn, you can view the rich profile details directly from your CRM system.

E – Evaluate. What is this person’s evaluation process? Is it based on statistics and evidence or by gut instinct? This can help you prepare for any questions the decision maker might ask. Reading the decision maker’s LinkedIn recommendations can provide insight into the qualities your prospect holds in high regard. Of course you can always ask the gatekeeper or sponsor within the organization, too.

N – Needs. What are the pressing business needs? What will allow them to achieve corporate objectives?

D – Desire. What do they strive for on a personal level? Searching within social channels can help you identify personal desires.

W – Wounds. What mistakes or errors in judgment has the decision maker or company as a whole made in the past? Knowing this can help you avoid touchy subjects.

I – Interests. What does your decision maker like to do when away from the office? Again, searching within social channels can help you find common ground.

M – Mentors. Whose opinions does the decision maker value most? Does your prospect routinely share content from specific industry influencers on social channels? Dave Stein tells the story about how he once won a customer because he read Who Moved My Cheese? during the flight to a sales call after learning the CEO had all his people read it.

P – Proud. What accomplishments is the decision maker most proud of? Knowing this can be a great way to get the prospect to do the talking and maintain an air of positivity during your meeting.

“LinkedIn, which wasn’t around in 1994, is a great tool for executing your BEND-WIMP process,” says Dave. “I find people in my network who have worked directly or even several levels down from my targeted executive. As I fill in my checklist, a clear picture of that person emerges. I’m sure you can imagine how much more effective than an ad-hoc Internet search this process is.”

You can also use a solution like TeamLink to see how your corporate decision maker is connected to the professional networks of your entire organization. Common connections are a fantastic resource for sales intelligence.

Do you have an important meeting with a corporate decision maker on the horizon? Give BEND-WIMP a shot and see how the added sales intelligence improves the effectiveness of your meeting.

 

04 AIDA Method for Selling

AIDA is the original sales training acronym, from the late 1950s, when selling was first treated as a professional discipline, and sales training began. The model is said to have evolved from earlier work by American psychologists concerning assimilation and understanding of communications and information. Walter Dill Scott's 'Attention-Comprehension-Understanding' model, developed by 1913 at the Chicago Northwestern University, is cited as one example of possible contributory thinking, although this is by no means a specific single origin; in fact it is unlikely that a specific single origin for AIDA actually exists.

AIDA is perhaps more relevant and useful today than when it was first devised, because modern theories and distractions can often cause people to lose appreciation for the most basic and obvious features and requirements of a successful sales engagement.

So, especially for those learning your trade in selling or advertising or communicating with prospective customers, if you remember just one sales or selling model, remember AIDA.

Often called the 'Hierarchy of Effects', AIDA describes the basic process by which people become motivated to act on external stimulus, including the way that successful selling happens and sales are made.

A - Attention

I - Interest

D - Desire

A - Action

The AIDA process also applies to any advertising or communication that aims to generate a response, and it provides a reliable template for the design of all sorts of marketing material.

Simply, when we buy something we buy according to the AIDA process. So when we sell something we must sell go through the AIDA stages. Something first gets our attention; if it's relevant to us we are interested to learn or hear more about it. If the product or service then appears to closely match our needs and/or aspirations, and resources, particularly if it is special, unique, or rare, we begin to desire it. If we are prompted or stimulated to overcome our natural caution we may then become motivated or susceptible to taking action to buy.

Some AIDA pointers:

Attention

• Getting the other person's attention sets the tone: first impressions count , so smile - even on the phone because people can hear it in your voice - be happy (but not annoyingly so) be natural, honest and professional.
• If you're not in the mood to smile do some paperwork instead. If you rarely smile then get out of selling.
• Getting attention is more difficult than it used to be, because people are less accessible, have less free time, and lots of competing distractions, so think about when it's best to call.
• Gimmicks, tricks and crafty techniques don't work, because your prospective customers - like the rest of us - are irritated by hundreds of them every day.
• If you are calling on the phone or meeting face-to-face you have about five seconds to attract attention, by which time the other person has formed their first impression of you.
• Despite the time pressure, relax and enjoy it - expect mostly to be told 'no thanks' - but remember that every 'no' takes you closer to the next 'okay'.

Interest

• You now have maybe 5-15 seconds in which to create some interest.
• Something begins to look interesting if it is relevant and potentially advantageous. This implies a lot:
• The person you are approaching should have a potential need for your product or service or proposition (which implies that you or somebody else has established a target customer profile).
• You must approach the other person at a suitable time (ie it's convenient, and that aspects of seasonality and other factors affecting timing have been taken into account)
• You must empathise with and understand the other person's situation and issues, and be able to express yourself in their terms (ie talk their language).

Desire

• The sales person needs to be able to identify and agree the prospect's situation, needs, priorities and constraints on personal and organizational levels, through empathic questioning and interpretation.
• You must build rapport and trust, and a preparedness in the prospect's mind to do business with you personally (thus dispelling the prospect's feelings of doubt or risk about your own integrity and ability).
• You must understand your competitors' capabilities and your prospect's other options.
• You must obviously understand your product (specification, options, features, advantages, and benefits), and particularly all relevance and implications for your prospect.
• You must be able to present, explain and convey solutions with credibility and enthusiasm.
• The key is being able to demonstrate how you, your own organization and your product will suitably, reliably and sustainably 'match' the prospect's needs identified and agreed, within all constraints.
• Creating desire is part skill and technique, and part behaviour and style. In modern selling and business, trust and relationship (the 'you' factor) are increasingly significant, as natural competitive development inexorably squeezes and reduces the opportunities for clear product advantage and uniqueness.

Action

• Simply the conversion of potential into actuality, to achieve or move closer to whatever is the aim.
• Natural inertia and caution often dictate that clear opportunities are not acted upon, particularly by purchasers of all sorts, so the sales person must suggest, or encourage agreement to move to complete the sale or move to the next stage.
• The better the preceding three stages have been conducted, then the less emphasis is required for the action stage; in fact on a few rare occasions in the history of the universe, a sale is so well conducted that the prospect decides to take action without any encouragement at all.

 

06 Thinking Hats

'Six Thinking Hats' is an important and powerful technique. It is used to look at decisions from a number of important perspectives. This forces you to move outside your habitual thinking style, and helps you to get a more rounded view of a situation.

This tool was created by Edward de Bono in his book '6 Thinking Hats'.

Many successful people think from a very rational, positive viewpoint. This is part of the reason that they are successful. Often, though, they may fail to look at a problem from an emotional, intuitive, creative or negative viewpoint. This can mean that they underestimate resistance to plans, fail to make creative leaps and do not make essential contingency plans.

Similarly, pessimists may be excessively defensive, and more emotional people may fail to look at decisions calmly and rationally.

If you look at a problem with the 'Six Thinking Hats' technique, then you will solve it using all approaches. Your decisions and plans will mix ambition, skill in execution, public sensitivity, creativity and good contingency planning.

How to Use the Tool

You can use Six Thinking Hats in meetings or on your own. In meetings it has the benefit of blocking the confrontations that happen when people with different thinking styles discuss the same problem.

Each 'Thinking Hat' is a different style of thinking. These are explained below:

·         White Hat:
With this thinking hat you focus on the data available. Look at the information you have, and see what you can learn from it. Look for gaps in your knowledge, and either try to fill them or take account of them.

This is where you analyze past trends, and try to extrapolate from historical data.

• Red Hat:
  'Wearing' the red hat, you look at problems using intuition, gut reaction, and emotion. Also try to think how other people will react emotionally. Try to understand the responses of people who do not fully know your reasoning.

·         Black Hat:
Using black hat thinking, look at all the bad points of the decision. Look at it cautiously and defensively. Try to see why it might not work. This is important because it highlights the weak points in a plan. It allows you to eliminate them, alter them, or prepare contingency plans to counter them.

Black Hat thinking helps to make your plans 'tougher' and more resilient. It can also help you to spot fatal flaws and risks before you embark on a course of action. Black Hat thinking is one of the real benefits of this technique, as many successful people get so used to thinking positively that often they cannot see problems in advance. This leaves them under-prepared for difficulties.

• Yellow Hat:
  The yellow hat helps you to think positively. It is the optimistic viewpoint that helps you to see all the benefits of the decision and the value in it. Yellow Hat thinking helps you to keep going when everything looks gloomy and difficult.
• Green Hat:
  The Green Hat stands for creativity. This is where you can develop creative solutions to a problem. It is a freewheeling way of thinking, in which there is little criticism of ideas. A whole range of creativity tools can help you here.
• Blue Hat:
  The Blue Hat stands for process control. This is the hat worn by people chairing meetings. When running into difficulties because ideas are running dry, they may direct activity into Green Hat thinking. When contingency plans are needed, they will ask for Black Hat thinking, etc.

A variant of this technique is to look at problems from the point of view of different professionals (e.g. doctors, architects, sales directors, etc.) or different customers.

Example

The directors of a property company are looking at whether they should construct a new office building. The economy is doing well, and the amount of vacant office space is reducing sharply. As part of their decision they decide to use the 6 Thinking Hats technique during a planning meeting.

Looking at the problem with the White Hat, they analyze the data they have. They examine the trend in vacant office space, which shows a sharp reduction. They anticipate that by the time the office block would be completed, that there will be a severe shortage of office space. Current government projections show steady economic growth for at least the construction period.

With Red Hat thinking, some of the directors think the proposed building looks quite ugly. While it would be highly cost-effective, they worry that people would not like to work in it.

When they think with the Black Hat, they worry that government projections may be wrong. The economy may be about to enter a 'cyclical downturn', in which case the office building may be empty for a long time. If the building is not attractive, then companies will choose to work in another better-looking building at the same rent.

With the Yellow Hat, however, if the economy holds up and their projections are correct, the company stands to make a great deal of money. If they are lucky, maybe they could sell the building before the next downturn, or rent to tenants on long-term leases that will last through any recession.

With Green Hat thinking they consider whether they should change the design to make the building more pleasant. Perhaps they could build prestige offices that people would want to rent in any economic climate. Alternatively, maybe they should invest the money in the short term to buy up property at a low cost when a recession comes.

The Blue Hat has been used by the meeting's Chair to move among the different thinking styles. He or she may have needed to keep other members of the team from switching styles, or from criticizing other peoples' points.

It is well worth reading Edward de Bono's book 6 Thinking Hats for more information on this technique.

 

8 things India needs to do urgently

My early memories of the day are the celebrations in a small government school I attended. Crisp starched and ironed clothes, national flags made of paper, singing the National Anthem, and a speech by the headmaster were the highlights.

I was allowed to pin a small flag on my shirt and hold a slightly bigger one in the school. Those were proud moments! Even after 63 years, the pride remains.

Later days were different. It was more about the country, our country! There was nationalism all around. Even as young kids, there was unflinching commitment to the country. Reading Gandhi and Nehru was a passion.

The first few images of post-Independent India were ones of food shortages, poverty, hunger, inadequacy of almost everything. But there was hope!

Where are we after 63 years, and where do we intend to go?

Things have changed and, in many ways, changed for the better. We still have poverty, but we have increasing prosperity as well. We are not worried whether the next ship will bring enough food or whether we have enough foreign exchange to buy fuel for the next month.

Our choice of cars is not limited to the Ambassador and the Fiat, we do not live in a black and white TV era with just one channel anymore, we are not in a long queue for allotment of scooters or telephone connections, we are not looking to developed countries for aid or to the World Bank for more loans, we are not scared of competition any longer, we are a confident lot ready to take on the world.

Yes, we have come far. We have progressed. Does that give us comfort? Probably, not. We have to solve more complex problems to move forward and we are impatient.

What could be the most important things that we need to do urgently?

One, contain divisive forces and actions. We seem to divide ourselves in the name of caste, region, religion, group, sub-group, vote banks, constituencies though we unite in times of crisis. There are a number of external forces which may not want India to become developed and powerful. These forces could create difficulties both inside the country and outside.

It is important that, as a pluralistic society, we learn to live and grow together and to resolve our differences through dialogue and reconciliation.

Any form of violence, for any reason whatsoever, should be avoided. Instead of expecting the government to solve all our problems, let civil society take its role seriously and do its bit.

The large majority in India wants to get on with their lives and want peace. This majority needs to assert its presence.

Two, release the energy of India's youth to generate growth and prosperity. Look at any educated young man or woman in India today. There is a new level of confidence, a confidence to take up a challenge to better the best in the world, provided they are supported with education and infrastructure. They are willing to work extra hours, learn new things, and innovate.

It is this confidence and the attitude of "we can do it" that is India's most valuable capital today.

We need to support this with the best quality education, infrastructure and training and research facilities, be it in the private or public sector. Most of these youngsters are above the issues of caste, region, language or religion. They are focused on their careers and their growth, which will in turn be India's growth.

Three, get the infrastructure right. Young India is impatient, and rightly so. They want to get going. Inadequate infrastructure, whether it is physical or social, is holding them back.

Roads, power, basic services like water and sanitation, social infrastructure like healthcare, education need urgent attention if we want India to grow.

Many of these could come through private sector investment, innovation and efficiencies. The government will still play a major role both in terms of providing funds, encouraging investments and ensuring regulation.

Instead of focusing on ownership issues, we need to focus on quality and cost of services.

Four, fight inefficiency and corruption. Most Indians are worried about corruption. But when it comes to standing up against corruption, there aren't many.

While all forms of corruption are bad, big corruption is fodder for television news channels, and petty corruption is like cancer. It affects the poor more and makes life miserable for the average Indian.

Civil society needs to stand up and make/force the change.

Luckily, we have the Right to Information Act which is an effective tool in the hands of the Indian citizen to ensure transparency.

India, the global software power, should be the global leader in ensuring transparent e-governance. We do not need technology from outside, we just need the will to change age-old and opaque processes.

Society needs to make its demand for this change loud and clear.

Five, invest in innovation and research. The future belongs to technology. We need to develop technologies that suit us. Research in frontier areas of science and technology should become a national priority. This should not be the task of the government alone, corporates need to support this effort. Society needs to give greater respect to scientists and technologists.

There are innovators at every level in India. Quite often their work goes unnoticed. They can make a difference to our lives. We need to create a simple and useable platform for them to collaborate. All of us cannot be innovators, we must become adept at adopting innovations.

Six, respect other's needs and feelings. It is often said that obedience to the unenforceable rules is the hallmark of a civilised society. Quite often, our behaviour in public is despicable, be it our civic sense, or adherence to discipline or our commitment to the environment around us.

The rich and the powerful need to set an example since they are probably the worst offenders.

Seven, care for the environment. While we are in a hurry to grow faster, we often forget concerns of sustainability. All of us need to give something back to the environment even if it means giving up some comfort and doing a little more.

Our ability to sustain our resources over a longer period is key to our growth.

Eight, care for the poor and the disadvantaged. There are many in India who are poor and disadvantaged, mostly for reasons beyond their control.

While policy interventions need to take care of those, a caring society needs to ensure that they do not feel left out, be it the economically weaker sections, women or socially or educationally backward classes.

It is important to show that society cares.

Can we do it? If everyone does a little bit more, we can and we should!

T Nanda Kumar, a former Union agriculture secretary, is a member of the prime minister's economic committee on Kashmir.

 

7.1 Steps to Create Multiple Streams of Income

At age 25, I began planning my exit strategy to leave a lucrative career in sales to become an entrepreneur and pursue my passion: empowering people to maximize their potential and make significant improvements to their results.

While still in my sales position, I started my first business -- and my first additional stream of income -- serving as a life and business success coach. In the past nine years, using the exact formula below, I’ve been able to add nine additional streams of income. These have involved authoring books, speaking, private and group coaching and staging live events. 

For anyone who values financial security and ultimately desires financial freedom, creating at least one additional stream of income is no longer a luxury. It has become a necessity.

Diversifying your income stream is crucial to protect yourself and your family against the unavoidable ups and downs of economic and industry cycles. Because of the financial risks that come from relying on one source of income, such as a job or a business, consider creating at least one or more additional streams to generate cash flow.

Your additional income streams can be active, passive or a combination of the two. Some may pay you for doing something that you love (active), while others can provide income for you without your having to do much of anything at all (passive). You can diversify your income streams among different industries to protect you against major losses during downturns in one market and allow you to financially benefit from the upswings in another.

This truly is one of the not-so-obvious secrets of how the wealthy become -- and stay -- wealthy, which unfortunately isn’t taught to the masses. The good news is that it’s not magic. It’s not even complicated. Creating your next stream of income is a simple, step-by-step process, which you can arrange to start bringing you monthly income faster than you might realize is possible. 

1. Establish financial security. 

Now, this idea isn’t sexy, but it’s imperative: Don’t focus your time and energy into building a second stream of income until your primary source is secure. Whether you have a day job or own your own business, focus on establishing and securing a primary monthly income that will support your expenses before you pursue other steps. 

2. Clarify your unique value.

Every person on this planet has unique gifts, abilities, life experiences and value to offer -- and be highly compensated for. Figure out the knowledge, experience, ability or solution you have that others will value and might pay you for. Remember, what might be common knowledge to you isn’t for other people.

You and your personality differentiate your value from that of every other person on earth. Many people will resonate with you (and your style) better than they will with someone else offering value that's similar or even the same.

Packaging is how you can differentiate your value. When I wrote my book The Miracle Morning, I had to overcome my insecurity that waking up early wasn’t exactly something I invented. Would there really be a market for the book? But readers shared that the book was life-changing in the way the information was presented. It was written focusing on how to significantly improve any area of life by simply altering how a person starts the day.

Knowledge is the one thing you can increase very quickly. As Tony Robbins wrote in Money: Master the Game "One reason people succeed is that they have knowledge other people don't have. You pay your lawyer or your doctor for the knowledge and skills" you lack.

Increase your knowledge in a specific area, and you'll simultaneously increase the value that others will pay you for, either to teach them what you know or apply your knowledge on their behalf.

3. Identify your market.

Determine whom you are best qualified to serve. Based on the value you can add for others or the problems you can help people solve, who will pay you for the value or solution you can provide?

4. Build a community.

A turning point in my financial life came when I heard author and self-made multimillionaire Dan Kennedy say, "The most valuable asset you have is your email list, so focus on growing it."

I don't like to think of my email community as merely a list of names but rather as a group of individuals, each with their own hopes and dreams.

Here's how you can build your community:

Acquire an email-marketing program (good: AWeber, better: Infusionsoft).

Get a program to create an opt-in page (good: LeadPages.com, better: Kajabi).

Create an added-value deliverable such as a free report, an ebook, an audio or a video training so that people will happily provide their email address in exchange for the value you provide.

5. Ask your community about their desires.

You can either guess or assume what people desire and need, invest valuable time in creating it and then hope your guess was correct. But remember: Hope is rarely the best strategy.

Or send an email to members of your community with the link to a survey (using a free service like SurveyMonkey), asking what they want or need help with in your area of value that you've identified. Ask open-ended questions to help you later brainstorm or offer multiple choices if you've already thought about what you can provide.

6. Create a solution.  

After your community members tell you what they need, it's your golden opportunity to get to work and create it. This could be a physical or digital product (a book, an audio, a video, a written training program or software) or a service (dog grooming, babysitting, coaching, consulting, speaking or training).

7. Plan the launch.

Think about how Apple rolls out its products. The company doesn’t just throw a product on the shelf or its website. No, the company makes it into an event. Apple builds anticipation months in advance, so much so that people are willing to camp out in front of stores for weeks to be the first in line.

Do that. To learn how, read the definitive book on the topic, Launch by Jeff Walker. 

7.1 Find a mentor.

The best way to cut your learning curve and achieve a specific result is to find people who’ve already achieved what you want and then model their behavior. Rather than try to figure it all out on your own, find someone who has already achieved what you want, determine how this person did it, model this behavior and make it your own.

While you might seek a relationship with a face-to-face human mentor, you could also hire a coach, read a book or articles by an expert or do web research. After some consideration, you may decide to make this your first step.

Schedule time to begin implementing these 7.1 steps, one at a time, and within months you can be enjoying the benefits, the perks and the financial security and freedom that comes from having multiple streams of income.

 

 

7 Unexpected Signs You Might Be an Entrepreneur

Remember Jeff Foxworthy? The comedian made a splash back in the ‘90s with his (slightly un-PC) “You might be a redneck” routine. Among his classic one-liners: “If you own a home that’s mobile and five cars that aren’t … you might be a redneck.”

Well, inspired by Jeff, I’ve been thinking about a “You might be an entrepreneur” routine—in other words, slightly unexpected signs you’ve got what it takes to go through the thrilling, punishing, life-changing experience of starting your own company.

Yes, you’ve got to be passionate, resilient and all that other good stuff. But there are more subtle qualities needed, as well. Networking with other entrepreneurs over the years through Hootsuite and working closely with young up-and-comers through my foundation The Next Big Thing, I’ve noticed that a lot of us share some common personality traits. So, without further ado, you might be an entrepreneur if...

1. You’re restless, and no achievement ever seems good enough. 

When most people reach a goal they think, “I did it! Time to sit back and enjoy it for a while.” An entrepreneur thinks, “Great, what’s next?” Take the late fashion maven Coco Chanel. She started with a simple hat line, expanded into women’s clothing, and eventually moved into jewelry, accessories and perfume. By the time of her death in 1971, Chanel had not only left behind an iconic brand, but a business empire that was bringing in $160 million annually. Entrepreneurs like Chanel don’t stop with one big achievement. They’re always itching to find and take on the next challenge.

2. You’re a control freak. 

Throughout my career, I’ve had to make a conscious effort to strike a balance between controlling my business and letting the talented people around me take the reins. It turns out that many of my entrepreneur friends struggle with the same challenge. It’s great to have a CEO who cares about all the details of a company, but when that person needs to be involved at every level, it can become detrimental to getting things done. It can also stress out employees, who have been brought on precisely so you don’t have to make each and every decision. Luckily, we can take some comfort in knowing that super entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and Bill Gates have all been described as control freaks.

3. You’re a masochist. 

As an entrepreneur, you’ve got to love a little pain and a lot of risk. Consider the fact that 75 percent of new startups fail. Only a masochist sets himself up to face those kind of odds, straight out of the gate. And it doesn’t get much better after that, at least not at first. You’ll struggle for money. You’ll work unimaginably long hours. You’ll be lonely, because while everyone else is out partying or watching movies, you’re toiling away … often alone. Serial entrepreneurs—who start and run businesses one after another—could be considered even more masochistic, because they go into each new venture knowing what’s coming.

4. You have a love-hate relationship with money. 

Entrepreneurs generally fall in love with making money really early in life. A young Warren Buffett, for instance, had a paper route for the Washington Post and made money selling everything from lost golf balls to gum, stamps and magazines—all before he graduated from high school. I got my start washing windows of local businesses and selling snacks on paintball fields when I was still in elementary school.

But, eventually, many entrepreneurs are driven less by money and more by the innate thrill of launching a new venture and the freedom and control that come with it. By the time I reached college, my own attitudes had already started to shift. I was on the path to a law degree and a secure, well-paying job. Instead, I dropped out to start a pizza restaurant because it was more of a challenge and I could do it my way.

5. You’re a black sheep, and maybe even a dropout. 

Many entrepreneurs describe themselves as not fitting in with the crowd. I definitely felt that way in high school. Lots of notable entrepreneurs have even ended up ditching the traditional education system altogether. Tech titan Bill Gates, billionaires Ted Turner and Li Ka-shing, Richard Branson and McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc are just some examples of widely successful entrepreneurs who all dropped out of high school or college. While it’s not always easy to be the outsider, it’s exactly this quality— seeing things through a different lens from the rest of the world—that can help move society forward and drive innovation.

6. People think you’re crazy.

Because entrepreneurs tend to think along different wavelengths, their ambitions can often come across as crazy to friends and family—especially before the vision has been made a reality. Take, for example, Ruth Handler, who created the world’s most iconic plastic doll: Barbie. In the 1950s, Handler was met with doubt and criticism (including from her own husband) for proposing a doll that looked more like an adult than a baby or child. She came up with the notion after seeing her own daughter playing with paper dolls that looked like adults. Handler, of course, went forward with the idea anyway, and the rest is history.

7. You’re somewhat introverted. 

To lead a business, you need to be super outgoing and salesy, right? Not necessarily. It turns out that roughly four in 10 top executives—including Google CEO and co-founder Larry Page—identify as introverts. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is also a well known introvert.Research suggests that introverts in the workplace foster a better team environment than their extroverted peers. And introverts are also known to be good listeners, a greatly overlooked but essential asset for good leadership. Few of the entrepreneurs I know are loud or assertive, especially not in big groups or meetings.

 

04 Ways to Overcome Self-Doubt

Entrepreneurs have frequent opportunities to doubt themselves, their plans, ideas and abilities. Perhaps you’ve occasionally asked yourself, "Am I really cut out for this job?” or “Am I on the right track?”

In 1998, I was laid off from a prominent public relations position at a well-known hotel in Palm Beach, Fla. Instead of looking for another job, I decided to start my own company, the Protocol School of Palm Beach.

In the beginning, I had my share of doubts. I often wondered if I had made the right decision and whether I should get a second job to supplement my income. I was short on money and patience. It took me nearly five years to make a profit. Now I'm grateful that I persevered. I've had my company for 17 years and now my business is stronger than ever.

It’s important to learn how to manage stress in moments of extreme doubt so that you can continue to pursue your goals. Here are four helpful tips that will enable you to overcome self-doubt whenever it strikes:

1. Don’t compare yourself to others.

The temptation to compare your business to others in your industry is difficult to ignore. Try not to make unrealistic or unfair comparisons that cause you to doubt your own abilities. Worrying about what competitors are doing wastes time and can leave you anxious and exhausted.

Instead, try to network and learn from the success of others. What did they do well? What challenges did they overcome? A great way to exchange ideas and encourage others is to join a mastermind group. Or hire a business coach or a set up weekly calls with a mentor, someone whom you trust and admire.

2. Acknowledge previous accomplishments.

Any entrepreneur will tell you that starting a business is one of the most difficult paths a person can choose. It takes an extreme amount of work and dedication to take any idea from inception to market.

There will be good days and bad days. Plus, at some point, you’ll realize you can’t please everyone 100 percent of the time, no matter how hard you try.

If you feel like giving up, step back from the situation. Acknowledge what you’ve already accomplished. Show gratitude for having encountered exciting opportunities and positive experiences. Keep an abundance journal to record victories -- no matter how small. When you hit a bump in the road, you’ll be able to look back and remember why you chose your career in the first place.

3. Make decisions in a timely manner.

Running a business entails making hundreds of decisions. Every choice you make will have consequences -- some positive and others negative.

When faced with a fork in the road, many entrepreneurs suffer from analysis paralysis. The very feedback that they solicited from clients, colleagues and mentors now hinders their ability to make a final decision and move forward. They may become overwhelmed by the various opinions and frozen with self-doubt.

The success of a business is determined by the culmination of many small choices over the long term. Running a successful business is more like a marathon, not a sprint. If at some point you make a wrong decision, you can always try to fix it.

So commit to a course of action and make corrections as you go along. The more proactive you are, the more confident you’ll feel in your ability to lead the company.

4. Accept your failures.

Anxiety is often rooted in fear. Mistakes are inevitable. No matter how talented you are or how hard you work, you will occasionally make errors. Some mistakes are easy to correct whereas others take a considerable amount of time and money to fix.

Either way, mistakes will make you a wiser, more cautious businessperson. Successful people embrace failure as part of the journey toward success. Rather than obsess over problems, focus on solutions.

If you make a mistake, don’t cover up or misrepresent what happened. Instead, admit it as soon as possible. When you own up to your failures, you develop a professional reputation of reliability and trustworthiness. Rather than fixate on every misstep, simply take responsibility, learn from it and find a way to correct the issue. Then move on and let it go.

 

8 Productivity-Enhancing Tips for Teams

You've put together your dream team; now you want to get the best out of them. Here are eight tips to maximize their productivity.

1. Make sure your team shares your mission.

You might think the objectives of your company are obvious, but unless you clearly articulate them to the team, not everyone will be on the same page. Even if things run late, you'll benefit from taking a bit of time to clearly list for your dream team what the goals of your company are and how all of you plan to accomplish them.

2. Have shared workspace.

Shared digital workspaces are a vital tool for your team to share documents, internally communicate with one another, and track progress. Shared databases mean that everybody can access all data all the time and work with one another in an informed and cohesive unit. If your objective includes increasing team productivity, you ought to be assessing tools by how well they will support your goals.

3. Develop a culture that encourages discussion.

Teams require time to talk about problems that come up within the course of business. All through those discussions, valuable insights may be discovered and typically these perspectives come up during a one-on-one discussion. You must develop a culture in which discussion is valued and done in various ways, from telephone and video conferences to email, as well as microblogging for those times your employees cannot sit around a table and discuss things.  But be careful of time management within one-on-one meetings. An excellent meeting is not excessively long and allows all members the opportunity to voice an opinion.

4. Make task lists.

It's vital that your team has a mutual comprehension of the activities that must be accomplished to keep things rolling. Use a task list to formalize the to-dos required to keep the business properly functioning and update it routinely. To-do lists assist in focusing the team.

5. Develop processes as a portion of business culture.

Process includes a method of automating the best practices to get things accomplished in the most efficient way. Running solid processes will mean that your team isn't always re-inventing the wheel. Great process will evolve with learning and expertise. As you have a process which works, make it a portion of your business culture.

6. Stop sending an overload of emails to the team.

According to one survey of the impact of social media and email on productivity, email is among the main distractions in the workplace. Begin to use alternative methods of communicating with the team to eliminate difficult-to-track email chains and to save the time it takes to frequently check email.

Google Docs, Wikis, and virtual meetings all are great alternatives. Utilize Microsoft Project and SharePoint to manage massive quantities of project information on the internet, manage calendars, share documents, assign tasks, and so much more.

7. Work within 40-minute periods for maximum productivity.

Rather than working for a couple of minutes at one time, or going on social media, then checking email, or leaping to another idea or project, encourage the team to work within 40-minute bursts of concentrated work. Via research that is detailed within his Accomplishing More With Less workbook and workshop, Pierre Khawand, founder of PeopleOnTheGo, explains that only 40 minutes of interruption-free effort will get the brain working to the point that breakthrough achievements may be reached.

8. Schedule and prepare for collaborative time

Projects will require lots of collaboration--therefore, be certain you plan for it within a productive way. Following 40-minute concentrated work sessions, have the team collaboratively work for 20 minutes and then return to their individual activities at hand. That way, everybody remains concentrated on their results.

This short list is going to guide members of the team to where they should go next. And finally, foster an atmosphere that is free from outside distractions. Remind staff not to interrupt each other's work sessions, and do not be a distracting manager yourself unless the reason is urgent.

 

06 Ways to Become an Outstanding Writer

1. Focus on grammar. Grammar is the backbone of effective communication. If you put a comma in the wrong place, it doesn’t matter how great the entire statement is, as readers could misinterpret your point. Add Grammar Girl to your daily reading or listening list (there’s also a great podcast) and use it as a reference for your pressing grammar questions.

If you’re looking for easily digestible, straightforward grammar tips, check out GrammarBook.com.

2. Write Less. Once you’ve mastered your grammar, read through what you’ve written and shorten it. Most poor writers use more words than they need. If you understand a topic, you should be able to communicate it concisely. Here’s a great presentation on removing fluff from your writing.

If you want to learn from one of the greats, check out the Hemingway App to help you remove useless words within your writing.

The book On Writing Well by William Zinsser is also a great resource for mastering the art of clear, concise communication.

If you need a quick trick to weed out the unnecessary words, perform a document search for the letters “ly” to see how many useless adverbs you can erase.

3. Remove distractions. Focusing can be difficult (especially for entrepreneurs), but this is paramount when writing. Try a program such as Chrome Nanny to minimize disruptions and concentrate on writing for extended periods of time.

Microsoft Word has a “Focus View” that takes up the entire screen with a no-distractions background and blocks out any desktop notifications you may have set up. If you have serious self-control issues, I’d recommend turning off your Wi-Fi.

4. Test your writing. Ultimately, you’re writing for readers, so analyzing readability is a key step. If you’ve read your writing over and over again and you’re convinced it’s good to go, submit it to Readability-Score.com to determine your writing grade level. If your audience is the general public, you’ll want to write at a seventh-grade level, according to the Plain Language Ad Hoc Committee.

Clichés, overused words and redundancies can kill the vibe of an article, so using a tool such as ProWritingAid can help you avoid faux pas that could push readers away.  

Even the writers with the best intentions are at risk for unintentionally plagiarizing. Guarantee you’re not breaking the law by putting your writing through a plagiarism checker.

Your writing can also take on gender. Depending on your audience and the intended tone, you might want to remain gender neutral. Use the Gender Guesser tool to discover where your article stands.

5. Organize your writing. Mind mapping with a tool such as MindMeister can help you extract your thoughts and start organizing the ideas you’re trying to communicate.

Another trick is to write the questions you want answered in your writing first. Then answer them in a stream-of-consciousness manner and organize those answers into an article. We guide our clients through this process at Influence & Co., and we’ve seen struggling communicators express beautiful prose when organizing their thoughts this way.

Lastly, schedule time to write, and create a firm time limit. For instance, you could write for an hour in the morning twice a week. During that time, sit down, set a timer, and get as many words out as you can. Don’t worry about word choice or grammar; you can always polish it later.

6. Hire an editor. If you’ve consulted these resources and still doubt your abilities, it might be time to enlist the help of professional editors. Depending on your needs, you can hire full-service content companies to help with the creation and editing or a freelance editor through oDesk, Elance or Guru.

Consulting your editorial-savvy peers is also a great way to improve your work. And if you have a unique skillset to offer, swap favors so both people benefit.

7 Psychological Strategies for Mastering Sales Negotiations

Preparing for a negotiation when a lot is on the line can elicit a tremendous amount of fear and negative thinking. 

This kind of thinking can mean the negotiation is lost before the salesperson has even started to prepare for it. The first war to be won is the battle inside the salesperson against defeatist thoughts. By becoming clear on desired outcomes, he or she has the greatest chance at negotiation success and making a sale.

1. Eliminate anxiety.

The brain loves options. A salesperson should always have more than one significant opportunity in the pipeline. This leads to increased confidence and less anxiety when negotiating.

Thus the salesperson doesn't feel desperate and can more confidently acquire new business by directing negotiations to the point where the potential customer ends up selling the salesperson on why they should do business together. 

2. Score a small yes or two.

Negotiate for what's easy first and never assume a potential customer will say yes to everything. Sometimes, the prospect may offer to take a smaller order before going for bigger, more lucrative orders or contracts. 

For the salesperson, getting a foot in the door can be the start of longer-term, more profitable partnership opportunities in the future. A smaller win cann help prove the worth of the services being sold. It gives the salesperson evidence of prior successful work to use in negotiations for bigger projects.

3. Take full advantage of listening.

Salespeople have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Peoople love to be listened to. Taking the time to listen can set the sales professional apart from competitors who push too hard.

Even sharks become calm amid calm waters. So when negotiating, a salesperson should listen twice as much as she speaks and repeat back to the customer what the client said and ask for agreement.

When a sales professional has the self-control to listen, she learns to speak the language of the customer and this enables her to use this language in a way to outsmart the competition.

4. Choose a “partner” approach.

In a negotiation, the seller needs to view a potential customer as a partner rather than an opponent. Psychologically this puts each party on the same team, bringing more confidence in the sales professional's negotiation.

It changes the whole mindset and creates a communication space based more on agreement than desperate acts of getting.

If the potential customer is not willing to come to agreement, then the sales professional can shock the customer by removing the offer. Often what happens then is the potential customer rethinks a stance and returns to negotiate with a higher level of respect for the salesperson’s offer. A lack of fear of rejection is respectable and compelling.

5. Think existentially.

When the salesperson tries to put herself in the shoes of the customer and can see the big picture, a positive psychological environment for negotiation is reached. She gains clarity about the potential customer's demands, strengths and weaknesses and it's easier to move through the negotiation.

The potential customer feels connected to the negotiations because his viewpoint has been considered, which goes a long way toward making a favorable impression and building trust.  

6. Put people first, numbers second.

If a salesperson bullies her way into a deal, a customer will feel defensive, which blocks effective negotiation. Defensiveness means a lack of openness to new information. A salesperson should refrain from criticizing the needs, demands, motives or behaviors of the potential customer.

She should listen and be smart, rational and calm. Strategically the sales professional must keep the focus off the offer and create an arena of fairness in mediating discussions about the numbers in a mutually beneficial fashion -- one where she does not settle for less than what is desired. 

7. Mimic the emotional environment. 

Negotiation always involves manipulation. A useful strategy is to feign indifference once the negotiation has reached a sticking point. If a potential customer senses desperation or neediness in a pitch, the salesperson becomes prey to being taken advantage of.

If the sales professional can limit her sense of urgency about closing a sale and reflect indifference to the customer by seeming relaxed or   asking for a delay in the negotiations, she creates psychological tension in the other party. This can result in an agreement.

Negotiation is purely a psychological strategy. Psychologically, a sales professional must be the master of his or her own mind and emotions. She needs to enter the negotiation prepared, knowing the needs of the potential customer through research, listening, spending time and paying attention.

When a sales professional goes into a negotiation well-informed, she can keep her expectations under control. The most effective working relationships, which can then evolve into long-standing partnerships, are always based in trust between partners. In this way negotiation is not about winning but rather about mediating for the best outcome for all involved.

 

3 Destructive Distractions That Every Entrepreneur Should Avoid

Distraction comes in several forms for entrepreneurs. It can arise from not having the ability and resolve to say no or from taking on too much too soon or not being organized for success. More important than a good idea is the ability to execute on it.

Being able to protect yourself and your team from the following three distractions can go a long way in ensuring your venture prospers:

1. Self-inflicted scope creep.

Scope creep, in any form, is dangerous. But the worst kind is the one that entrepreneurs impose on themselves. Self-inflicted scope creep can happen under two circumstances

Entrepreneurs should be careful to not misinterpret requirements or use cases from their customers in a way so their plans overreach and attempt to solve issues outside what's absolutely necessary.

In addition entrepreneurs often become distracted by excitement that comes with building something fresh or adding a cool new features to a product. This zeal can often hide the real problem at hand and can prompt the entrepreneur to gloss over better, cheaper or more suitable ways for solving a problem. In the pursuit of new technology and bigger, better features, valuable time and resources can get lost.

The discipline to avoid self-inflicted scope creep does not come easy can can often take years to develop. Here are some tips to develop this discipline:

Write down use cases in the words of your users.

Perform a root-cause analysis of the problem.

Do a desired-state analysis.

Brainstorm about ways to solving the problem for your customers.

Test the solution's concept with real users.

2. Fragmented mindshare across multiple initiatives.

Another common distraction for startup leaders is attempting to have the same team focus on multiple large initiatives at the same time. Fragmenting the thought processes of staffers across different complex problems reduces their ability to function and deliver results.

This lack of central focus prolongs the problem solving for the projects and forces team members to make tradeoffs across all initiatives to try to progress in parallel across all fronts. Staffers also pay a high price when they switch their context as they move between these diverse initiatives.

Here are some tips to detect when you might be in this situation:

You are attempting to solve multiple distinct problems.

All at the same time, you're addressing the needs of distinct segments of users and use cases.

You're building several complex, multifaceted value propositions simultaneously.

The people who are finding solutions are working on all problems at once.

3. A disorganized operation.

A frequently occurring distraction crops up in a disorganized enterprise. Given that time is limited, entrepreneurs are tasked with not only dealing with multiple issues at once but also leading their teams to make progress.

With aggressive growth, organizations can evolve organically and this can lead to multiple centers of power or expertise on the same or similar features or technologies. Disorganization can lead to multiple parallel efforts to solve the same or similar problems.

Here are some tips to ensure that you're organized for success:

Organize around primary customer use cases and tasks.

Ensure a consistent user experience across your product's surface area.

Overcommunicate and develop shared goals when multiple teams are tasked with building similar components and experiences. 

 

 

5 Ways Small Companies Can Out-Innovate Big Corporations

Developing innovative ideas is a critical activity for growing companies of all sizes. But leaders of many small companies believe innovation is just for big companies that employ scientists and have large research and development departments. This false belief prevents many leaders from effectively identifying and applying innovations in their organizations. As a result, small businesses may fail to identify valuable ideas that would assist them in growing a profitable company.

Richard Branson has said, “Small businesses are nimble and bold and can often teach much larger companies a thing or two about innovations that can change entire industries.”

Leaders of small companies can leverage their business’ size and unique culture to rapidly develop and apply creative ideas. Here are five ways small companies can innovate better than much larger organizations.

1. Speed of execution

Small businesses can position themselves to make decisions quickly, allowing them to be first to market with innovative ideas. Instead of spending months or years evaluating new ideas and passing them through multiple departments, a flexible small business can make fast decisions regarding whether to pursue a particular idea. When a valuable idea is discovered, it can be developed quickly and launched to potential customers. This fast action distinguishes the business as an innovator, and causes its competitors to play “catch up.”

2. Fast access to business resources

When a valuable idea is discovered, business leaders can quickly allocate resources to develop and market the idea. Multiple departments can get involved at the same time to implement the new idea, and personnel reassigned to the project, which shortens the development time. Larger companies with many product lines must distribute their resources among all of their products and services. A smaller company is able to temporarily reallocate significant resources to the innovative idea that is critical to the growth of the company.

3. Team environment

Small businesses can develop a team culture that encourages everyone to get involved in the innovation process. Rather than focusing creative activities on a few individuals or groups, business leaders can promote creative thinking throughout the organization. Every individual brings different experiences and perspectives that can assist in the identification and development of new ideas. This team approach accelerates the speed of execution, which helps position the business as a market leader.

4. Company-wide innovation support

To successfully cultivate a team of people who are actively identifying and developing innovative ideas, a company’s leaders must openly support innovation activities. This support must start with the CEO and include all other executives, directors and managers. When employees and contractors see unanimous support for creative activities, they understand the importance of those activities and are motivated to participate. This helps to strengthen the team environment and accelerates the development of new ideas.

5. Measure innovation

To further motivate people to spend time identifying creative ideas, small businesses can emphasize innovation by making it part of the company’s job descriptions and evaluation criteria. Many companies do not consider innovation when evaluating an employee’s performance. If bonuses and pay increases are not tied to any creative activities, it sends a message that new ideas are not important. This message causes employees to place a greater emphasis on other activities that are specifically mentioned as part of their job performance. Start measuring and emphasizing innovation to stress the importance of creative thinking to everyone in the organization.

Regardless of the size of the company, business leaders who start identifying and applying innovative ideas will enjoy a thriving business.