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Yes, there is a real face behind the e-mail!
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It's Time
To Get Off The Hamster Wheel!
Just being in motion will never get you to your Big. To do that, you need to be sure you're doing the right things, in the right order, for the right reasons.
This seven-step system clarifies the activities that are mission-critical to your success. It then walks you through a process for creating step-by-step action plans to implement those key activities.
The result? You get off the hamster wheel of motion-without-progress and get on a more direct route to more clients and more money.
Forget about being busy; start getting focused by downloading your no-charge PDF version of the Take Action Now System (tm) today. |
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Want More
Than Just a
Little Nibble?
If you're interested in exploring more ideas on how to step into your particular Big, just sign up for our RSS feed. There are enough blog posts and comments to be of value, but not so many that your head will explode. I promise.
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Greetings!
"We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak." Greek philosopher Epictetus had a good point. How many times have we gotten ourselves in hot water because we stopped listening or started speaking too soon? I've fallen into this trap numerous times, and the results have never been pretty. Case in point: I misinterpreted something one of my college professors said about taking the course's final exam, and I decided that she meant the final was optional for students who met certain criteria. None of my classmates had gotten that same message, and they basically told me I was nuts to think that. However, the class was boring, I was thrilled at the idea of having one less thing to do for it, and I completely ignored their input. Imagine my surprise when I got my grades for that semester and saw I'd gotten a D for that course. Obviously, the professor had made a huge mistake, since I'd had a low A/high B at the end of the semester. So, in my righteous indignation I went down to see her and point out the error of her ways. She listened calmly while I talked...and talked...and talked. Imagine my really BIG surprise when she clarified that the final was mandatory for all students, and that she'd awarded me zero points for it, since I never bothered to show up to take it. It was a remarkably humbling experience to apologize for MY major screw-up and to ask if she'd allow me to take the final after all. She agreed, I took it on the spot, and managed to salvage a B for my final course grade. This all happened a long time ago. I don't remember the professor's name; I certainly don't remember any of the course content; but I remember as if it were yesterday how remarkably sheepish and embarrassed I was. Had I listened more carefully to the instructor to begin with, or listened to my classmates when they told me I was wrong, or been less eager to shoot my mouth off, I could have saved myself a lot of humiliation. If you sometimes feel like you got the two ears/one mouth ratio backwards, use the following tools. They just might keep you from sticking both feet in however many mouths you have on any given day. |
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Tip of the Week
Confirm that you have buy-in from key stakeholders.
You may have heard the old adage that "to assume makes an ass of U and ME." It's sad but true. Whether your stakeholders are clients, employees, vendors, or family members, it's crucial to clearly communicate what you're doing, why you're doing it, and how it will benefit everyone.
Even when you "know" how others feel, go the extra mile and confirm that the message you intended to send is the one they actually received.
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A Really Good Resource
While you won't always have the luxury of dealing with stakeholders face to face, you can enjoy the next best thing through the use of Google Hangouts. I had never been overly impressed with the results I got using Skype for video chats, so I was skeptical when one of my Mastermind colleagues suggested we try Hangouts. However, since we're spread over two continents,I agreed to give it a try and was very pleasantly surprised. This free service allowed the four of us to connect visually as well as auditorally (Is that a word? I guess it is now.) We had a much richer experience than we'd had just using a conference-call format, and the technology behaved beautifully - no lag time, no voices out of synch with lips, no fuzzy audio. If you haven't already checked this out, I highly recommend it. I think you'll find it a great help in ensuring your communication is clear and effective.
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How's This for Success?
A good communicator can not only clearly express his or her ideas, but can help clients clarify their needs and wishes. When you're able to both deliver and elicit a clear statement of goals and desired outcomes, you're poised for success. Alan Sangpan proves that.
Alan, a self-taught videographer, is the founder and CEO of Isle Media, a one-stop shop for couples getting married. Although Alan began the company barely two years ago, his clear vision has resulted in bringing together a team of 11 professionals who provided photography, videography, and hair/make-up services for over 125 clients in 2012.
Alan knows how to share his vision with like-minded professionals, and he also knows how to listen to clients to determine what they want. The result? Lots of delighted clients, lots of financial rewards, and lots of fun for everyone.
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Thanks to my friend Flickr.
Here are this week's heroes who graciously allowed me to use their images, posted in the Creative Commons area of Flickr, in this issue of Stepping Into Big:
hamster on her wheel by Heindraus light bulb by aloshbennett
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The Bottom Line
Sometimes the person that's hardest to communicate clearly with is yourself.
How often have you told yourself, "I've got to get started on that project!" Or how about, "Just make the damn phone call!" Or one of my personal favorites, "Oh, for heaven's sake, just do it!"
You may be good at telling yourself what to do, but not so good at listening to yourself. And if you don't listen to yourself, chances are you're not actually holding yourself accountable to figure out how to do what needs doing and then doing it.
Maybe I can help. My specialty is providing two good ears and a flexibly structured process for identifying what you need to drop like a hot potato, what you really need to do, and how to do it. I'll work with you to create step-by-step action plans, and I'll hold you accountable for implementing them.
If that sounds like something that could keep your head from exploding, call or e-mail me to set up a let's-see-what-we-see, get-acquainted call.
Wishing you joy on your journey into Big...
Kathleen
Stepping Into Big
319-270-1214
Life is good.
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