May 2012

  • Don’t Miss This Step!

    Posted By Ellen van den Berg / 7th May 2012

    OMG it’s May! What have you accomplished so far this year? What needs to be improved? What are your goals moving forward? Stop stop! Let’s go back to the first question. It’s easy to rush by what we’ve accomplished and not really take notice of it. We’re very good at recognizing the areas in our life and business that could use improvement and create a new list of goals but let’s not overlook the things we have accomplished and can be proud of.

    Today’s article reminds us that there is a step most often overlooked in our rush to achieve our goals. It’s the one step that can give your self-confidence an occasional boost.

    We all need it!

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     Don’t Miss This Step!

    The path of a goal, whether a goal set for your personal life or in the course of business, is generally seen as having four steps: 1) assess the situation 2) set goals for how you want it to be 3) take steps to achieve the goals and 4) achieve the goals (completion).

    After Step 4, many people return to Step 1 with the question: “OK, what’s next?” And then it’s on to Step 2 and 3 and 4 again.

    Hold on. Stop right there.

    There is actually a very important fifth step that many of us leave out. Step 5 is where we celebrate our achievements! After working hard to reach our goals, taking time to celebrate gives us the opportunity to:

    • Capture the learning. When we take stock of what we’ve learned along the way to our goals, we can consciously incorporate those lessons in the future.

    • Acknowledge our internal resources. In achieving goals, we bring forth various internal resources, such as courage and persistence, to meet the challenges. To have others acknowledge us—and to give ourselves credit, as well—is deeply satisfying. Too often, we miss seeing these qualities in ourselves and others. Acknowledging our strengths has the power to call us forth to use them even more.

    • Build a sense of unity. Nothing can bond people more than striving toward a common goal and then sharing in the joy of the achievement. However, if you don’t stop to appreciate the people who helped make it happen, connection and goodwill can break down. Your team will feel more inclined to go the extra mile if you give them the appreciation they deserve.

    • Send a message to the Universe. Stopping to savor and celebrate your successes sends the message out into the Universe that you know how to appreciate this success and that you are ready for more!

    • Have fun! Knowing that you get to celebrate in a fun way after your goal is achieved is a great motivator. You’ve done a fantastic job—of course you want to be rewarded with some fun and enjoyment. You deserve it!

    There are countless ways to celebrate and savor your successes. Whatever brings you a sense of joyous completion is the ticket. Be as creative as you can!

    I’d Love To Hear From You!

    Liked the article? Bugged you? Comments?

    Discuss it on the blog

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April 2012

  • How Intelligent is Your Decision Making?

    Posted By Ellen van den Berg / 16th April 2012

    How do you make decisions? Do you make them based on facts alone? Do you give them over to a higher power? Listen to your gut? Decision making can be tricky. Especially if we need to decide quickly or if others are impacted by your decision, the consequences of our decisions can be many.

    No doubt, valuable decisions deserve analysis, but if your mind is distracted with an overload of information, too many priorities and no time to think or talk it through, the likelihood that the emotional mind will overrule the rational one increases.

    In business you can start making decisions more quickly, easily and with confidence when you’re focused and clear on your purpose and vision. You can use them as beacons to align your decisions. This greatly impacts how quickly you can make needed changes, improve your performance and productivity and ultimately increase profitability.

    In today’s article you can test yourself to see how you measure up in your decision making ability. Have fun! And, let me know how you did!

     

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    “When dealing with people, remember you’re not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion.” Dale Carnegie

    How Intelligent Is Your Decision Making?

    We make decisions every day. While simple decisions require a fairly straightforward decision-making process, complex decisions usually require more effort to properly deal with challenges such as uncertainty, risk, alternatives and consequences.

    Because of the possibility of conflict and unwanted outcomes, making decisions can be stressful. Being aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and those of your team, helps alleviate that stress, and puts you on the road to taking decisive and intelligent action.

    To find out if your decision-making skills are as sharp as they can be, answer True or False to the following questions.

    1.   Prior to making decisions I make sure that I have identified clear objectives to meet the desired outcomes.

    2.   When a group decision is required,  I include people, with different perspectives and diverse ideas, to make sure  all                   perspectives are represented accurately.

    1. When others are involved I ask myself how I would feel if I were in the shoes of   one of them.
    1. I consider closely what the possible short and long term consequences of my actions might be.
    1. I look at what my alternatives are to maximize my truthtelling responsibility and minimize harm?
    1. I’m not afraid to make crucial distinctions such as: “Is this decision efficient and effective?”
    1. I make every effort to create a supportive environment in which debate, discussion and scrutiny of potential decisions can happen.
    1. The overall objective is to make the best decision for the situation; the goal isn’t to compete with others who are part of the process or find the “perfect” answer.
    1. Built into my decision-making process is the awareness and acceptance that the unforeseen will occur, and I have taken that into account without unnecessarily holding up the process.
    1. I think in terms of responding rather than reacting. That approach will help to circumvent any problems that current decisions may create in the future.
    1. I’m aware of my bigger purpose and use that insight to determine if the decisions I make reflect that purpose.
    1. When decisions lead to unexpected or undesired outcomes, instead of criticizing, I ask, “What have I learned from this experience and how can I improve?”
    1. Before making a decision I ask, “Is this choice in alignment with my values? Is this me?”
    1. I make the distinction between decisions based on inner perception vs. impulse.
    1. When I make a decision based on a “gut feeling,” it comes not only from a feeling, but from my entire core of inner wisdom, experience and knowledge.
    1.  I want my life filled with people, circumstances and objects that reflect the real me, and my decisions reflect that.
    1. I rarely second guess my instinct — when it feels right I go with it.
    1. Not making a decision is a decision in itself, and sometimes the best course of action is taking no direct action at all.
    1. With every decision comes an element of risk. Although it can be difficult to consistently predict outcomes, I use intellect as well as emotion to mitigate that risk.

    If you answered true to 12 or more statements, you are a fearless and astute decision maker. If fewer, you may wish to explore your process of decision making. Please don’t hesitate to contact me.

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March 2012

  • Is Your Attitude About Money Sabotaging You?

    Posted By Ellen van den Berg / 19th March 2012

    Do you know where your money goes every month? Do you act as if you have plenty of money, but inside you’re always worried that you don’t have enough?

    Money – the lack of it, the fear of losing it, not having enough, asking for it or perhaps the anxiety of having too much is often at the top of the list of concerns either consciously or unconsciously for most small business owners.

    How can you reach your profit goals if unspoken attitudes and ideas about money get in the way of your potential to thrive. We say money talks but few people want to talk about it. Money is secret, both in private and in public. Because we don’t talk about it even with ourselves, we are held back from doing anything about it.

    Today’s article looks at some of the beliefs and stories that may be sabotaging you and keeping you from being profitable and having the life you want!

     

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    “All money is a matter of belief.”
    Adam Smith

    Is Your Attitude about Money Sabotaging You?

    If you find yourself constantly stressed about money, perhaps making poor financial decisions that get you nowhere, you’re not alone.

    Money tops the list of concerns of many people these days. That’s because the economy is in bad shape, you may say. But didn’t those fears predate today’s bad news? And even when the economy is flourishing, we are still a debt-ridden nation.

    What’s going on?

    Our ability to create sufficient money in our lives is anchored by our financial attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors—what you believe can be true for your life. When these beliefs and values remain unexamined, they can get in the way of a sense of wellbeing and security. Here are a few of the more common attitudes that get in people’s way:

    I’m Clueless about Money

    Doug rarely looks at his Profit and Loss statements or balances his bank statements. He doesn’t know how the money flows through his business and, as a result, finds himself wondering what happened to the revenue he thought he made. People like Doug may believe that they’re not skilled enough to handle their money and have no clue how to use their P&L as a management tool. Doug’s revenue is not the problem but his unwillingness to pay attention to understanding how much it costs him to do business may severely undermine his ability to be profitable.

    I Don’t Have Enough Money

    Sarah worries often about money. Although her business supports her she often talks about how hard it is to pay the bills. At the root of Sarah’s fear may be a belief that she can’t take care of herself or that the world is a harsh place with scarce resources. People like Sarah sometimes fear that they will lose everything and end up homeless.

    I’ll Never Have Enough

    Mike also feels that he doesn’t have enough money, but rather than feeling that the world is a harsh place for everyone, he believes it is especially hard for him. Other people will do just fine, but he’ll always be poor. If you try to encourage him, he’ll list the many strikes against him. People like Mike are often blind to the opportunities that are available.

    I Don’t Like Money; I Don’t Care about Money

    This attitude is held by people at all income levels. It can have its origin in religious beliefs, political beliefs or guilt at inherited privilege. Pam is a child of the 60’s who says she doesn’t really like money. She never allows herself to have what she truly wants and always buys the cheapest version. She’s a landscape designer, but regularly under-bills her clients. A classic under-earner, she sometimes relies on credit cards for basic expenses such as rent.

    If any of these attitudes resonate (and the list is endless), you may want to explore them with compassion for yourself and support. As you bring awareness to self-limiting beliefs and adopt a more empowering and flexible stance, you expand into a larger sense of personal freedom. Also, healing our personal relationship with money helps build a solid foundation for weathering economic storms.

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February 2012

  • Claiming The Empty Spaces

    Posted By Ellen van den Berg / 20th February 2012

    How much time do you spend thinking about the past? How about the future? Do you ever wonder how much time you waste by thinking about what you’ve just done and what you’ve got to do next, instead of what you’re doing right now in this moment.

    My clients tell me they feel frustrated not being able to manage their time better. They like to improve their time management skills so that they can do more with their time and be more productive. The reward for managing time well is usually more to do. They’re also frustrated about not having enough balance in their life meaning they’re working more than living their life. There’s something not quite right with that picture.

    Today’s article is about creating more idle time which sometimes can be just a snippet of time to stop and be present. Those moments are a doorway to get focused, improve your concentration and be more creative. Perhaps mastering the ability to create more idle time while working is a great step towards integrating balance in our work and therefore our life.

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    The Importance of Idle Time in a Fast-Forward World

    You’re just about to leave for your dentist appointment, when you receive a phone call saying the dentist has been called out on an emergency and will have to reschedule your appointment.

    Congratulations! You are the winner of one unexpected free hour!

    What will you do with your winnings?

    Answer your email? Return to the project you were working on before you had to leave? Pay bills? Return phone calls?

    Ever consider doing nothing?

    If you’re like many of us today, the thought of doing absolutely nothing for an entire hour seems as wasteful as throwing a week’s worth of groceries out with the garbage. Indeed, free time with nothing to do can generate near panic among some of us who are overloaded and time-starved.

    “We seem to have a complex about busyness in our culture,” says Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul. “Most of us do have time in our days that we could devote to simple relaxation, but we convince ourselves that we don’t.”

    And yet, the harder we push, the more we need to replenish ourselves. As Stephan Rechtschaffen, author of Timeshifting, says, “Each of us needs some time that is strictly and entirely our own, and we should experience it daily.”

    The importance of this downtime cannot be overstated. We see more clearly, we hear more keenly, we’re more inspired, we discover what makes us feel alive.

    On some level, we know this already. But claiming time to ourselves—time that is often labeled “unproductive”—and sticking to it can be difficult. We need to establish formal boundaries around our idle time to ensure that others—and we, ourselves—honor this time. Some ways to do this are:

    •  Make a date with yourself. Get to know someone who deserves your attention—you.
    • Get to meetings early so you can compose yourself before others arrive.
    • When the phone rings, let it ring one extra time to “get centered.”
    • Practice “mindfulness” by doing just one thing at a time, giving it your full attention.
    • Pause after you finish one task before beginning another. If possible, make it last for several minutes.
    •  Stand firm. Learn how to say “no” to colleagues, co-workers, children, a spouse or a friend. In just a short while, you can say “yes,” but now is your time.
    •  Be on the lookout for stolen moments. Use the canceled dental appointment to sit on a park bench watching pigeons.
    •  Practice doing nothing. “Doing nothing” is an art, and like all art you need to practice it to reach your highest potential.

    How we define idle time varies by individual. For example, for one person, gardening may be meditative downtime, whereas for another, it is one more item on the to-do list (to be done as quickly as possible). The woods is a great place to stroll through for one person, an opportunity to be in and with nature; for another, it’s a great place for a power walk while dictating letters into a small tape recorder.

    Our idle time should be like a beautiful flower: it has no purpose. It’s just there. And yet, it refreshes us and reminds us of nature’s glory.

    Do something that has no purpose other than joy. Take a half-hour a day to surprise and delight yourself. Keep it simple, and keep it consistent. If your idle time becomes a “program,” or becomes progress toward some productive goal, begin again.

    It’s stunning, how simple it really is.

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January 2012

  • Step into Your Greatness. If not Now, When?

    Posted By Ellen van den Berg / 30th January 2012

    Our experience in life and business so often is a direct reflection of our inner world even though we may not be conscious of that. We hear a lot of talk (including from yours truly) about the unconscious limiting beliefs that stop us. But what about those expansive beliefs that light us up if only…

    How long has it been since you’ve given yourself a moment to think about what’s meaningful in your life and if what you value today is reflected in the way you run your business?

    Is your business serving what you want in your life?

    Perhaps it’s time to give yourself that gift of listening to what your heart is longing for. Perhaps it’s time to step into your greatness!

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    Picture a graveyard. Under the big oak tree in the far corner, there’s a granite headstone. Look closer. See the name engraved? Yep, it’s yours.

    So you’re sitting here, looking at your own headstone. There’s your year of birth, and the year you—heaven forbid—pass. And between them, there’s a little, coy hyphen.

    Now, here’s the good news: that hyphen is what you get to play with.

    On Stepping into Your Greatness

    Let’s take a moment to think analytically about that hyphen. There are two things that anyone who aspires to step into their greatness must face. The first is knowing what you want to do. Or, in the words of poet Mary Oliver: “Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” (We’ll get to the second in a moment.)

    Determining what you want out of life—your business, career, relationships and your free time—is a surprisingly hard process for many of us. It’s much easier to abide by the rules and plans of others than to look within ourselves and see clearly what we are meant to—and would really, really enjoy with the whole of our being—do.

    Here are 4 starting points for discovering your brand of greatness:

    1. What are your threads? Everything you’ve done and loved up to this point is a thread running through your life. Those threads are always with you, and you can choose to pick them up again at any time. Adored math as a kid, but your parents pushed you into sales? Maybe it’s time to take some classes and explore.
    2. Who makes you envious?  Envy is actually a wonderful way to unearth some of our big, deep desires. Who have you been envious of recently? Steve Jobs? George Soros? Maybe it’s actually a clue to your greatness.
    3. What have you always wanted to do? Complete this sentence: “If money and time were no object, I would totally want to…” Work in Paris? Market my invention? You could start today with a language tape and learning about the patent process.
    4. What are your forbidden fruits? Sometimes we tell ourselves that certain things are off limits, when really, it’s just a mirage created by a limiting belief. What seems off-limits to you but might be great fun if it weren’t “forbidden”? Acting in a play? Buying a telescope? Writing a book?

    THE SECOND THING

    Once you are firmly pointed in the direction of your own greatness, you will undoubtedly meet the second thing about being great. As any hero will tell you, once you start heading in the direction of being great…once you take action toward your goals…the second thing undoubtedly shows up. And that thing is fear.

    Here’s the secret about stepping into your greatness: you still get the socks scared off you on a regular basis. (Perhaps even more often!) But it no longer stops you. Spooks you, absolutely. Makes your knees go weak, without a doubt.  But when you’re living from your greatness, fear ceases to be a reason to quit.

    Because you’ve got great things you want to do with that little hyphen of yours.

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  • So You Want to Regain Balance in Your Life? What to DO – Who to BE

    Posted By Ellen van den Berg / 16th January 2012

    The Holidays aren’t even a distant past and already I’m hearing the murmurings of “I’m no longer in the driver’s seat my business is running away with me”, or some version of “How will I ever get some balance in my life”.

    Whether you’re a small business owner or you’re working for someone else work seems to want more of our time than ever. How can we keep up with our “always-on” work and still find time to do what we need to do at home, spend time with family, enjoy some kind of social life and just plain relax? At risk are our personal relationships, our sanity and even our life.

    Today’s article starts out with a reminder of what you can do to regain balance in your life. Are you surprised that I’m adding some mindsets you might want to consider that can really impact your ability to regain balance in your life?

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     The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.
    Rabindranath Tagore

    So You Want to Regain Balance in Your Life? What to DO – Who to BE

    These days almost all of us have so many demands placed on our time and energy, life can feel like a three-ring circus. And if you’re not up there on the tightrope, you’re down on the ground in the midst of tigers and lions, in charge of keeping a couple of dozen plates spinning in air.

    Balance requires holding steady with the many responsibilities that are a normal and everyday part of life: home, family, friends and work, while at the same time recognizing and fulfilling personal needs and wants. Regaining and maintaining balance when life can be so complicated and demanding is both an outside and inside job.

    What to DO:

    Reaching outside yourself gives meaning. Think about how you reach outside yourself for sharing and giving meaning to your life. Spend quality time with family and friends. Give back to life through your time, energy and experience. Contributing to the larger world provides connection and purpose. .

    Inside—Only you can take care of yourself. Consider how well you take care of yourself, both physically and emotionally. Eat healthfully and exercise regularly. Set aside personal, quiet time for yourself

    Who to BE:

    To take action on regaining your balance in life it’s not enough to know what you need to do, what will move you forward requires a potential shift in your mindset – who you need to be. Consider the following:

    Change the “always-on-the-job” Attitude

    Attitude goes a long way in determining how much balance you can regain and maintain in your life. No matter how much you love your work, no matter how big a part of your life it is, ultimately you need to be able to “turn it off” and spend some time not working. This is hard for a lot of people, because their work has become such an important part of their identity. Many feel that this is admirable (a value not necessarily shared in many other cultures), especially when you accomplish great things in your work, but an always-on-the-job attitude can be harmful in the long run. At least, the people around you will get tired of coming in second to your work, causing damage to your relationships and eventually leaving you without them. What’s more, it might even reduce your effectiveness in your work — both the mind and body need a break from thinking about and doing the same things all the time to recharge and keep coming up with fresh ideas.

    Make space for “Enough”:

    Many of us strive constantly for more. There’s so much to know, so much to experience, so much to accomplish! It’s like we’re insatiable which often leaves us unaware that our minds are actually full. Trying to continue doing even more at that point we lose our life balance. So what’s the answer?

    We need to become more aware of when to say “enough. Learning what our capacity is for information, accomplishments and stuff and to be able to say enough is a key to regaining and maintaining balance in our lives.

    How do we create this space in our lives that will allow us to live a life of being enough. We can start with the little things – rather than filling our time working on our lap top, while waiting for the oil in our car to be changed we can just sit and be present.

    We can create space when we walk to do that errand rather than drive, when we clean off our desk, when we cancel a subscription to a magazine we never read

    We can create space when we pretend that we are enough, just the way we are.

    Here is the secret that underlies all life balance: You are enough.

    This week pay attention to how you can realize the natural flow of life and experience your enough-ness. It can be your first step to understand what it means to live a balanced life.

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  • The Road Ahead: What Will You Do Differently This Year?

    Posted By Ellen van den Berg / 1st January 2012

    Happy New Year!

    How did you spend the last night of 2011? Did you stay up till midnight to ring in the new year? I spent it with dear friends having fun and also reflecting on a year that I will remember as one of big changes and transformation both personally and professionally.

    I’m stepping into 2012 with excitement and anticipation about new adventures in my business.  For much of 2011 I’ve focused on changing my business model because I want to help more people like yourself achieve what they want in their life and their business.

    Stay tuned – you’ll soon be receiving more information about a free tele-seminar to introduce my life changing program “Journey to Profitability with Heart”.

    Meanwhile, what will you be doing differently in 2012? Today’s article offers some suggestions I hope you’ll find helpful

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    The Road Ahead: What Will You Do Differently This Year?

    Changing the way things are done can bring opportunities for great success. But reaction to change may be fearful and irrational, which can result in failures, a decrease in quality and a loss of production. When it comes to work and business, it can be tempting to give in to those anxieties by doing what’s always been done. But priming the pump to have a better year always involves some form of adjustment to free up the time, money and energy to tackle new opportunities.

    How do you decide what changes are the most important ones to make?

    Ask yourself these questions:

    1. What personal and business tolerations interfered with personal and work progress? Tolerations are a good indication of issues in need of resolution.
    2. Were last year’s goals reached? Why or why not? How will those obstacles be addressed? Setting new goals without having evaluated the previous year’s goals can result in a cycle of substandard results.
    3. What fiscally responsible goal (making more money, collaborating, creating new products/services, improved marketing strategy, etc.) will also be fun? All work and no play make Jack a dull (and bored) boy, as the saying goes.

    What do you need to change to have a better year?

    Choose passion over profit.

    Connect to your bigger purpose in life, work and business and the rewards will flow effortlessly. Passionate people attract success.

    Higher learning.
    Technology changes fast. Staying on top of what’s working now is only half the battle. Discovering what’s up and coming and leveraging that knowledge is the key to an exceptional year.

    Celebrate success.
    Acknowledging and rewarding success keeps everyone motivated. Mark those mini-milestones with celebration and recognition!

    Add, don’t subtract.
    When repeat clients stop buying your products or services, something needs to change. Instead of cutting prices, add value instead–bundle existing services/products, add bonuses or create new offerings.

    What are your blind spots?
    Every driver has blind spots. That’s what rear-view mirrors are for. Blind spots in the work and business environment can be harder to identify. How does a person avert disaster in a work environment without the benefit of mirrors?

    Ask around.
    Getting honest feedback from clients, customers and service providers can be as uncomfortable as it is invaluable. Do it anyway.

    Seek professional help.
    Getting an objective outsiders opinion can help you see what is going well or not.

    Coffee time.
    Chat up a colleague and encourage them to share their observations about what you are doing well and what needs improvement. Sometimes what needs to change is missed because it is so “obvious.”

    Moving into the New Year doesn’t have to be a scary proposition. Having a clear sense of what’s ahead can circumvent failure and create a successful year.

     

     

     

     

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March 2011

  • How Are You doing in Your Role as Leader?

    Posted By Ellen van den Berg / 6th March 2011

    1.  How well do I know myself?

    The most effective leaders are in touch with whom they are and how they feel – They pay attention to how they impact others and are interested in personal and professional growth.

    2.  How flexible am I?

    For some being in a leadership role can be a huge stretch…how can you avoid “pulling” something?

    3.  How do I handle failure?

    Good leaders fail frequently. Rather than viewing failure as a shame and a negative, see it as an opportunity to learn and grow

    4.  Do I have a victim mentality?

    True leaders look not to blame staff or others for any given situation but to take

    responsibility.

    5.  How’s my work/life balance?

    Being out of balance in either direction makes for less potent leading.

    6.  What do I model?

    Are your actions seen by those you lead as “what it takes to be successful”?

    7.  How committed am I to learning?

    Leaders are always striving to learn, grow and improve.

    8.  How much of a people-pleaser am I?

    Leaders have to make decisions that might make some people unhappy. This can be rough if you’re the type that wants to make everyone happy all the time.

    9.  How confident am I?

    Confident leaders don’t have to micromanage, and they inspire others to have confidence in themselves.

    10. What motivates me being a leader?

    Great leaders are aligned by what gives them meaning in their lives. They have an innate ability to lead with both their heart and head.

     

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    Ellen van den Berg, founder and owner of NEXUS Consulting works with small business owners who are the victim to their own success – overbooked, understaffed and unable to grow because everything depends on them. Ellen helps her clients reconnect with their passion, align the business with their life and change unproductive behaviors. The result is a productive, profitable business that can mostly run itself and provide more joy and freedom for the business owner.

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February 2011

  • How to Wear the Right Hat for the Task

    Posted By Ellen van den Berg / 27th February 2011

    Do you sometimes feel trapped by all the different roles you play in your small business? Do you love going out and schmooze it up, build relationships and get that new client? Do you hate being locked up in your office and concentrate on juggling cash flow? Or, are you bored or uncomfortable dealing with employee issues? Yet you’re a small business owner growing your business and cannot afford, yet, to hire people to take on some of these responsibilities.

    Wearing different “hats” can actually be a positive experience as long as you and your people are clear on which one you’re wearing at any given time. Rather than approaching it as a burden try to look at it as an opportunity to experience your business through a different lens depending on what role you’re finding yourself in. In the long run this approach will greatly benefit you as you grow your business and start removing yourself out of the roles you don’t want to play.

     

    Need help with structuring and getting clear on responsibilities and accountabilities in your business. Let me help you create a plan so you can grow a business that’s not dependent on you!

     

    And, if you know anyone who would benefit from this material, I’d love it if you would forward this to them with an invitation to subscribe.

     

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    “What is it that you like doing?  If you don’t like it, get out of it, because you’ll be lousy at it.”

    Lee Iacocca

     

     

    How to Wear the Right “Hat” for the Task  

     

    The term “wearing a lot of hats” is virtually synonymous with being a small-business person or entrepreneur. The expression comes from a time when a craftsman’s hat signified unmistakably what he did for a living—welder, miner, baker, butcher, banker and so on. But the luxury of wearing a single hat for a career is long gone. For most of us these days, wearing a lot of hats is what we do for a living. And at any given activity, there may be multiple of those “hats” that have to be firmly on our heads.

     

    For the most part, this is a good thing. One of the advantages of wearing a lot of hats is that you can show up at a meeting or tackle a problem from various perspectives. If you are in a sales meeting, your production manager “hat” can keep you from giving away the store in order to get a customer. In a procurement decision, your sales “hat” can keep you from paying too much for materials. And through it all, wearing your CFO hat can keep your business solvent. Some even argue that wearing a lot of hats enhances the creative process. At best, you are cross-pollinating each of your tasks with a little wisdom and experience from other fields, which makes you better at all your “hats.”

     

    But successfully wearing many hats, like effectively multi-tasking, isn’t necessarily a skill you are born with. It is, however, a skill you can learn and refine. Since there is no way to escape it, you might as well enjoy it—without becoming schizophrenic. Here are some tips:

     

    Inventory your hat rack. In his classic The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey explains how to consciously define and nourish each of the roles you play in life. The same logic applies within your business life. Don’t just think of yourself as “entrepreneur” or “business owner,” but delineate all the separate roles and think through how you approach and perform in each.

     

    Pick the right hat(s) for the task. This is especially important if you are engaging with someone who has the luxury of being focused on a specific task. First, you have to meet them where they are. If it’s a production issue, you’ve got to show up in your COO or production manager hat. But then try to imagine who else on your virtual “team” you would bring to the meeting. The head of marketing? The CFO? Take a few moments and look at the forthcoming meeting from that perspective. What are you watching out for? When would you insert a comment? When would you kick yourself in the shin for saying the wrong thing? It’s a simple mental exercise that can bring tremendous leverage to meeting preparations.

     

    Know when to fold ’em. If you really detest a task, or you’re just not very good at it, then hire it out. Wearing many hats may be good for your brain, but you naturally are going to be better at some—or enjoy some—more than others. Don’t sacrifice your performance or the results of your business by clinging to tasks that you shouldn’t be doing. Leverage what you do best—that may be two hats or it may be 10—but then hire out the rest.

     

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    Ellen van den Berg, founder and owner of NEXUS Consulting works with small business owners who are the victim to their own success – overbooked, understaffed and unable to grow because everything depends on them. Ellen helps her clients reconnect with their passion, align the business with their life and change unproductive behaviors. The result is a productive, profitable business that can mostly run itself and provide more joy and freedom for the business owner.

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  • Curiosity and Results: What’s the Connection?

    Posted By Ellen van den Berg / 14th February 2011

    “It’s through curiosity and looking at opportunities in new ways that we’ve always mapped our path at Dell. There’s always an opportunity to make a difference.”
    Michael Dell

    Curiosity has been given a bad rap. Perhaps we grew up hearing that asking questions was rude or conveyed ignorance, or that we’d get into trouble if we were like Curious George. We might even have been warned that “Curiosity killed the cat!”

    The truth is that curiosity is one of the most vital and life-affirming qualities you can bring to your life and your business.

    Curiosity in Business

    It is so easy to blame others when things go wrong. Consider being curious about your experience rather than critical. For example, instead of beating yourself up for not reaching sales goals—again—try asking yourself what was going on for you that you kept performing below your expectations? With an attitude of “how fascinating that I’ve created this” you are much more likely to help yourself find new solutions to attaining your goals.

    Curiosity in Life

    Helen Keller said, “Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all!” When you cultivate an attitude of curiosity, doors open and adventures begin; questions lead to new possibilities. For example, asking yourself, “What do I want to learn now and where might that lead me?” can set you on a journey of exciting exploration that moves you forward. If, instead, you come from the place of “I already know what I need to know,” you shut off the possibility of discovering something new that could rock your world.

    Curiosity in Relationships

    How often we assume we know what someone else is thinking or experiencing. What if we came from a place of not knowing and offered others an invitation to speak? According to Sharon Ellison, creator of Powerful Non-Defensive Communication, “A non-defensive question is innocently curious, reflecting the purity of the child who asks how a flower grows or what makes an airplane fly.” We invite others to share their true experience when we ask questions without hidden agendas and to clarify understanding.

    Practice Cultivating Curiosity

    Here are some ways to cultivate a more curious life.

    Questions. Practice asking questions with openness and neutrality. Practice with strangers in stores and with people close to you. Stop thinking you know all the answers…be open to being surprised!

    Inquiries. An inquiry is an open-ended question designed to broaden your perspective. For example: “What would make life a daring adventure for me?” “Where in my life do I assume I already know?”

    Assumptions. These impact how we treat strangers as well as loved ones, employees, clients and vendors. Challenge your assumptions by asking, “What if that’s not true?” What other choices might you make then?

    If you truly want to expand your excitement, joy and fulfillment sprinkle liberal doses of curiosity and watch your life and your business become the fabulous adventure it can be!

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January 2011

  • Humor – It’s Good for You and Your Business

    Posted By Ellen van den Berg / 17th January 2011

    “Life is too important to be taken seriously”
    Oscar Wilde

    Humor – It’s Good for You and Your Business

    The physical benefits of laughter are well documented. Laughter decreases stress hormones, boosts the immune system and raises the heart rate, bringing more blood and oxygen to the brain. It also increases the level of alertness and memory as well as the ability to learn and create.
    So if we’re interested in living a healthier, saner and more balanced life we simply can’t afford to be chronically serious in our work life.

    Injecting humor into your business is not about entertaining others. It’s not pranks, practical jokes or juvenile antics. Instead, it’s more of an attitude, a way of viewing and processing things.
    You just can’t be too serious if you want to motivate yourself or your employees, improve morale, spark creativity, facilitate open communication, be more productive, build trust between you and your employees or provide great customer service.

    Here are some compelling reasons to invest in humor in your business

    Manage stress
    Humor reduces tension in a stressful situation. It provides a realistic perspective when you most need it, gives you control over your emotions and helps you rise above a crisis. Humor is a thinking response in an emotional situation, helping you connect your mind with your heart.

    Enhanced Creativity
    Humor unleashes creativity and divergent problem-solving.Humor and creativity are about looking at the same thing as everyone else and seeing something completely different. Both involve taking risks, playing with ideas and making new and often unlikely associations.

    Build Stronger Teams
    Humor enhances collaboration and team-building, creating a climate in whichpeople feel motivated, energized and ready to contribute. You could say that the group that plays together stays together.

    Happier Employees
    Laughter reduces workplace stres,, and breaks up boredome and fatigue. Happier, more relaxed amployees ae able to better focus on tasks, make fewer errors and are more productive. They also stick around longer, are absent less and don’t burn out.

    More effective communication
    Humor is a powerful way to break down barriers and connect at a heart level. It creates an environment conducive to open, honest communication. People with a sense of humor often have the ability to deal effectively with people and work issues, and they keep the severity of problems in perspective.

    Productive meetings
    Humor in meetings encourages participation, minimizes conflicts, helps people retain information, opens up dialogue and sparks creativity.

    Improved customers service
    Including a sense of lightness in communicating with customers and clients is an effective way to connect with them, retain their loyalty and provide outstanding, memorable service.

    Manage with a lighter touch
    Use your sense of humor as a way to build rapport with employees, vendors or your outsourced service providers. Be transparent and remember to laugh at yourself. It encourages trust and good will. Embracing a lighter approach is a way to communicate more effectively, shows your human side more openly and fosters a supportive environment.

    Improve the bottom line
    If humor and a sense of lightness help us achieve all the things listed above, then it only makes sense that this would improve our overall effectiveness and productivity which will ultimately result in an increase in profitability.

    Our work has a tremendous impact on our lives but don’t wait too long to realize the truth of the old cliché “life’s simply too short”. Yes, we need to take our work seriously and at the same time remember to lighten up and have some fun because ultimately the real bottom line in life has nothing to do with dollars or profits.

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  • Shhhh. Quiet Leadership: The High-Performance Secret

    Posted By Ellen van den Berg / 10th January 2011

    The conventional image of a business leader is one we see all around us—the commanding, visionary person who takes charge in a time of crisis or transition and leads his or her company to victory over daunting odds. The tales of these “celebrity CEOs” and their successes make great reading—as does their failures.

    Yet, for several years, a slowly growing body of knowledge and experience has begun to suggest that another approach—under the heading “quiet leadership”—may be ultimately more effective at achieving sustained high performance in organizations of all kinds.

    While that may be good news for those of us who are not natural media stars, don’t be misled: Quiet leadership is a challenging management approach that requires a keen understanding of your business and the people in it to achieve its promise.

    For starters, quiet leadership isn’t clearly defined. Certainly a bedrock of quiet leadership is leading by example, of eliciting the behavior you want by demonstrating it, rather than just telling others to do it. But a deeper understanding of what it means to be “quiet leader” is emerging as management researchers and business coaches delve into just why it is that certain types of leaders tend to produce better results, in more varied conditions, over longer periods of time. And quiet leadership isn’t just for the person at the top, but applies across the spectrum, from the leader to all levels of middle-management, from solo entrepreneurs and their team of subcontractors to small business owners with a small staff.

    Author Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great, first documented that transforming a mediocre company into a stellar performer seemed to require a leader who was the polar opposite of the “celebrity CEO” archetype. This type of leader combines tremendous personal determination to do what it takes to achieve success for the organization with a willingness to accept responsibility for failure and to pass along the credit for success to his or her team.

    In his bestselling book Leading Quietly, Harvard professor Joseph L. Badaracco Jr. identified key behaviors that successful quiet leaders seem to follow to get results. He distilled these into seven recommendations, among them:

    •Don’t kid yourself. Be realistic about what you know—and don’t know—of the situation you face. Accept that you may have to act with uncertain knowledge.

    •Trust mixed motives. Recognize that people, including yourself, bring a blend of motivations to their jobs—public-spirited and self-interested. Work with this instead of fighting it.

    Daniel Goleman’s recent book, Primal Leadership, suggests that a coaching style of leadership may best describe the rarest—and most essential—qualities of the quiet leader.

    “The coaching style is the least-used tool in the leader’s toolkit,” says Goleman, “probably because it doesn’t look like leadership.”

    Like a coach, a quiet leader can achieve breakthroughs by asking guided questions rather than giving orders or advice, and by getting to know each member of a team well enough to be able to craft work assignments to best suit where they are and where they’re going.

    Yet it’s clear that quiet leadership is not so much about any particular management style as it is an attitude toward work and people—and life. Keeping your ego in check certainly seems to be a prerequisite, as is giving up your ambitions for being on the cover of Fortune.

    As Henry Mintzberg, a professor of management studies at McGill University, commented in a recent article on quiet leadership, “Maybe really good management is boring.”

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  • Improve Business Results Through Collaboration

    Posted By Ellen van den Berg / 3rd January 2011

    When it comes to work, are you a lone ranger? See if you identify with any of these statements:

    “I can do it better myself.”

    “The more people involved, the less control I’ll have.”

    “I like MY ideas and MY way of doing things.”

    The truth is, going it alone can lead to overwork and burnout for you, and can create unnecessary stress and tension in your workplace. It can breed competition, fear, dishonesty, tunnel vision and inefficiency.

    So before you limit your chance for success, why not open the door to other people’s skills and experience. Collaboration is a win-win solution with many benefits, including the following:

    Do what you love. Everyone has a unique set of passion triggers, the things you love doing because they fire up your interest and you do them well. There are also, of course, the things you struggle with doing. By collaborating, you can divide up the tasks so that all involved get to do what they love.

    More ideas. Brainstorming with a partner, coach or team will inevitably lead to more ideas than one person can think up on his or her own. There’s also an incredible opportunity for innovation as people build on the ideas of others.

    Belonging. It’s human nature to value the feeling of belonging, being part of something bigger and better than you are alone.

    Relationships. Success in business, success at work, success in life, they’re all contingent on success in relationships. Collaboration is a place to learn, stretch and grow into more effective and healthy ways of interacting with others. Collaboration can be challenging—and it’s worth it!

    How to Be a Good Collaborator

    Trust. Assume the best about people, and trust them with your head full of ideas. Have faith and remember that your collaborators want to do their best and feel good about their work at the end of the day. And trust the collaborative process, even when people do things differently than you would, and you can’t quite see how it will all come together. It will.

    Be trustworthy. Mahatma Gandhi said that we need to BE the change we want to see in the world. So if you want to trust people, be someone they can trust. Act with integrity, do what you say you’re going to do, and be open and honest in your communication.

    Choose wisely. For each task that challenges you, there is someone who loves it and does it well. Build a team of experts.

    Keep in mind that when collaborating with your team, coach or anyone for that matter, being polite or holding back what you really think for the sake of avoiding hurting someone’s feelings, destroys the opportunity for honest communication in a collaborative environment.

    Successful collaboration is a balancing act of personality types, work habits, communication styles and skills. To the lone ranger, that might seem like too much trouble. But if you’re looking to improve your performance and seal your success, collaboration is an opportunity you don’t want to pass up.

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December 2010

  • Intentions: The Key To Reaching Your Goals

    Posted By Ellen van den Berg / 21st December 2010

    Setting intentions is quite different from goal setting. When we’re setting a goal, we think realistically. We analyze our current situation and plan out steps on how to reach our goal. Goals help provide direction and are oriented toward a future outcome. We think we are in control of the plan and of all the steps how to get there. But as you know, sometimes life comes between us and our goals. It’s hard to stay on track because there are so many distractions. If things don’t go as planned we sometimes experience stress, anxiety and even depression. That’s because the rational mind is a master at the wanting to control and creating the “shoulds” and stories that surround the “shoulds”.  Not a recipe for the ease and freedom we’re seeking.

    Intentions are different. They are focused on how we are “being” in the present moment. Creating intentions does not mean we abandon our goals. Goals are the concrete results of our intentions. An intention is not concrete, but energetic – what will move us to take the actions needed to reach our goals. We set our intentions based on our understanding of what matters most to us and make a commitment to align our worldly actions within that larger context of meaning. Staying conscious of what’s most important offers the possibility of being at peace beyond the fluctuations caused by life’s unpredictabilities, distractions and things we think we have control over but don’t.

    Keep the following in mind when setting intentions:

    • Know what gives you meaning in your life, your values from which you live and from which you make and align your decisions*
    • Letting go of control is about trusting and creating space in your life where new and exciting things can happen.
    • Intention comes from the heart. It does not come from your reasonable head but from your aliveness.
    • When you are in touch with and acting from your intentions, you become more effective in reaching your goals than when you act from wants and insecurities.
    • When your goal is not aligned with your values and life purpose you may find that your intentions are actually undermining your goals because your inner critic and negative voice are getting in the way.

    Intention is the key to success in reaching our goals and what we want to create in our life. When we remember to consciously set intentions coupled to our goals we’ll notice ease and freedom as well as an increase in productivity and enjoyment in working towards what we want in our life and our business.

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  • Time to get ready for 2011

    Posted By Ellen van den Berg / 7th December 2010

    2010 is wrapping up! If you have not started thinking about 2011, you absolutely should be. Now is the perfect time to start setting your goals for the coming year.

    Before creating your goals for 2011 take the time to reflect on the following:

    • What are you celebrating this year? What made it possible? How can you capitalize on these successes in 2011?
    • What did not work this year and why not?
    • Review your long term vision. Are you still in alignment with it? Make any changes if needed so you continue to have a clear picture of where you are going.
    • Identify your opportunities for continued success? How can you capitalize on these opportunities


    Consider using the SMART method, meaning Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely goals. Setting SMART goals are crucial to your success. The more specific you can get with these goals, the better. For example, wanting to bring in new business becomes wanting to bring in 2 clients a month from the local eco-friendly business industry by attending 2 networking events and following up within 2 days with the people you have connected with.

    Not only do you need to create SMART goals, consider setting Stretch goals as well. Stretch goals can make the impossible happen. When President Kennedy said we’d have a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s, many people laughed. But it happened, and that shows us exactly what a stretch goal can accomplish.

    For many doubling production isn’t easy. For others it may be a stretch to slow down long enough to work an hour a week on their business let alone take a day off.  But is it harder than landing a man on the moon and bringing him back alive? When you start off telling yourself to be realistic in setting goals, you will never know how great you and your people can be. So, go for it and make some of your goals a stretch. Creating stretch goals is motivating. It gets you and your people to give that extra effort.
    What if you fall short on a stretch goal? The better question is: How close did you come? If you have set a stretch goal that’s way out there and you fall a bit short, it still is something to celebrate, even if you did not go the full distance.

    Of course your goals need to align with your vision and strategies (if you don’t have those in place you need to start there). And, it needs to be in writing. The purpose is to have a document that you can share and is clear to everyone. You do not need to write a short novel – if you can do it in a couple of paragraphs or pages that is all that is needed.

    Last but not least you need to take action towards your goals. Writing your goals down is a great start, but there is more to be done. If you come up with great goals and even have them broken down into action steps nothing happens if you do not act on them. To be successful at taking action you need to create intention. More about intention next time.

    Remember: success isn’t achieved by accident. Planning ahead is what successful people have always done to get what they want out of life and their business

    Have fun creating exciting goals for 2011!

    You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.
    Yogi Berra

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