Archive for Planning
Using a Mastermind For Your Business – Part 2 – How to choose members
Posted by: | CommentsTable of contents for Using a Mastermind Group
- Using a Mastermind For Your Business
- Using a Mastermind For Your Business – Part 2 – How to choose members
Yesterday I wrote about the benefits of being part of a mastermind group. However, any mastermind is only as strong as its members. So if you are creating (or joining an existing group) choose wisely.
How many?
Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule about what’s the optimum number for a successful mastermind group. It really depends on the group’s goals, frequency of meeting and personalities of the members. If you’re planning on meeting weekly, a group of ten may be unwieldy and take too much time for each member to get heard. However, if you have a long monthly session, a group of ten might be perfect.
For more frequent meetings, smaller is better. A mastermind of Read More→
Using a Mastermind For Your Business
Posted by: | CommentsTable of contents for Using a Mastermind Group
- Using a Mastermind For Your Business
- Using a Mastermind For Your Business – Part 2 – How to choose members
If you’ve been in business for more than five minutes you’ve probably heard the term mastermind. Many online programs, courses and mentoring programs call themselves mastermind groups. And while these programs may be useful, informative and help you grow your business, they are usually not true mastermind groups.
So what is a mastermind?
It is generally acknowledged that the term was coined by the renowned Napoleon Hill in his classic book Think And Grow Rich.
Hill wrote that a mastermind is, “The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.”
Furthermore, he wrote, “No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind.”
This third, invisible force is the mastermind.
One advantage of working for a large company is that when you come across a roadblock or are stumped as to how to proceed, you can pick the brains of your coworkers.
When you are a solopreneur, it’s not so easy. You don’t have someone in the next cubicle Read More→
7 More Reasons Goals Are Not Achieved
Posted by: | CommentsSuccess and achieving goals are two topics that have universal appeal. You would think that something that commands the interest of so many people would be understood and used by nearly everyone. However, what I have discovered is that most people make the same mistakes again and again. They never reach their desired outcome. Here are 7 more of the common mistakes that most people make in their quest for improvement and achievement.
1. No written plan. I can give you the statistics of numerous studies that prove people with written goals have great success than those without written plans. Of course both of these groups greatly outperform those with no goals at all! The written plan keeps you on course and clearly identifies when you have completed one step and are ready for the next.
I recently drove from the northeastern United States down to Florida, a 1000 mile drive. There were only 11 key steps to take in that whole journey. My plan simply listed the steps and allowed me to easily reach my destination. The written plan is your map to get from where you are to where you want to be.
2. Failure to focus on a single goal. Multitasking is greatly overrated! The term was probably coined by some overly aggressive Type-A personality. A juggler with six balls in the air must divide his focus on all six balls or one will hit the ground. Goals are not different. If you have multiple goals you are less likely to achieve any of them. Focus on one, complete it, and then move to the next.
3. Not living in the present. You can’t change what occurred yesterday and you can’t predict what will happen tomorrow. Focus on what you can do right now! No more “I wish I had…” or “What if…” games. You can only control what you do in the present, so do something that moves you closer to your primary goal.
4. Confusing activity with productivity. This is a huge misconception in business in general as well as goal achievement. Many assume if they are doing something, it is better than doing nothing. The real question is, does the task you are doing move you closer to your goal. Generally, what we find is the activity being perform is simply easier than the goal task that needs to be completed.
5. Not fully answering the question, why. Why do you want to lose ten pounds or get a better education? Keep asking yourself the why question until you get to the core reason. Does that core reason really excite you? Is the goal really your idea or someone else’s idea. Only goals truly meaningful to you will move you to achievement.
6. Expectations of failure. If you don’t think you will succeed, you will not. A recent championship football game was tied and went into sudden death overtime. When one team lost the flip of the coin, the star of the team could be heard saying, “oh well – game over.” Needless to say the opposing team quickly moved the ball down the field and won the game.
“Think you can or think you can’t. Either one is correct”. Henry Ford
7. Failure to fail. Most of us like to play it safe. However, the greatest success stories almost always have a great story of failure as well. Many never set goals simply so they don’t fail. If you never try, you will never achieve.
Those who walk in other’s footprints will never leave their own mark on the world!
The Top 7 Reasons Why Goals Are Not Achieved can be read at http://www.thecoachacademy.com/resourses.html
Dr. Dennis Hocker is Co-Founder of The Coach Academy.
Dr. Hocker, The Coach’s Coach, trains and mentors hundreds of coaches each month through a series of live training events and webinars. He has successfully established and developed coaching teams in the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, South Africa, Australia, and Canada. He is a Certified Master Mentor, Master Coach, Master Analyst in Axiology, Master Behaviors Coach, Master Values Coach, and a Master Financial Benchmarker. Dr. Hocker has been an advisor to businesses since 1978. The Coach Academy specializes in advanced and niche training for career mentors, advisors, coaches and consultants.
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Goal Setting the Conan O’Brien Way
Posted by: | CommentsSunday night I was watching Conan O’Brien on Inside the Actor’s Studio. During the interview Conan talked about how as a university student he plastered the campus with caricatures of himself. When people asked him why, he told them it was advanced advertising for the Conan O’Brien Show he planned to have some day.
The story was an amusing anecdote but it illustrated an important point about goal setting. Here was a college kid who had no way of knowing he was ever going to be on television but he had a clear goal, told people about it and acted as if it would come true.
It also reminded me of something I had long ago forgotten. About 15 years ago when my parents moved houses I went through some boxes of childhood memorabilia. In one box was a cassette tape labeled “The Andrea Stenberg Show”.
Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) at some point I’d taped over it with music. However, I do remember the show. I was about nine. I was the host and interviewed guests. Now as it happens, my sister played the part of all the guests. I created different identities for her and she adlibbed.
I find it interesting that as an adult I’ve managed to recreate my childhood fantasy into “Andrea’s More Effective Marketing Podcast“. I still interview guests, although in this case they are real guests, not my sister.
So what can we learn from Conan and my long lost tape? When you have a goal, don’t worry about how you’ll make it happen. Focus on the goal and do what you can to make it real. Make the goal concrete by writing it down or better yet share it publicly. Then take actions to move you forward, however small those actions may be.
By putting posters about around campus, Conan was telling the universe (and his subconscious) that he was serious. Show yourself you’re serious about your own goals too by taking action today.
Andrea J. Stenberg
Do you have any childhood or youthful goals that have come true in recent years (even though you’d forgotten about the goal)? Please leave a comment and share your story.
Are you unhappy with the results you’re getting from social media?
Posted by: | CommentsI often hear from people who spent some time on Facebook or LinkedIn but eventually gave up because they just didn’t see results. Others keep going but are telling me they don’t know if it’s working.
If you’re not seeing results – or you’re just not sure what they are – you need to take a step back and consider what your social media goals are. Remember the Rule of Seven? It says people won’t buy the first time they hear your message. They need time to get to know, like and trust you first.
Be interesting
That’s goal number one in social media: getting people to know, like and trust you. Connect with people. Show your personality; let people know who you are as a person. Talk about your life, your family, funny things that happen. But don’t forget to show who you are as a business person as well. Read More→
