The Truth About Goal Setting

Hello Folks,

Every "guru" in the country is teaching goal setting because we are at the start of a new year.  My friend and fellow IBA, Scott Manning, wrote an excellent article about goal setting, which I whole heartily endorse.  Here it is:

I’m going to attempt to hit you straight between the eyes today, with this message, about goals.

Flat out, I think just about everyone goes about it all wrong.  Especially those bee-bopping around pretending to teach people about “goal-setting”.

To me, and I think to any successful person, we believe in “goal setting”, but we’ve got a different name for it.

It’s called – Goal DOING.

I know, a revolutionary concept. 
Here’s the lowdown on goal-setting in 3 parts.

1.  People talk about goals, write them down, and do all of that part fairly good.  Problem is, they talk about them as if they are ‘dreams’, ‘hopes’, ‘wishes’, not GOALS.  You know the saying, I’ll just remind you here, “a goal without a plan is just a dream.”

And sure, that is part of it.  Writing them down is important.  Have a plan to make them happen, even more so.

The big thing everyone wants to ignore is that most people say, even write down, their goals, because it’s make them feel good.  Feel productive.  Feel like they are ‘on their way’.

Then, when weeks, months, years go by, and the frustrations builds, the disappointment mounts.  Not to worry... we’ve created a way to handle that too – it’s called...

CHANGE YOUR GOALS.  Seems silly huh.  But in reality, it’s the cycle we all fall victim to from time-to-time.

Part 1 is, Yes, you should write them down.

2. Next, and I know you’ve heard this too.  Having S M A R T Goals.  Which is great, and certainly an advanced strategy.

Specific / Measurable / Attainable / Results-oriented / Time bound

And there are slight variations to this, such as “relevant” or “realistic”, but all in all, those 5 things are great in terms of setting the goals, that might actually happen.

Still, if you notice, there’s one piece missing – HOW WE ARE GOING TO PULL THEM OFF.
More than the Plan, it requires Action.

Part 2 is, follow the SMART goal setting philosophy.

3. Now, for the important next step.  Part 3.  First, let me remind you that most people think goal setting in and of itself is ‘accomplishment’. 

So, the first thing you have to do is, realize and accept the fact that goal-setting is the beginning, not the end.  If you don’t ever plan to actually achieve (doing whatever it takes) the goal, then don’t waste your time setting it in the first place.

But, if we’ve decided you’re serious, then here’s what happens next.

REVIEW:
1.       WRITE down your goals
2.       Make SMART
3.       Now create an IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, or a ‘realization’ plan if you will.

You don’t always have to know how you’re going to finish, but you must know how you’re going to start.  What are the steps you will take, the actions you will put in motion, all the resources you will employ.

Here, let me give you a few ‘trigger’ words that will hopefully help.  This will give you something to apply to your 2011 goals, right now. 

I – immediate, do something immediately
M – motion, get in motion
P – purpose, act with purpose
L – leverage, look for leverage
E – employ, employ all available resources
M – momentum, build momentum
E – expect, expect to have to make adjustments
N – next, always ask (and be thinking about) what’s next
T – today, no matter what, think about what you can do, TODAY

I hope that gives you some ideas on turning your goals into realities.

Just don’t settle for the warm and fuzzy feeling of simply having goals.
Make them with intention and dedication.

And remember, while the majority of people don’t even set goals, the majority who do, never accomplish them.

                      By Scott Manning 

I hope you enjoyed Scott's article.

Until next time,

Chuck

The World's Worst Boss

This post is courtesy of Seth Godin.  We all need to take note!

The World's Worst Boss

That would be you.

Even if you're not self-employed, your boss is you. You manage your career, your day, your responses. You manage how you sell your services and your education and the way you talk to yourself.

Odds are, you're doing it poorly.

If you had a manager that talked to you the way you talked to you, you'd quit. If you had a boss that wasted as much as your time as you do, they'd fire her. If an organization developed its employees as poorly as you are developing yourself, it would soon go under.

I'm amazed at how often people choose to fail when they go out on their own or when they end up in one of those rare jobs that encourages one to set an agenda and manage themselves. Faced with the freedom to excel, they falter and hesitate and stall and ultimately punt.

We are surprised when someone self-directed arrives on the scene. Someone who figures out a way to work from home and then turns that into a two-year journey, laptop in hand, as they explore the world while doing their job. We are shocked that someone uses evenings and weekends to get a second education or start a useful new side business. And we're envious when we encounter someone who has managed to bootstrap themselves into happiness, as if that's rare or even uncalled for.

There are few good books on being a good manager. Fewer still on managing yourself. It's hard to think of a more essential thing to learn.

Seth Godin [blogmailfromseth@yahoo.com]

Management Tips - For Better Or for Worse

Management Tips

For Better or for Worse...

Management and marriage might not seem to have much in common, but signing up for both means abiding by the commitment to stick with it “for better or for worse.”  As either a manager or a spouse, when things are going well, it is easy to stay positive and perform well, but really it is only when the inevitable challenges in life arise that our resolve and our capabilities are properly tested.

In the world of management, much can come along to test our skills.  Staff members can be an endless source of strife, company reorganizations can throw everything into disarray and the expectations of senior leaders can sometimes take a 180-degree turnaround overnight.  It is not how we deal with things in the more stable times that will dictate how we are perceived and whether we are given the opportunity to move up the career ladder though, but how we perform when the going starts to get really tough.

Although it might be tempting to simply relax and enjoy the periods when it is all smooth sailing, this is actually the perfect opportunity to be preparing for the stormier seas that might be ahead.  Without the immediate stress of the situation, you will be able to think more clearly and plan more effectively. 

Nothing is ever smooth sailing all the time, so never be complacent, but instead use the good times to prepare for the bad.       

Success Secrets of Mobile Marketing - Registration Form

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Get started now, achieving mobile marketing success by joining us on October 28th  from Noon to 4 pm for our live training


“Success Secrets of Mobile Marketing Superstars”

In this training you will learn:



·        How to determine your best mobile marketing strategy.

·        How to build a big mobile marketing list of perfect prospects and buyers.

·        10 specific mobile marketing traffic strategies to increase traffic for online and offline businesses.

·        How to create and send text messages that generate sales.

·        Strategies and secrets for selling products and services successfully through mobile marketing — including 2D barcodes.

·        Mobile marketing offers to create amazing results and fill businesses with buyers.

·        Mobile marketing mistakes to avoid that make you look stupid.



Plus, receive these FREE Bonuses:



·        The actual mobile marketing formula PROVEN to drive traffic and increase sales (a $500 value)

·        Mobile marketing call-to-action copy that creates proven results
(a $300 value)

·        How to build your mobile website so it works on 5,000+ mobile phones (a $250 value)


Success Secrets of Mobile Marketing Superstars  is limited to 20 people.



Normally this result-producing training is $497. Chuck asked for a VERY special offer just for you of $247. You save $250, PLUS you receive the complete training and $1,050 in bonuses … FREE.


Money-Back Guarantee: If after the first two hours of training, you don’t feel you’ve received your money’s worth, let us know. You’ll receive a prompt and courteous refund.


                                                                                                                           

Retain Talent Without Blowing Your Budget

Competitive salaries and good benefits will help you hire the best employees. But it takes more than money to keep them. You need to make your organization too good to leave. Try these tips for persuading good workers to stick around:

• Tell them what the company is all about. Employees want to know what their company is trying to do, where it’s going, and what it stands for. If you think you’ve already communicated this information, try asking a few workers to outline the company’s top three priorities. If you get several different answers, you haven’t done your job.

• Say “thank you.” People are hungry for appreciation. Yet employees often complain that their bosses never even say “thanks.” It costs nothing, and the return is significant.  Recognition is a huge motivator.  Make a plan to give recognition to employees doing a good job.

• Keep training them. One of the common reasons employees leave a company is they don’t feel they were developing professionally. Training costs money, of course, but the investment is less expensive than the high costs of turnover.

The Art of Delegation

It might sound easy, but delegating to others is one of the hardest things for many business owners and managers to master.  Failing to learn this particular art, however, has two major downsides.  

First of all, if you don’t empower your team members, not only will they never develop their skills to the extent that they are able to produce spectacular results, but they are also likely to become dissatisfied with the lack of challenge in their work and so will be less likely to stick around.  

Second, if you spend your working life doing things that you already know how to do well, you will not give yourself the opportunity to learn new things and grow your own skills and income.

So, how do you overcome what are often the control issues that lie at the root of poor delegation?  Simply be consistent in following these five straightforward steps:

1.    Choose someone who has already proven him- or herself in smaller ways.

2.    Rather than immediately tasking your delegate with something very challenging, start off slowly and increase the level of work progressively.

3.    Ensure that the delegate has both the right knowledge and the right tools to complete the assignment.

4.    Be absolutely clear about what you expect in terms of end results and deadlines.

5.    Let your delegate know that you are available for questions, but hold him or her accountable for the task.

Remember, failure to delegate can damage your business!

Dan Kennedy's Wealth Magnet #9 - "Be Somewhere"

Hi Folks,


Dan Kennedy has been my marketing "hero" for years.  Here is an excerpt from his latest book, "No BS Wealth Attraction in the New Economy", available at Amazon and most other booksellers.

When You Meet Money

On Its Path, It Means

You're Walking In The Right Direction

by

Dan S. Kennedy

"Motion beats meditation."

- Gary Halbert

In the midst of one of his dark periods, when the news was filled with stories of his financial demise, Donald Trump talks about feeling like just staying hidden at home but instead strapping on his tuxedo and going to an important gala - because he knew he could not possibly gain by staying home. At a time, some 30 years or so ago, when I was captain of a company everyone in its industry knew to be in deep and dire financial circumstances, I considered skipping that year's convention. But I didn't. It might have been less stressful, less embarrassing, more comfortable to stay home. But I couldn't possibly gain doing that. I went. I put myself in a place where it was at least possible good, productive, profitable things could happen - and they did.

Hopefully, you aren't in the upside down financial condition I was, or Donald Trump was, at the above-mentioned times. But regardless of your circumstances, you have to make a point of putting yourself in places where opportunity can occur. My father passed on a pair of cuff links to me with the letters: YCDBSOYA. They stand for: You Can't Do Business Sitting On Your Ass.

While this refers to personal movement and placement, such as the meetings and conferences and cocktail parties and community events you attend and make yourself visible at, it also goes far beyond that. As example, consider this book, and the other 14 books I have written and had published. For the more than 18 years, I have been on bookstore shelves without interruption. I have worked hard to make that happen. Why? I can assure you, not for the royalty income paid to me as an author; that represents less than 1% of my income. I want to be on those bookshelves because people discover me there, who might never discover me otherwise, and become newsletter subscribers, attend seminars, become private clients, or bring me other opportunities. Being there, on bookstore shelves, has both directly and indirectly enriched me by millions of dollars. For me, Being Somewhere, and Being In Motion includes being on bookstore shelves, including this book, which is now in your office or home.

That does not mean you must write a book. It is example of the wealth attraction power of being somewhere. Because the most important words in the above paragraph are "discover me" and "sought out." This is marketing by attraction.

Being Somewhere for the local insurance agent or financial planner, for example, might mean speaking to local groups of dentists, chiropractors, M.D.'s, and other high income professionals; creating and mailing a good, informative, expert position enhancing newsletter on financial matters to a targeted list of such prospects every month; appearing regularly on a local radio show; serving on the board of an important charity. Almost any entrepreneur can be somewhere via speaking, writing, publishing, networking, even serving, with it all carefully chosen to facilitate the right people taking notice and ultimately seeking him out for advice and information or bringing him new opportunities.

This gets us to the subject of "place."

Enormous wealth --- and fame --- often comes from re-location, net necessarily in the geographic sense, but in terms of media or market space. Comedienne Joan Rivers, with whom I did some writing and consulting work some years back, created an immensely prosperous business and a career renaissance and new fame by moving from stand-up comedy and regular TV to QVC, the home shopping network. That prominence and reputation as entrepreneur even led to her gig in the 2008 Celebrity Apprentice - which she won.

Several years ago, Harley-Davidson began focusing aggressively on women riders and buyers, and moved that sales activity out of their regular dealerships and showrooms to "garage parties" ala Tupperware.

In place strategy, there are obvious and non-obvious choices, and often the big breakthroughs come from the non-obvious.

One of the things I try to get every entrepreneur, marketer, and professional to think about is being in more places than anyone in their category of expertise or services typically puts himself. Most people are very limited, get comfortable with only a few places, and stay there. My advanced version of the "Be Somewhere Wealth Magnet" is: Be everywhere that's relevant, everywhere your ideal customer or clients are, and be omnipresent in those environments.

I hope you enjoyed this excerpt.  Would you like to see more?

Chuck