In a world saturated with negativity, particularly in the wake of the pandemic, it’s high time we shift our focus towards opportunities and unlocking our true potential. Let’s explore some straightforward guides that strike a balance between wisdom and relatability.
Begin with a sprinkle of wisdom. Consider these two thought-provoking quotes:
George Bernard Shaw once mused, “Some people see things as they are and say why? I dream things that never were and say, why not?”
Sheryl Sandberg, addressing the self-doubt that still holds many women back, challenges us with, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”
The Realities: A Charted Journey
We all crave success, but let’s not be blind to the ups and downs of the journey. Picture this – a chart revealing the common, bumpy ride to success. It’s a visual cue that appearances can be deceiving, much like those optical illusions where all the lines are r the same length.
Diverse Paths of Entrepreneurship
There are different approaches to entrepreneurship that we sometimes fail to recognize.On one side, big company are all about growth and raising capital, as seen in the fact that 83% of IPOs in the last year were in the red. On the flip side, the majority of entrepreneurs are simply hustling to make ends meet year after year.
Much of corporate innovation is focused is on uncovering superior or novel solutions to existing challenges. Picture this: car companies investing years in refining combustible engines, retailers dedicated to enhancing the shopping experience, and giants like IBM striving to build bigger and better computers.
And yet there’s a whole other league of companies carving a different path. Their mission is to develop entirely new solutions. This shift has given birth to groundbreaking innovations like the electric car, the E-Commerce revolution, and the ever-expanding realm of cloud computing – all championed by these visionary new players. It’s a dynamic landscape where established players and fresh faces alike are shaping the future.
Embracing Change: Cooperation and Collaboration
Change is the only constant, and it’s time to adapt. Cooperation, collaboration, and embracing new resources are the keys to evolving. The game-changer is recognizing that taking risks isn’t synonymous with failure. Testing alternatives to find optimal solutions and gaining experience are crucial aspects of success. Risk is a critical part of every decision. And, frankly, I think we all need more of it. We tend to think of risk as a taboo concept when it’s really not—once you understand it.
Balancing Vision and Execution
“Vision without execution is hallucination,” echoes the wisdom of Thomas Edison.
While we celebrate excellence, we often overlook opportunities to do things better. Streamlining processes, cutting unnecessary costs, and tackling bureaucracy can enhance organizations. Customer service is a function where companies can devote new efforts to improve. Pricing is not a dirty word, and there are numerous tools to improve results without deteriorating your brand. All these actions can contribute to progress and improvement if an organization embraces them.
Battling Bias: The Unseen Culprit
Bias lurks in the background, often leading to unreliable results. Here’s the thing. We love to be right and hate to be wrong. Acknowledging and challenging bias is crucial. The “It won’t happen to me” mindset can be a silent contributor to unexpected volatility. Our brain, working surreptitiously in the background, doesn’t alert us too how biased we actually are. Recognize this unseen force, and decisions become more informed.
Injecting Fun: The Secret Sauce
Don’t forget the fun element!
As Steve Jobs wisely stated, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
And Walt Disney’s advice to “Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends” emphasizes the joy in mastering just having fun.
Tools for Excellence: Reaching Higher Potential
Armed with these insights, recognize the toolbox available to enhance excellence and unlock higher potential. Realistic goals, strategic plans, understanding risks, biases, and having the confidence to embrace your potential – it’s all part of the journey. So, strike that balance, enjoy the ride, and let’s embark on the path to unlocking our fullest potential.
Dr. Bert Shlensky, President of www.startupconnection.net, offers experience, skills, and a team devoted to developing and executing winning strategies. This combination has been the key to client success. We welcome comments, suggestions and questions You can write him at bshlensky@startupconnection .net or call at 914-632-6977
If you are an entrepreneur, someone looking to start their own company, or someone who just wants to be the boss, you are positioning yourself to be a leader, and there is no greater nor more vital role than that. Handling capital, handling personnel, or presenting a product or service to consumers demands the right temperament, the right balance, and the right mindset. It is an awesome responsibility to be a leader, one that can never be taken for granted. But leadership is not measured merely in profits, it is measured in the environment you provide to your employees or co-workers. You need to lead yourself to success by being the best leader you can. It does not mean you have to be Mr. Dithers from the comic strip Blondie, reduced to kicking people in the rear end because they are not performing the way you think they should.That can get laughs in the printed form, but it does not work in the real world.
So what are some of the qualities that constitute an effective leader? Well, here are some we feel are important:
Set the example. Even if a new hire is given a step-by step explanation as to how to function at their job, they will still look to see how it is done by someone who is already there. If, as the leader, you do the right thing, and follow the same procedures you lay down for your constituents, they will naturally follow. Combine that with the energy and commitment needed for the job, and it helps enhance any instructions given to a subordinate. You will not need a flashing sign indicating the way to do it; it will be absorbed from the atmosphere itself.
Mistakes do not have to be fatal. Remember all the mistakes and all the faults you had when you were starting your career. Even if you managed to correct such mistakes and codify how to prevent them from being repeated, no one is ever perfect. While the goal is to get the chance of risk as close to zero percent as possible, it can never be zero percent on its own. Let your employees know that mistakes can happen, and be sure that when they are correct, the knowledge is given to make sure they know what to do next time, and that they can move that knowledge down the line in the future.
Keep the lines of communication open. You never want an employee to think that a question is stupid, and that they should be afraid to ask it. This is part of problem solving. If there appear to be too many questions, there may be a larger problem with training and access to information that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
Offer encouragement and reassurance. It is impossible to get anywhere in the business world without the power in positivity: in yourself, in the profession you have chosen, in the belief that your efforts will be a success. That positivity must be reflected not only in your activities, but in the activity of your co-workers and employees. Negativity creates paranoia and lethargy; positivity creates success.
You’re in this to be a winner. Nothing demonstrates this better than believing you’re a winner, projecting that you’re a winner, and using that as an attraction to make everyone around you a winner. Our services can help get you going towards that winning standard. Be the best leader you can.
Lawrence Miles is a writer living in White Plains, NY. His collection of essays can be found at https://lawrencemiles.substack.com, and it continues to grow. He is also a published poet, whose works have appeared in journals such as Maintenant #15, 2022 New.
As a business consultant, I constantly hear stories, read advice, and see comments focused on worries, concerns, and caution. While thinking through strategies and carefully planning your approach are important, the fuel that brings an idea to life are passion and positivity.
Skill, experience, training, analytics, and all the other technical aspects of running a business are important, yes. But, without the passion and positivity, will you have the drive to push through when problems arise? Will you have the perseverance to keep going when it feels hard? The desire and persistence to succeed come from something you have to find within yourself.
When the “going gets tough,” it can sometimes feel overwhelming. That’s when you need to tap into your “why”—your reason for running this business in the first place. What do you love about it? Why is it important for this pursuit to be successful? What is your driver? Maybe your product or service helps people and it feels good to know that you’re making a difference. Or maybe your company brings people together and that is fulfilling for you. Whatever it is, that is the fuel you need to succeed.
If you need a little boost finding your passion and positivity (some days are harder than others), here are some reminders to keep you on track:
Stop focusing on the negative. Positive thinking is vital. To really have a good chance at success, one needs a balance between reality, paranoia, action, and positive thinking.
Positive thinking does not necessarily mean avoiding or ignoring negatives. Instead, it involves making the most of the potentially bad situations, trying to see the best in other people, and viewing yourself and your abilities in a positive light.
Create a positive culture. Say please, thank you, and demonstrate you care about people. Show support with praise and encouragement.
Remember that operating a small business is a process. Recognize you will make mistakes. Your goal must be to develop, test, measure, and adapt rather than give up after the first or second problem. Because there will be problems. Regularly. Therefore, businesses not only need to have alternatives at the ready, but the processes to adapt must be in place as well.
Stay grounded. Encourage open communication, a sense of realism, and focus on problem solving. Be sure to constantly assess your situation. Develop expert support and, when appropriate, have discussions with outside and inside colleagues. There are always ways to improve. So, be open to new ideas and suggestions.
Be flexible. Because the market changes, and your customers’ lifestyles change by the nano-second, you need to be able to pivot. By “expecting” that your market can change from year to year, you are being proactive in your thinking, and can create flexible plans to adapt to these changes.
Put yourself in others’ shoes. There is extensive research supporting the idea that people don’t change unless they believe in it. So, when given the opportunity to argue your case, try to emphasize the benefits for the other party. It is well proven that tactics like collaboration, trust, and listening work better in decision-making than dictating, lecturing, and proclaiming false expertise. Think of things from their perspective.
Understand your goals, resources, and risk. In particular, really understand your market analysis, competition, how and why your company is different, and why customers should care. Are you focused on long-term growth or quick profits? While testing alternatives is a great strategy, ensure that you are focused on priorities that you can execute and that will have the most potential.
Have fun. Finding ways to incorporate fun helps you tap into your passion and positivity. It can also reduce stress, boost morale, and fosters positivity.
Passion and positivity are great drivers of success. When you enjoy doing something, the effort you put into it feels more fulfilling. And while you may not be passionate about doing inventory, knowing it benefits the overall business may make the less-fun tasks more bearable. It’s all about mindset. So, set your worries aside, keep your passion and positivity at the forefront, continue working hard, and trust that you’re headed for greatness.
Dr. Bert Shlensky, president of Startup Connection, prides himself on his ability to define what is unique about each and every business. He works closely with individuals to develop a personalized approach that targets specific areas of concern and offers solutions based on his 40+ years of experience. His team of experts will address your particular needs while working to save you time and money.
When it comes to collaboration, words like support, positive feedback, communication, listening, and mentoring permeate the conversation. However, competition and conflict can also benefit collaboration. Being agreeable and complimentary are all well and good, but we also need counter arguments, constructive criticism, and ideas that challenge our way of thinking to ensure we aren’t getting stuck or creating a bubble of confirmation bias.
Conflict should be viewed as an opportunity and not a constraint in the collaboration process. The simplest strategy is to pursue win-win solutions wherever possible. Expanding information and understanding, reducing risk, and varying value for individuals are all tools to increase the win-win process. For example, many of the work at home discussions are based on historical perceptions rather than an analysis of a job’s structure and requirements. Coming up with solutions that benefit both parties is a great way to turn conflict into something positive.
When it comes to risk, it is well known that we underestimate the upside and overestimate the downside of decisions. Consider the fact that losses are limited to your investment while gains have almost no limits. Do we understand our risk in a situation? When can we and when should we pursue “out of the box” solutions rather than the most probable outcome?
Value can also increase by providing different costs and benefits. Most retail transactions offer mutual gains by providing benefits for the buyer and seller. Issues like service and quality can also increase the long-term value and satisfaction of the customer.
Further, it’s important to remember that conflict and competition are task oriented and not personal matters. For example, it is fine to reward all the participants in little league games. However, we should also give special recognition or rewards to participants who show excellence. The purpose is not to make anyone feel bad, but to acknowledge hard work and encourage improvement. We have all had coaches, mentors, and teachers who pushed us to do our best. That can be done in a positive way, but sugar coating doesn’t often help us improve. It may even hinder our progress. Constructive criticism is essential to learning and developing. And we need to know how to give and receive it effectively.
Conflict is often a result of miscommunication or an unwillingness to hear another side. Thus, listening is a great collaboration tool that can lead to mutual benefits that increase the value of a transaction. Many organizations are debating the effectiveness of working from home versus in office after the pandemic. Convenience, commuting time, cost, and freedom all favor working from home. Communication, interaction, and fewer distractions seem to favor working in the office. Much of the discussion seems to argue one side or the other rather than having an open discussion in an attempt to hear the other side, understand the parameters, and develop maximum solutions. And this often involves some sort of compromise.
Compromise is a common tool to reduce conflict and increase collaboration. However, you must understand the parameters, process and outcomes. For example, compromise can be a great tool in allocating scarce resources in a fair way like compromising on budget allocations to meet different needs. The effectiveness of compromises is also highly dependent on the situation. Issues like safety, security, and legality have little room for compromise. In contrast, uncertain decisions, like product development, almost always require the flexibility of compromise. For example, forecasting has lots of factors, is subject to change, and is seldom 100% accurate. You need the flexibility to compromise on the process, analytics, and risk of forecasts. In particular, using data from 2019, 2020, and 2021 can be highly uncertain because of the pandemic.
Collaboration also enables us to examine alternatives and potential challenges. We must ensure that diverse components and perspectives are included. This might mean welcoming criticism and ideas that challenge our own, but through this “conflict,” we may find greater success. A common challenge that arises here is integrating creative and analytic approaches. It may seem like these two are in conflict with one another, but finding a balance between them will help you develop stronger strategies and/or solutions. This might include discussions of integrating risk and intuition when assessing the probability of success.
Collaboration can be affected by organizational tradition and structure as well. Many large companies have tunnel vision, organizational constraints, and ignore emerging technologies and possibilities. They lack the flexibility to respond to the needs of the market and rely on the use of outdated solutions to deal with new opportunities. They fail to allow the vision, entrepreneurship, and risk necessary to succeed.
So, how do you collaborate in a zero-sum game? Collaboration assumes some mutual goals, which may or may not exist. Winning or losing a game, election, or bet are clearly win-lose situations. But a situation can change if the parameters change. I played high school football for a small private school. We practiced against one of the better large public-school teams. Our team got destroyed every time, but we got more out of the game because we were challenged and, thus, better prepared for the regular teams we played during the season. Sometimes the “win” for the loser is what you take away from the experience—that can be a lesson, practice, or the chance to test out a new strategy.
Expertise can also be a difficult issue to incorporate into a collaborative environment. We frequently rely (without question) on services and recommendations from people in healthcare or IT. How many times do we even question a doctor about alternative remedies? When possible, doing your own research is useful, but you also need to recognize when to accept an expert’s advice.
Conflict and competition exist everywhere. Whether it’s a rival sports team, a company that provides the same service as you, or a miscommunication with a friend, it’s something we will always have to deal with. So, next time you find yourself in conflict with someone or something, look at it from a different perspective. Can a competitor push you to be better? Can this argument with a family member encourage a conversation that helps you better understand each other’s needs and bring you closer? Can this conflict with a coworker inspire a collaboration that produces something even greater than your original ideas? Instead of feeling that conflict is a hindrance, try to think of it as an opportunity to see things differently and gain more input for decision-making. When handled effectively, conflict can increase collaboration and improve solutions.
Dr. Bert Shlensky, President of www.startupconnection.net, offers experience, skills, and a team devoted to developing and executing winning strategies. We guide your plans for business success and unlock your profits.Our strategy includes clear steps, and over 150 free articles and templates to facilitate your efforts and guide your process. We’re here to help you get on track and stay there as you move forward. We welcome comments, suggestions, and questions. You can write us at: bshlensky@startupconnection.net or call at 914-632-6977
If we didn’t realize it before, the pandemic certainly proved how important human connections truly are. As social creatures, we thrive on interaction with our peers. So, it is no surprise that many of us struggled personally and professionally while unable to connect with family, friends, colleagues, and coworkers for an extended period of time. However, with vaccinations helping to increase our ability to see each other once again, one of the biggest opportunities we are presented with is the potential to reconnect and start new connections.
We need to consider just how much the last couple of years distanced us from others, aim to accept and adapt to the things that have changed, and actively work to rekindle existing relationships while continuing to build new ones. For example, offices are reopening and we need to understand the pace and extent of the reopening. Water cooler jokes may be obsolete, but connecting via Zoom will probably be here for the long-term.
So, what can you do in this new norm to adjust in order to foster worthwhile and effective connections? This should not be a sophisticated analytical exercise. Instead, I suggest simpler and, sometimes, known recommendations that can be quickly adapted:
Small moments make a difference. Saying please and thank you go a long way. Asking, “how are you?” (and truly listening to the response) can really benefit a conversation.
Be brief. Keep things simple whenever possible. And, when creating a presentation, try cutting it in half… then cut it in half again! It’s better to keep people wanting more.
Make a meaningful impression. Did you know that 90% of most impressions are made in the first 30 seconds of contact, and they are not based on the substance of the communication? Make those 30 seconds count.
Utilize facial expressions and body language. Your eyes, mouth, brows, and other facial features can reveal more than what you say. These clues give professionals better effectiveness in meetings. Especially with the rise of virtual interactions, it’s helpful to be more expressive in order to convey your meaning and/or attitude.
Interpersonal trust. Invest in building personal trust and developing richer sensory experiences that help cultivate connections. For example, our sense of touch (like when we shake hands) conveys emotions that can greatly enhance our communications.
Develop and use new communication tools and don’t depend on PowerPoint. It is among the most overused current communication tool and it ignores the needs of the audience. There is nothing worse than having the lights go out and sitting through a 30-60 minute canned, slick, PowerPoint sales presentation. Instead, aim to create a presentation that engages and interacts with your audience.
Understand and respect colleagues, clients, and competition. Asking questions is one of the best ways to gain a better understanding of someone else’s experience. Additionally, when reviewing your service offering or considering new ideas, try asking yourself what customers are currently using and how your product or service is better? In other words, why should customers choose you? Genuinely knowing your customers will help you answer these questions.
Recognize the benefits and strengths we learned from video and virtual communication. Workers are becoming increasingly comfortable using video and audio-conferencing technology. Companies are acknowledging and accepting the benefits of online meetings, such as greater reach and efficiency. Use these to your advantage.
Focus on engagement. Distractions continue to be a challenge, but they aren’t a result of technological limitations. The solution is actually in the way we run meetings. With enhanced visibility, live chat, polls, surveys, and even sub-conferencing features, guests can easily ask questions, gain clarity, brainstorm, and collaborate together. It’s just a matter of finding what works best for your meetings.
A great presentation relies on several different aspects. It’s not just about the words you say or the images you show. The entire experience plays a part in how much the audience retains or feels inspired. People can become preoccupied with the environment of the meeting. Communication, lighting, room temperature, and other factors can ruin a connection. The easiest recommendation to improve audience connection is with food. We all know what it’s like to get hungry, bored, and distracted, especially in long sessions. Taking breaks and offering snacks can reduce boredom and fatigue.
Interpersonal connections are the glue holding together our social circles, our business networks, and our company cultures. When we put in the work to maintain existing relationships and strive to establish new connections in a healthy, respectful, and effective manner, our lives and businesses are better off for it. While some people may have grown distant over the last couple ears, there are always ways to reach out and revive these connections. Great opportunities often arise from those we know. And when we are all looking out for one another, rooting for each other, and helping one another succeed, that’s when we know we’ve truly cultivated valuable and genuine connections.
Dr. Bert Shlensky, President of www.startupconnection.net, offers experience, skills, and a team devoted to developing and executing winning strategies. We guide your plans for business success and unlock your profits. Our strategy includes clear steps, and over 150 free articles and templates to facilitate your efforts and guide your process. We’re here to help you get on track and stay there as you move forward.
We welcome comments, suggestions, and questions. You can write us at: bshlensky@startupconnection.net or call at 914-632-6977
When you want to stand out, reach out to Bert for the tools that will build your “sticky” brand. My focus is on understanding and analyzing your dilemmas and challenges, so your company becomes profitable faster.
Call (914) 632-6977 or email me at bshlensky@startupconnection.net. Don’t leave without signing up for our useful free eBook!
Feeling stumped or overwhelmed? Contact Bert at (914) 632-6977 or Email to start the process. Thanks!
