In Vancouver, a member of the B.C. Lions Football Club has come under significant media scrutiny for racial slurs he made in his Twitter feed. Later realizing his error, he apologized publicly but the damage had been done! The B.C. Lions are attempting to limit the impact of one team member’s impact on their organization by commenting on the situation in the media and removing him from the up-coming game. This is a great example of how one message sent without considering its impact on others can come back to bite you. [Read more…]
3 R’s of Goals – Will You Be Prepared?
August 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment
We are now 8 1/2 months into 2012 —
have you completed at least seventy five percent of your annual goals?
August is always a great time to review what you have accomplished so far and to consider what changes are needed to meet your annual goals. My strategic goals are such an important component in my business success. My strategic goals are the longer term goals that I want to achieve in the coming year. Each quarter I create quarterly, and then monthly goals which will keep me on track and focused on what I want to achieve while I maintain a successful business and continually introduce new tools, programs and products. [Read more…]
A 1 cm misstep = DQ
August 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Today at the Olympics, the Canadian men’s 4x100m team ran an amazing race only to have the Bronze medal stripped from them 5 minutes after the end of the race. A review revealed that one of the men stepped on the lane dividing line between the lanes which meant an automatic disqualification. He quickly recognized his mis-step, accepted accountability and apologized to his teammates and to Canada. What class! [Read more…]
Are You Ready for Change?
July 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Last week I was fortunate to attend a speakers meeting. Everyone attending the event was a speaker in their field. The format of the meeting was quite similar to a Toastmasters meeting but each of us was asked to make two short impromptu presentations.
The topic for the meeting was “That’s My Story and I’m Sticking With It”. When I was first told about the topic I was not very clear how I could incorporate that topic into a short presentation. On my way to the meeting, I realized that the best topic to speak on was change! [Read more…]
Stretch Goals…Step Forward & Grow
June 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
How high do you set your personal and business standards? In my mastermind group we determined that we all set the bar pretty high for ourselves and we are committed to reaching and exceeding our own goals and performance standards. Each of us has been an entrepreneur for several years and have each enjoyed many successes. We also set the bar high when we were in school and in our prior careers. As a successful mastermind group that has been together for 3 years our commitment to each other’s success is a testament of our high standards. Our mastermind provides a solid, safe place to face our fears, brainstorm ideas and celebrate our successes. In order to achieve our goals and dreams, each member of our group sets business and personal goals that will move us forward and allow us to grow. These are stretch goals.
Stretch goals are commonly referred to in the business world as a way to achieve more. Stretch goals require a person or business to ambitiously extend itself beyond what seems realistic within current paramenters. John Miller wrote about the conflict between stretch goals and smart goals in his blog. Here is the acronym he presented to explain how the two fit together:
“S = SMART goals that
T = teach an organization how to
R = reach higher levels of performance by
E = engaging everyone in
T = testing hypotheses through
C = cross-functional cooperation
H = in a humane fashion.”
Setting the bar high should be reflected in your performance as well. Is the quality of the product you offer your customers reflective of your standards? Continuous quality improvement will occur when you continually reassess current systems, standards and outcomes and then set the bar higher. Rejig to keep things current, and to maintain quality and performance — it also keeps life challenging and interesting!
Elevating operations, goals, expectations and deliverables takes planning and dedicated effort. A Coach or Mentor or Mastermind Group can help make you stretch and achieve your goals by keeping you accountable. I challenge you to raise the bar in business and your own life and reap the rewards that follow.
Take a Beeline to your Target
January 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Have you ever wandered off course when trying complete a project or reach your goals? If you are like most people, the answer is most likely a definite yes! In my Entrepreneurial Woman Magazine article 5 Secrets to Turning Good Intentions into Great Results, I mentioned how creating a board of directors can be valuable in keeping you on course. Staying on track can be a huge challenge. Each day we are pulled in different directions by clients, suppliers, employees, our own career or entrepreneurial tendencies for innovation and by life itself. Engaging with a Coach is one way to keep yourself on-track but this approach may not be for you. Another option is to find an accountability partner or group, also referred to as a mastermind or peer mentoring group. Groups can be facilitated by a Coach or self-directed. 
I personally have used, and continue to use both approaches to keep my business growing and developing. Without the support of my coach and mastermind partners, I do not believe that I would have achieved the growth and fulfillment I have. I never stop learning from them. I also love to share in their successes too. [Read more…]
