Busy, but Not Having Fun - Part 2

Leaders need to learn the capacity to not add to their

anxiety but rather to channel it into adaptive responses.

Ira Chaleff, author of Courageous Follower

Continued from Part 1

Over the next week I had two more meetings with Tom's team and observed calls from Susan and her assistants as well as interaction with other clients. During this time we ran assessments to further understand strengths and weaknesses in Tom's team. I also found out that Susan's business, while 50% of Tom's volume today, had been only 30% six months ago. Two previous employees had left Tom because of the climate in the office and had taken a good portion of the business with them.

Tom was making money but he nor his team was having fun. His passion and desire to not only get the job done, but get it done right and treat everyone well in the process was to be commended. As I shared with Tom what I "felt" to be the cause of the problem (my Déjà vu was surreal), I proposed a process that would give him a detailed and objective analysis. The process itself would show his team and clients his commitment to their business; the results would give us a road map as to how to improve his office climate and allow Tom to broaden his client base.

Tom engaged me in 20 additional hours over a three week period. The process I'd proposed included additional interviews and online surveys/evaluations with everyone connected to his office:  clients (including Susan), past borrowers, support people at his home office and title companies. Sometimes people just think things will never change. But hopefully, the fact that Tom recognized this was a real problem and was spending money to correct it would calm down Tom's team and we would not have any more undesired exodus of employees and business.

To be continued......

Problems or Challenges?

Houston, we've had a problem....

James A. Lovell, Captain, US Navy, Astronaut

I need to revisit the example I've used as the basis for much of my teaching; not learning new things as much as uncovering what you already know, and who you are, and putting that to the best use first.


That example is a scene from the movie Apollo 13, after the infamous Houston - we've had a problem!, when the group of scientists and techs were rushed into room with a very large table. Remember that scene where a bunch of stuff was dumped from a box onto the table and they were told to figure out how to FIX the problem up there (pointing up), with this (pointing at the mess of random objects).

That's all they had to fix the oxygen leak and get them crew back to earth; the contects of the box. Of course, the scientists and techs couldn't actually fix the problem, only figure out how to fix it and then communicate that "how" back to the astronauts and hope the crew could duplicate it and the fix was actually right.


Good management and leadership is similar in many ways; identifying what you have to work with and making it work over and over again. This is accomplished by really knowing your people and what they are truly capable of doing, That and having a good evaluation and correction process.


Implement, practice, evaluate, correct and start the process all over again. Good followership and leadership is about having these four things in a never ending circle.

And the issue on Apollo 13....that was a problem.


To that end....




Right People/Right Place thru

Consulting, Coaching and Equipping

Busy, but Not Having Fun - Part 1

There is a compelling business case for trust
and you can get good, or better, at it.

Stephen M.R. Covey

Tom was having a hard time keeping his staff calmed down about their top producing client. The staff, a processor and 2 assistants, had about all they could stand of the Realtor, Susan, and her assistants' daily badgering. Yet, Susan's team of Realtors did send them 6 - 8 loans per month (1/2 their business) and had for over 2 years.

The phone call to me seemed to be a last-ditch effort to try anything. After an hour of listening, asking questions and listening some more,  I asked everyone "what causes you to want to keep this relationship?"

The uncomfortable look on everyone's face told me more than the stammering answers. I had to finally ask "does at least one someone get laid off without this business?" Of course the answer was yes, yet it took everyone's effort to be ready for the multiple calls every day and there was no time to go out and develop new accounts.

More questions helped me to understand that Tom and his team sent regular (had even tried daily) updates to the team of Realtors. Still the calls came asking about every minute detail of every file. The Reatlors' assistants had even said "it is my job to call you on every loan every day and verify what is going on."

Quick calls by me to underwriters, title companies and other Realtors using Tom revealed his team's reputation to be excellent. I had little doubt that this was not a lack of talent, attitude, skills or knowledge on the part of Tom and his team but a lack of trust on  Susan's part and the fact that she believed her team's constant follow-up was why they were getting good service.

Over the next 2-3 weeks, I'll periodically tell the story of how Tom and his team turned the situation around, stopped the phone calls, decreased Susan's expenses while increasing his overall business and profits.

To that end.....

Danny

8 Step Marketing and Action Plan

While every business needs a big picture Marketing Plan, I call this a DAILY marketing and action plan because it is daily that you get things done. Actually, it is moment by moment we get things done, but that's too tightly wound for some of us and just might cause me to go back to bed some days.

On a daily basis, answer these questions (in writing helps) -

1. what is the purpose of today's plan? What is it I'm attempting to accomplish?

2. what are the benefits of the service and product I'm selling? How does the customer benefit by buying from me?

3. who is my targeted audience today?

4. where/what is my niche? How am I going to set myself apart from my competition today?

5. what marketing weapons am I going to use today? What weapons do I use and need to sharpen and be more focuses with?

6. what is my "identity" today? What 3 or 4 adjectives best describe you? (this needs to be consistent, but you should be improving)

7. what is my budget today?

And finally, the 8th step to ask at the end of the day -

8. Can I carry put action to this plan? (evaluate forward) How well did I carry out my marketing plan yesterday? Last week? Last month?

Identify what you are doing well. Identify what you aren't doing well. How can you improve? Use TASKS Based Goal Setting disciplines to help you learn, improve and change.

This marketing plan/list is best used if treated as a circle of 8 things to come back to everyday as you work towards short and long-term goals.

To that end...make something great happen today.

The Pictures in Our Head

Doug Sherman, in his Bible Study, Your Work Matters to God, states "we believe that the workplace is today the most strategic arena for Christian thinking and influence. Moreover, until we become godly workers, we have little hope of becoming godly husbands, wives, parents, or church members. For unless Christlikeness characterizes the 60-80 percent of our lives spent at work, we simply are not living Christlike lives."

The most strategic arena for Christian thinking......hmmm. Have you ever thought much about your thinking being strategic? How about your thinking, do you think about your thinking? Thinking about thinking is not something most of us today think about. Think about it for a minute or two.........hard to do isn't it? How about talking about your thinking, or another's thinking?

How dramatically is your thinking influenced by what's going on around you? Think about how much your thinking is influenced by the thoughts of others, because the mind is hungry for more information and is looking to be influenced. Are you aware of how your thinking is changed? How critical is your thinking?

Prior to the invention of radio, tv, internet, and even the mass production of newspapers, the spoils and triumphs of what flowed from another's thinking a much more celebrated event. In reality, the recepient was much more aware of the absorbtion and how his thinking might be changing. He or she had time to be critical about it.

Thinking about thinking - talking about what we think - arguing about thinking is something philosophers have done for thousands of years. It wasn't that many years ago when people would travel for miles and miles to hear a simple speech and then stay to discuss their thoughts in local bars and meeting houses. Today, we get our information in bits and pieces, yet, as if from a fire hose; there is more information coming in one week's worth of the New York Times than the average 19th century American had available to him/her in a lifetime.

Thinking, critical thinking, and getting one's message across to others has always been an important part of those intent upon critical thinking. Ben Franklin would write letters to his own newspaper under fictitious names just so he could express his thoughts about what he thought and he would then write the rebuttals to further spin the thinking. He claimed years later that he did this in part to develop opinions within his readers' thoughts.

So what does this have to do with life, work and being the right person in the right place? Everything. Everyone is bombarded with news and information they don't ask to receive; from emails randomly read to story lines of favorite tv shows, but received and processe it is. How you handle that information, purposeful or otherwise, helps determine the thinking that leads ultimately to who you are in the future. What do you say when you talk to yourself? What you take in will mold what you say to yourself and that comes out in your behavior to others.

Close your eyes, right now and think about the pictures in your head.

Writer, journalist, and progressive thinker Walter Lippmann, in the mid 1900's, wrote extensively about the tendency of journalists to generalize about other people based on fixed ideas. He argued that people—including journalists—are more apt to believe "the pictures in their heads" than come to judgment by critical thinking.

The pictures in our heads is what we tend to believe and these pictures are formed from what we watch, hear, and read. And what most of us watch, hear, and read, is accidental; not purposeful.

So, what does this have to do with our influence, Christian or otherwise? Everything. If we are not purposeful about what we watch, read, and hear, our thinking will not lead to practicing Christianity and if we aren't practicing Christianity, we aren't influencing others towards God's glory.

And if we aren't influencing others towards God's glory, then what are we influencing them towards?

What do the pictures in your head look like today, and what are they going to look like in 5 years, in 10 years? Are you purposefully drawing those pictures or letting others?

To that end....

Note: this is a edited re-post from http://godandworkmatters.blogspot.com/ on 11/06/2010

"Communication Connection" by Guest Blogger Gary Seale.

Welcome Guest Blogger, Gary Seale. Gary provides sales outsourcing services and is the author of the book Business Principles from Proverbs.

Recently I have been reading a John Maxwell book called “Everyone Communicates, Few Connect.” One of Maxwell’s premises is that we have to know our audience and their level of understanding to truly communicate. It is all too easy to deliver information on our level of comfort and miss the intended audience all together.

I first learned this concept in a Toastmaster’s International program in the early 1990’s. The impact of their philosophy and receiving feedback on my speeches made this an important concept to keep in mind. This is true no matter what level or size of audience you speak to. From a six year old to a Phd from MIT, we all need to position our choice of words and illustrations to truly communicate.

Mastering Mondays

I said on Monday that I would be writing on Tuesday about Mastering Mondays. Ha. Tuesday and Wednesday came and went; I'm still trying to get through my Monday's dailies.

John Beckett in his book of this same title, Mastering Mondays, sums it up:

In my short lifetime, man has spit the atom, conquered polio, walked on the moon and shrunk the globe through the Internet. But millions of us have yet to master Monday.

A few years ago, in pursuit of a woodworking hobby, I read an article about different men's ventures into their full-time woodworking (career!). One question the interviewer asked was, "what do you like most about your job?" One guy's answer intrigued me:

I love the fact that every morning, with coffee in hand, I go out to my workshop, open that door knowing that I have some things to accomplish, but also know that there is no telling what I'll work on that day. I just let what interests me the most be my guide.

It must have intrigued me, and I still remember it 10 years later, because of how it really screws with my head. I'm that way all the time, EXCEPT for the "knowing" and "loving" parts. I start the day typically knowing that is likely to happen, but with blind determination that I'm going to get certain things done.

Cathy and I (my bride of almost 25 years) were discussing some things yesterday that led to my Workforce Readiness assessment. This thing tests you against the DOL database and gives you an idea of what careers you could possibly succeed in based upon multiple characteristics. The image below depicts part of the report and shows that I'm what I'd like to say "balanced."

Cathy simply looked at it and commented well, you can either do almost anything, or nothing. What are your thoughts?

My look told her my thoughts and the fact I'm still trying to master Monday on Thursday should tell me something.

Hmmm. Let's see....my highest is realistic. Let's go with that one for today.

Blessings, Danny

Bad Weather Processes - How Well Did You Perform?

One of the 4Ps for finding the right company to work for is Processes. How a company plans and executes that plan for bad weather conditions is important and likely an idea of how well they handle other problems.

No doubt there are problems in the plan that comes out when "living" the process. But the companies that can claim their processes as a competitive advantage are the ones that evaluate and correct very well.

What processes did you see work well during the recent bad weather? How well do you think you'll perform tomorrow?

I love to hear your stories; click on the 4ps tab above and add comment at the bottom or email me at danny@rp2development.com.

Ronald Reagan, the Packers and the Interview

"He who introduces into public office the principles of primitive

Christianity will change the face of the world."

- Ronald Reagan, first inaugural address as

governor (1967), quoting Benjamin Franklin

Yesterday was an eventful day; Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday (or would have been..not sure how to properly couch such), a GREAT Super Bowl, and a live interview between Bill O'Reilly and President Obama. Quite a bit one can ponder and reflect on.

We'll go with Ronald Reagan for now. I watched the televised celebration of his birthday, listened to the speeches and a bit on his library/museum renovation. (Seeing his library is on my non-existent bucket-list)

It was interesting to watch the different networks and how they handled this event; I'm not sure CNN really knew what to do. Their choice of commentators was very interesting and I guess they just felt they needed to make a big deal of the celebration, but not sure what really to say. Or how to act. It came across flat and unemotional.

Not like President Reagan at all. I've read 4 books about him so far and expect to read a few more. My favorite is God and Ronald Reagan by Paul Kengor, Ph.D. This book came about when Dr Kengor began research for a chapter in another book he was writing, found the material too overwhelming for a simple chapter and thus put the first book down to write this one.

Dr. Kengor wrote an excellent read. And for the critics and melancholies he supplied lots (LOTs) of endnotes.

"There is a purpose to this...This has happened to you at this time

because your country and the world need you."

- Mother Teresa, to Reagan on his surviving

near-assassination, June 4, 1981

To that end....

PS...tomorrow - Mastering Monday

Twitter....errrrrr Text Dialog

In a late night exchange of texts (w/@BrandonDady) - edited.....

Brandon - I'd be interested to know why you choose the assessments you choose, and why you prefer assessments for different positions

Me - The key is much like a hammer or wrench, or any tool, it's how the tool is used

Brandon - "so I took an assessment, now what?!

Me - Most are pretty worthless past the first 10 minutes. You have to learn to use it to change something

Brandon - There's a thousand assessments out there. You'll gain more interest if you educate people on how an where, since it is so saturated. I bet you there is a massive amount of companies that either force it, or never understood value

Me - there's 3,000 companies with multiple assessments each. But, in most cases, the assessment is really just a diagnostic tool

Brandon - ok. But it'd be interesting to poll how many companies actually use them, follow through with them

Me - very few because they haven't been trained how to use them past the hiring stage

Brandon - I say this because from what i've heard you say, most have never used them properly

Me - most don't understand how to use assessments correctly, nor have they been trained. Assessments are considered to be static tool by most people

Brandon - k. Let me sleep on all that, but I have more questions and want to brainstorm.

Me-Night/night--------


This dialog has three distinct parts; why assessments, what assessments, how to use assessments.

Why? Assessments, used correctly, will get better results.

What? There are some that are job dependent, others job specific.

How? This is BY FAR the most important aspect of assessments. Most companies have not been trained on how to use an assessment past the initial review; in a drawer never to be used again.

This is like buying a router (tool type), studying it enough to make a decent cove around the top of a table and then putting it up. The assessment is a diagnostic tool that can be used to help not only in the hiring, but more importantly after the hire, when the company is spending money.

Using the assessment tool correctly will help an employer turn the W-2s in to stock certificates.


To that end.....

A Testimony to Teamwork

The President and CEO of DHI Financial Services, Randy Present, spoke at the Austin Mortgage Bankers monthly meeting/luncheon on Wednesday.

Randy's humbleness, humility and appreciation for his team/co-workers is striking. DHI is the financial (mortgage and title) arm of the largest homebuilder in the US and he could have talked about a lot of things, but he chose to focus his attention towards his team and the overall good people in the mortgage industry.

Taking questions from the one hundred plus attendees, you could tell from his answers that he is very well read and his knowledge base is extensive about relevant data about the industry, our country and the times we live in.

Yet, he kept coming back to his team of people.

The message was about the people, and he left you wanting to hear a bit more.

Excellent luncheon and thanks to AMBA President Mike Carroll for inviting Randy to speak.

To that end...

What is a Collabortive Focus Group?

I've been in various types of groups, for many different reasons and when I think of "groups" I don't get that excited. But then, I'm not a group type person and besides, there sure seems to be a lot of wasted energy in groups; some groups are called "meetings."

Lincioni wrote the excellent book Death by Meeting a few years ago and I might right one someday called Death by Group.

Two groups I'm involved in right now are BNI-360 and CBLG. They are both referral type lead groups and while the CBLG group is just getting off the ground, if it can come close to being as effective as the BNI-360 group, I'll have hit two homeruns. The weekly 1 1/2 hour meeting, along with some follow-ups, is time and money well spent; amazing energy and group of individuals....no death, all living.

So, what does this have to do with Collaborative Focus Groups? EVERYTHING. A Collaborative Focus Group is designed to be engaging and results driven. Participants will gain life changing information (though parts of it is "back-to-the-basics) , collaborate with others on that application, and robustly evaluate and correct their results.

The group IS NOT a peer-to-peer group in the typical peer-to-peer sort of way. The group will be made up of individuals at various stages of their careers, multi-generational, and in varying positions within different types of companies.

As a CEO of a 700+ organization I've learned as much from those way down the org chart as I have from peers; probably more. I'll take anyone with an interest and heart in getting better and talking straight; no matter his/her age or rank.

Blindspots? We all have them and a Collaborative Focus Group, with its multi generational/positional make-up is ideal for exposure and learning how to work around or through them.

For more about RP2's Collaborative Focus Groups see the tab above.

To that end....

T.A.S.K.S. Based Goal Setting

Less that one generation ago, we were a society that feared and resisted change. We’ve now morphed into one that accepts change not just as unavoidable, but most do little to prepare for the consequences.


How about you….how do you engage in the changes in your business? Do you plan, set goals and prepare for changes? Or, are you in the more common camp of “go-with-the-flow.” I call this the “ready-shoot-aim” method and actually know a few people who seem to do well in spite of themselves. That doesn’t work for most of us though. To be effective, we know we need goals and a plan of action, but we’ve set and missed so many goals that it’s gotten us down and we’re scared to set them again. In default we’ve taken to the go-with-the-flow or ready-shoot-aim methods and we’ve failed.

So, how does one properly set and stay engaged in achieving goals?

Is Educating My Client Good For My Business?

My initial is Yes....if, if, they want to be educated. @RonaldSkelton posted on Twitter recently "Work with clients that appreciate your product or service."

So, I start thinking up ways to find out if someone wants to be educated, or do they just not know they want to be educated. How do I know if they will appreciate my coaching if I don't try and educate them a bit first?

That sends me down my mental flow chart to what questions do I ask to see if they are interested? Is this a good approach at all?

Did I mention something yesterday about not liking selling?

This cold Northern wind that blew in around 2am this morning is about to blow my house down the hill and into the Pedernales.....I hate selling and my warm bed is calling me back.

I hate selling. But I love educating.

Still going back to bed.

To that end...

Danny

Right People
-   Right Place

Educating is a Required Marketing Technique

Note...this blog was originally labeled "In-th-Box," thus, the reference to that name in this video. Also, you likely got to this post/blog via www.DannyLSmith.com. That address transfers to this blogs original URL (www.RP2Development.com). I considered moving all this under the dannylsmith name, with no forward, but!...I get over 100 hits per day the way it is.

Why mess up a good thing? Ego? Ouch...now, about Educating as a marketing technique.



Thanks to Donny Hunter and goSmallBiz.com for the information I've shared here. Donny can be reached at 254-230-3495 or donny@poctllc.com.

(If you like..please share below)

"The Talent Masters" by Bill Conaty and Ram Charan

My familiarity with Ram Charan's writings and work was the second thing that caught my attention about this book. The first was the title; "The Talent Masters."

The third connection was the opening sentence of Chapter 1, Page 1.....

"If business managed their money as carelessly as they manage their people, most would be bankrupt."

No introduction, no forward. Just straight to that point - "If business managed their money as carelessly as they manage their people, most would be bankrupt."

To that end....

Learning about Good Results from Networking, Leads, and/or Referrals

I'm learning a great deal about getting good results from networking; meeting with people (new and renew) asking about their business and what is their ideal referral, and then telling the same about my own. Then, taking that to the next level..."do they have other needs I can collaborate within my network wit?"

More on that from the streets as the path continues.

Blessings

Rhythms

Reviewing old posts this week is reminding me of habits, good habits, I need to keep in my routine.....a rhythm if you will.

Here's one of those rhythms that should be more routine than it is, but needed to achieve those goals and practice the values.


---------------------------------------

Original post 12/06/2011


I have a list of things that try to do everyday. Over the years there have been items on this list that I do even on days I forget to look at the list. I supposed those items have become habits.

Others though, I have to be reminded to do, especially those items new to the list. New items show up and taken off the list based upon the fields I'm preparing, seeds I'm planting, and the harvest that comes from that work and prayer.

I call this list My Daylies; things I need to do everyday. My Daylies are general in nature that drives the "to-do-list."

My Daylies include things like:

1. look at yesterday's calendar,read emails, a couple of websites I need to stay tuned into...
2. make notes from meetings about yesterday's work
3. make a list of follow-up needs on yesterday's work
4. make a list of things to do today
5. prioritize
6. add followers to social media...

Actually, the list is more of a circle that sometimes rolls throughout the day and I'll even start it over on the same day; Collin's hedgehog comes to mind.

This is a weakpoint for me; coaching has helped and I use technology to keep the list in front of me.

I just need to remember to look at the list everyday; it's amazing how I can ignore those calendar/task pop-ups on my phone.

To that end.....

Blessings

Circling Back to Goals

We're three weeks into the new year and I'd bet good money that few people you ask have thought much, if anything, about their goals.

Here's my post on Goals and Values from 12/06/2010 -


Setting goals is one part of achieving good results. Achieving good results is about aligning values, setting good goals, establishing plan and strategies, determining measure points, putting forth the work and having a robust evaluation and correction process.

Goals are rarely achieved because of numerous reasons and the #1 cause is a lack of alignment to a persons T.A.S.K.S. (see below) and #2 an understanding of what it takes to properly setting goals to begin with.

Working through and clarifying your values is the first stage of a solid foundation for goal setting. To properly set a goal, the goal must be reasonable and must be set in accordance with a person’s talents, attitude, skill, knowledge and style (TASKS); a goal can be set to increase or strengthen any of these TASKS points.

Goals can and should build upon each other to achieve results that today one doesn’t have the TASKS to achieve. More about that in another session.

A key component to that solid foundation is recognizing your Core Ideology; comprised of your mission and your values. During life’s triumphs, struggles and day-to-day living your Core Ideology is what helps ground your behaviors and thoughts so that no matter what path you find yourself engaged on, you stand true.

It’s vitally important to not only define your mission and values but to put them both in writing, commit to these statements, and recognize when you find yourself detouring.

RP2 has developed a worksheet designed to help define your values and we'll be glad to share it with you.

Just ask; danny@dannylsmith.com or 512-773-6528.

To that end.....

This week I'm off-site quite a bit and will revisit some old, but relevant to my path; sales, the importance of sales and who should be selling; hint (everyone).

Originally posted 30 July, 2010

The key salespeople in a professional services environment are those who actually perform the services; they are the key that completes the sales force.

I've spent most of my career in the mortgage industry and have had an active hands-on roll in all aspects except payment servicing. Some people say I'm a good sales-person, yet I've failed the most at being a loan officer. Or, I should say, I've failed the most at the traditional sales side of being a loan officer.

As long as I've got an active audience, I've done well. Whether delivering the goods as a loan officer or processor with borrowers, or with underwriters or closers or title companies, I've had great results. Talking to the back shops with investors, or with warehouse lines....done well.

Give me a product and connect me with the person I need to deliver it to...that's my sweet spot. Or put me in a room of people, or one-on-one, to train or coach and I'll develop a relationship and get results through that format. But don't send me out on the streets or put me on the phone to "just sell." Almost guaranteed failure.

But, all those years I wasn't "out selling" I still thought of myself as a salesperson. When I had someone on the phone or face-to-face, I was still selling. We all sell something every time we talk to someone and hopefully it is with good results in relationship to the product or service our company is attempting to deliver through us. We might pose it a communicating or discussing or some other aspect, but generally we are selling.

Mortgage lending's traditional sales people are loan officers and a good loan officer gets the loans in the door. But then, what happens? Most don't even know that the sales process must continue. The loan officer has to "sell" to get the loan application in most cases, and the processor, underwriter, closer, and funder MUST continue what the LO started.

Most companies have a tremendous amount of assets sitting in their box, but many of those assets don't even know they should be selling.

To that end.....