Pat Gruber and Associates

BAD SHOT STUPID SHOT

I went to a golf school one time where we spent five days working on our skill and, of course, playing LOTS of golf.  For a golfer these schools are very cool.  It has been several years since I went to the school, but I still remember a few things the instructor taught us.  My golf game is not so great these days, but I still love to play.

In addition to learning the mechanics of the golf swing, we also learned a lot about strategy.  For example, what should you do when you hit a bad shot.  We all hit bad shots- even Tiger and Phil- so there's nothing to be ashamed of there.  The most important thing is what is our next shot going to be?  Let's say you slice one off into the woods and when you find it, you're still 200 yards out, and you've got lots of trees between you and the green.  You might think, hmmmm....if I could hit a low punch shot to the left of that big oak and below the branches of the those trees over there, maybe I could make it to the green.  So, you line up with the best of intentions and take a whack at it.  The next sound you hear is your ball hitting that big oak and bouncing back behind you about 10 yards.  Now you get to do it all over again.  This is what is known as a stupid shot.  The lesson I learned is NEVER FOLLOW A BAD SHOT WITH A STUPID SHOT.  Bad shots are excusable.  Stupid ones are just stupid.   

The same thing applies in business.  We all make mistakes- maybe a bad hire in spite of our best efforts to select the right person, we find out pretty quickly we've made a mistake.  (bad shot)  So what do we do?  Too often we try to fix the person and mold him into what we thought we were getting when we hired him.  It seldom works- we usually end up like the stupid golf shot- farther away from success than when we started. 

Instead, it's often best to recognize the mistake early on, and deal with terminating the employee as soon as possible.  This is never fun, but in the long run you AND the bad fitting employee are better off.

How about you?  Any bad shots lately?  What's next?

WHERE'S YOUR NETWORK?

Lately I've been thinking a lot about "networking".  You know, the art of meeting people.  Many times it seems networkers are so focused on selling something that they forget what networking really is.  Here are a few things networking is good for:

  

1. Making Friends. I used to be really nervous at networking events until I decided to just go and make a friend.  What ever happens after that is a bonus.
2. Learning What Other People Are Doing.  People are always anxious to tell you what they are up to.  The important thing is to pay attention to what they are saying.  You never know what you might learn.   Most of us are too busy organizing our sales pitch to listen closely to what the other guy has to say. 
3. Finding Out Who Knows Who.  It really does seem like a small world once you get to talking with someone.  Establishing credibility through mutual contacts is a powerful tool when you're looking for referrals.
4. Telling Your Story.  Notice this is not my first point.  Of course I want to tell my story to anyone who will listen, but if that's my main goal, nobody's going to listen!  We've all been in the conversation with someone who thinks they have to share their entire business plan and resume with us when all we want to do is get some more veggies and dip.  What a drag! I'm convinced that if you work on making a friend, pay attention to what someone is doing by showing genuine interest in them, and connect the dots of who knows who, you'll get plenty of chances to share your story with people who want and need to hear from you. 

So, next time you're tempted to spew your knowledge out on someone because you're sure they need to hear it RIGHT NOW- why not relax and enjoy the process of making a new friend.  A stranger is not likely to buy something from you in the 2 or 3 minutes you have together, but a friend will let you have an extended conversation later on that just might lead to a sale.   

DELYAED GRATIFICATION- UGH!

When my wife and I were raising our kids, we often gave them wise advice about delayed gratification.  You know, the speech about putting off some tempting activity now because it will be so much sweeter once they are grown up.  It made perfect sense to me, but the kids saw it as just another attempt by their parents to ruin their lives!

Well, Patty and I are now experiencing some delayed gratification of our own.  We've decided that we eventually want to relocate to another city, either closer to our kids (really our grandkids) or in a part of the country we want to live.  In order to do so, we had to sell our home.  Good luck with that in this economy, right?  Well, after a year and a half on the market, the home finally sold- so what do we do now?  Family and business concerns don't let us move just yet, so we're renting for the first time in about 35 years.  What an experience!  Just finding a place was a challenge, but we were blessed to find someone who had a home to sell but wasn't having much success, and when we inquired about renting the home, it seemed to be a nice solution for both of us.  We get to rent short term, and they get some help with their mortgage while waiting for the housing market to rebound. 

I can't say that we wanted to be renting a house at this stage in life, but in order to get what we really want, we're having to give up our home for just a little while.  We have a definite plan of what we want to do with the next phase of our lives, and we're willing to do what we have to do now, to get the big payoff later. 

That's the way a lot of our dreams, visions, and goals work out.  We have to be willing to do some not so fun things now in order to get what we really want in the future.  Unfortunately, too many of us are only focused on the immediate rewards, which are typically very short lived.  How about you?  What's in you long range plan that you want badly enough that you're willing work and wait for?

WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

My wife and I share the same name- well she's Patricia and I'm Patrick, but for all of our lives, we've both gone by just Pat.  When ever we meet another couple, we always make it easy for them by just telling them we're both Pat Gruber.  That usually gets a few chuckles, but the real oohs and ahs come when we tell them that we also have the same birthday, and we were born in the same hospital.  We're actually just a few hours apart.  We grew up in the same small town, but didn't meet until we were in junior high school.  It was love at first sight for me- not so sure about Pat, but I eventually won her over!  This week we celebrate 36 years of marriage- seems like only yesterday we were passing notes in music class in 9th grade......

Well, all of this has me thinking about the importance of our names.  Many of us go to networking events or other places where we meeting many new people, and getting their names logged into our memories can be a challenge.  I don't know how many times I've seen someone who I know I should recall their name, but am just drawing a blank.  Sometimes it's almost comical when I'm doing everything possible to remember a name but to no avail.  I think my wife and I have found the solution- from now on, everyone we meet should be named Pat.  Problem solved!

Seriously, here are a few things to try when trying to remember someone's name...

1.    When they tell you their name, immediately say it out loud back to them.  It not only helps you remember, but it lets the person know you're sincerely trying to remember them.

2.    Try to associate their name with something funny or unique about them, or something in history that you already know.  For example, I have friends with a couple of sons who I could not keep straight who was who.  Their names were Josh and Matt.  Josh was the oldest.  Now, both of these names are Biblical- Joshua is from  the Old Testament, and Mathew is from the New Testament.  So, when I saw the older brother, I thought Old Testament, and knew his name was Josh- and so on.

3.  As soon as possible, write the person's name down, and some fact that you learned about them.  Then go back to your office and review your notes or cards so the next time you see that person, you can greet them by name as soon as you see them.  Then watch them fidget as they try to remember who you are!

These are just a few ideas that work for me (sometimes).  How about you?  Got any secrets to share?

Remember, everyone likes to hear their name called, and everyone likes to be remembered.  If you want to really make a positive impression on someone, learn their name and say it often. 

NEVER GIVE UP.....NEVER!

On October 29, 1941, United Kingdom (Great Britain) Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited Harrow School to to hear the traditional songs he had sung there as a youth, as well as to speak to the students. This was during the dark days of World War II, and Churchill had plenty of reason to be discouraged.  This seemingly routine visit to a school and his remarks have become one of his most famous quotes.  Check out the full text of the speech- it's only about 5 minutes long- but the famous line from the speech is  "Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, give in. Never give in. Never give in. Never give in."

Never Give In.  Famous words from a statesman of long ago, but so appropriate even today.  I recently had the pleasure of meeting two fellows who are not going to give in.  Chris Johns and Don Broekelmann have a new business called I Ask Emma, or www.iaskemma.com  It is a personal financial assistant for people needing education and advice on financial matters, but don't have enough resources or wealth to be attractive to financial planners.  Their vision is to help young and middle aged people learn the basics and beyond of financial management so that someday maybe they will have the resources that warrant the services of a professional planner. 

I met with Don and Chris to talk about their new business and some of the things they are  doing to become known in the market place.  They are quickly finding out just how hard it is for a new business to be successful, and how just having a dream and a vision is not enough.  As anyone who owns or runs a business knows, there are a lot of good reasons to give up, but if we're going to reach our goals of success, we can't be distracted by all of those voices telling us to hang it up.  How would the world have turned out if Churchill and the British citizens had given up?

We certainly don't mean to compare our business challenges with the plight of Churchill in 1941, but the principles are the same.  Don and Chris inspired me with their never give up attitude about their new venture, even though they realize how big the challenge is in front of them.  I think I was meeting with them to offer a little advice, but I came away inspired to do even more in my own business!  My money is on them succeeding.  Besides their "no quit" attitudes, their web site and service is pretty cool.  You should check it out!  www.iaskemma.com

TEN GOOD IDEAS FOR NETWORKING

     

      Do you successfully network?  Some of us love it and are pretty good at it, but most of us have had to work hard at getting comfortable meeting people for the first time.  When I first started concentrating on networking, the thing that worked best for me was to just try to make some new friends and not worry about turning a networking connection into a sale.  That would come later, but in the beginning, all I was trying to do was make a friend.  Once I started thinking this way, the pressure was off and I actually began to enjoy the process.   Here are a few other good ideas to make your networking experience more profitable.  

 1.      Take a look at your present positive and meaningful relationships. Is there more you can give?

2.      If you want to get to know someone, ask a mutual acquaintance for an introduction. Friends can't read your mind; communicate how they can help you.

3.      Make healthy connections by avoiding toxic personalities. They drain you and prohibit you from making the right kind of connections.

4.      Practice patience with yourself and others.

5.      Make a new connection each day. Plenty of opportunities can present themselves daily if you are open to them.

6.      Be quick to laugh – things don't always go as planned.

7.      Travel out of your comfort zone to meet new people. You never know when that next great contact will come your way.

8.      See an article that would be helpful to someone? Make a copy and share.

9.      Tap into your strengths when it comes to meeting people. For some, it's one-on-one. For others, it's large events. And keep in mind: weaknesses are only potential strengths!

10.  Remember to network at home. Spend time with your family, friends, or even a good book. The more knowledge you gain, whether it's about a child's sports team or the latest stock market research, the easier it is to find a commonality with a new acquaintance.

MARKETING 101 BY CHIP SCHOLZ

Today I'm sharing a post from a friend and associate who writes a great post about dealing with the current economy.  Chip Scholz is a successful coach with a lot ot say about leadership and success.  Check him out!    http://www.scholzandassociates.com/blog/  Thanks, Chip for your challenging insights.  I am using these ideas today!

Here are Chips comments from his blog, "Leader Snips" on Marketing 101: 

I have the opportunity to work with a number of privately held, family owned businesses across the United States, and all are feeling some kind of an effect from the current economic climate.   Some are struggling.   Some are doing very well.    There are three differences that I have found.  Take the time to look into your business and see if these apply to you, and how you are doing with them.    1.  The businesses that are doing well today are flexible and nimble.  They know that if their core business is struggling, they have to retool and shift on the fly.  Their workforce is nimble as well.  They have rejected stinking thinking and are finding the positive in every day and every opportunity.    2.  The businesses that are doing well today have learned to forget what got them to where they are and are learning what will take them to where they want to be.  They have a strategic plan done based on current market conditions, and are positioning themselves for future growth.  They aren't stuck in the "We have always done it this way" syndrome.   3.   They are finding new ways to go to market.  They have decided to find every channel to promote their businesses.  They are going to their current customers and offering to do more for them--helping their customers become more successful.    They are asking for referrals from their customers.  They are retooling their marketing approaches, making more sales calls and pushing every advantage they have.     There is opportunity in every crisis.  The key is to avoid curling up in the fetal position hoping to hang on until there is a change.  Take the time to plan, then take action!

I'M A LOYAL CUSTOMER

By definition, a loyal customer is one who has a couple of valuable characteristics:

1.    A loyal customer won't leave you even if you drop the ball on a transaction because he know's you're good for it.

2.    He doesn't worry about what you're charging because he knows you're going to be fair.

3.    He is anxious to brag about doing business with you.  

4.    A loyal customer is proud of his relationship with your company. 

Every business, including mine, wants to have loyal customers.  And, every business, including mine, drops the ball once in a while.  I've been a customer of a local service provider for a couple of years.  I don't spend much money with them, and in the big picture, I don't mean anything significant to their bottom line.  This is a small company with a couple of owners and 3 or 4 employees.  I went in recently with an equipment problem that they could fix.  Typically I get great service, fast, and at a fair price, but things didn't go so well this time.  Without going into details of the problem, let's just say I was disappointed about how it all came down.  What I really want to talk about today is how the owner dealt with the problem once he found out about it. 

Once I let them know I was disappointed, I was contacted by three different people wanting to see if they could resolve the problem.  At first I was a little indifferent to their sudden interest in me, but by the third contact, I decided they must be serious.  The owner invited me to meet with him and talk through the issues.  Because of our past positive experiences, I decided to accept his invitation and we had a very good conversation.  Here's what made it good, and why I'm a loyal customer. 

1.    The owner LISTENED to me.  He convinced me he was genuinely interested in my version of the experience. 

2.    He didn't make excuses.  He just listened.

3.    When he did respond, he was asking questions for understanding.  He was trying to learn ways to avoid a similar experience for other customers.

4.    He was not defensive.  I'm pretty sure that my view of the situation was one sided and not without bias, but the owner never challenged anything I said.  This is a key point because too often we tend to correct or defend ourselves when it really doesn't matter.  If you ask a customer to tell you what he thinks, don't blow it by arguing with him!  This owner may think I'm a crazy, demanding customer, but he never showed that to me.

5.    He offered some suggestions to help me avoid the original problem I was having in the future- even giving me a small accessory as a gesture of appreciation. 

As a result of this, I'm a loyal customer.  This business does good work, and they care about their customers.  Now, even though I personally won't ever make this business rich, you can be sure I'll be recommending them to anyone who needs their services because I know they take care of customers.  

Do you have loyal customers?   

HOW DO YOU SEE LIFE?

 

How do you look at life?  We've probably all heard the glass half full versus glass half empty discussion.  The person who sees her glass as half full is the one who sees the best in everything.  My mom is like that.  No matter what situation she is facing, she always seems to find a positive way of looking at it.  As a kid growing up, and even as my career was getting started, it seems like mom always thought what I was doing was the best thing ever.  She always saw the good side of things and strangely enough, the good side is what she usually ended up with.  She's still that way today and I'm grateful to have been influenced by her positive, can do attitude.  Who do you have in your life that has a glass half full and can't wait to fill it up to overflowing?  Who are you helping to see how full their glass is?

Of course, we all have to deal with the other perspective from time to time.  You know, it's that voice inside that wants to tell us why things won't work.  It's Murphy's Law at work, or as Paul Harvey used to say, "There's no use worrying- nothing's going to turn out right!"  He would say this tongue in cheek after telling a story of some poor soul who had a run of bad luck, but unfortunately, too many of us live by this saying every day. 

Have you ever noticed how positive minded successful people are?  They think they can do anything and they don't get discouraged by setbacks.  How come they always seem to come out on top?  Elite athletes know this principle well.  They refuse to believe they will ever lose.  There must be something to this idea of positive minded people being more successful.  It happens too often to be a coincidence!

So, the question is, how do we get this positive attitude?  Here are four things to consider:

1.  Focus on the Positive.  Don't allow yourself to be filled with negativity.  It's always there, but we don't have to allow it to dominate our thoughts.

2.  Hang around positive people.  It's contagious!  Stay away from Debbie Downer!!

3.  Fill your mind with positive thinking.  Be careful what you read, listen to, and watch.  You can train your mind to think based on what information you are feeding it.

4.  Practice positive affirmations.  Constantly tell yourself what you're going to accomplish and why you have the ability to get what you want. 

Your future view of yourself will largely be determined by what you expose your mind to, and how you CHOOSE to react to the things life puts in your path.  What does your glass look like today?

FIVE THINGS SUCCESSFUL LEADERS DO

What makes a successful leader?  The answer today is certainly different than it was 20 years ago.  In years past, organizational leaders were paid to carry out the instructions of those above them with little regard for the people involved in actually doing the work.  This scientific management approach to work was very popular in the early 20th century when all that mattered was increasing productivity, regardless of the human side of things.  There was always another worker waiting in line for a job.  Nowadays, leaders must deal with entirely new generations of workers who actually expect to be treated fairly and respected in the workplace.  Hooray!  Isn't this what we all want? 

So, what does make a good leader?  Here are five important roles that today's successful leader must fill:

1.    Planning-  This involves establishing and setting the goals for your department or organization.  These goals must be in alignment with your boss, your employees, yourself, and even your customers.  When goals are in alignment, productivity is high, but when they are out of alignment, the leader will spend much of her time fighting fires instead of achieving goals.  Take time to plan and set meaningful goals.

2.    Organizing- Make sure you know what processes are necessary and the right steps are in place for success.  This could be anything from ordering materials, keeping inventory on hand as needed, scheduling work, and managing work flow.  Pretty basic stuff, but being organized cannot be overlooked!

3.    Staffing-  Perhaps the most important job of today's leader.  Getting the right people selected and putting them in the right positions is more important than ever.  Good  leaders are constantly recruiting and looking ahead to future staffing needs.

4.    Motivating- As a leader, a big part of your job is to get things done through others.  Leaders are judged by the results they produce, and without the help of everyone on the team, no leader can get maximum results.  A leader can have the best plans, be well organized, have plenty of staff, but without proper motivation, nothing will get done. 

5.    Evaluation- Leaders must know what is going on with their team.  Successful leaders pay attention to everything- what's working and what's not- and they are able to identify the reasons why.  Through constant evaluation, leaders are able to head off problems before they become serious. 

So, how many of these roles do you handle successfully? All five?  Just one?  Truth is, most of us do okay at some of all of these, but we could all benefit by taking a look inward to see where we need to grow.  Interestingly, these roles all kind of rely on each other, and all are ongoing, so it's important to evaluate ourselves on a regular basis to see how we're doing.  As always, feel free to give me a call   and I'll be happy to help sort it all out!