My Business On Purpose

Last month we hosted our 9th BOP 12 Week Plan LIVE Event with over 130 business owners and key leaders in the room all culminating with each person working on their next 12 week plan.

Each event we ask for feedback on what people are struggling with, it was overwhelmingly clear what the current headache is in owning a business.  One owner said it this way, “I need to cut the distractions, and get a real employee to help me!”

The curse of the business owner is taking the superhero mindset into their business and setting a stage where they are the promoter, the actor, the director, the stage hand, the writer, the ticket seller, the janitor, and everything in between.

We believe that no one is equipped to help.  We say things like, “I hate having to have employees.”  

In reality, employees generally want to be useful and valuable to the organization that they are a part of.  We tend to be the missing link.

Here are five clear things you can do to make sure that your mission gets the help it needs.

First, do you really believe in your mission?  If you do, there is no way to do it alone.  If you do not have a written mission then go to work to create one sentence that is less than 12 words that will capture why you do what you do.  

At Business On Purpose we are obsessed with liberating business owners from the chaos of working IN their business.

Second, write out every task that you are currently doing yourself or that you know needs to be done.  Once you can visually see those tasks and how much time they take each week you will awaken to the sober realization that you cannot do it all yourself and remain healthy. 

Third, write out a simple job role.  Take those tasks, lump them into a role, articulate how each of those tasks are done and then go find the right person.  Make sure to spend the extra time putting together a budget for the role based on your actual financials...do not guess.

Fourth, go find a person to match the role.  Don’t focus on a person with a pulse, instead focus on someone who has the personality, the skill, and the desire to work this role towards the mission you have laid out.

Finally, empower, equip, deploy, rinse and repeat.  Take the role and the processes of each task and walk through them with your new team member.  Send them out to do the task and provide a weekly (at minimum) set time and place to follow up with progress of their deployment.  

Let’s put an end to the mindset that we “hope they do it right”, and instead own the mindset that will work to empower, equip, and deploy so you can have some real help so you can impact your real mission.

You don’t have to do it all yourself.  You yourself can be liberated from the chaos of working IN your business.

Scott Beebe is the founder of Business On Purpose, author of Let Your Business Burn: Stop Putting Out Fires, Discover Purpose, And Build A Business That Matters.  Scott also hosts The Business On Purpose Podcast and can be found at mybusinessonpurpose.com.

Now is about the time that owners and key leaders think, "we need a plan for next year!"

You are right...you do. What about last years plan? Did it work? Did you stick to it?

Do goals and plans even work?

Through our in depth research we have uncovered the secret in what plans and goal-setting tools work and which do not. Stay tunes and I will answer that in a minute.

But first, why do we need a goal setting plan in the first place?

This is a story of two boats. Both boats were planning to leave the safe harbour of Ft. Lauderdale with their destination (vision) set on Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas.

One boat arrived safely in Marsh Harbor the same afternoon they departed Ft. Lauderdale ...the other boat was lost at sea, frustrated and cursing God for not "blessing" them with a safe arrival.

When we dig a bit deeper we find some helpful information learned from both situations.

The first boat that arrived safely had spent two weeks preparing for the trip with a simple, written checklist on a simple sheet of notebook paper.

Fuel, check.

GPS, check.

Fresh batteries, check.

Food, check.

Water, check.

Weather, check.

Safety equipment, check.

The second boat decided on a whim to go.

Fuel, not enough.

GPS, broken.

Fresh batteries...nope, drained.

Food, couple packs of crackers.

Water, a few water bottles

Weather, never bothered to look.

Safety equipment, a child's life vest and a whistle.

The people in the second boat were rescued by a charter sportfishing boat and their crew and brought safely back to the coast of Florida, but their boat was badly damaged.

Upon return, the captain of the misshapen boat talked with disdain and jealousy about the boat that had safely made it to Marsh Harbor without incident using language that made it sound like the successfully arrived boat was "lucky".

Meanwhile, the shattered and unprepared captain continued telling harrowed sea stories at the local watering hole about the time he made it back safe to shore after he had beaten back the winds and the waves, enduring dehydration, a lack of food and lifejackets and on and on and on...as if he were a hero.

Business owners can sometimes confuse unpreparedness and a lack of planning with unforeseen persecution and suffering. They will tell others, "the market was against me" or "employees are impossible" or "we could never catch a break".

In reality what they meant to say was, "I was unprepared".

Here is the easiest preparation tool we have found; Brian Moran's 12 Week Year.

We have adapted his principles into a simple 12 Week Plan tool that everyone of our heroic small business owners use and refresh every 12 weeks.

Here are three reasons it works so well and why you should try it beginning on Thursday December 19th, 2019…

First, twelve months is TOO LONG!

With twelve month plans we get to April and think, "well we haven't done anything with our twelve month plan, but we still have nine months."

Then we get to July and think, "well we haven't done anything with our twelve month plan, but we still have six months."

Then we get to October and huff frustratingly, ""well we haven't done anything with our twelve month plan, but we only have three months till the new year so we'll scrap this one and do one next year."

And the cycle repeats into insanity.

Second, the twelve week plan only allows for three goals. Moran defines goals simply as "outcomes". In other words, what are the three major outcomes you hope to achieve over the next twelve weeks?

Is it to "clean up your bookkeeping" or to "finalize a hiring process"? Perfect. Whatever it is, it is ok for the goal itself to be broad (I know, I know...it feels like a violation of the S.M.A.R.T. goal process...stay tuned).

Finally, each goal has an unlimited number of tactics with Moran defines simply as "actions".

In other words, if your goal is to "finalize a hiring process" then your list of tactics may look like this…

• Set a time to define our mission and core values
• Define our mission and core values
• Set a time to finalize our Org Chart so we know what roles exist
• Finalize our Org Chart so we know what roles exist
• Set a time to write out our hiring process using Google Draw
• Write out our hiring process using Google Draw
• Set a meeting with the team to reveal our new hiring process
• Meet with the team to reveal our new hiring process
• Set a time with the team for follow up, etc…..

By principle, when all of the tactics (actions) are completed, then the goal is completed...all within the timeline of twelve weeks.

It's simple. Twelve weeks, three goals, unlimited actions steps.

So what is the secret to finding a plan and goal-setting tool works? The one you IMPLEMENT and DO!

MAKE the time on your calendar, get out a sheet of paper, and IMPLEMENT. Then create a line item in your weekly team meeting agenda for each person to review progress to their twelve week plan so you can track their progress to "Marsh Harbor".

What about the ones who don't implement? They will likely be the ones griping and complaining about how they braved the elements and were left in a hopeless goal of reaching their vision. Not sure if they are a good fit for what you are building.

FYI, we are hosting our next Business On Purpose 12 Week Plan LIVE Event on Thursday December 19th, 2019 in Bluffton, SC at 9amEST. You can sign you and your team up here.

Scott Beebe is the founder of Business On Purpose, author of Let Your Business Burn: Stop Putting Out Fires, Discover Purpose, And Build A Business That Matters. Scott also hosts The Business On Purpose Podcast and can be found at mybusinessonpurpose.com.

Now is about the time that owners and key leaders think, “we need a plan for next year!”

You are right...you do.  What about last years plan?  Did it work? Did you stick to it?

Do goals and plans even work?

Through our in depth research we have uncovered the secret in what plans and goal-setting tools work and which do not.  Stay tunes and I will answer that in a minute.

But first, why do we need a goal setting plan in the first place?

This is a story of two boats.  Both boats were planning to leave the safe harbour of Ft. Lauderdale with their destination (vision) set on Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas.

One boat arrived safely in Marsh Harbor the same afternoon they departed Ft. Lauderdale ...the other boat was lost at sea, frustrated and cursing God for not “blessing” them with a safe arrival.

When we dig a bit deeper we find some helpful information learned from both situations.

The first boat that arrived safely had spent two weeks preparing for the trip with a simple, written checklist on a simple sheet of notebook paper.

Fuel, check.

GPS, check.

Fresh batteries, check.

Food, check.

Water, check.

Weather, check.

Safety equipment, check.

The second boat decided on a whim to go.

Fuel, not enough.

GPS, broken.

Fresh batteries...nope, drained.

Food, couple packs of crackers.

Water, a few water bottles

Weather, never bothered to look.

Safety equipment, a child’s life vest and a whistle.

The people in the second boat were rescued by a charter sportfishing boat and their crew and brought safely back to the coast of Florida, but their boat was badly damaged.

Upon return, the captain of the misshapen boat talked with disdain and jealousy about the boat that had safely made it to Marsh Harbor without incident using language that made it sound like the successfully arrived boat was “lucky”.

Meanwhile, the shattered and unprepared captain continued telling harrowed sea stories at the local watering hole about the time he made it back safe to shore after he had beaten back the winds and the waves, enduring dehydration, a lack of food and lifejackets and on and on and on...as if he were a hero.

Business owners can sometimes confuse unpreparedness and a lack of planning with unforeseen persecution and suffering.  They will tell others, “the market was against me” or “employees are impossible” or “we could never catch a break”. 

In reality what they meant to say was, “I was unprepared”.

Here is the easiest preparation tool we have found; Brian Moran’s 12 Week Year.

We have adapted his principles into a simple 12 Week Plan tool that everyone of our heroic small business owners use and refresh every 12 weeks.

Here are three reasons it works so well and why you should try it beginning on Thursday December 19th, 2019…

First, twelve months is TOO LONG!  

With twelve month plans we get to April and think, “well we haven’t done anything with our twelve month plan, but we still have nine months.”

Then we get to July and think, “well we haven’t done anything with our twelve month plan, but we still have six months.”

Then we get to October and huff frustratingly, ““well we haven’t done anything with our twelve month plan, but we only have three months till the new year so we’ll scrap this one and do one next year.”

And the cycle repeats into insanity.

Second, the twelve week plan only allows for three goals.  Moran defines goals simply as “outcomes”. In other words, what are the three major outcomes you hope to achieve over the next twelve weeks?

Is it to “clean up your bookkeeping” or to “finalize a hiring process”?  Perfect. Whatever it is, it is ok for the goal itself to be broad (I know, I know...it feels like a violation of the S.M.A.R.T. goal process...stay tuned).

Finally, each goal has an unlimited number of tactics with Moran defines simply as “actions”.

In other words, if your goal is to “finalize a hiring process” then your list of tactics may look like this…

• Set a time to define our mission and core values
• Define our mission and core values
• Set a time to finalize our Org Chart so we know what roles exist
• Finalize our Org Chart so we know what roles exist
• Set a time to write out our hiring process using Google Draw
• Write out our hiring process using Google Draw
• Set a meeting with the team to reveal our new hiring process
• Meet with the team to reveal our new hiring process
• Set a time with the team for follow up, etc…..

By principle, when all of the tactics (actions) are completed, then the goal is completed...all within the timeline of twelve weeks.

It’s simple.  Twelve weeks, three goals, unlimited actions steps.

So what is the secret to finding a plan and goal-setting tool works?  The one you IMPLEMENT and DO!

MAKE the time on your calendar, get out a sheet of paper, and IMPLEMENT.  Then create a line item in your weekly team meeting agenda for each person to review progress to their twelve week plan so you can track their progress to “Marsh Harbor”.

What about the ones who don’t implement?  They will likely be the ones griping and complaining about how they braved the elements and were left in a hopeless goal of reaching their vision.  Not sure if they are a good fit for what you are building.

FYI, we are hosting our next Business On Purpose 12 Week Plan LIVE Event on Thursday December 19th, 2019 in Bluffton, SC at 9amEST.  You can sign you and your team up here.

Scott Beebe is the founder of Business On Purpose, author of Let Your Business Burn: Stop Putting Out Fires, Discover Purpose, And Build A Business That Matters.  Scott also hosts The Business On Purpose Podcast and can be found at mybusinessonpurpose.com.

In his book Work The System Sam Carpenter writes, "systems are the invisible threads that hold the fabric of our lives together."

Carpenter goes on in his book to describe how his spiritual atheistic worldview was even changed not because to typical religious education or training but instead because of the systems he saw around him.

In order for you to read or listen to (check out the Business On Purpose YouTube channel and the My Business On Purpose Podcast) this article, thousands of systems must have been working in symphony. The electricity grid, my Macbook Pro, the internet connection, my bluetooth keyboard, operating systems, Google Docs, the English language, your education and ability to read, and on and on. All of these systems must be functioning in concert with predictable repetition so that I could share this message with you.

Once I complete this article we will then create images and headlines that we hope will appeal to you based on the system that we have designed to help us understand what you are struggling with. I will then take the written article record and broadcast it on Facebook Live, send that recording to be edited as a YouTube post, a podcast, and a LinkedIn article. We will use all of those content locations and use a system to share it with you around the world.

It is all a system.

We hear frequently this pushback, "systems make everything feel robotic, and we want to be a people-centered business."

Good news, we are a people-centered business and the only way we continue to deliver on that the best possible way is with thoughtful, intentional, compassionate, and kind systems.

I cannot imagine having a business that coaches even just one client without having a system to help steward and support that client.

It is currently Monday and I have a document that I print out each Monday called the "Monday Checklist Master - BOP". It is an incredibly simple system that reminds me exactly what needs to be done with great repetition each Monday so that I serve our heroic business owners with consistency, predictability, and a personal word from me.

Sound robotic?

One of the tasks on that checklist is writing this article which requires human creativity, intuition, awareness, and a constantly adjusted empathy pushing me to ask the question, "what is the chaos that is keeping our heroic business owners from experiencing the freedom that is front of them?"

I am due to fly on a plane next week and the captain of the commercial plane I will board will likely have thousands of hours of experience in the left seat of a commercial airliner. Regardless of the number of hours, maneuvers, delays, takeoffs and touchdowns (which we hope that number always stay equal) I will only feel comfortable flying that particular plane knowing that the captain has done the robotic work of her pre-flight checklist.

If the pilot is so experienced why should they even bother with the checklist?

1935 near Dayton, Ohio Major Ployer P. Hill barrels down the runway of Wright airfield and is set for lift off in what was the most sophisticated airplane in human history to that point. Everything was perfect until just seconds after liftoff when the plane stalled, banked, and crashed.

Everyone on board was killed.

The crash was investigated and studied and the determination made was not that the airplane was marred due to complexity, instead it was found that the Boeing 299 (The Flying Fortress) was, "too much plane for one man to fly."

With all of the complexities of this massive airplane in motion, the crew simply forgot to release the control gust locks. That's all. One tick of a checklist forgotten, and everyone paid.

Boeing responded in the most human AND robotic way they could and built the most innovative and life-saving piece of aviation technology still in use today…

The pilot's checklist.

Your business is "too much business for one person to fly."

Systems help by offering three powerful realities in the face of the simple complexities of business.

First, systems communicate to everyone, "we care enough about you to put in the hard, repetitive work."

In business we are noticing an epidemic that is being intensified in a market of low unemployment. Many business owners need talented people and need them "yesterday." One of the five stages of business that we teach our business owners about is the "pulse and passion" stage (stage two of a business). It derived its stage name because so many owners simply want to know, "Do you have a pulse? Do you have some level of passion for this work? YOU'RE HIRED!"

The new hire then is introduced to the center of chaos with a lack of clear direction and true understanding about what they are being asked to do. The assumption is that because this new employee has "common sense" then they will figure it out.

Just because a new hire has managed projects or sold mattresses before does not mean they know how you manage projects or how you sell mattresses. A captured system (or process) allows others to see that you spent time putting in the work to allow others to feel comfortable coming in. Capturing systems is a most human discipline.

Second, systems invite and set the stage for the human mind to expend energy on creativity innovation.

Can you imagine a world where you woke and had to go through the months-long process of remembering how to walk? How to drink without spilling? How to brush your teeth without jamming a toothbrush in your ear?

If we were to all live in a constant state of amnesia, that would be a world without systems. In order to write, to draft, to design, to construct, to teach, to drive, or to manage, we must not spend our valuable time doing things that systems can easily automate.

Allow systems to automate while you create and innovate!

Finally, systems scale, scale, scale.

As systems automate the monotonous, we are able to bring more production, more conversation, and more serving into our lives and the lives of the clients we serve. Without systems we are stuck performing one task to one person.

With systems a business coach can serve hundreds, restaurateurs can feed thousands, comedians can sketch comedy to millions, and engineers can deliver power to billions.

Without systems...we go dark.

To celebrate the power of systems watch this time-lapsed video put together by Mitch Brown and Boat Float company who captured the natural beauty of systems. Watch the solar system, the tidal system, and the ecological system all working like clockwork so that Mitch and his team can build a dock and a homeowner can enjoy an incredible view!

Scott Beebe is the founder of Business On Purpose, author of Let Your Business Burn: Stop Putting Out Fires, Discover Purpose, And Build A Business That Matters. Scott also hosts The Business On Purpose Podcast and can be found at mybusinessonpurpose.com.

In his book Work The System Sam Carpenter writes, “systems are the invisible threads that hold the fabric of our lives together.”

Carpenter goes on in his book to describe how his spiritual atheistic worldview was even changed not because to typical religious education or training but instead because of the systems he saw around him.

In order for you to read or listen to (check out the Business On Purpose YouTube channel and the My Business On Purpose Podcast) this article, thousands of systems must have been working in symphony.  The electricity grid, my Macbook Pro, the internet connection, my bluetooth keyboard, operating systems, Google Docs, the English language, your education and ability to read, and on and on. All of these systems must be functioning in concert with predictable repetition so that I could share this message with you.

Once I complete this article we will then create images and headlines that we hope will appeal to you based on the system that we have designed to help us understand what you are struggling with.  I will then take the written article record and broadcast it on Facebook Live, send that recording to be edited as a YouTube post, a podcast, and a LinkedIn article. We will use all of those content locations and use a system to share it with you around the world.  

It is all a system.

We hear frequently this pushback, “systems make everything feel robotic, and we want to be a people-centered business.”

Good news, we are a people-centered business and the only way we continue to deliver on that the best possible way is with thoughtful, intentional, compassionate, and kind systems.

I cannot imagine having a business that coaches even just one client without having a system to help steward and support that client.

It is currently Monday and I have a document that I print out each Monday called the “Monday Checklist Master - BOP”.  It is an incredibly simple system that reminds me exactly what needs to be done with great repetition each Monday so that I serve our heroic business owners with consistency, predictability, and a personal word from me.

Sound robotic?

One of the tasks on that checklist is writing this article which requires human creativity, intuition,  awareness, and a constantly adjusted empathy pushing me to ask the question, “what is the chaos that is keeping our heroic business owners from experiencing the freedom that is front of them?”

I am due to fly on a plane next week and the captain of the commercial plane I will board will likely have thousands of hours of experience in the left seat of a commercial airliner.  Regardless of the number of hours, maneuvers, delays, takeoffs and touchdowns (which we hope that number always stay equal) I will only feel comfortable flying that particular plane knowing that the captain has done the robotic work of her pre-flight checklist.

If the pilot is so experienced why should they even bother with the checklist? 

1935 near Dayton, Ohio Major Ployer P. Hill barrels down the runway of Wright airfield and is set for lift off in what was the most sophisticated airplane in human history to that point.  Everything was perfect until just seconds after liftoff when the plane stalled, banked, and crashed.

Everyone on board was killed.

The crash was investigated and studied and the determination made was not that the airplane was marred due to complexity, instead it was found that the Boeing 299 (The Flying Fortress) was, “too much plane for one man to fly.”

With all of the complexities of this massive airplane in motion, the crew simply forgot to release the control gust locks.  That’s all. One tick of a checklist forgotten, and everyone paid.

Boeing responded in the most human AND robotic way they could and built the most innovative and life-saving piece of aviation technology still in use today…

The pilot’s checklist.

Your business is “too much business for one person to fly.”

Systems help by offering three powerful realities in the face of the simple complexities of business.

First, systems communicate to everyone, “we care enough about you to put in the hard, repetitive work.”

In business we are noticing an epidemic that is being intensified in a market of low unemployment.  Many business owners need talented people and need them “yesterday.” One of the five stages of business that we teach our business owners about is the “pulse and passion” stage (stage two of a business).  It derived its stage name because so many owners simply want to know, “Do you have a pulse? Do you have some level of passion for this work? YOU’RE HIRED!”

The new hire then is introduced to the center of chaos with a lack of clear direction and true understanding about what they are being asked to do.  The assumption is that because this new employee has “common sense” then they will figure it out.  

Just because a new hire has managed projects or sold mattresses before does not mean they know how you manage projects or how you sell mattresses.  A captured system (or process) allows others to see that you spent time putting in the work to allow others to feel comfortable coming in.  Capturing systems is a most human discipline.

Second, systems invite and set the stage for the human mind to expend energy on creativity innovation.  

Can you imagine a world where you woke and had to go through the months-long process of remembering how to walk?  How to drink without spilling? How to brush your teeth without jamming a toothbrush in your ear?

If we were to all live in a constant state of amnesia, that would be a world without systems.  In order to write, to draft, to design, to construct, to teach, to drive, or to manage, we must not spend our valuable time doing things that systems can easily automate.  

Allow systems to automate while you create and innovate!

Finally, systems scale, scale, scale.

As systems automate the monotonous, we are able to bring more production, more conversation, and more serving into our lives and the lives of the clients we serve.  Without systems we are stuck performing one task to one person.

With systems a business coach can serve hundreds, restaurateurs can feed thousands, comedians can sketch comedy to millions, and engineers can deliver power to billions.

Without systems...we go dark.  

To celebrate the power of systems watch this time-lapsed video put together by Mitch Brown and Boat Float company who captured the natural beauty of systems.  Watch the solar system, the tidal system, and the ecological system all working like clockwork so that Mitch and his team can build a dock and a homeowner can enjoy an incredible view!

Scott Beebe is the founder of Business On Purpose, author of Let Your Business Burn: Stop Putting Out Fires, Discover Purpose, And Build A Business That Matters.  Scott also hosts The Business On Purpose Podcast and can be found at mybusinessonpurpose.com.

An article from Gettysburg College tells us we will spend roughly 90,000 hours of our life at work.

That is one third of every day of our life...working.

Owners have a responsibility for creating businesses that produce value for customers, profit for the business, and jobs for millions of people.

As you build your business in whatever stage you are in (typically five different stages from "Survival" to "Legacy"), people are going to be a part of it.

If you are a solopreneur, a gig-er, or a freelancer, at some point you will outsource bookkeeping, taxes, graphic design, marketing, or some other service that will dramatically help you focus on your narrow brilliance.

Surveying heroic business owners for the past five years we have found that outside of managing time, their biggest headache is found in one simple word; employees.

It does not have to be that way.

Life is loaded with concrete reality and fluid emotion.

Employees and owners alike both bring that dualistic reality with them at home and to work, it is why the sentiment "it's just business" cannot be right.

Owners have an opportunity to create a powerful human experience for employees within the platform of their business if they will only slow down.

I received this email from a co-owner (Matt) at Modern Door in Maryland. They began intentionally following the methodical hiring process that we built together and this was a result...

Another owner "caught" a key leader in the act of using their printed Hiring Process to bring on a new team member.

THIS IS HUMAN!

Why?

Following a hiring and onboarding process does three things for you, your business, your new team members, your existing team members, and the families at home.

First, a hiring and onboarding process gives you and your team clarity on who fits what role in the business. Too many times we bring someone into the business because we are desperate and conclude that this person can be the ibuprofen to our headache.

When we bring them in without a process, without a clear role, and without a 90 day onboarding plan, instead of ibuprofen, it feels more like another knife in the back.

We then blame our frustration on the new person when in reality, we are the problem. We were too caught up in "needing help" that we forgot (or neglected) to "help the need".

Second, a hiring process intentionally slows down the entire process. Historical wisdom has prioritized slown-ness verses speed. Rarely have solid, decisions with great longevity been made in haste. Proverbs 19:2 minces no words in saying, "it is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way."

Hiring has been notoriously hasty. Currently Amazon is needing to hire over 50,000 people. Wow. Haste may have to be an option for Amazon but it certainly does not for you.

Write the process down, communicate it with your team and your potential hires, and follow the process...every jot and tittle.

Third, a clear process puts the potential hire on alert declaring "this is the type of company you are dealing with." It has been overwhelming to hear the number of times a potential hire will tell an owner or key leader, "wow, you all really have your stuff together" or "I've never interviewed with a company like this."

The truth is you made the hiring up from scratch, you didn't consult an HR manual or a professional hiring service, you just thought through, what are the key elements we need to know and what are the key elements they need to know before we join up for a long term relationship.

Rarely will you find a good talent fit, instead choose to make a good talent fit for your business.

What is the next step? Go grab a sheet of paper, lose the distractions for 30 minutes and write down everything you want to be a part of your hiring process. Share it with your existing team (or just with yourself if you are solo), and follow the process!

When you follow the process, you create a human experience.

Scott Beebe is the founder of Business On Purpose, author of Let Your Business Burn: Stop Putting Out Fires, Discover Purpose, And Build A Business That Matters. Scott also hosts The Business On Purpose Podcast and can be found at mybusinessonpurpose.com.

An article from Gettysburg College tells us we will spend roughly 90,000 hours of our life at work.

That is one third of every day of our life...working.

Owners have a responsibility for creating businesses that produce value for customers, profit for the business, and jobs for millions of people.

As you build your business in whatever stage you are in (typically five different stages from “Survival” to “Legacy”), people are going to be a part of it.  

If you are a solopreneur, a gig-er, or a freelancer, at some point you will outsource bookkeeping, taxes, graphic design, marketing, or some other service that will dramatically help you focus on your narrow brilliance.

Surveying heroic business owners for the past five years we have found that outside of managing time, their biggest headache is found in one simple word; employees.

It does not have to be that way.

Life is loaded with concrete reality and fluid emotion.  

Employees and owners alike both bring that dualistic reality with them at home and to work, it is why the sentiment “it’s just business” cannot be right.

Owners have an opportunity to create a powerful human experience for employees within the platform of their business if they will only slow down.

I received this email from a co-owner (Matt) at Modern Door in Maryland.  They began intentionally following the methodical hiring process that we built together and this was a result...

Another owner “caught” a key leader in the act of using their printed Hiring Process to bring on a new team member.

THIS IS HUMAN!

Why?

Following a hiring and onboarding process does three things for you, your business, your new team members, your existing team members, and the families at home.

First, a hiring and onboarding process gives you and your team clarity on who fits what role in the business.  Too many times we bring someone into the business because we are desperate and conclude that this person can be the ibuprofen to our headache.

When we bring them in without a process, without a clear role, and without a 90 day onboarding plan, instead of ibuprofen, it feels more like another knife in the back.

We then blame our frustration on the new person when in reality, we are the problem.  We were too caught up in “needing help” that we forgot (or neglected) to “help the need”.  

Second, a hiring process intentionally slows down the entire process.  Historical wisdom has prioritized slown-ness verses speed. Rarely have solid, decisions with great longevity been made in haste.  Proverbs 19:2 minces no words in saying, “it is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.”

Hiring has been notoriously hasty.  Currently Amazon is needing to hire over 50,000 people.  Wow. Haste may have to be an option for Amazon but it certainly does not for you.  

Write the process down, communicate it with your team and your potential hires, and follow the process...every jot and tittle. 

Third, a clear process puts the potential hire on alert declaring “this is the type of company you are dealing with.”  It has been overwhelming to hear the number of times a potential hire will tell an owner or key leader, “wow, you all really have your stuff together” or “I’ve never interviewed with a company like this.”

The truth is you made the hiring up from scratch, you didn’t consult an HR manual or a professional hiring service, you just thought through, what are the key elements we need to know and what are the key elements they need to know before we join up for a long term relationship.

Rarely will you find a good talent fit, instead choose to make a good talent fit for your business. 

What is the next step?  Go grab a sheet of paper, lose the distractions for 30 minutes and write down everything you want to be a part of your hiring process.  Share it with your existing team (or just with yourself if you are solo), and follow the process!

When you follow the process, you create a human experience.

Scott Beebe is the founder of Business On Purpose, author of Let Your Business Burn: Stop Putting Out Fires, Discover Purpose, And Build A Business That Matters.  Scott also hosts The Business On Purpose Podcast and can be found at mybusinessonpurpose.com.

Recently I received an email from a client who is a part of our Architects coaching program which is known as the Architecture Firm Freedom Formula (Dream Practice Accelerator) serving Architects, Engineers, and Interior Designers..

It is a program that Enoch Sears and I have run jointly for four years and we've had the privilege of seeing more than 100 Architects through the program around the world from Namibia, to Croatia, China, to Scotland, Canada, and the United States.

We hear regular feedback from our heroic firm owners about real life challenges they are facing, and struggles of running a successful firm.

This is an honest peek into the life of one such firm owner who was literally about to throw in the towel, but has been refreshed and recommitted after seeing the simple power of serving her widowed mother.

Dear Scott and Enoch,

This is just an email to touch base and let you know I'm still alive:)) But more importantly, that I had a break through recently, thanks to the influence of you guys, that has me super excited and pumped to press forward with our company and renew/refresh....again!

I had hit a bad place of uncertainty mid-year that derailed intentions initiated at the start of this year when I signed up for AFF. I may have shared snippets between Thursday calls and the one time chat with Enoch (which was meant to discuss technical road block i have with trello), that indicated the turmoil & overwhelming state I'd arrived at with so much changing so fast in our company/structure/culture/vision, which left David and I very unsure what we wanted out of the business anymore. Vision temporarily lost! Confusion was compounded by us both turning 50/51 and re-evaluating goals and means to accomplish them. We called into question if it made sense to keep Fusion going or take our experience/skills/knowledge to alt career paths as employees elsewhere.

Meanwhile, we continued to be busier than expected this year, but unfortunately not all due to new revenue generating business, but rather, a considerable amount devoted to trouble-shooting and fixing unacceptable/inaccurate work performed by our ex-young team who had since moved on (we had taken time to train, or so we thought, but they didn't care enough apparently), but left us plenty of potentially liable mess ups to follow up and deal with. Needless to say, the motivation to keep the business going waned even further as I evaluated our numbers, implementing AFF lessons, etc.

Then October rolled around and suddenly it was time for my almost 3 week solo trip to India (booked months ago) to visit and help my mom. Now a widow, she has relocated to her birthplace in a beautiful but remote town and I was there to help her finish out a construction project she stubbornly started at age 85, with the desire to reside on the small lakeside lot of land she inherited, next to the chapel she had built over 20 years ago for her community, from her retirement savings. The place is fairly remote, natural, with no internet connection at her place (attaching a pic taken from roof terrace of her new final home). So I'd hoped I'd have plenty of quiet blocks of time to really catch up on AFF modules, plus some reading, in this potentially peaceful setting. I took both books you guys sent us (Profit First and E-Myth)...had only half finished the former in January, implemented immediately, but never finished the book. This was going to be my time to read both! Well, turned out to be wishful thinking!!

My 3 weeks flew at a very busy pace, as I found myself having to manage union/communist mentality labor taking advantage of a single old lady; having to communicate strictly in a foreign language that I only have basic conversational skills with, amidst heavy rain storms, etc. Kept me so fully busy every day, with no energy to read or think beyond what my mom needed. But i was there for her primarily, so it was cool. Accomplished a lot to settle her. Left her happy and comfortable, and excited that I will be back next month with David and the girls. Something for her to look forward to this Christmas:)

But...as I boarded the plane on Nov 11th to head back, I recognized I was still hungry to gain some clarity and sense of thoughtful professional gameplan before returning to USA, but had exhausted time, and quite frankly, my energy. Not quite ready to give up, I decided to try something I've never succeeded at doing in the past....to stay awake in flight and read!

I deliberately slept my first 4.5 hours flight from Kochi to Doha. That refreshed me from immense fatigue I had felt from intense pace through day of departure. Then on 2nd leg of journey, 14.5 hours to go before touchdown in Atlanta, I buckled down with Michael Gerber. I thought I'd at least get the book started before I returned to David.

Simply put....Wow! What a great read. Just a couple of chapters in, I was hooked. I could relate to so much, and every page resonated with sense. I devoured the book cover to cover without inflight movies or sleep for 14 hours straight -- much to the annoyance of my fellow passengers who probably wanted my light turned off. But selfishly I wasn't about to turn it off when so many mini lightbulbs were mentally being triggered as I read on.

The book helped me better understand the systematic modules you have organized for us to implement. I feel stupid for waiting this long to read it! It even inspired me to crack open my notepad and think through a different ORG chart with fresh perspective (I've attached my sloppy inflight sketch here for your amusement -- lots to still iron out -- have some questions I hope AFF team can help clarify before finalizing). I realized, the Entrepreneur in me wasn't ready to give up. Not just like that after more than 16 years of a fairly profitable business -- messy and sloppy as it has been. So much room for improvement, and with some clarity gained, I know Fusion can be so much better and stronger, even if maintaining our desire not to get much bigger! I am convinced we've just experienced really painful adolescence as a company, and I am so ready to grow up/mature, but recognize the need to reset bad childhood habits and practices first. So...I am ready to implement from basics again.

The most exciting result of this trip for me is that i've returned EXCITED and believing in the purpose of my business in our life's goals again. This trip gave me time to recognize in deep gratitude the many luxuries our small business has provided us as a family. Not just the financial means and freedom to travel internationally as a family every other year, but especially for the blessing to allow me personally the freedom to take as many trips across the seas to reach my parents to help whenever needed.

When in 2015 my dad was diagnosed with ALS, he and my mom needed my help and I ended up making 5 trips to India over the next 12 months, 2-3 weeks each; the last of which was to bury dad. Had I been an employee anywhere, I would have been fired or had to have quit. Which employer would allow for that kind of time? Or which small company, unsystematic as we are in many ways, could tolerate a COO in absent minded/depression/anger/grief for the next 12-18 months and still generate adequate returns to keep all staff compensated while finishing several big projects to full client satisfaction? Somehow that's what my business has afforded and provided us.

The recent years seem a blur so I don't know how we did it, but we did. No doubt being blessed with a handful of key people on my team is definitely part of the 'how'; but boy, thinking back to the intense stress and toll we've experienced through these last 4 adolescent years, while it's been a decent business it could've been so much better had I known and implemented then what I am learning now. I recognize that while the business hasn't been a lucrative one unfortunately, it has been a blessing in disguise that has afforded us significant and priceless life experiences. And I believe it still has purpose for at least a few more years.

So I want to re-commit to my initial intent at the start of 2019, to renew and refresh Fusion A.I. Design. Really thankful to have discovered AFF to help guide me to accomplish that intent. Now it is time. I aim to IMPLEMENT!

Thank you both for sharing what you know and doing what you do!

What role does your business play in serving others? Alice is working to build a business on purpose...and we hope you'll do the same!

Three things Alice did that I challenge you to do…

1. OWN Where You Are At (Good or Bad)
2. Surround Yourself With Truth AND Inspiration
3. Recommit To Your Vision, Mission, and Values!

Recently I received an email from a client who is a part of our Architects coaching program which is known as the Architecture Firm Freedom Formula (Dream Practice Accelerator) serving Architects, Engineers, and Interior Designers..

It is a program that Enoch Sears and I have run jointly for four years and we’ve had the privilege of seeing more than 100 Architects through the program around the world from Namibia, to Croatia, China, to Scotland, Canada, and the United States.

We hear regular feedback from our heroic firm owners about real life challenges they are facing, and struggles of running a successful firm.

This is an honest peek into the life of one such firm owner who was literally about to throw in the towel, but has been refreshed and recommitted after seeing the simple power of serving her widowed mother.  

Dear Scott and Enoch,

This is just an email to touch base and let you know I'm still alive:))  But more importantly, that I had a break through recently, thanks to the influence of you guys, that has me super excited and pumped to press forward with our company and renew/refresh....again! 

I had hit a bad place of uncertainty mid-year that derailed intentions initiated at the start of this year when I signed up for AFF.   I may have shared snippets between Thursday calls and the one time chat with Enoch (which was meant to discuss technical road block i have with trello), that indicated the turmoil & overwhelming state I'd arrived at with so much changing so fast in our company/structure/culture/vision, which left David and I very unsure what we wanted out of the business anymore. Vision temporarily lost!  Confusion was compounded by us both turning 50/51 and re-evaluating goals and means to accomplish them. We called into question if it made sense to keep Fusion going or take our experience/skills/knowledge to alt career paths as employees elsewhere.  

Meanwhile, we continued to be busier than expected this year, but unfortunately not all due to new revenue generating business, but rather, a considerable amount devoted to trouble-shooting and fixing unacceptable/inaccurate work performed by our ex-young team who had since moved on (we had taken time to train, or so we thought, but they didn't care enough apparently), but left us plenty of potentially liable mess ups to follow up and deal with.  Needless to say, the motivation to keep the business going waned even further as I evaluated our numbers, implementing AFF lessons, etc.  

Then October rolled around and suddenly it was time for my almost 3 week solo trip to India (booked months ago) to visit and help my mom.  Now a widow, she has relocated to her birthplace in a beautiful but remote town and I was there to help her finish out a construction project she stubbornly started at age 85, with the desire to reside on the small lakeside lot of land she inherited, next to the chapel she had built over 20 years ago for her community, from her retirement savings.  The place is fairly remote, natural, with no internet connection at her place (attaching a pic taken from roof terrace of her new final home).  So I'd hoped I'd have plenty of quiet blocks of time to really catch up on AFF modules, plus some reading, in this potentially peaceful setting.  I took both books you guys sent us (Profit First and E-Myth)...had only half finished the former in January, implemented immediately, but never finished the book.  This was going to be my time to read both! Well, turned out to be wishful thinking!!

My 3 weeks flew at a very busy pace, as I found myself having to manage union/communist mentality labor taking advantage of a single old lady; having to communicate strictly in a foreign language that I only have basic conversational skills with, amidst heavy rain storms, etc.  Kept me so fully busy every day, with no energy to read or think beyond what my mom needed. But i was there for her primarily, so it was cool. Accomplished a lot to settle her. Left her happy and comfortable, and excited that I will be back next month with David and the girls.  Something for her to look forward to this Christmas:)  

But...as I boarded the plane on Nov 11th to head back, I recognized I was still hungry to gain some clarity and sense of thoughtful professional gameplan before returning to USA, but had exhausted time, and quite frankly, my energy.  Not quite ready to give up, I decided to try something I've never succeeded at doing in the past....to stay awake in flight and read!  

I deliberately slept my first 4.5 hours flight from Kochi to Doha.  That refreshed me from immense fatigue I had felt from intense pace through day of departure.  Then on 2nd leg of journey, 14.5 hours to go before touchdown in Atlanta, I buckled down with Michael Gerber.  I thought I'd at least get the book started before I returned to David.  

Simply put....Wow!  What a great read. Just a couple of chapters in, I was hooked.  I could relate to so much, and every page resonated with sense. I devoured the book cover to cover without inflight movies or sleep for 14 hours straight -- much to the annoyance of my fellow passengers who probably wanted my light turned off.  But selfishly I wasn't about to turn it off when so many mini lightbulbs were mentally being triggered as I read on. 

The book helped me better understand the systematic modules you have organized for us to implement.  I feel stupid for waiting this long to read it! It even inspired me to crack open my notepad and think through a different ORG chart with fresh perspective (I've attached my sloppy inflight sketch here for your amusement -- lots to still iron out -- have some questions I hope AFF team can help clarify before finalizing).  I realized, the Entrepreneur in me wasn't ready to give up. Not just like that after more than 16 years of a fairly profitable business -- messy and sloppy as it has been. So much room for improvement, and with some clarity gained, I know Fusion can be so much better and stronger, even if maintaining our desire not to get much bigger!  I am convinced we've just experienced really painful adolescence as a company, and I am so ready to grow up/mature, but recognize the need to reset bad childhood habits and practices first. So...I am ready to implement from basics again.  

The most exciting result of this trip for me is that i've returned EXCITED and believing in the purpose of my business in our life's goals again. This trip gave me time to recognize in deep gratitude the many luxuries our small business has provided us as a family.  Not just the financial means and freedom to travel internationally as a family every other year, but especially for the blessing to allow me personally the freedom to take as many trips across the seas to reach my parents to help whenever needed.  

When in 2015 my dad was diagnosed with ALS, he and my mom needed my help and I ended up making 5 trips to India over the next 12 months, 2-3 weeks each; the last of which was to bury dad.  Had I been an employee anywhere, I would have been fired or had to have quit. Which employer would allow for that kind of time? Or which small company, unsystematic as we are in many ways, could tolerate a COO in absent minded/depression/anger/grief for the next 12-18 months and still generate adequate returns to keep all staff compensated while finishing several big projects to full client satisfaction?  Somehow that's what my business has afforded and provided us. 

The recent years seem a blur so I don't know how we did it, but we did.  No doubt being blessed with a handful of key people on my team is definitely part of the 'how'; but boy, thinking back to the intense stress and toll we've experienced through these last 4 adolescent years, while it's been a decent business it could've been so much better had I known and implemented then what I am learning now.  I recognize that while the business hasn't been a lucrative one unfortunately, it has been a blessing in disguise that has afforded us significant and priceless life experiences. And I believe it still has purpose for at least a few more years.  

So I want to re-commit to my initial intent at the start of 2019, to renew and refresh Fusion A.I. Design.  Really thankful to have discovered AFF to help guide me to accomplish that intent. Now it is time.  I aim to IMPLEMENT!

Thank you both for sharing what you know and doing what you do!

What role does your business play in serving others?  Alice is working to build a business on purpose...and we hope you’ll do the same!  

Three things Alice did that I challenge you to do…

1. OWN Where You Are At (Good or Bad)
2. Surround Yourself With Truth AND Inspiration
3. Recommit To Your Vision, Mission, and Values!

Last week NFL players Miles Garret and Mason Rudolph were locked in a nasty tussle that left one with a bruised head and ego, and the other with an indefinite suspension without pay (his contract is said to be worth roughly $34mm over four years).

Last week Ambassador William Taylor (acting Ambassador to the Ukraine) read prepared testimony giving insight into questionable practices from high ranking members of the United States government. While the testimony was thoroughly prepared it spawned a news cycle reaction that was swift, biased and opinionated.

I'll never forget watching a cable news network anchor standing outside of the United States Supreme Court after a judgement was written as to the opinion of the court regarding the infamous "hanging chad" ordeal in the election results of the contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore on December 13th, 2000.

The on-site reporter was literally trying to interpret the written Supreme Court decision while on air. No preparation. No moments of sobriety...just get it out and be the first to arrive.

We are obsessed with being first.

Yours truly has been known to anticipate the ticket agent who picks up the handheld microphone just prior to welcoming "Group 9" to board creating a mob-rush to the gate door in preparation for boarding so we can grab the coveted overhead space.

In sports we are losing our joy for the game in favor of coming in first. It used to be that we would sell out stadiums even when a team had a .500 season. Now, if one college team loses even just one game, they are "out".

I went back and looked at the U of S. Carolina Gamecock football team I played for from 1994 through 1997 and found we were a combined record of 22 wins, 22 losses, and 1 tie (against LSU in 1995). I am not under the illusion that fans were not unsatisfied. Our attendance was still pretty incredible through those years.

Just this weekend , Baylor University after having a monumental run being undefeated through nine college football games (an incredible feat in itself) lost in the last minute to Oklahoma and the college football powers TROUNCED them bumping them down in the rankings.

Why are we obsessed with first?

We assume that first equals easy, recognized, and having the satisfaction of "having arrived".

We really believe that "first" is going to fix things. Once we hit "first", we'll get the respect, we'll get the credibility.

It is all empty.

Of course there are comforts that come with first. Possibly big pay days, awards, recognition. If you sat with everyone who has ever come in first, you will probably find a theme.

The "before coming first" was a lot more meaningful than the "after coming first".

Many men and women who have successfully sold their businesses (aka coming in first), felt more significance while leading their business than they did upon selling their business with the contracted payout.

How can we appreciate life without having to have the constant need to come in first?

First, pause.

Start asking yourself realistically, what is the purpose? Pause, remove yourself from the emotion of the moment and and ask that question. Currently that same University of South Carolina football team, with different coaches and team members of course, are sitting at a record of 4 wins and 7 losses.

They have been calling for the head coach (Will Muschamp) to be fired for weeks. But what if we paused.

What if we thought, "who else is out there?" "What would that do to recruiting?" "Is Coach Muschamp doing a bad job?"

Turns out, last year the University of South Carolina had the highest graduation success rate in college football behind four Ivy Leagues schools and Northwestern University. Not first, but pretty impressive.

When we pause, we can think with greater clarity as to the full scope of information.

Second, pause before each transition.

The current research and literature sings in unison, multi-tasking is a lie. Time blocking is clearly a better way. Multi-tasking does not work both in research and in my own experience.

Of course time blocking does not make us feel like we are coming in first, multi-tasking does. As the day goes on today, I am committed to pausing and at least taking a deep breath before transitioning into the next action or opportunity on my Monday checklist (yes, I do have a Monday checklist.)

Third, realize that being first comes with responsibility and burden...not just opportunity.

A friend of mine is a professional musician and sometimes I think he has the life, it seems like he came in first. Until I realize that he wakes up in a different city multiple days of the week sometimes forgetting where he is because the crowds all look the same.

Then realizing that even amidst all of the lauding of fans, he has zero flexibility in his schedule. A road manager guides his every time slot.

A friend of mine has a cousin who is a NASCAR driver and is still young in his thirties. My friend got us passess and access to spend the afternoon with his cousin leading up to a famous race that evening. This driver is a multi-millionaire with major access. He spent his entire afternoon, and most of each week out of eleven months each year beholden to sponsors and crew chiefs. His time is not his own even though he came in first.

It almost seemed as if he was bound by his freedom. There are about 43 drivers on the planet that have the access he has. He came in first, and yet he's walking away from full time racing this year.

As you grow and as your business grows, make sure to pause, breath deep, find places of respite, and spend time learning how to navigate your new responsibilities, burden, and opportunity of coming in first. Not the first of winning, but the first of having the opportunity to play the game.

Scott Beebe is the founder of Business On Purpose, author of Let Your Business Burn: Stop Putting Out Fires, Discover Purpose, And Build A Business That Matters. Scott also hosts The Business On Purpose Podcast and can be found at mybusinessonpurpose.com.