Why Business Teams Fail & How to Avoid It : Strong Leadership Skills For Employee Engagement & High Performance

How Well Do You TRULY Know Your Ideal Customer?

Knowing your ideal customer is important for two very specific reasons.

The first is because when we’re communicating and sharing what we do and who we do it for (some call this our value proposition) we want to be sure we are speaking directly and clearly to those who we want to buy our products or services.

The second reason this topic is important is to help us identify those potential customers that we want to avoid.

What I want for you today is for you to have the clarity and focus on your ideal customer so that it simply pours out of you every time you speak about your business and why you do what you do.

This week our topic is one of the most challenging issues facing business owners today – FINDING AND HIRING GREAT TEAM MEMBERS.

Imagine what that would look like – to have a team of people who are 100% in alignment in these critical areas – mission, vision, beliefs, values, principles and standards.

You’d be UNSTOPPABLE! 

That’s what we’re shooting for!  Not just finding a few “good” people, but consistently attracting “great” people to your team.

What do you want your business to look like in 5 years?

This week our topic is arguably one of the most important assignments for every business owner – STEERING YOUR BUSINESS. 

You may ask – how do I "steer my business"? Well, I believe you steer your business by having a compelling vision and by providing strong leadership.

Today, we're going to dive into this critical topic and give you a few tune-up tips.

These past couple of years have been difficult for many - especially those who are small business owners.  We've all had to make adjustments and "pivots" in our daily routines and our business models.

After pausing this podcast for a couple of years, we're back and stronger than ever!  Welcome to the NEW Ultimate Business Tune Up Podcast!

Each week we're going to be sharing topic-specific insights, advice and guidance to help you re-build your business so that it is stronger, better and most importantly, being operated by a "radically-engaged" team of people.

Thanks for hanging in there with us!

Rich

Most of us hate to admit it, but in order for anyone to be successful in virtually any aspect of life, business or otherwise, they must be disciplined.  Think about the guy or gal who you see at the gym who is sporting a six-pack.  How did they get that way?  By being disciplined.  How about the country western singer who just released a best-selling hit?  They were disciplined.  How about the sales person who leads the team month after month?  Yep, it’s discipline.

Everything starts with discipline.  But here’s the great part – you don’t have to disciplined in EVERYTHING you do, just in those things you want to be GREAT at!

Here’s Your Net Worth Tip of the Day

• Pick 1 thing you want to get better at right away. Be specific.

Do this for the next 30 days (without exception) and I can promise you that your improvement will be noticeable and you’ll see the change that you’ve been looking for!

To get more tips on how to improve your leadership skills, your team engagement and your business results, go to my website, www.tourdeprofit.com and you’ll find lots of free stuff there. 

And, to make progress faster in your business, ride along with like-minded business owners who share ideas, lessons learned and business strategies that are working.  You’ll find it all in my FREE, private Facebook Group: The Peloton.  Here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jointhepeloton/

Come on – join us!  And remember, whatever you do, RIDE HARD!

Your Legacy

Several events have happened recently that make me realize we are only “in the game” for a defined amount of time – and we don’t know when we’re going to get “benched”.

A City of Richardson SWAT team member was killed recently but never imagined his duty call would be his last call. My father-in-law passed away exactly 1 year to the day that he had his first stroke. And I’m sure you have someone you know who was taken “out of the game” well before their time should have been up.

While it is sad to think of these situations, I am inspired when I think of the LEGACY some of these men and women have left behind. And it makes me ask the question – “Am I building my ideal legacy every day?”

Your Net Worth Tip of the Day

Today, we are still “on the court – in the game” and have an opportunity to truly make a difference in the lives of those around us. We cannot forget that. We cannot take that for granted. We MUST use each and every day we are given to make progress on our legacy – never putting it off until tomorrow!

I’ve asked several business owners about this over the past week and as expected, many do not REALLY know what they want their legacy to be – do you?

Make time – this week – to write down your ideal legacy. What you want those you leave behind to say and think about you when you are gone. Then, begin to live each day as if it may be your last day!

One business owner I asked about their legacy opened a document they had written several years ago as the speech they hoped would be read at their funeral. It was powerful and compelling. Are you that clear? If not, take time to work this out now!

To get more tips on how to improve your leadership skills, your team engagement and your business results, go to my website, www.tourdeprofit.com and you’ll find lots of free stuff there. Now, go get ‘em this week. And remember, whatever you do, RIDE HARD!

Insane Productivity

Have you ever wondered how the uber-successful people can accomplish so much while you are always feeling stressed out and over-committed? I sure know I have!

So recently I decided to enroll in a course called Insane Productivity by Darren Hardy. The goal was to learn the principles and techniques used by the ultra-successful to achieve so much more than the average person.

I’m only half-way through the course, but I’ve already had a big “Ah Ha” that I want to share – that is, most of us have Digiphrenia and Acquired ADD!

Here’s Your Net Worth Tip of the Day

The biggest block to your being Insanely Productive is that fact that you think you are great at Multi-Tasking! But you’re not! Because it’s not how your brain works.

Rather than being able to FOCUS and get things done, we are constantly SWITCHING from one thing to another and being DISTRACTED hundreds of times each day! If you want to be Insanely Productive, you’ve got to FOCUS and AVOID DISTRACTIONS – most of which are SELF-IMPOSED!

Take out your smart phone and turn off EVERY notification! That’s right – no dinging, no buzzing, no pop-ups! Now do the same thing on your computer – turn off all alerts and pop-ups.

Now set a schedule to check your email only 4 times a day – twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon. Next, only check your phone once per hour. You may need to put it in a drawer or leave it in your car to help you avoid temptation.

Try this for just 1 week and I PROMISE that you will be amazed at how much more time you have and how easy it is to focus on getting important things done!

To get more tips on how to improve your leadership skills, your team engagement and your business results, go to my website, www.tourdeprofit.com and you’ll find lots of free stuff there. Now, go get ‘em this week. And remember, whatever you do, RIDE HARD!

Your Wildly Important Goal for 2019

Earlier this year I introduced you to a very powerful book – The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Sean Covey. It has proven to be a game-changer for many of my clients over these past years.

The premise of the book is that if you want to make significant change in your business, you need to FOCUS your attention on the One Thing that you truly want to improve. This is your Wildly Important Goal – Your WIG.

As we put a bow on 2018, the question for you is – What is YOUR WIG for 2019?

Here’s Your Net Worth Tip of the Day

Ask yourself this very important question: If everything else were to stay as it is in your business right now, what is THE ONE THING that would make the biggest, positive impact on your business right now?

Take the time to define your answer using the following formula: Improve _______ from _________ to __________ by __________. This should become your Wildly Important Goal (WIG) for 2019!

Now, go back and re-read the book, The 4 Disciplines of Execution, and put in place all 4 of the disciplines so that 2019 can be your break-out year!

Avoid the trap that many business owners fall into. That is repeating your very same experience year after year. While my Dad worked his business for over 40 years, he did not have 40 years of experience, he had 1 year of experience repeated 40 times!

Don’t let that happen to you! Make 2019 a NEW year with NEW experiences! My hope for you is that 2019 is YOUR BEST YEAR EVER!

To get more tips on how to improve your leadership skills, your team engagement and your business results, go to my website, www.tourdeprofit.com and you’ll find lots of free stuff there. Now, go get ‘em this week. And remember, whatever you do, RIDE HARD!

Be a GREAT Shepherd

As we close in on the end of another year, I want you to take time to think about how you can become a GREAT Shepherd!

We live in a place where your team members have MANY options when it comes to earning a living – why should they stay with you rather than looking for “greener pastures”? The answer should be - because you are a GREAT Shepherd!

Here’s Your Net Worth Tip of the Day

Take time this month to read or listen to the book The Way of the Shepherd by Dr. Kevin Leman. It’s an easy read, but one that will change how you consider your role as the leader of your team.

Dr. Leman outlines the 7 Principles necessary to be a GREAT Shepherd:

1 – Know the Condition of your Flock

2 – Discover the SHAPE of your Sheep

3 – Help your Sheep Identify with You

4 – Make your Pasture a Safe Place

5 – Use the Staff of Direction

6 – Apply the Rod of Correction

7 = Have the Heart of a Shepherd

The lessons are clear, to the point and powerful when applied. In this highly competitive economy, you need every advantage you can find – this is a BIG one!

Get the book and read it by the end of the year! Don’t put this off! Make this your new model for demonstrating leadership – and those who truly “know your voice” you will follow you anywhere!

To get more tips on how to improve your leadership skills, your team engagement and your business results, go to my website, www.tourdeprofit.com and you’ll find lots of free stuff there. Now, go get ‘em this week. And remember, whatever you do, RIDE HARD!

Work Hard to Retain Good Customers!

My wife and I recently spent time updating our vision for our future – where to live, where to travel, what to accomplish, and how to manage our finances. It’s an exercise I would HIGHLY recommend to any married couple.

As part of this discussion, we agreed to stop spending money on several subscriptions and services that we had been paying for but not fully utilizing.   So the following Monday, I send cancellation notices to 6 different companies after having been a customer for many years with all of them.

The result….CRICKETS! With the exception of 1 company, the response was either silence or a polite “we will miss you.” ARE YOU KIDDING ME!

Here’s Your Net Worth Tip of the Day

Be willing to FIGHT to retain your Good Customers!

I’m the first to recommend you say “good riddance” to any customer that is a C or D customer. But if they are an A or B customer, you’ve got to FIGHT to keep them! Here’s how to show them you care about their decision to leave you:

• Respond QUICKLY – the same day if possible, and express your sincere disappointment.

Take some time to review your current customer list and ask them how it is going BEFORE they come to the decision to make a change. Be Pro-Active. It is much more expensive to win a new customer than it is to retain an existing customer!

To get more tips on how to improve your leadership skills, your team engagement and your business results, go to my website, www.tourdeprofit.com and you’ll find lots of free stuff there. Now, go get ‘em this week. And remember, whatever you do, RIDE HARD!