Business Record - Iowa Biz

Keep it short.

Hemingway's shortest story was only six words.  You may have read it...

"For sale: baby shoes, never used."

Short.  But unbelievably powerful.

This week, Seth Godin begs us to keep it short and cut out the blah blah blah.

He says...

"No audience member, in the history of presentations (written or live) has ever said, "it was exciting, useful and insightful, but far too short."

So where could you save time by cutting out the blah blah blah today?

Shorten up a letter... a memo... an e-mail... a meeting... a presentation?

Think about it.

Do it.

Let us know.

Photo credit: theskywatcher

Can your BRAND help you with work-life balance?

I recently went through a process with Branding Guru and fellow IowaBiz blogger Drew McLellan. 

He was helping me to figure out what my "BRAND" really is.

It was an amazing experience that produced a surprising byproduct... it actually helped me with my work-life balance.

Yup, that's right.  The process of clarifying my brand for my various business endeavors helped me to clarify what I do... and just as importantly... what I DON'T do.

Drew hit me with questions like...

• What do you do on a day-to-day basis?
• What do you want to do more of?
• What don't you do?
• What do you want/need to do less of?
• How do people describe you?
• How would you want people to describe you?

We went deep and Drew continued to ask clarifying questions that pushed me. 

We boiled things down to a sentence... a phrase... that described what I do. 

What was interesting was that this process started to help me to be 100 percent clear on what to say "yes" to, and what to say "no" to.

Isn't that a key to effective work-life balance too?

I'll give you an example.  Just this past week, I was approached about an opportunity to participate in a project.  It looked like fun and there were some great people involved.  BUT... when I lined the opportunity up against what I'd discovered as my core "brand," (what I do) it didn't connect.  It didn't line up. 

In the past, I probably would have said yes, but then been overloaded by the additional commitment AND wilted because it didn't fully line up with who I am and what I do. 

Plus, there's a high chance that the weight of that "bad-fit" obligation would have carried over into my life outside of work.  It would have taken away from my time with my family and other important aspects of my life. 

So, in this case, I was able to respectfully decline, encourage them and suggest some additional people to consider.  Plus, I was able to do it with clarity and no guilt! 

Yeah... that felt good.

This concept is even more important right now as things are a little tougher financially for some.  If a business starts to experience a tightening of the belt... there is a temptation to try to become everything to everybody.  But, as I found through this BRANDING process, it's more important to focus on what you do... and do that with excellence... than try to be everything to everyone! 

That will help you to know what to say "yes" to and what to say "no" to.

So... how about you?

How about asking yourself some of Drew's questions?

They may help you with your brand... and they may... help you with your work-life balance too!

Give it a try... and let us know what you come up with!

Photo credit and kudos to: mleak

Stressed out? Take the "O.T.W. Challenge."

Imagine.

You are at your desk.  You hear someone yell "FIRE!"  You begin to smell smoke.  The fire alarm sounds.

All of a sudden your heart starts to pump.  Your adrenaline does too.  You are able to run like Lolo Jones... hurdling waste baskets... rounding corners.  You make it out of the building in record time!

That's the fear that allows your body to respond in that way.  Fear is good.  It's your body's natural defense system.  Fear is what allows people to survive in scary and dangerous places.  Yup.  Fear is good.

Now... imagine a new situation.

You are sitting at your desk and your boss walks by with an angry look on their face.  You start to wonder what would cause that "look."  You wonder if you might be part of the problem.  Your mind starts to race... filling in possible scenarios of possible mistakes you've made... or things that you've said in the past few days that could be misconstrued.  Within minutes your heart is pumping, imagining possible punishment.  You feel a bead of sweat as you ponder loosing your job.  That's worry. 

Worry isn't good.  It's what zaps your energy.  Worry is when your imagination races and paints pictures of negative outcomes.  Worry is when your creative mind works against you by creating nasty predictions.  Worry is a killer.  It's bad.

It shifts your creativity to produce negative results instead of positive solutions.

And, let's face it, with today's headlines there are A LOT of people worrying.  Aren't there?

Worry zaps your energy.  It zaps your joy.  It also causes you to over-analyze, so you get stuck.  And this can happen at work and at home.

What if you were able to break away from worry... at the office... at home?

Here's a challenge for you. 

I call it the "O.T.W. Challenge."

List out 10 times that you worried about something.  Then think about how many times the things you worried about really played out. 

Then, with each situation, ask yourself...

• What if you hadn't worried in the situation? 
• What would that have done for your creativity? 
• What would that have done for your energy? 
• What would that have done for your ability to enjoy what you were doing?

Then... in one situation over the next week... when you have the opportunity to worry... make a commitment to your self to identify it as, simply, an "O.T.W. (an Opportunity to Worry).

And then choose to not worry. 

Yup.  That's right. 

Identify it for what it is:  An "O.T.W." 

And then just say, "I'm not going to take that opportunity right now." 

See what happens.

Invite a friend to take the challenge with you.

Check with each other.  Share your results.  Encourage each other.  See if what it does for your creativity... your enjoyment... your peace of mind.

Then, click "comments" and let us know how it goes!

Photo credit and kudos to: tishay

Is it time to give telecommuting another look?

As I brainstorm with individuals and organizations on ways to improve work-life balance, one of the options that comes up is telecommuting.

The thought makes some employers bristle, for sure... the possibility of lost hours of production due to the distractions of home...  the laundry calling... the dog barking in the hopes of a walk...  phone calls from friends.

But many leaders and companies are giving it a second look, for a number of reasons beyond work-life balance.

Interestingly enough, studies have shown that creating flexibility through strategies like telecommuting can have a positive impact on loyalty AND productivity. 

I'll post more on these in the future, but for today I wanted to look as some other timely reasons companies are making the switch.

Going green is one reason. As many companies are trying to become more environmentally friendly, they look to telecommuting to help. In fact, one study found that telecommuting cut gas consumption in the U.S. by 840 million gallons last year.

Another reason is higher gas prices.  In fact, the recent increases at the pump has pushed telecommuting out of its "Just for the Young Employees" category, and made it a perk that appeals to all ages and all levels of management. One recent study of IT executives showed that 33% of the execs studied had increased the days they telecommuted last year.

Improvements in technology are opening up these possibilities as well. 

For example, I was recently conducting some generational training with a client and the issue of telecommuting came up. 

One executive quickly dismissed it by saying "That's something we tried last year, but it didn't work."

But another exec in the room quickly responded by bringing up the fact that some of their recent software upgrades would allow for a lot more flexibility and remote access.

So, they are going to give it another look.

How about you? Is it time to give it a try?

If so, here are a few tips to consider:

• Start slow
  • Find certain groups or projects to test it with
  • Set specific parameters and measure impact on performance and productivity (Many companies have seen an increase in production!)
  • Pick projects or jobs that allow for clear benchmarks for productivity
• Another tip is to offer it as a reward
  • Offer telecommuting as an option for employees that have proven themselves
  • Let it be a carrot for consistently providing excellent work and for working well independently

What do you think?

Where have you tried it?

How could it work for you? How has it worked for you? What tips would you offer?

Click "comments" below and jump in the conversation!

For some additional ideas, check out Telework Coalition.

photo credit: sean dreilinger

Rest 101

The last time I had to post on a Sunday, I asked you the question: When's your "Sabbath?"

If you remember, I challenged you... not on whether you agreed with the guidance of the Biblical command to rest on the seventh day or not... but on the concept of rest, itself.

We as a society... aren't resting much. Are we?

Our world has moved from a 9-to-5 economy, to a world-is-flat... 24/7... 365... global economy.  Haven't we?

Plus, when the markets have a roller coaster week like this past week... it's a little more difficult for some to rest.

And that's just work... right? 

Now, our kids schedules seem to be as packed as our own.  There's homework in 1st grade, piano lessons, travel teams and Tae Kwon Do.  When... in the heck... did that all happen?

Okay... so I posed this question... this challenge... back in January: "What's something you could do today... to intentionally rest?"

In all my boldness... I even took it a step further and asked... how could you do it... rest... without feeling guilty?

Well... I heard from many of you... that you started to take that challenge.  And it sounds like you... like me... have had weeks where you've gotten better at it.  And then some weeks... where you've gotten hit by the FREAKISHLY-BUSY freight train!

So, I thought that it might be good to offer a bit of a "Rest 101" course for you...

Maybe, we can take a tip from the Director of Work Leisure International, Peter Nicholls, and change our terminology of "work-life balance" to "work life harmony."  Ol' Pete says this mindset could help us achieve better balance and possibly lead to more rest.

I like the simplification concepts offered by CC Holland.  One was her suggestions to achieve better work-life balance... and be able to rest more is:

"Focus on frugality.  Hermes Aleman shares the advice to keep your needs and wants manageable, so you have some financial freedom and aren't a slave to work.  As you earn more, fight the temptation to spend more."

The glass hammer offered some great suggestions to those who are single and "Walking the Wire" of work-life balance.  One of their suggestions was to build strong relationships outside of work... and when they interviewed business women who were single... they overwhelming responded with the suggestion:

"That no matter how little time they were left with outside of the office, they had to have something else outside of work, to be passionate about.  Many of the women who responded to the survey said that a key thing for them was to make friends or get involved in an activity that had nothing to do with their job.  By doing so, they end up with a clear line separating the two, making it easier to stick with outside commitments."

Or maybe, we take a tip from a story out of Hollywood this week.  It's how the "$50-million-dollar man," Toby Maguire, took a stand for making time for family.  It was an unprecedented move in the movie industry.  He said he wouldn't step back into the Spidey costume if he didn't have time for his two leading ladies... his wife and his new baby daughter.  (Although some might balk at the fact that Ol' Toby made this move to score a bigger paycheck... I like the fact that he was ready to walk away from Spider-man 4 and 5 (and that BIG paycheck), if he didn't have time for his family.)  What could we learn from this one?

Okay... so... these writers and examples offer a few ideas on how to rest... and balance things a little better in today's busy world.

What do you have to say? 

What do you do to rest? 

More importantly, what do you do to rest without guilt?

Join in the conversation and let us know.

Photo credit and kudos to: Krasny Fotoapparat

Who are YOU running with?

Are you glad the Democratic and Republican National Conventions are behind us?

Did you get your fill of banner waving... speeches... and confetti cannons?

I'll admit that although I enjoy certain aspects of these fanfare-fests, I'm glad they are done.  However, this year, something struck me. 

Although most of us are not running for the oval office, we are running!

We're running at work.  We're running at home.  We're running to sports.  We're running to volunteer. 

Yup.  We are running.  Right?

So, I started to think about how we might take some tips from the presidential candidates... on "running."

Tip 1: Think about WHO you are running with.

A presidential candidate needs to think long and hard about who they want to run with. 

They know that they will be scrutinized for this decision.  They know that they need to pick someone (or a group of 'someones' for their cabinet positions) who will make up for their weaknesses and capitalize on their strengths.

What if we were more intentional about picking our "running" partners?

Take a challenge and ask yourself some questions that could help you to "shape" your team over time. Maybe... help you to find the best people to "run" with.  

Ask questions like:

• What type of people would I love to work with?
• What types of people would help me to stay in my 'sweet spot' more?
• What types of people could help me by doing the things I don't do well?
• What kinds of people inspire, encourage and push me?

It may seem silly, because you may not feel like you have a lot of control over the people you work with.  But getting a vision of your "ideal" team members can help you to navigate towards the right types of people and opportunities... over time.

Tip 2: Praise the people you are "running" with!

Now, I can't always say that the praise offered by political candidates is genuine, but they do tend to say wonderful things about each other. 

They point out the things their running mates do well.  They highlight their achievements.  They brag about 'em.  And they do it in front of big crowds.

What could happen if we did that for the people we work with?  What if we sang their praises?  What if we shouted it from the roof tops?  And...what if we really meant it?

What would it do for one of your team members if you just figured out a way to brag about them to the rest of the group? 

How would it make them feel to receive a BIG compliment in front of the group?  Do you think it would make their day?  Would it make their year?

Or what about at home? 

What if you just called your spouse or a friend and praised them for something they've done... or for being the person they are? 

How would that make them feel?  (Why not do it right now?)

Okay, as I wrap this up, I'll be the first to admit that we shouldn't take all of our understanding on how to live our lives from our political candidates. 

BUT... these are two tips that I'm going to try to be more intentional about. 

And that's a promise... at least for the next 4 years!

Photo credit and kudos: cq.swat and Yan Zhang

Are you exhausted from going for the gold?

So... are you exhausted?

Admit it.  Have you been staying up late to get a dose of Michael, LoLo or Shawn?

I've seen some droopy eyes lately. 

Many folks that I talk to can't tell me the last time they got eight hours of sleep, but they can tell me the color of Bob Costas' tie from last night!

I've also been hearing from people who work from home.  It sounds like these past few weeks have been especially hard to stay focused... as they've wanted to dash to their TV's for a quick hit from Beijing. 

How about you?

Can you relate?

I sure can.

So, I thought it might be helpful to do a quick refresher course on balancing work, life and major events like the Olympics.

Miss Bliss at Blissfully Domestic has some recommendations for staying focused while working from home.  She suggests making sure you are making time for personal tasks (like catching up on the Olympics or exercising), instead of trying to squeeze them in through out the day.

Karin Stewart recommends cutting out all distractions (yes... even your cell phone, e-mail and texts) for one hour a day.  She says it's amazing to experience what an uncluttered mind can achieve in a short period of time!  Yup.  That's right.  That also means not checking in on the USA's gold medal count during that time too!

Time Management Guru, Dave Crenshaw, takes a different angle and suggests promoting things like watching the Olympics.  He says, "Companies are not only wise to allow the inevitable when it comes to their employees sneaking on line peaks at the Games, but if managed the right way, it can actually improve productivity." 

So whether your sport is gymnastics, swimming or water polo... take some time.  Watch in moderation.  Root for the home team.  And still get your work done on time!

By the way... join in the conversation.  How do you balance things during big events like the Olympics?  Click on comments and share your secrets!

And lastly... go Team USA!

- Mitch

Picture credit and kudos to: jodfevic

Need a little help with your bounce?

I recently volunteered during a summer festival my church was hosting.  It included all things BBQ and inflatable!

On that hot July evening, I found myself at the base of one of those Velcro walls. 

Yup.  The kind of amusements where kids and adults zip into a jumpsuit made of Velcro, climb up on to a big pillow of air, jump a few times and then try to STICK themselves as high as they can to a equally Velcroed wall. 

It's a lot of fun.  But I have to admit that for most folks... the pillow of air and the jump didn't always work well together.  So most participants looked more like Chevy Chase than Shawn Johnson as they tried to touch the sky!

The problem was that I was the volunteer up next to the wall.  So, I stood on that same pillow of air... trying to remain upright... helping the kids go in the right direction and attach themselves to the wall.

It took me a little while to figure out my "system," but as the evening progressed I developed a way to help the kids get as high as they could.  (I'll admit that I passed on helping the heavy-set middle-aged man that stepped up and looked at me with expectant eyes!) 

As they'd step up to the wall, I'd have the kids practice jumping a couple of times.  That would let them get a feel for their own "bounce."  Then, I'd tell them on their third bounce that'd I'd give 'em a boost if they wanted it.

99.9995% of the kids accepted my offer.

So, first, I'd ask, "How high do you want to go?"

Some kids would look at me with eyes of caution and some with the eyes of Evil Knievel!

Then, once we got clear on "middle-high," "high-high" or "over-the-top," then I'd explain the next step in the process.

I'd say, "We're going to bounce three times and on the third bounce I'm going to give you a boost.  But I still need you to jump as high and as hard as you can.  I'll just help you up the wall."

Once we made our adventurous pact, I'd grab the back of their Velcro suit.  We'd bounce three times.  Then they'd jump with all their might and I'd toss with all mine. 

And they would wind up either "middle-high" or "high-high" depending on their request.  (NO, we didn't have any make it over the top, although my own 8-year-old came dangerously close!)

It was fun. 

The kids would "stick." They'd laugh or look around in wide-eyed-amazement.  Some of the parents even offered me bribes to "keep their kids on the wall" for extra five minutes! 

Yup.  It was fun. 

After the night was over, I thought about the experience some more.  I realized that the Velcro wall is a picture for life.  Isn't it?

I mean.  We all can practice our "jump."  You know... walk out our daily lives.  Try new things, learn new things, work, et cetera.

Some days looking like Chevy and some days looking like Shawn.

But when it comes down to it, in order to get to any kind of "middle-high" or "high-high" goals, we need help.  Don't we?

We need to jump as hard as we can, but it helps exponentially to have someone there to give us a "boost" and help us up the "wall."  So we "stick." 

Then, we'll be able to see things we never thought possible.

So, here's my "Velcro wall challenge" to you today... and really give it some thought.

Who could you give a "boost" to today? 

Who could you ask about their goals (either at home or at work)? 

Is it a co-worker?  A friend?  A neighbor?  Your significant other?

Ask 'em about what they want to do.  Where they want to go.  How high they want to jump.

Then ask 'em how you might be able to give 'em a boost. 

Maybe it's through some connections.  Maybe it's through giving some time on a Saturday afternoon.  Maybe it's just calling with some encouragement for that goal once a week.

Try it. 

Not with everyone, but with whomever comes to mind.  And then see what happens.

Maybe you even want to take it a step further and create a Mastermind Group of like-minded people... to take this challenge together.

And just watch... as you give some help... when you offer a little "boost" to someone else... just see what that does for you.

It might take some effort.  It might take some time.  But... as you see your friend... your co-worker... your spouse...  "stick" to heights they didn't think were possible... I'm betting it will feel great!

And don't be surprised to feel someone else grab the back of your own "Velcro suit" in the process and start to count down... 3... 2... 1... JUMP!

Take the challenge.  Keep dreaming BIG.  Let me know how it goes!

Mitch M

Photo credit and kudos: Mandy-Gill

Vince Lombardi was wrong.

According to Seth Godin, and his new book called The Dip, Ol' Vince's adage "Quitters never win and winners never quit" is bad advice.

Seth says, "Winners quit all the time.  They just quit the right stuff at the right time."

The difference is choosing the right time to quit things.  And it's choosing the right things to quit.

What's the "dip?" 

Well, it's the period of time between learning a new skill and the time when you experience success doing it. 

It's that gap between the initial excitement of beginner’s luck and sustainable success. 

You know... it's when the "learning" is tough and there's no obvious ROI for the effort. 

The "dip" is hard.  The "dip" can be lonely.  But the "dip" is where success happens.  Because... when the right people... stick it out... they can emerge the winner.

But Seth makes the point that what separates the superstars from the pack is:

• Their ability to recognize the right "dip" to push through
• Their ability to quit the wrong "dips" quickly and without guilt
• Their willingness to seek out the "dip" because they recognize the reward of pushing through the "dips" that most people wont stick out

I'll give you a simple example from my own life. 

I'm not a huge golf fan.  Many of you know that. 

In fact, I have some classic nightmare stories from the golf course. 

I used to play.  Better said, I dabbled.  Why?  Well, I was in an industry where a lot of my customers were golfers.  So, it seemed like I needed to golf too. 

Once and a while, as I played, I would hit a great shot.  One that would go right where I wanted it.  And that feeling was sweet. 

But on most days, the balls veered left or right.  Sometimes they even seemed to violate the laws of gravity to wind up in weeds or water.

More importantly, I recognized that I didn't enjoy the game.  At all.  Ever.

So, I chose to quit. 

A number of my counterparts doubted my decision.  EVERYONE golfed.  So... they thought this decision would hurt my ability to do business-as-usual.

But I quit anyway.  I chose to try something new.  I lived in Montana at the time, so I chose rock climbing.  Yup.  Rock climbing.

As it turned out, I loved it.  I WANTED to spend time doing it.  I yearned to push through the "dip" between beginner's luck and true aptitude.

I was also surprised to find out that a number of my clients rock climbed, too.  So, although most of my competitors offered to take people out golfing, I started to take people out for an afternoon of rock climbing.

And it was a hit. 

I'd take someone out, and we'd spend time hiking to a rock face.  We'd hold each other's life in the balance.  We'd push each other.  Then we'd get to hike back. 

It was different...  it was fun...  it was memorable...  AND it was a good fit.

So, since the golf was a bad fit, I quit.  Without guilt. 

Yes.  Even though a number of people thought I was crazy, I quit.

I tried something new. 

It was a good fit.  It was something worth pushing through the "dip."  And... it paid off.

How about you? 

Where are you experiencing the "dip?"  At work?  At home?

What do you need to quit (without guilt) to free yourself up to do the RIGHT things?

Whether it's at work... at home... volunteering... serving... what do you need to quit?  So, you can be doing more of the right things... more of the things that are IMPORTANT to you... more of the things that are the RIGHT fit for you?

As a coach, I get to work with people on this question a lot.  It's critical.  It can make the difference between success and defeat.  BUT sometimes it's hard.  Isn't it? 

So, don't tackle it alone. 

Seth makes this point at the end of his book, too.  He even suggests that you pass your copy of the book along to others who need to think about quiting something.  You know... to keep the conversation going.

So... let's do the same.

Join in the conversation... click "comments" and let us know about the things you're thinking you need to quit... AND/or the things you want to stick with. 

Because... whether you choose to drop it or keep it... we're in this together!

How do real people dream BIG?

Okay... so I'll admit that this post is a little self-serving.  Or at the very least... it's biased. 

Why?

Well... a few years ago, we started something called the BIG dream gathering... because we knew that EVERYONE has BIG dreams. 

We do, don't we? 

Even though many of our BIG dreams get buried or dismissed... we all have 'em.

Want proof?

Well, back in 2006, we got the idea for this thing called a "BIG dream gathering" and we hosted it at our house.  We invited a few friends over and asked them to put their BIG dreams on sheets of paper and post them on our walls. 

Then we encouraged everyone to walk around and look at each other's dreams to see if they could help out... either by offering an encouraging word, a connection or some support.

Well... the proof is in the response. 

We expected 20 or so people to arrive.  We had 60+ people come that first night.

We expected the gathering to last a few hours.  It wound up lasting a week!

Most importantly... numerous BIG dreams got launched... by real people.

Yup.  The response was overwhelming. 

And... again... it's proof positive that we all have BIG dreams.

The challenge is that we can't or don't think about them most of the time.

Some seem impossible.  Some seem too big.  Some seem too risky.  Some seem too expensive.

So... how do real people dream BIG?  How do they bust past those feelings and those fears?

Well... as the BIG dream gathering has continued to grow... we've been given a pretty amazing vantage point to see BIG dreams happen to real people.  And I ain't going to lie... it's been pretty cool.

What does it boil down to?

1. Getting some clarity.  We ask everyone who comes to describe at least one of their BIG dreams.  Plus, we ask them to tell the world about what they already have in place and what they still need.
2. Getting some help.  We have everyone put their dreams up on the walls in various categories.  (ie. Business, Family/Relationships, Education, Government, Spiritual, etc.)  Then, we encourage everyone to go around and look at each other's dreams to offer some encouragement, connections and/or help.  It's a bold step when you ask for help... but for a bunch of real people... it's been the most important thing they've done.
3. Giving some help.  It's always a good feeling to help someone else out.  But that feeling is taken to a new level when you help someone with their BIG dream.  We've seen everything from someone jumping in to assist a single mom who needed help with her daughter's car, to a venture capitalist who helped a budding biz person with ideation.  And... again... I'm still not sure who gets blessed more... the giver or the receiver.  The smiles are usually pretty big on both sides.

So... yeah... these simple concepts seem to be at the heart of how real people dream BIG!

How about you?

How do you dream BIG?  What do you do to go after those dreams?  What's worked for  you? 

Come on.  Become a part of what we call the BIG dream movement... no matter where you live.  Get clear.  Get some help.  And... give some help.

I mean heck... if it ain't us... the freaky cool biz people... then who's gonna do it? 

Who's going to get the country and the world to dream BIG again?

And hey... if you're in Des Moines on May 13th... come and dream BIG with us! 

Photo credit: Trish Toma-Lark