This Week with Sara Fitts

2011-11-20T14:11:00.001-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts celebrates Thanksgiving Week. It's hard to believe how fast time is going by - and that Thanksgiving is here! I'm sitting here reflecting on all the things - and people - that I'm thankful for. But in addition to being thankful - the stress of the holidays often shows up when we least need it. And this post is going to address the stress - and how to (hopefully!) keep it at bay.

Have a standing appointment with yourself. Do something every single day just for you. It can be reading - even a chapter or a few pages of a novel. It can be listening to music - even if it's just one or two songs. It can be a short walk - or a few minutes in your favorite chair - just listening to the quiet. Make this a priority, and I guarantee that you'll have less stress.
Eat a healthy diet. Eat more of the healthy foods and eat less of the foods that aren't good for you. "All things in moderation" can be a good guide here.
Exercise. An hour workout 3 times a week is fabulous if you can do it; however, even a little exercise every day is helpful. Do what you can do to move more. While brushing your teeth, you can do balance exercises by raising one foot at a time. You can dance to good music once a day - even if for one song. When you park your car, pick a parking space that requires some walking. The bottom line is this: move around as much as you can.
Drink more water. Water is one of the best ways to de-tox your body. Try it and see what happens.
Protect yourself. If you can't do something, say "no." If you can't talk right now, let the voicemail work for you. If you need a minute, take one. If you need to breathe, stop and breathe. I don't mean avoidance here - just managing your stress and emotions.
Don't procrastinate. Stop putting off things that must get done. As my dad used to say, "Stop talking about it and just get it done!" These words have helped me reduce my stress more than anything else.
Smile - even at strangers. As you walk down the street, to your bus stop, or from the parking lot - smile. Smile as much as you can. It makes other people smile, too. It also makes your day better. And your face will have less stress, too, because frowning uses more muscle-movement than smiles do! :)
Plan. A lot of frustration - especially around the holidays - is caused when we say yes when we want to say no. So plan how you want to spend your holidays, and plan what your answer will be when someone asks you to do something you may not want to do.

These eight suggestions listed above serve as my Simple Little Formula for handling holiday stress. Try it and see if this Simple Little Formula helps you.

Sara L. Fitts is a teacher, coach, and motivator who designs and develops Simple Little Formulas for Success. Visit www.SLFConsulting for more information. You may contact thecoach@SLFConsulting.com to schedule a free 30-minute session.

Sara Fitts Reflects on 2008

2008-12-31T14:07:00.003-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts reflects on 2008 on this New Year's Eve afternoon. As is my tradition of many. many years I use this day to reflect on the past year and assess the entire year in this afternoon while planning the new year.

2008 had many good points, several struggles, and lots of opportunities for growth - both personal as well as professional. I had my best business year ever during 2008 from January to June. Then the economy hit me like it hit so many others. July was a real turning point for me. Then in August I accepted a position in DC Government with DCPS as a coach - actually, a professional developer. My business skills were used in a whole new way in an educational setting.

In October I reached a personal milestone that I had prepared for over a period of 18 months. It was fabulous - and still is! Lesson learned: planning, goal-setting, and implementation plans work!

Since August my routine has certainly changed - I rise before 3:30 a.m. and am on my way to my office even before 5:00 a.m. I arrive back home between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. My routine is definitely different - and life is good!

If I had to bottom-line what I've learned in 2008, this is it:

Faith is really the way to live life for me.
New things don't have to be scary.
One can definitely be fit by 50.
When you love what you do, you do it better and you enjoy it much more.
When you embrace what is difficult, it gets easier - and you find joy in it.
When you look for the joy in everything, you find it.
When you get out of the boat in faith, your feet really do stay dry. (Thanks Stuart!)
Planning, goal-setting, action plans, and implementation of the action plan moves one forward faster than flying by the seat of one's pants.
One can be older and wiser without being old.
Escape is necessary - especially in the form of music, books, movies, and good conversation.
Life is good - because (to quote my grandmother) nothing is ever so bad that it can't be worse.
Results are the real returns on investments. So to invest in oneself is the way to go!

And looking to 2009, these are just a few of the goals I have:

to learn French - and be able to speak it
to maintain personal fitness and wellness
to be as financially fit as possible
to enhance my appreciation of art and music
and to live each day to its fullest with no regrets

Thank you for indulging me on this New Year's Eve. I wish you much happiness and many blessings in 2009. Happy New Year!

Sara

Sara Fitts is a personal and business coach as well as professional developer. She motivates and coaches individuals and business owners. For a confidential appointment with Sara, please contact her @ thecoach@SLFConsulting.com or call her @ 703.791.4741. Visit www.SLFConsulting.com for more.

Get Your Personal Needs Met Once and For All

2008-07-29T08:33:00.002-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at principle #13 of Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: get your personal needs met, once and for all.

The theory behind this principle is based on the thought that if you have unmet needs, you'll attract others in the same position. Another way of saying it is this: You have more needs than you know, and they are distracting you.

Why do we have unmet needs at all? Well, for one thing, most of us have been raised not to be needy. Being needy is not a positive thing; therefore, we haven't focused on our needs. This can be a huge negative, though. Because we all have needs - and it is OK to acknowledge these needs.

Needs are different from values. Simply defined, a need is what you must have in order to be your best. Needs are not optional for this very reason. No one can be attractive to others if they are not getting their basic needs met. Attraction just can't happen if unmet needs exist.

How do we get our personal needs met, then?

Accept that we all have needs - and they are essential to our happiness and our own well-being.
Identify the most important need we have. [Is it to be validated? Is it to be heard? Is it to have our work acknowledged?]
Identify one additional need. [What else is important to you? What else must you have in order to be your best?]
Acknowledge that these needs are important - imperative, actually - in order for you to attract everything you want in your life.
Make sure our two most important needs are met every single day.

The benefits of getting our needs met are amazing. We will begin to be more open - and more attractive - to others as well as ourselves. And by being more attractive to others and ourselves, we will attract much more of everything we want in our lives and in our work.

Today's Powerful Question for you: What are your two most important needs and how will you get them met?

Eliminate Delay

2008-07-21T09:17:00.002-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts continues discussing Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction with principle # 12: eliminate delay.

Delay is increasingly expensive - and very unattractive both personally and professionally. It is extremely stressful when we are waiting on someone for information, service, or just a call back. It is also stressful for the person who is causing your delay - because they are very likely overwhelmed and paralyzed by delay themselves.

Eliminating delay will create much more peace - personally and professionally - as well as increase productivity and efficiency at an incredible rate. Eliminating delay will create space in your day - and give you much more time for what is most important to you. Eliminating delay will automatically reduce your level of stress as well as the stress levels of all whom depend on you.

Eliminating delay will make you more attractive - more attractive to your colleagues, your customers and clients, your employer or employees, and your family and friends. When you are more attractive, more things will come to you - more time, more money, more fun, more peace, more space. If you will eliminate delay, you will attract more of everything you want in your life and in your work.

How can you eliminate delay? There are many ways to eliminate delay - and here are a few to get you started:

Refuse to "talk it to death" and just get it done.
Respond immediately to all requests, if possible. Otherwise, schedule specific times to return phone calls, emails, requests for information, etc.
Refuse to keep an inventory of "To Do" items. Instead, keep up with your list of to-do items and get them done.
Face your fears and reduce personal processing time to get things done. Perfection really doesn't exist - revision can occur later. Just start the project and refuse to fear the project.
Prepare in advance for possible delays. Have a plan to address them.
Filter out negative thoughts and words.
Automate and simplify your processes as much as you can.
Find out what you are waiting for - the real reason for your delay.

The most important way to eliminate delay is this: the mindset has to change. The paradigm must shift. We have to really want to eliminate delay in order for it to happen. We have to make all the changes that are necessary in order to be successful in this principle.

I really think that eliminating delay is one of the most important things we can do in our lives and in our work. We can eliminate delay in all areas of our lives and work - we can eliminate delay in forgiveness, in acts of kindness, in offering peaceful solutions to conflicts, in making simple phone calls or answering emails. How many times in any given day have we delayed doing what needed to be done? We all can eliminate delay - and we need to begin right now!

Create a Vacuum which Pulls You Forward

2008-07-14T09:46:00.002-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts discusses principle # 11 of Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: create a vacuum which pulls you forward.

Thomas always said that being pulled forward is attractive, but pushing forward is not.

It really is much easier to be pulled forward as opposed to being pushed. I don't like feeling pushed and I'm sure you don't either. If we can create a vacuum that pulls us forward, then we have positioned ourselves for success.

There are many ways in which we can create a vacuum that pulls us forward. One way is to be driven by a vision rather than just a goal. We can all have goals - and certainly should have goals! - but when we can have a vision and see the end result clearly in our minds, we can be pulled forward quicker and easier. The best way to do this is to simply begin with the end in mind. Then hold onto the vision and keep it clearly in your mind's eye. Let the vision pull you forward.

Another way we can create a vacuum that pulls us forward is to surround ourselves with those who bring out the very best in us. When we design our own support team and stay away from negative people as much as possible, we are clearly better set up for success.

Yet another way to create a vacuum to pull us forward is to unhook ourselves from who we were. Rather than focus on who we were we need to focus on who we are right now. Let go of the past and live in the present. By doing this simple thing, we can create a powerful vacuum that will pull us forward.

The point of these principles of attraction is to make us better in all aspects of our lives. Whether we embrace one or two of these principles - or whether we take one each week - the effort of doing something different can be powerful.

If we can create a vacuum which pulls us forward, then we can attract more of everything we want in life.

Deliver Twice What You Promise

2008-07-07T12:39:00.005-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts continues with principle #10 from Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: deliver twice what you promise.

I really like this principle of attraction because it is quite possibly the easiest one to implement as well as the easiest to get immediate results from. It's quite possibly the best advice any of us can use in life as well as in business. Deliver twice what you promise.

Deliver twice what you promise. How can you do this?

Cut your promised time in half by getting back to everyone in exactly half the time you originally promised. If I tell you I'll get back to you in an hour, I'll really get back to you in 30 minutes or less. If I tell you a project will take a month, I'll really get it done in 2 weeks.

Double your promised results by adding quality, service, and time on task. Customers and clients will absolutely love this because it's like getting a "2 for 1" deal. If I tell you I can help you increase sales by 15%, I'll really help you increase sales by 30%.

Arrive early and stay late - in order to get the job done. Never watch the clock to the point where you run out on a client or customer at their expense.

Keep your word, and then some. Always add your own brand of value to your customer or client - or your neighbor, for that matter.

Consistently exceed people's expectations - as well as your own. Believe in your work and in your ability to deliver.

Never limit yourself - or what you can do for others.

Be sincere in your delivery. Be authentic - or else it will never work for you.

Instead of talking too much and telling too much of what you can do for your customer or client, just do what you can do. Actions really do speak louder than words.

Under promise and over deliver - simply for the joy of it. Enjoy what you can deliver - and do it.

Stop talking about it and get it done. It's all about the results.

If you really want to attract more of everything you want in life, deliver twice what you promise. It really does work when you are sincere and enjoy what you can deliver for others.

Get a Fulfilling Life, Not Just an Impressive Lifestyle

2008-06-23T10:16:00.002-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts continues with Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction. This week we are looking at principle # 9: get a fulfilling life, not just an impressive lifestyle.

It really doesn't matter what car you drive, what designers you wear, what house you live in, where you vacation and how many times you travel in a year. You may have an impressive lifestyle - and that's fine. However, in the bigger scheme of things, all that doesn't matter at all if your life isn't fulfilling.

I believe that there is a huge distinction between living a life and having a lifestyle. The two are often interchanged and some feel are mutually exclusive. Thomas asked the question, "How much of my life is being consumed by my lifestyle?" and I think the question is powerful.

What are you really about? What do you really want to accomplish in your life? What about your life isn't really you at all? Interesting questions that need to be answered if you are going to attract all that you want in life.

Try this exercise - and see what happens.

Take an hour and sit in a quiet space and connect with yourself.
Write down what your own ideal life would look like.
Who would you really be? Where would you be? How would you feel? What would you do?
After an hour, stop the exercise. Let some time pass - and go back and read what you wrote. Tweak it as necessary.
Start living your ideal life. Don't hesitate.

Remember that a fulfilling life is not about an impressive lifestyle. It's so much more than that!

Much more to come from Sara Fitts......

Become Irresistibly Attractive to Yourself - and Attract More of What You Want

2008-06-18T09:01:00.002-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts continues the focus on attraction with the 8th principle from Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: become irresistibly attractive to yourself.

What does this mean exactly? It means that in order to attract any bit of what we want in life, we must look the part, play the part, feel the part, and be the part. We need to show up as if we already have attracted what we want. We must become irresistibly attractive to ourselves in order to fully attract what we want in life.

How do we become irresistibly attractive to ourselves? The answer, as far as I'm concerned, is this: Whatever it takes to make us feel empowered and 100% engaged in life is what we need to do in order to become irresistibly attractive. It is whatever makes us feel the very best about ourselves.

What makes you feel empowered and engaged? What makes you feel good about yourself? How do you see yourself in your mind's eye when you are feeling your best? Are you 10 pounds lighter? Is your hair a different style, cut or color? Are you wearing clothes that fit in a certain way? Are you smiling? Are you happy? Do you portray your happiness to others? How do you make other people feel when they are around you? Are you positive or negative in your thoughts, words, and actions? Are you irresistibly attractive to yourself?

One of my clients puts this principle in this way: If you were in a crowded room, would you ask yourself out?

I look at it this way: What qualities and attributes are attractive to you? Do you possess these same qualities and attributes?

How can you become irresistibly attractive to yourself? Really think about it - and define what would make you irresistibly attractive to yourself. Then put it into practice.

Become irresistibly attractive to yourself - and attract more of everything you want.

Market Your Talents Shamelessly

2008-06-12T10:34:00.002-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts features the 7th principle from Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: market your talents shamelessly.

This principle is difficult for most of us - but it really shouldn't be. After all, if we don't tell others how good we are at what we do, we will not attract what we want. Now this is totally different from bragging and rudeness! What I mean is that we should market ourselves and our talents by simply deciding what we want others to know - and then tell them exactly what we want them to know about what we can do for them.

My simple little formula for marketing your talents shamelessly is simply this:

List all of your talents, skills, and attributes.
Then draft a paragraph or two describing how you utilize your talents in order to help others. Be as specific as possible.
Develop a tag line - and use it every single time you speak to people.
Make a list of all the groups within your personal and professional network. Contact them and simply "re-introduce" yourself to them - letting them know what you can do for them and/or for people they know.
Follow up with everyone - and specifically tell them what you can do for them and others.

Market your talents shamelessly. Live up to your billing. And experience attraction. You will attract more business, more opportunities, more of everything. And success will be a by-product.

Affect Others Profoundly

2008-06-03T11:00:00.002-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at principle # 6 of Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: Affect others profoundly.

I think we can affect others profoundly in a number of ways - some negative and some positive. My focus is only on affecting others profoundly in positive ways. We can enhance the way we affect others and here are some simple ways to do that.

Listen twice as much as you speak.
Say what you mean.
Put a positive spin on everything - and still be realistic.
Be realistic.
Don't make judgements about people or their actions. Accept them as individuals.
Get rid of negativity.
Say something that matters every single time you say anything at all.
Create win-win situations.
Stop participating in win-lose situations.
Personalize things instead of using generalizations.
Recognize the contributions of others - and acknowledge them (both the contributions and the person).
Reward hard work.
Empower others.
Focus on the goose and not on the golden eggs. People are always more important than the products they make.
Make others feel special and important.
Expect to find the best in others - and you will.
Never miss an opportunity to tell someone how much you care about them and what they mean to you.
Assess the value that others bring to your life - and then acknowledge it to them.
Say "thank you" often - and mean it.
Remember names.
Remember that enthusiasm spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.
Loosen up and enjoy life - this will really affect others profoundly.
Be authentic.
Be consistent - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Think outside the box.
Extend your boundaries.
Be more frightened of old ideas than new ones.
Embrace new opportunities.
Encourage others at every opportunity.
Be bold.
Be courageous.
Be honest.
Celebrate others.
Smile.
Be pleasant.
Enjoy life - and enjoy living.
Laugh.
Make it about others and not about you.
Give instead of take.
Leave things better than you found them.

As you can see, my list can go on forever. But it really is all about the little ways we can all affect others profoundly. The ways themselves do not have to be profound in order to have profound effects.

When we affect others profoundly in positive ways, we will attract more of everything that is good in this world. I wholeheartedly believe this. Success is simply a by-product.

Add Value for the Joy of It

2008-05-27T10:04:00.002-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts focuses on principle # 5 from Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: Add value for the joy of it.

Too often we fail to find joy in what we do - much less add joy in our lives intentionally. So this principle seems to make a point to me personally that we can add joy to our lives and to our work simply by adding value for the joy of it.

How can we add value? There are many ways. Among them, both personally and professionally, can be found in this short list:

Kind words
A smile
"Please" and "thank you"
2 for the price of 1
Buy 1, get one 50% off
Free gift with purchase
An extra coaching session
More time
More service
"Extra" services
Lunch or dinner
Face time
Phone time
Gift cards
Personal notes
An unexpected voicemail message

Anything of real value is appreciated by just about everyone. And the pay off we get is exponential. The secret is that the value must be given authentically. When we give value for the sheer joy of it, we get so much more out of life in every aspect.

Build a Super-Reserve in Every Area of Your Life

2008-05-20T09:39:00.002-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at Thomas Leonard's fourth of his 28 Principles of Attraction: Build a super-reserve in every area of your life. Each of these principles works to attract more of everything you want in your life and in your work. By utilizing any one of these principles, you will attract more to you. When you combine any two or more of these principles, you will have even greater success in attracting more of everything you want in your life and in your work. So over the next 24 weeks or so, you will have your own personal arsenal of attraction principles that will open more doors for you than you can ever imagine. The real secret here is to be open to the possibilities and make the most of the opportunities that appear right before your eyes.

Build a super-reserve in every area. What this means to me is simply this: Stop limiting yourself and extend your boundaries in all areas of your life. Build more time into your schedule so that you can have more energy. Build more space into your life so you can accomplish more. Build a larger network of support so you can experience sustainable achievement. Build greater friendships with everyone - so you can have a fuller and more fulfilled life. The list is infinite when you stop and really think about it.

Build a super-reserve in every area. Some people think this only applies to money. Of course, some money is necessary in order to live day-to-day; however, money is really not the main focus of this principle of attraction. But it certainly doesn't hurt to build a super-reserve of it, either! In this regard, saving as much money as you can would not be a bad thing.

Build a super-reserve in every area. Time is definitely a huge struggle for a lot of us. There are several ways to build a super-reserve of time - even in the most harried of lives. Some simple ways to build a super-reserve of time is to know what is most important to you - and to live in that authenticity. If your family is most important to you, find ways to visit with them and make each visit worthwhile. If your spouse is most important to you, find ways to express that even when you are running from one task to another. Whatever is most important to you should drive your goals and actions. [Of course we all must earn a living, but we must find ways in which to live in congruence with our values.]

Build a super-reserve in every area. Health, wellness and fitness cannot be taken for granted. We must build a super-reserve especially in this area, I think. Everything we do is a reflection of our health, wellness and fitness. We need exercise, the right foods, rest and recreation - for creativity, for simple movement, for the ability to work and live, as well as for sustainable strength to keep us going for all our (hopefully) long lives.

Build a super-reserve in every area. This is something that we all need to seriously think about - as it relates to attracting more of what we want in our lives and in our work. What do you plan to build super-reserves in? What do you need more of in your life? What do you need less of in your life? Really think about this - and then do something about it. Delay is increasingly expensive - and time is getting away from us. Start building super-reserves today - and see how the principle of attraction works in your life and in your work.

Over-Respond to Every Event - and Attract More of Everything

2008-05-12T09:06:00.002-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts continues with the third of Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction. Over-respond to every event. When we over-respond to every event, we leave nothing undone; therefore increasing the probability of success in our endeavors - both personal and professional.

What does it mean to "over-respond" to an event? Basically, it means doing everything possible to ensure successful accomplishment of the intended goal or objective. Some ways include:

Following up and following through on all correspondence and calls
Confirming all appointments
Assuming nothing - and asking specific questions
Assuming nothing - and repeating back what you think you heard
Dropping in on new customers or clients
Dropping in on former customers or clients
Implementing a 3-pronged approach for follow-up: email, call, card or note
Implementing a 3-pronged approach for marketing
Going the extra mile - whether it's a dinner party or a business meeting - making it special and making the person on the receiving end feel important

There are many ways to over-respond to every event. And when we do, it shows that we care about our business life and our personal life - and the lives of those we touch.

So to re-cap the first three components of my Simple Little Formula for attracting more of everything we want in life and in business,

Become incredibly selfish.
Unhook yourself from the future.
Over-respond to every event.

Put these three principles in play in your life this week, and see what happens. My prediction is that you will experience more in your life and in your work.

Stay tuned for more to come!

Unhook Yourself from the Future in Order to Have More of Everything

2008-05-05T08:27:00.003-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts continues with the 28 Principles of Attraction from Thomas Leonard. This week we discuss the second of his principles: Unhook yourself from the future.

I firmly believe that too often we focus on tomorrow and next year and 5 years from now - at the expense of today. If we can simply unhook ourselves from the future and focus on today and the immediate needs of our lives and our work, we will attract much more in our lives and in our work.

The benefits of unhooking from the future are many - but the ones that readily come to mind are:

Living more in the moment - experiencing more of the immediate.
We actually get more done - because our focus is actually more narrowed in the present.
We can "zoom in" on today - and avoid the trappings of being too focused on the future.
We can actually assess and evaluate our efforts and results today - and make the necessary changes that will affect the future.
We can break down our big goals into bite-sized chunks and can get ahead much more easily.
We can see results faster when unhook ourselves from the future.

While I believe in setting long-term goals (both personally and in business), it is often too easy to get so wrapped up in the future that we can forget the joy of each day. Days can become a blur when we focus too much on the future. When we unhook ourselves from the future, we can actually enjoy the journey so much more.

So try this exercise in your personal life and in your business life. For 1 week unhook yourself from the future. Concentrate your efforts on the day-to-day routine and the daily tasks that must get done. At the end of each day, assess and candidly evaluate where you are. Begin each day with a clear plan of what must be done today - and keep yourself unhooked from the future. The old adage "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today" is a form of this philosophy, I guess.

Unhook yourself from the future - and have more of everything in your life.

More to come.....

Become Incredibly Selfish - and Attract More Business

2008-04-28T10:20:00.002-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts is going back to the basics to create more ways for self-employed professionals, entrepreneurs, and small business owners to bring in more business in this economic climate. Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction form the basic tenets for my suggestions. Thomas was my coach and mentor - and a very dear friend - who taught me so much about business - and life.

The principle that I'm focusing on this week is: Become incredibly selfish.

Selfishness doesn't have to be a bad thing. It actually can be the best thing you can do for yourself, your family, your business, your life. When you put yourself first and make you and your business a priority, all kinds of amazing things happen.

How to become incredibly selfish in your business environment:

Cut loose all clients who drain you. Do it today, if possible. The energy you gain will bring in more clients almost immediately.
Ramp up your qualifying requirements. Just because business may be slower right now doesn't mean you need to jump on just any live client or customer. Be extremely selfish about who you "allow" to become a client or customer.
Do only the things that bring in the best business - in other words, rid your environment of all the systems that aren't working for you. Be incredibly selfish about what you do in your workplace. If a system isn't working, get rid of it.
Become incredibly selfish by surrounding yourself with only the best staff. Get rid of non-performers today. Cut back on negativity and everything (and everyone) who isn't moving the business forward.
Become the best personally and professionally that you can become - and stop at nothing in order to be the best. Hire a personal trainer and a personal coach - and develop your full potential. Begin the process today - because it will take longer than you want it to take.

By becoming incredibly selfish, you will start to see business results fairly quickly. It must become a mission for you - not just a fad to try for a day or two. This mindset must pervade everything you do in order for it to bring in more business for you.

If you'd like to know more about becoming incredibly selfish, contact me directly - and I'll give you an hour of my time to work on your business.

Sara Fitts

Get in Gear for a Fabulous Spring

2008-03-24T10:53:00.002-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts is dedicated to making the most of the springtime and moving forward - regardless of the economy. I say this with all due respect and with all common sense; however, I truly believe that what we focus on expands - hence my focus on getting in gear and getting the economy moving rather than ringing our hands and suffering in the "what-if" mentality.

Small business owners, entrepreneurs, and self-employed professionals are extremely aware of the economic climate right now - regardless of industry or specialty. And that is a given. However, I propose that we all (I'm self-employed, too) refuse to focus on the doom and gloom and instead focus on getting in gear with the hopefulness of springtime.

Perhaps it is the Easter season or perhaps it is the spring or maybe it's just more daylight at the end of the workdays that has given me new hope and a feeling of hopefulness - even in the midst of bad economic news. I am forging ahead with a new sense of purpose and am encouraging my clients to do the same.

How can small business owners, entrepreneurs, and self-employed professionals get in gear and move forward right now? Here are some simple ways to shift the focus to the more positive aspects of our work.

Relieve your stress. Work out, exercise, engage in a sport or hobby, read a novel, watch a movie. Do anything that gives you a different perspective. Relax and enjoy some recreation.

If you have extra time as a result of lost business, take time to re-connect with your spouse, your friends, your family, your neighbors. Make the most of the time you have - every single day regardless of why you have extra time.

Volunteer in your community. Give something back to the community where you live or where you work. Be a mentor or tutor in a school. Coach a sport.

Make better financial decisions. Seek the help of financial experts. Save money everywhere you can. Cut costs everywhere you can. Cut back on your personal expenses where you can. Cut back on your business expenses where you can.

Revise your business plan to reflect the changes you need to make as well as those changes you have already made. Your business plan should be a working document and tool for your success.

Limit the amount of time you watch the news and read the financial and business reports. Remember, what you focus on expands!

These ramblings of mine today may help some of you - and some of you may think I've actually lost my mind. But I firmly believe that what we focus on expands. And I personally am focused on success and not failure.

I challenge all small business owners, entrepreneurs, and self-employed professionals to focus on success and all things positive and motivational - and to move forward in a spirit of hopefulness and newness in this springtime.

International Coaching Week 2008

2008-02-04T09:19:00.000-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts announces and celebrates International Coaching Week 2008 this week. The purpose of International Coaching Week is to highlight the benefits of coaching - both business coaching and personal coaching. As I celebrate my profession this week, I plan to provide several free resources as my personal contribution to the profession.

Coaching is a forward-moving process that faciliates growth and development while targeting specific areas in one's life and in one's business. The coach has many roles within the coaching process. Some of the roles that a coach plays are:

motivator and cheerleader to keep you focused and moving forward
confidential sounding board
personal advisor and confidante
accountability
wake-up call when one is needed
personal team builder
a trusted source that provides different perspectives
a trusted colleague for self-employed professionals
candid commentator who holds nothing back
facilitator that moves you forward and helps you get solid results
someone who asks the hard questions - and expects answers
someone who asks the hard questions - and gets the answers

Coaching is a powerful tool for any business and any life - at least the ones who want to improve their results, their bottom line, and their productivity. This week there are many opportunities to sample my style of coaching - and I invite you to join me as I celebrate International Coaching Week 2008.

As a reader of this blog, you are invited to schedule a free coaching session with me. Please contact me via my website (http://www.SLFConsulting.com ), via email (thecoach@SLFConsulting.com ) or via phone (703.791.4741). I look forward to showing you the power of coaching this week.

Are you Helping or Hindering Your Progress?

2008-01-28T09:17:00.000-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts asks an extremely important question related to your future success. For those of you who know me personally, you know that I almost always ask questions that are open-ended and powerful; however, today I am asking a powerful question that is of the either/or variety. Are you helping or hindering yourself? Are you helping or hindering your efforts to grow personally and professionally? Are you helping or hindering your staff and their efforts? Are you helping or hindering your own business?

I believe that in order for us to be as successful as we possibly can be, we must be 100% candid with ourselves - first and foremost. We cannot tell ourselves that we are the best in our field if we clearly are not. We cannot tell ourselves that our employees would follow us into battle if they won't. We cannot be less than 100% candid with ourselves if we are to attain the success we are capable of experiencing.

Are you helping or hindering your progress? Take this morning as your own personal example. Did you set yourself up for success or did you set yourself up for failure? Did you get up on time and get to work without unnecessary hassles within your control? Did you schedule a 9:00 a.m. meeting that you know you should have put at 10:00 a.m. - since it's Monday and you know how things go on Monday mornings when you've been away since Friday afternoon? Did you overbook your calendar today? Did you over-promise and under-deliver?

Are you helping or hindering your progress? Do you have a staff that is paid to support you? Do you help them or hinder them? Do you thank them for their support - even if they get paid to do their jobs? Do you hang in there with them to meet the deadlines? Do you help them or hinder them?

Are you helping or hindering your progress? Are you doing everything you can to forward your momentum? Are you doing anything to sabotage your success?

The question that I ask you this morning is not intended to be negative in any way; it is meant to be provocative and motivating. We all have improvements to make in our lives and in our businesses. And we owe it to ourselves and our employees (if we have them) to do everything we possibly can to move forward. This same question was asked of me yesterday - and I'm answering it - and sending it along to you as well. It is a powerful question with almost infinite possibilities for massive, exponential growth in all areas.

So, I challenge you to answer this question candidly - and listen to the answer. Are you helping or hindering your progress?

More to come.....

Setting the Right Goals Makes All the Difference

2008-01-07T09:11:00.000-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts focuses on setting the right goals for your small business in order to get the best results in 2008. Another way of putting this might be found in this quote that I like to use with my clients: If we do not change direction, we are liable to end up where we are headed.

The Simple Little Formula I use with my clients to set goals is basically this:

Begin with the end in mind. On December 31, 2008 where do you want your business to be? What results do you want to achieve? What is your vision of your business one year from now?
Be specific. Use concrete language. Instead of saying "increased revenue" state how much of an increase in revenue is needed or desired. Be as specific as possible. If you aren't specific, how will you know if you have succeeded?
Make your goals measurable. Use specific criteria in order to know whether or not you are successful in your actions. How will you know your plan is working? How will you know it isn't?
Make sure you can reach the goals you set. Are they attainable? Is it realistic to believe that you can achieve the results you want? It is highly unlikely to increase revenue in 1 year by 200%. Make sure you set yourself and your small business up for success and not failure.
Break each goal down into specific actions with deadlines for each action. This is the crucial piece that so often gets left undone. Give yourself time to reach the goal by putting a plan in place that will provide opportunities for success.
Hold yourself accountable for all aspects of the goals, plans, and deadlines. You must be accountable for the results you plan to get. Know that you are accountable for your results period - good or bad. But set yourself up in order to get the best results possible.
At the end of each deadline time frame, assess and evaluate your goals, your actions, and your results. Are you heading in the right direction? Do you need to make any small changes? Do you need to change direction? Are you pleased with your progress? How big is the gap between where you are and where you need and want to be? How can you improve?
Each quarter review your numbers and your current results. [You may want to do this monthly instead.] Candidly assess and evaluate each piece of the overall plan. Make the changes that are necessary. Do the work that needs to be done in order to make 2008 your best year yet.
Setting the right goals makes all the difference in your life and in your business.

If you would like to schedule a strategy session, please contact Sara L. Fitts to arrange it.

http://www.SLFConsulting.com 703.791.4741

Get in Gear for a Great 2008!

2008-01-03T09:16:00.000-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts wishes all of you a wonderful New Year! In order to make 2008 a great year, here are some questions that may guide your action plan and help you get in gear for the New Year!

What accomplisments are you most proud of in 2007?
What didn't get done in 2007?
Did you have any disappointments in 2007? What actions or inactions led to them?
What is the biggest change you want to make in 2008?
What change (or changes) in your behavior patterns will be necessary in order to make the biggest change in 2008 a reality?
What needs to happen on your part in the next 30 days in order to be ready to achieve the results you want in 2008?

Get in Gear and make 2008 your best year yet!

10 Ways to Recognize Your Employees

2007-11-14T09:46:00.000-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts continues ...Here are 10 ways you can recognize your hard-working employees. I strongly recommend employee recognition as a means of saying thank-you, rewarding hard work, and building morale that will last forever. I'd love to add to this list - so please let me know what you do to reward your employees.

Lunch or dinner with the boss and management team.
Give an afternoon off - or a day or two off.
Construct a bulletin board with pictures, notes, letters, etc. celebrating employees.
Design a unique trophy and present it formally - monthly or quarterly.
Tickets for plays, concerts, shows - and include spouses[or dates] or the whole family.
Designate a special parking place.
Tickets for a world-class seminar at a resort - all expenses paid.
Gift card - or gas card.
Cater a company-wide luncheon for every employee.
Magazine subscriptions [from a selected list], mp3 players, DVDs or CDs, coupons, books, or gym membership.

The point is to make the effort to have a recognition program in your organization. You can make it unique - or you can change it up to fit the particular occasion. My bet is that it will increase pride and ownership for every employee.

10 Reasons to Recognize Employees

2007-11-12T13:58:00.000-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts suggests 10 reasons to recognize your employees. With Thanksgiving fast approaching, this is always a good time to think about how you thank, reward, and recognize those employees who work so hard for you and your business.

There are many reasons for employee recognition, and these are only 10 of them. Use this as a starting point and add to this list as it applies to your specific business. [Please let me know what you add - I'd love to know!]

Recognize and reward employees who:

Learn something new. New skills are always worthy of praise and recognition.
Mediate conflicts within their team. Conflict resolution means more time on task and less time away from the project at hand.
Mentor new employees - even without being asked. Teamwork is taken to new levels immediately.
Seek new solutions to old problems. Focusing on solutions instead of problems creates new energy.
Help other employees. Pitching in when it counts helps the entire organization - and makes the point that "all for one and one for all" is still alive and well.
Willingly accept change. Sometimes difficult changes need to be made and are not so easily accepted. When someone willingly embraces change, make a point of acknowledging it.
Give extra customer service. Especially if extra time and extra effort are involved.
Volunteer for work that no one wants to do. Whether it's staying late, covering phones, making a delivery, or cleaning up someone else's mess - the person who volunteers to take this on needs to be recognized.
Maintain perfect attendance. This definitely needs to recognized.
Go the extra mile - no matter what. When employees go above and beyond the standard and the expected - recognize their efforts.

The benefit of this kind of recognition and reward is two-fold: the recognized employee is acknowledged and the rest of the staff is motivated by the fact that the boss is paying attention and is appreciative of the efforts.

I've always believed that everyone will do more than is expected when management acknowledges and appreciates their efforts and their work. Reward and recognition will raise morale quicker than pay raises.

Powerful Questions that Make a Huge Difference

2007-11-07T10:10:00.000-05:00

Other questions that can be catalysts for major growth and change are:

Question to ask customers and clients: What is the value that you are receiving from our work together? [Press them for specifics and real examples.]
Question to ask employees/staff: What is the value that you receive from working here? [Press them for real examples - and not "paycheck".]
Questions to ask yourself: What is the value that I want my employees and staff to receive from working here? What is the value that I want my customers and clients to receive from our work together? What is the real reason I'm doing this? [What is the real reason for this business?]
After asking these powerful questions, listen to all the answers. After listening to the answers, what will you do with the information? The ball is now in your court to move forward toward making significant changes and improvements in your business. This process is extremely helpful. Try it and see what happens.

3 Important Questions for Business Owners & Managers to Answer

2007-11-05T09:05:00.001-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts highlights 3 questions every business owner and manager needs to answer. These 3 questions can lead to significant growth within your organization.

Do you have employees whose performance is less than what you want it to be?
Do you know specifically why they deliver less than you want?
Do you know specifically what to do to change that?

The first step is answering these questions. The second, and most important step, is addressing the issues that the answers to these questions give you. If you do nothing to address the issues or problems, then you will continue to have these issues and problems - regardless of who you hire.

Successful businesses must have structures and systems that are aligned to facilitate growth. If structures and systems are not in place, growth will not occur - and morale will be greatly affected. If the management team implements structures and systems that promote growth for the entire business (employees, staff, customers), then performance and productivity will be aligned for that same success.

There is power in the 3 questions that began this post. Small business owners and managers can change the course of their businesses with the answers. A business coach can help articulate the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

More to come later....

The 20 Question Business Plan

2007-10-29T11:28:00.000-04:00

The "20 Question Business Plan" is a simple way to craft a business plan as well as to rekindle your relationship with your business. This Week with Sara Fitts is using the "20 Question Business Plan" because last week 2 of my clients (who own small businesses) were both needing to re-engage in their businesses. For whatever reason these clients had let the day-to-day thrills of running a business fall by the wayside and get replaced with fear and frustration. You, too, can use these 20 questions to get yourself back on track if you are self-employed, own your own business, or are thinking of building your own business.

The 20 Question Business Plan

Describe your business in 25 words or less.
What is the purpose for building your business?
What trend is your business going to invent or remove?
Why will you be successful? Why have you been successful in the past?
What's the mission of your business in 10 words or less?
What's the pain or frustration that your business will help your customers reduce?
How do you know you'll meet your customers needs?
Where will your next 5 customers come from and how much will they pay?
Why should your customers use you instead of some other business that does almost the same thing?
How do you intend to get 1000 potential buyers interested in your product or service?
Who's going to handle customer service and what are your 5 performance benchmarks in this area?
How much will it take to fund your business this year?
What are the weaknesses or shortcomings that you plan to outsource or compnesate for?
What will tell you that your business is going well - and what will tell you that your business in not going well?
What is the biggest limitation to your business?
How vibrant is the industry in which you offer your product or service?
How will you handle the money and accounting?
How quickly will your business be profitable and by how much?
What is your profit margin (revenue less actual cost of the product/service)?
Who do you need to bring in to ensure your success?

Bonus Question: How much do you plan to sell your business for and in how many years?

These 20 questions provide a simple exercise that I believe all self-employed professionals, small business owners, and anyone who is thinking of building a business needs to answer candidly. And sometimes we all need to dust off the business plan we wrote when we first started our businesses - and renew our interest and lift our spirits. Sometimes we just need to get back to the roots of our desire to own and run a business.

If you have questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you. I hope that today's post will help you re-kindle the fire and love for your business.

4 Ways our Environment Controls Our Results

2007-10-22T10:04:00.000-04:00

There are numerous ways that our environment controls our results. Today's post will discuss 4 ways.

When we surround ourselves with negative people (employees, colleagues, friends, etc.), we become less positive. We may actually become negative as a direct result of being around negative people.
When we surround ourselves with positive, upbeat people, we naturally become more positive and upbeat.
When we develop a "work when it's time to work and play when it's time to play" philosophy, we become more balanced and produce better results.
When we throw caution to the wind, we really jeopardize our results.

These 4 ways are quite simplistic in scope; however, designing productive environments is not rocket science or brain surgery. It is basically common sense with deliberate action. Without deliberate action, our environments may never be as conducive to productivity and solid results.

Our environment really does control our results - and we can exert enough control over the design and development of our environments in order to get the best results possible.

More to come.....

Our Environment Controls Our Results

2007-10-15T09:33:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts takes a look at results - and what causes some results to be better than others. While reading Reposition Yourself by Bishop T. D. Jakes, he writes "Environment has so much to do with results." As I reflected on that quote, what came to me is this: We can control our results by controlling our environment. While some things in our environment cannot be changed, we definitely have the power to change a lot of things within our environment - our business or personal environment.

In our business environment we can design a supportive environment. We can surround ourselves with positive, supportive people as well as structures for success that will help us focus on the most important elements of our businesses. Here is a basic list of items that successful environments have:

the best business plan we can develop
the best staff we can assemble
the best product/services we can deliver
the best target market we can define
the best location in which to grow our business
the best support structures to include software, hardware, technology, etc.
the best communication system in order to solve any and all issues that distract from the work at hand - on any given day

Too many times we look at our results and wonder why we aren't doing better. And, too many times we never really consider the real reason for less than optimal results. I think the key lies in the environment. Whether our results are good or bad, the environment in which we work determines to a great extent our success - or failure.

We can design the best environment for our success - and then we can create it. While a great deal of work must go into this process, it really is a simple process at its basic level. Here are some questions that can get us thinking about the kind of environment we really want to create in order to get the best results possible:

What is the vision for this business?
What is the purpose of this business?
What are the 3 most important factors that we must have in order to get good results?
What are the 3 key attributes of each employee that must be present in the environment?
What are the 3 key attributes of each client or customer?
What must we never have in our environment?
How will we change when the need arises?
How will we measure our results - and our overall success?

We can change our results by changing our environments - because our environment controls our results.

If you want to explore how you can improve your results, please contact Sara Fitts and schedule a one-on-one strategy session. She gets results for her clients. For more information please visit http://www.SLFConsulting.com or call 703.791.4741 today.

Time for a Reality Check?

2007-09-11T13:56:00.000-04:00

Now that summer is "officially" over and it's time to get back to work, is it time for a reality check for your business? This Week with Sara Fitts poses this question quite candidly to all owners of small businesses and self-employed professionals.

Here is a simple assessment to see if you and your business are where you think you and your business really are. Answer these questions - and get a reality check - to help you kick off your business for a new fall season.

How are you different from every competitor?
How much are you out in front of your industry?
How much are you out in front of your target market?
How much did you increase your business in the past 3 - 4 months? Or, did you lose business over the past 3 - 4 months?
What are your immediate goals for the next 30 days? 90 days? 1 year?

If you will candidly answer these questions, you will give your business a reality check that will kick off a new season of growth.

Health, Wellness & Fitness in the Workplace

2007-07-31T11:07:00.000-04:00

Regardless of the size of the business, the health, wellness and fitness of employees has to be on the minds of the ownership. This Week with Sara Fitts takes a look at what it means to employees, owners, and customers/clients for health, wellness and fitness to be a top priority for all business owners.

When employees are out due to illness - whether it's a day or two or extended over several weeks, business is affected greatly. The costs are great - especially for small businesses and their owners. Health insurance costs are continuously increasing to the point of putting small business owners in a much tougher spot than ever before experienced. Some businesses have had to recently pass more of the health insurance costs to their employees. Other businesses have opted to go to a "bare-bones" approach and pay less and less of the direct health insurance costs. Health insurance premiums for the self-employed are also rapidly increasing - often without warning.

The critical key to combat rising health-care costs for small business owners and self-employed professionals lies in the health, wellness and fitness of each employee. I think the only way to really get a handle on health care and the significant costliness of it is to make health, wellness and fitness a top priority for all employees - regardless of position in the business.

There are simple programs that will work to improve the health, wellness and fitness of the employee as well as improve the business as a whole. The benefits of such a program can include:

reduction in sick leave costs and absenteeism
increasing morale and reducing stress
reduction in workman's comp claims
higher energy and higher production levels
more efficient employees
lower health insurance costs
bigger bottom line

There are several simple steps that all small business owners can easily implement. Some of them are listed here:

offer employees memberships to gyms and fitness centers as a benefit
have a fitness center on the premises
provide time for fitness
provide health and wellness fairs
provide routine health screenings
offer Pilates or yoga classes after work
create a walking club for lunchtime exercise

There are many ways to improve health, wellness and fitness in the workplace - and the first way is to make it a priority. More to come on this topic ...

10 Ways to Double Your Effectiveness and Productivity within a Week

2007-07-12T12:28:00.001-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts shares 10 ways to double your effectiveness and productivity within a week. If you employ these 10 suggestions, you will likely quadruple your results. If you employ even 1 or 2 of these suggestions, your efficiency and productivity will double. Try them and see what happens. These suggestions are based on more than 5 years and the successful and sustainable implementation by 500 people in various industries and careers. They are simple; however, they are powerful tools for success.

Make the commitment to being more productive by refusing to put this off another day.
Respond to problems immediately - and stop using band-aids. [Solved problems are problems that have been eliminated and therefore no longer exist.]
Create and develop a culture of "Do it today" by refusing to put off any task that needs to be done.
Have your own personal resource list of people, organizations, websites, etc. that can be used for accessing information and assistance.
Ask for exactly what you want or need - and by when you want or need it. Accept nothing less.
Cut in half your normal appointment block time. If you use 30 minute blocks of time, make them 15 minutes. If you use hour-long blocks, cut it down to 30 minutes.
Get the information you need immediately. Don't wait until later.
Expect twice as much from others - and you'll get it. Expect effectiveness and efficiency from yourself - and you'll get it, too.
Stop saying "yes" when "no" is the correct answer. Protect yourself by saying "no" when you need to.
Set up and utilize systems - software, hardware, voicemail, calendars - even sticky notes if they work for you - to your full advantage.

Where are You Going?

2007-07-05T10:11:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts is taking a look at how we get from one point to another - in life and in business. This particular post is the result of this powerful quote:

"If we do not change direction, we are liable to end up where we are headed."

If we simply look at our lives and our businesses or careers, are we where we want to be? Are we where we think we should be? Did we plan on reaching the place we are currently? Where are we really going? What do we really want? How can we change directions now? Is it too late to change directions? Lots of questions flood our minds. And the answer is found in the power of the quote!

Try this exercise. Sit down and really reflect on your life and your business or career. Take the time to focus on where you are now, where you were before, and where you ultimately want to be. Then get paper and pen (or pencil if you want an eraser), and do the following:

Write the quote on your paper.
Re-write the quote substituting "I" for "we" .
Answer this question: If I do not change direction, where will I be next month? What will be the same? What will be better? What will be worse?
Answer this question: If I do change direction, where will I go?
Answer this question: What do I want to change about my life (my business, my career)?

Use this exercise as a starting point for deciding where you are going in your life as well as in your business or career. For some businesses, this is the "New Year" (July 1 - June 30); for others, July marks the halfway point in the year. Either way, now is a perfect time to decide where you are going and what it will mean when you get there. This is a powerful advantage in personal growth as well as business development and professional growth.

More to come....

10 More Ways to Manage Your Time

2007-05-23T09:38:00.000-04:00

Here are 10 more ways to manage your time.

Automate or systematize your life and your business as much as you can.
Check email 3 times a day - or at certain specific times that you've sheduled.
Back up your files - every week at a minimum.
Get the most out of the software you use - and look for new software to help personally as well as professionally.
Slow down and take time to think.
Take 10 minutes at the start of your day and 10 minutes at the end of your day to review your calendar, schedule, appointments, meetings, etc.
Respond to emails as soon as you read them. Get to the point quickly in your response.
Close your door.
Return calls at certain times during the day. Utilize voicemail as an empowerment tool to get things done. Return all calls within 24 hours to avoid adding more to your list for tomorrow.
Take an hour everyday just for yourself. Use it to read, workout, watch TV, listen to music - anything to relax and do something just for you. [The people around you will notice and appreciate it, too!]

Sara L. Fitts is a time management expert and can help you become more productive and efficient in your life and in your business. Contact her directly for more information. 703.791.4741 or visit www.SLFConsulting.com for more information.

10 Ways to Manage Your Time

2007-05-22T10:34:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts offers ways to manage your time. Here are 10 ways that you can implement today. After trying them for a week or so, you will definitely see their benefits.

Write things down.
Prioritize your tasks and projects. Do first things first.
Plan your week.
Say "no" when you need to say no.
Don't do other people's work.
Keep one calendar and put everything on it - personal, work, and family activities.
Don't be a perfectionist. Get it done. Revisions can last a lifetime if you let them.
Don't attempt the impossible. Candidly assess what is possible for you.
Don't chase waterfalls. We all have seen how this eats up time and energy.
Delete, shred, and throw away.

More time management tips will be available later this week. Check back to find them.

12 Performance Review Questions

2007-05-16T09:46:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts focuses on questions to ask when reviewing the performance of your employees. Small businesses vary in their approach to performance reviews - and after working with a number of small business owners, we have come up with 12 questions that help guide the performance review process.

What are the contributions of this employee to the organization?
What actions of this employee have moved the organization forward?
How has this employee improved the overall organization?
How has this employee hindered the organization?
What 3 words come to mind when this employee's name is mentioned?
What needs to be addressed for improvement?
How can this employee improve, specifically?
What does the organization need more of from this employee?
What does this organization need less of from this employee?
What skill or training needs to be developed or acquired in the next 30 - 90 days?
Where do you see this employee within this organization in the next 5 years?
What are the goals of the organization and how has this employee contributed toward their achievement? OR What are the specific results attributed to this employee?

These questions are not a "check-off" nor a ranking of 1 - 5 rating system. These questions are generally meant for small businesses with 5 - 250 emplyees. They are meant to provoke thought and generate candid opinions of employee performance. Too often small businesses do not take the time to assess their employees on their contributions to the overall success of the business. Whether pay increases result from candid assessment or increases are given for longevity - if you're the owner, I think you need to know how your business is impacted by your employees. In my opinion, the only way to do this is with candid performance reviews.

More to come . . .

Sara L. Fitts is a business coach and consultant who works with small business owners, self-employed professionals, and entrepreneurs to help them grow and develop their businesses and balance their lives. Please contact her directly for more information on her Simple Little Formula for business success. Her direct line is 703.791.4741. Visit us online @ www.SLFConsulting.com .

Performance Reviews: Is There a Point?

2007-05-07T09:03:00.000-04:00

Performance reviews can be difficult, stressful, informative, motivational, and sometimes even ridiculous. We've all probably had good ones, inaccuarate ones, nice ones, or ones that never address our true roles within the organization. This Week with Sara Fitts takes on the performance review and offers perspectives for both sides of the table - for the giver as well as for the receiver of them.

In my limited research, the use of performance reviews in small businesses is extremely varied. Some businesses never use them for a variety of reasons - and other businesses use them every quarter for all staff members. Whether given annually or at other increments of time, there really can be benefit of the performance review - benefit to the business as well as to the employee.

Some performance reviews are given to justify pay raises while others are given to justify firings and lay-offs. Sometimes performance reveiws are used to justify the business itself and to look at the results over a period of time. Sometimes investors want to see how well their investment is really working - and performance reviews can be used as justification for change.

Throughout the week I will post several perspectives on performance reviews - and how we can use them better to create more successful businesses. As for now, here are my questions to you:

Do you use performance reviews in your small business? What is the cycle or calendar for them?
What is your point for using them?
Do you use a standard format - or do you use one that is exclusively yours?
What do your employees think of their performance reviews?
Do you base pay raises on them? Do you use them to terminate employees?

More to come later . . . .

Bigger and Better Results in Relatively Simple Ways

2007-04-30T09:39:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts focuses today's post on how to get bigger and better business results in relatively simple ways. This is definitely a short list, but I think it can have powerful results when implemented well.

Hire and fire the right people.
Improve cash flow by configuring commission scales that reflect compensation for payments received in the business. An example of this would be offering 105% of the commission for payments that are received in 5 days, 100% of the commission for payments that are received in 10 days, 85% of the commission for payments received in 30 days, 60% of the commission for payments received in 60 days, etc.
Invest 1% - 2% of your revenue into your business.
Hire a business coach.
Implement your marketing plan.
Track your results - and review your results. Set goals based on previous results in order to get better results.
Stay motivated and focused.

The Butterfly Effect - for Your Business

2007-04-26T12:22:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at how the butterfly effect can affect your business. Without going into the physics and scientfic explanation of what the butterfly effect is, I'm going to use its principles as they apply to your business. In a nutshell, the butterfly effect is this: a very small thing can have have huge effects on the universe. Here's how the butterfly effect can be change agent in your business.

Most of the time a very small thing can create huge results in your business - regardless of what business you're in. Take an inventory and look at each piece and part of your business. Then ask yourself these questions:

How can I impact my business by 1%? How can I impact my business by 5% or more?
What would happen if I worked 1 hour more or 1 hour less? [Sometimes by taking off an hour, you are recharged and renewed so much that the impact actually brings in business.]
What would it mean if I had more time?
What would it mean if I had better cash flow?
What would it mean if had more breathing room?

I work with business owners, self-employed professionals, and entrepreneurs to help them create huge results in small ways. It really is a butterfly effect for business when you think about it. I got the idea of comparing my Simple Little Formula to the butterfly effect from The Rev. Stuart Schadt, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, during his sermon last Sunday. Little things can have huge impact - in our lives and in our businesses.

There are numerous ways that each of us can get bigger and better results in relatively simple ways. Stay tuned for more.

First Quarter Assessment of Your Business

2007-03-30T15:44:00.000-04:00

Today is the last day in the first quarter of 2007 - can you believe it? Whether you are a small business owner, entrepreneur, or a self-employed professional, the business you own needs a candid assessment of the first 90 days of this year. (Some of you may not use the calendar year as your business year, so July 1 - June 30 may actually be the calendar you use. If this is the case with your business, you are ending your 3rd quarter today - and still need to candidly assess your business.)

Here are the questions that I think are extremely useful in assessing your business at the end of each quarter:

How much money came in? List the total receipts for the quarter.
How much did the business cost you this quarter? List all costs assoiciated with the business for the quarter.
What was the profit or loss for the quarter? Basically, the difference in the receipts and the costs give you the profit or the loss.
What were your targets or goals for the quarter - and how successful were you at meeting or exceeding them?
What were the challenges? What were the results of the challenges?
What are the targets or goals for the next 90 days? Use a format for writing SMART goals: specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, with a definite timeframe or time line.
What do you need to do or have more of next quarter?
What do you need to do or have less of next quarter?
How will you market your business next quarter based on the marketing results of this quarter?
What is still outstanding or hasn't been handled - debts, receipts, etc. - and what is your plan for addressing all that still needs to come in?
What have you learned this quarter about your business, your colleagues, clients or customers?
What have you learned about yourself?

These 12 questions provide a very simplistic way to find out how you're doing in your business. The candid answers to these 12 questions can mean the difference between major growth and failure.

The Benefit of the Doubt

2007-03-19T09:45:00.000-04:00

I heard something yesterday that has had a profound effect on me. Yesterday Rev. Vinnie Lainson's sermon was powerful - the takeaway from it is basically this: give everyone we encounter the benefit of the doubt. We can change the world just by giving others the benefit of the doubt. Yesterday's effect for me was mostly personal; however, this morning I awakened with the realization that the business world for me and my clients can be forever changed by this exercise as well.

For example, when someone cuts us off in traffic, instead of making gestures and using harsh language that only seems to raise our own blood pressure, perhaps we should give this driver the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he's just lost his job and is on his way home if he can find it or perhaps she has just left the hospital after hearing bad news. Other examples might include the grocery store express line with someone holding us up with double the number of "allowed" items, or the bank drive-thru lane when the person in front of me actually abandoned their car (true story!) and traffic was tied up for half an hour, or a colleague who has gotten on our last nerve for what seems like no good reason at all. There are many examples and we've all experienced them. But I want to look at this from the business perspective.

This Week with Sara Fitts will probe the ways that small business can be changed and improved simply by the power of giving others the benefit of the doubt.

What if we abandoned all assumptions and gave our customers, clients, and colleagues the benefit of the doubt?
What if we didn't second-guess the complaints, the requests and demands, or the need for a change in the appointment or meeting time?
What if we didn't question the need for additional time for that report? What if the report really did get "lost" in cyberspace?
What if we simply said "I'm sorry your child is sick and I hope he feels better tomorrow" instead of asking why a nanny is not a part of your household staff?
What if we redefined the culture within our organizations to allow for giving every single person connected with the ogranization the freedom to experience receiving the benefit of the doubt? [This is really where it hit it for me.]

The benefits would be phenomenal, I think. And the benefits would be too numerous to ever count. But, for purposes of example, here are some of the benefits that come to mind initially:

Our production would immediately and exponentially increase - due to the simple fact that we have refused to get mad and bent out of shape yelling and saying things that are negative and detrimental to our work.
We would be happier and have happier colleagues, customers, and clients.
The culture of the organization would be much more positive.
The culture of the organization would not tolerate negativity nearly so much.
There would be much more creative energy for everyone associated with the business.

For me, the bottom line is this: When you develop a culture of giving others the benefit of the doubt, there is really no need to have back-stabbing, lying, cut-throat elements that distract from the business and the people involved in the business. Everyone is willing to give more because they are getting more.

It takes time to create this type of environment in any business or organization, and it is possible to have a successful and productive company based on this model. I'll write more about this in the next post.

A Simple Little Formula for Success

2007-03-16T14:42:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts is showcasing a Simple Little Formula for Success. The formula is not magic, yet the results of it can be magical. It isn't complicated, yet it can be complex. It is simple, and the results are powerful.

These are the key elements of my Simple Little Formula for Success:

Define who you are, your vision, and your mission
Articulate your skill sets
Determine how to use your skills in order to get the best results
Manage your time and manage your goals
Track your progress with complete candor
Celebrate your success throughout your journey

The formula is simple, but the process is complex. Steps cannot be omitted. Dedication and commitment are required.

Look at Your Business with New Eyes

2007-02-20T07:37:00.000-05:00

Over the last week I've had a real epiphany of sorts - and it has implications for me personally as well as professionally. Its effect has been so profound that I actually took the week off to let it totally sink in. I never take an unscheduled week off - so it really is a profound experience for me and I want to share it with you.

This epiphany began with a simple quote that I found when I was doing research for my weekday ezine (JumpStart!). Here's the quote from Marcel Proust:

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.

The meaning behind this powerful quote for business owners, entrepreneurs, and self-employed professionals is extremely important. The following list represents a short list of implications.

Instead of looking for new and different targets for offering your products and services, consider looking at your products and services through different eyes to get a different perspective of how these products and services can be used - differently than they are currently being marketed.
Instead of looking for new employees, consider the current (or former) employees and look at them with new eyes in order to strengthen your business with their support and skill sets.
Instead of throwing out the old ideas for marketing, look at those old ideas with fresh eyes and make simple changes in order to make them work this time.
Instead of looking for the new and different, simply use fresh eyes to see what is really in your business plan - and make it work better.
Look at your business plan and review it with different eyes. What do you think of it now? What changes need to be made? What is your mission? What is your vision?
Refuse to be locked in to your business structures and look at everything about your business with new eyes. New eyes can make all the difference in your bottom line for 2007.

This quote may not be so profound to you right now; however, I cahllenge you as a business owner, entrepreneur, or self-employed professional to use this simple quote as a tool to look at your business (the organization itself) with a freshness and a newness that can create exponential growth for you over the next months.

What does your business look like through new eyes?

5 Solutions for my Clients

2007-02-06T08:16:00.000-05:00

There are many solutions that I provide my clients; however, I'll highlight 5 of the "best" solutions that people pay me for.

Lower stress levels - because I am a sounding board that is 100% confidential.
Ability to get more done - because I provide time management and goal-setting strategies and techniques.
Ideas that work to increase cash flow, income, revenue, and profit - because I provide a way to think outside the box.
More balance between work, family, and personal time - because I teach a prioritizing strategy that is simple and works quickly.
A simple little formula that helps grow a business and balance a life - because business owners, self-employed professionals, and entrepreneurs are too busy and have very little time.

Contact me to find out more about how I can provide the solution you need in your business and life. I love what I do - and I want to help. Sara

thecoach@SLFConsulting.com

International Coaching Week 2007

2007-02-05T11:21:00.000-05:00

International Coaching Week is this week - February 4 - 10. The purpose of this week is to celebrate the power of coaching as well as to educate the general population on the many benefits of coaching - both personally and professionally. This Week with Sara Fitts will take this opportunity to spread the word on the power of coaching.

Today I will highlight 10 reasons that business owners, self-employed professionals, and entrepreneurs seek coaching. I will make myself available at various times this week to talk with you about your specific goals and dreams for your business (or your work and life). Feel free to contact me and I'll schedule an appointment with you.

Here are 10 reasons that business owners, self-employed professionals, and entrepreneurs hire business coaches:

To have an interested person who has no dog in the fight to listen and candidly respond to business and personal issues - and have 100% confidentiality.
To have help in setting goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, and realistic with timelines for each step.
To have help in creating a marketing plan for 1 year or 5 years.
To have a professional ask the questions that often aren't asked.
To have added accountability when there are no other employees or board members.
Help in thinking outside the box.
Fresh perspectives.
Help in hiring the right staff - and training them.
Ideas for doubling or tripling your income/revenue/profit.
To see the bigger picture, play in the bigger game, and reach the finish line faster - with more money, time, and fun.

To experience what I'm talking about, please schedule a complimentary session to find out if you qualify to be a client of mine. If you qualify, get ready for phenomenal results! I hope I talk with you soon! Sara

Sara L. Fitts

Business Coach 202.374.8158 or 703.791.4741 or email thecoach@SLFConsulting.com

Put Your Ideas to Work for You

2007-01-24T09:57:00.000-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts is dedicating this week's focus to putting ideas into motion. I read a powerful quote from John C. Maxwell in Thinking for a Change. It has powerful implications for all of us - especially self-employed professionals and small business owners.

Ideas have a short shelf life. You must act on them before the expiration date.

Too many times we have good ideas and don't take the time to act on them. Either we are waiting for the perfect opportunity to implement them, or we are trying to perfect the idea itself. I challenge you to stop waiting for the perfect moment and just jump into action with your good ideas. Be bold. And realize that waiting for perfection is another view of procrastination.

What ideas have you been putting off? What marketing tactic have you been waiting to use? Have you been waiting to hire staff? What is really holding you back from implementing your good ideas?

Too many times our competitors beat us to the punch - and our own ideas may have been better from the beginning! (Have you ever experienced that?) You will never know the outcome of your efforts if you don't put your ideas into action. I challenge you to make 2007 your best business year yet - by putting your good ideas into action before their expiration date - or before your competitor beats you to the punch.

Put your ideas to work for you - and start today!

Can You See the Forest for the Trees?

2007-01-15T13:02:00.000-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts focuses this week on "big picture" thinking. Too often the only thing holding back self-employed professionals and small business owners is lack of seeing the big picture. Sometimes we are so focused on what has to be done today and tomorrow that we fail to even condsider the next 5 years. And other businesses aren't successful due to only focusing on the years down the line and not paying any attention to the next 30 days.

The strategy that has been most helpful to me and to my clients is seeing the forest for the trees - but making sure there is balance in the view. See the big picture.

Take a helicopter view of your business - as it fits into your industry on a global level. Make sure you see the trees as well as the overall lay of the land. Get different perspectives from different views. Don't be afraid to see what is really there. Adjust your business plan as needed after looking at your business with an extremely focused eye. Look at the big picture and see what's there. Break it down for the next 30 days, 90 days, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, etc. See the forest and the trees - and you will find success.

Change Your Thinking to Change Your Results

2007-01-10T10:56:00.000-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts focuses on the power of thinking - and how you can change your results simply by changing your thinking. I believe that we will always get the same results we've always gotten if we continue to do the things we've always done. The same applies to our way of thinking, too. In order to get better results, we need to change our thinking.

John C. Maxwell makes the case for different ways of thinking in his book, Thinking for a Change: 11 Ways Highly Successful People Approach Life and Work. I find his book to be an excellent source of energy - especially at this particular time of year when New Year's Resolutions and new goals and action plans are the subject of many conversations, memos, and meetings. For example, Maxwell gives us these thoughts about thinking:

Everything begins with a thought.
What we think determines who we are. Who we are determines what we do.
Our thoughts determine our destiny. Our destiny determines our legacy.
People who go to the top think differently than others.
We can change the way we think.

As you complete your plans and goals for the new year - or as you simply plan the new quarter or even just a month at a time - this book can provide an excellent structure in an easy-to-read format that will challenge you to think differently in order to make the changes you want and need to make.

Get in Gear for the New Year - Today

2007-01-02T08:22:00.000-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts is dedicated to helping you get in gear for 2007. There are many ways to approach a new year and I'll focus on what I think are some of the best ways to approach business and personal goals for the new year. My hope is that these ideas will be helpful to you - a new and different perspective at the very least.

Today is an excellent opportunity to have a clean slate for yourself and your business. Regardless of what type of work you do, whether you are self-employed or work in a small business, or own a business and have several employees - today is a day that is open to you and your ideas for new success in 2007.

Here are some questions to consider as you plan your success for 2007:

What do you want to accomplish in 2007?
What do you want to do differently in 2007 from previous years?
What do you want less of in 2007?
What will you refuse to let hold you back in 2007?
How will you approach 2007?
What is really possible for you and your business this year?

Additionally, here are some thoughts to consider as you approach the new year:

Today is a new beginning. Make the most of the talent you have. Make the most of the opportunities you have. Make the most of the experiences you bring to the table.
Sometimes you have to do less in order to have more. For example, perhaps you have to jump into action as opposed to talking a project or concept to death. I believe in planning, but sometimes success is put on hold because there is way too much planning and talking and not nearly enough action. Less talking and more action can mean a huge increase in revenue and profits.
Perfection is not worth waiting for. I believe you just have to jump into action and make the best of your efforts and ideas. Too often people wait for just the perfect product or service, or the perfect time for launching a new venture - but ultimately, the time is now. Don't wait. Make it happen - and start today.

Happy New Year! I hope 2007 is fabulous for all of us!

Get Your Business in Gear for the End of the Year

2006-12-11T13:18:00.000-05:00

Regardless of what kind of business you run or what type of work you do, the end of the year is a wonderful opportunity to close the current year and set into motion your plans for the coming year. This process is actually critical to your success - if you're serious about growth and moving your business forward.

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at the necessary ways to get your business in gear for the end of the year.

Review your business plan and your marketing plan. What worked? What worked well? What didn't work? What surprised you most? What do you want to replicate for next year? What is most important to focus on in 2007?
Assess your results with brutal honesty. What do you need to do to improve your overall business in 2007? What systems must be in place in order to make these improvements happen? What do you need more of? What do you need less of? How will you make these improvements happen?
Be willing to make necessary changes in order to get better results. Who do you need to be in order to be more successful? What do you need to do to sell more products and services? What has held you back? Will you refuse to become stagnant? Will you make the changes your business needs you to make?
Be specific when planning 2007. How much growth do you want to experience? Do you want to increase production by 15% or by 50%? Do you want to increase sales by $100 per sale or by $5000 per month? It really doesn't matter what numbers you use as long as they are realistic for your business and your market.
Think outside the box. If you continue to do the same old things, you will continue to get the same old results. If these are the results you want, great! If they are not at all the results you want, you must make the necessary changes in order to get the results you want.

Get your business in gear for the end of the year! You'll be even more ready for 2007!

Ways to Keep the Customers You Have

2006-12-05T10:03:00.000-05:00

Following up from yesterday's post, I'm going deeper into some ways to keep the customers you already have. It pays huge dividends to keep your customers - because it is almost always less costly than getting new ones. And, your current customers will likely bring you additional customers with their "word of mouth" marketing of you and your company.

Ways to keep the customers you have:

Showing your appreciation of each customer. This can be in the form of hand-written notes, holiday cards, a personal thank you note, a phone call from the owner or president, a gift basket or gift card, or even a logo-crested item that advertises your own product or services. Regardless of what it is, appreciation goes a long way to sustain a relationship.
Invite your customers to lunch. If your customer base is primarily local, you can invite them to your office for a major customer appreciation catered event and really play it up. You can have tours of your facility, introduce your staff, and make an event of it. You can make it an annual event - and really use it to springboard new products and services.
Invite your customers to a workshop or seminar. It doesn't even have to be related to your products or services. The workshop can be on time managment, New Year's resolutions, or anything motivational and uplifting.
Publish a company newsletter. Use this as a marketing tool in addition to making it newsworthy. It can be done as a traditional newsletter or as an ezine. As long as it keeps you connected to your customers, it should work for you.
Fix any and all problems as soon as possible. While the customer may not always be right, the problems should always be fixed - if you want to keep the customer who has the complaint.
Make yourself available. Return calls in a timely manner. Address issues that arise. Never close your door on a customer - unless you don't want them back.
Initially be selective when seeking customers - and then it becomes 100% easier to want to keep them!

How to Increase Your Bottom Line

2006-12-04T08:57:00.000-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at how to increase your bottom line by increasing sales and growing your business - any business, actually. I see these as basic fundamentals of business growth.

Keep the customers or clients you have. Customer service is extremely important in growing your business. By keeping the customers you already have, it becomes much easier to attract others. Your base should be held in the highest regard and never taken for granted. Reward your customers for their loyalty to you, and you'll have them for as long as you're in business.
Attract new customers or clients. Marketing should be an on-going activity that keeps your name in front of your target market at all times. Marketing is not an activity that should be "done" when sales are down. Marketing won't attract customers without follow-up. Attract new customers by following up on every marketing campaign. Follow-up is fundamental - but often lacking. Follow up on all leads and prospects. Increase your base.
Add to the average sale. Fast food restaurants do this extremely well with their value and combo meals. This is a strategy that I think can work in any business. Bundle your services or products for a bigger and better sale. Add value to every single sale for the sake of the customer as well as for the sake of the business.
Increase repeat business for every customer. This may mean an increase in research and development of new product offerings and services. This also means that you must stay on the cutting edge of your industry in order to increase your bottom line. Take the average time for repeat sales, and cut it in half. When you think about that, you've already doubled your revenue.
Refuse to accept all prospects as customers or clients. We all know who we need to get rid of - but we often don't because we feel we need their money. But the reality of the situation is that the worst customers or clients actually zap the life out of the business because we become drained by the aggravation they bring. If we refuse to accept poor candidates for our products and services, we then are more energized to go out and find the very best customers and clients. Be more selective, and you'll automatically increase your bottom line.
Remain positive, stay focused, and never give up. Growing your business will almost always take longer than you want it to, but never give up. Have a plan and keep working that plan.

An Invitation to Manage Your Time & Stress for the Holidays

2006-12-01T14:15:00.000-05:00

This is an invitation from Sara Fitts to Manage Your Time & Reduce Your Stress for the Holidays.

I'll show you 12 ways to have more time and less stress - and enjoy the holidays so much more.

If you have an hour, I have the solution.

Join me for a 1-hour teleclass on Wednesday, December 6 @ 12 noon (EST). The tuition for this one-hour class is $45 (USD) - payable by debit or credit card. This class is limited to 20 people - so reserve your spot right now by emailing thecoach@SLFConsulting.com to register. Please include your name and telephone number in your email.

After you register, you will receive an email confirmation with payment details and call instructions.

I hope you'll join me!

5 More Ways to Reward Employees

2006-11-30T12:27:00.000-05:00

Rewarding employees is one way to build loyalty and show appreciation at the same time. All business owners should want their employees to follow them into battle - and a good way to do this is by creating a climate and culture of appreciation.

Here are 5 more ways to reward your hard-working staff:

An MP3 player such as I-Pod or the Zen Nano by Creative (which I prefer!) provides a way to listen to music and actually be even more productive at work.
Shirts or sweaters with the company logo for casual Fridays create a real team atmosphere. It also provides free advertising when worn by the employees outside the workplace.
An afternoon off is an excellent way to show appreciation and to let the worker relax and enjoy a much-needed break. This would be especially nice after a big project or event.
A self-development seminar is a fantastic way to reward, energize, and re-awaken hard-working people. If the seminar is out of town, the trip is an extra bonus. To cut costs and save time, you could bring the seminar in-house for everyone.
Create a unique item that is exclusively yours as a reward for any extra effort on the part of your staff. For example, it might be something as simple as a paperweight with your company logo. It could be a state-of-the-art flashlight for the "beacons" in your organization. It could be a model of what you manufacture. It could be a framed motivational poster. Anything that references your acknowledgement of their dedication, hard work, and energy is appreciated when given with sincerity and authenticity.

5 Ways to Reward Employees

2006-11-28T12:12:00.000-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts focuses on rewarding employees in today's post. Rewards don't have to be elaborate or expensive - they just need to be a way to say "thank you", "nice job", or "I like your work ethic" to hard-working staff members. They also serve as a motivational tool to boost morale.

Gift cards and gift certificates are excellent ways to reward employees. You can get them from restaurants, specialty stores, spas, resorts, or even from American Express, Visa, or MasterCard.
Recognition as "Employee of the Month" with a picture and plaque on the office wall of fame is another good way to keep morale up and inspire extra efforts.
Order lunch for everyone and set it up in the conference room. As simple as pizza or subs to a more elaborate buffet - any type of lunch provides a way to relax and enjoy the people you employ.
Host an off-site staff meeting. Consider a resort, restaurant, or fitness center. After the meeting, provide relaxation in a comfortable setting.
Personal notes and letters are always appreciated - and definitely create a climate and culture of appreciation.

These are 5 simple ways to reward employees. They don't have to be expensive or elaborate. Simplicity is a fabulous way to express gratitude and appreciation. The only requirement is that whatever the reward, it must be authentically given. No one wants to be recognized as an afterthought or required agenda item.

How to Build Loyalty with Employees

2006-11-16T12:55:00.000-05:00

I think the best way to build loyalty with your employees is, first of all, to be authentic. If you are "real" with your employees and say what you really mean, really mean what you say, and are able to say you're wrong when you're wrong - you will have loyal employees forever.

Here are some rules for building loyalty among your employees:

Treat everyone as you want to be treated.
Enjoy the people with whom you work - if you can't enjoy them, then maybe you have the wrong ones around you.
Motivate them positively. Use rewards.
Be honest. Criticism isn't necessarily a bad thing.

When Should an Employee be Terminated?

2006-11-13T13:54:00.000-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at how to make the best of an employee termination decision. This type of decision is never really as easy as you might think it is, but there is a way to make it as painless as possible.

First, when should an employee be fired or terminated? There are many reasons why you might fire an employee. Among them might be:

disregard for their job performance
disregard for their colleagues
disregard for the position they hold within the organization
failure to perform certain (if not all) tasks associated with the job description
failure to contribute to the overall culture and climate of the work environment
failure to address the issues brought to their attention during performance reviews
failure to work as a productive and efficient team member
refusal to accept responsibility for their work and for the results of their work
not "showing up" for work

No matter what business you're in, everyone on your payroll should be earning their pay every single day. I firmly believe that everyone should show up for work everyday; however, I also firmly believe that the owner has the responsibility to set the stage for the culture and climate of the business.

If you're the owner, you must motivate your people to work hard for your business, your products and services, and your customers or clients. Creating the right culture and climate for your business is as important as hiring the right people from the start. Everyone should want to be there and should enjoy the work and the environment in which the work is done.

Here are some questions to answer when you are trying to decide whether or not to terminate an employee.

How much time have you invested in this employee? How much effort has gone into the "fix" of the problem issue? Has too much time, effort, and energy gone into a lost cause?
How has the employee's performance changed over time? Or, was this simply a poor hiring decision initially?
What is the benefit to you, your other employees, and the business to terminate the problem employee? What are the risks of terminating this person?
How will this decision fuel you and your business? How will this decision drain you and your business?
How can you surround yourself with the best people possible?

I think the real key here is that every business owner must take responsibility for all aspects of the business - and make the best business decisions possible at all times, in all cases.

Small business owners and self-employed professionals struggle with growing their businesses and balancing their lives. I provide strategies, techniques, and resources for better time management and goal-setting so they can get better results. I help them move forward faster to experience greater business success as well as greater personal success. The benefits for every one of my clients are freedom from stress and strain, improved cash flow, more balance in their lives, more time and energy, and renewed interest and joy in their businesses.

If you'd like to talk with me about your business, please contact me directly to set up a complimentary 30-minute conversation. Call me directly @ 703.791.4741 to schedule a time to talk. I look forward to it!

Make Good Hiring Decisions

2006-11-06T14:42:00.000-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at how small business owners can surround themselves with the best people possible when they make good hiring decisions. The business will thrive and the workplace climate will lead to greater satisfaction for the owner and the employees. Whether the business employs one person or 100+, good hiring decisions are necessary for the success of the business, the sanity of the owner, and productivity and efficiency of the employees.

While there are many things to consider in the overall hiring process, these are my rules for making good hiring decisions.

Know why you need the position you are filling. It's your business, but be able to justify (if only to yourself) why this position needs to be filled.
Identify 5 - 10 characteristics that you must have in the person you hire for this position. It's your business, but know what you ideally want to have in this position before you know who it is that will fill it.
Write the job description - and list every detail involved. Later this will help in assessing and evaluating the performance of the employee in this position.
Post the vacancy broadly enough to get a good sample of talent. Utilize all means necessary to recruit the best possible candidates.
Interview all candidates in the same day if possible.
Make your hiring decision as if your life depended on it - because the wrong person in the position can make your life miserable. It's your business, but if you surround yourself with the wrong people, you will be less productive, more stressed, and your workplace will be chaotic. Sure, you can fire the person later, but you'll be wasting precious time, effort, and energy.
Evaluate performance on a regular basis. It's your business and you need to keep it on track for success, efficiency, and productivity.

Apologies are Accepted

2006-11-01T11:12:00.000-05:00

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at how we apologize when we are in positions of leadership.

While we always intend to communicate the right thing at the right time, sometimes we stumble and say things or write things that come out wrong or are misunderstood. Sometimes we simply just use bad judgment and unintentionally offend someone - or lots of people. At these times, it is extremely important to acknowledge the error, apologize for its inappropriateness, and move forward to better the relationship.

It doesn't matter if the error is made by the CEO, the owner or president of the company, or an employee - what matters is that it is addressed. When offensive statements are made, many things can happen. For example, conflict can erupt and shut down production or hurt feelings on the part of staff or customers can ruin business deals.

Regardless of what the error is, the best way to handle it is to acknowledge that someone has been offended, angered, or hurt. To ignore this is arrogant and will have long-standing negative effects. To apologize for any and all errors will go a very long way to build better business relationships. Apologies are accepted. Often that is all that is needed to move forward in business and in life.

Using Email for Better Business

2006-10-23T08:38:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at email and how it can be better utilized for developing your business and enhancing your professional image. These are just a few strategies that may make a big difference for business owners and their staffs. These strategies are especially helpful for self-employed professionals with no employees or limited staff support.

Use a spell check program and read the entire email prior to hitting the "send" button.
Use the subject line carefully. Make it sound professional and business-oriented.
Be aware that every email can be forwarded thousands upon thousands of times. Make sure that nothing in your email is offensive to anyone who may receive it. Make sure your email is factual and legitimate.
Use a signature that is a business builder. Make sure you have all necessary contact information and websites listed in your electronic signature with correct links. Use your signature as a major marketing tool. Make it as professional as possible.
Use correct rules of grammar. Begin sentences with capital letters and end them with correct punctuation. Never use all capital letters and never use all lowercase letters. Each email should be a business letter from you to a client, customer, or prospect.
If you are sending the same email to a number of different people, use the BCC feature so as not to "out" all the people receiving your email.
Check your email several times each weekday. Respond quickly. Clean out your inbox each week at a minimum by deleting all emails that you don't need to keep and setting up folders for those you do need to keep.
Avoid sending any email when you are angry or upset about the matter at hand. Take time to read and read again your repsonse to make sure that it won't be misinterpretted by the reader. Written words are much more easily misinterpretted than spoken words.
Remember that email is a tool. The phone is sometimes a better tool at the moment. Send the right message utilizing the best tool for the particular situation.

Email is a necessary strategy and must be used in the best possible way to build and enhance your business reputation.

Sara L. Fitts is a business coach who works with small business owners and self-employed professionals to enhance their business development. If you'd like to find out how she can help you, contact her today.

Enhancing Employee Relationships

2006-10-18T13:17:00.000-04:00

Not only do small business owners have to rely on building and developing business relationships, those with employees must develop relationships that boost morale and a culture of making the business work most efficiently and productively.

Whether the small business owner has 1 employee or 500 +, these are some things to think about to enhance employee relationships.

Every employee is valuable and must be treated as a valuable employee. If the employee is not valuable, why is he or she employed?
Have only a few rules, regulations, or policies - and apply them to everyone. When employees are treated differently, their loyalty will be destroyed and never recovered.
Never underestimate the power of "please" and "thank you" because these little words go a long way toward boosting morale and employee relations. These words aren't lost on customers, either!
Reward exceptional effort and positive results. If you reward mediocre effort and results, you'll get less than mediocre effort the next time.
Be careful about competition. If you're trying to build a team, there is only one side and not an "us against them" mentality.
Competition can be healthy and motivational, but it can backfire and lead to team destruction.
Monthly or quarterly meet with all staff members and inform them of what's going on within the business. This is an excellent opportunity to reward exceptional efforts and big wins within the business.
Manage by walking around and speaking with your employees. This is a powerful way to find out what is really going on and to show that you care about them as people and employees.
Have fun at work. Whether scheduled or not, make every attempt to create a climate of care and concern - and enjoyment - within the work environment. When people enjoy what they do, they produce better results.
Believe in your organization, in your product or service, and believe in your people. Most employees will work harder when they feel validated and cared for.
Be authentic. If you as a business owner want to enhance employee relationships, you must come from a place of authenticity about it. Sincerity is required for positive results.

There are many additional ways to enhance employee relationships. I've listed the foundation of enhanced employee relationships here.

Relationships that Every Business Owner Needs

2006-10-16T15:48:00.000-04:00

Every business owner must cultivate a number of relationships in order to be successful. Without these, sustainable success is very likely to be out of reach. Regardless of industry, geographic area, gender, or clientele, these are the most important business relationships business owners need to develop.

Accountant
Attorney
Estate attorney / planner
Financial planner
Business coach
Stockbroker
Banker
Commercial printer
Insurance broker
Networker
Physician - internist
Web designer / host / programmer
Plumber
Mechanic
Dentist
Electrician
Handyman or handywoman
Florist
Virtual Assitant - or a live and in-person adminstrative assistant

When you really think about all the relationships that are cultivated and developed over the course of building a business, there are many people that have a tremendous impact on the rate of success experienced by the business owner. These relationships are priceless and must be kept in a place of honor within the business.

Take a few minutes and list your key relationships - let me know what I've left off my list.

Small Business Dashboard

2006-10-11T12:33:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at the Small Business Dashboard - an instrument panel on which business owners set their focus. While each business owner looks at unique aspects of his or her company, there are certain items that apply to every single business owner - regardless of what type of business it is.

These are the crucial items on the Small Business Dashboard I use with my clients - as well as my own business.

Revenue
Sales
Costs / Expenses
Staff / Staffing
Profit / Loss
Long-term goals of the business (5+ years)
Short-term goals of the business (30 days - 1 year)
Mid-range goals of the business (2 - 5 years)
Marketing Plan
Business Plan
Client / Customer Base
Economic forecasts
Target market trends
Business trends
Industry news and trends
Worth of the business
Growth options
When to sell or close (retirement considerations)

Each business owner determines the specific gauges on the dashboard and how often they are monitored. I design dashboards for each business owner with whom I work - so I can provide them with the best tools for growing and managing their businesses. This is a powerful tool that creates a baseline for our coaching partnership and sets the stage for crafting the best goals to get the best possible results.

If you'd like to know more about how I work with business owners, please contact me directly for a collaborative interview.

Keep Your Focus

2006-10-04T09:07:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts is about keeping your focus - no matter what you do to earn a living. Entrepreneurs, self-employed, small business owners, and any other person who works for a living knows this - but we often lose sight of what it takes to keep our focus when we are in the midst of running our businesses or living our lives. These are a few tips that I've learned along my way - some from clients, some from books, and a few from my father. I hope you find them helpful.

These are some tips to help you keep your focus:

Know what you want to do, why you want to do it, and what it will take to get it done
Be realistic about finances and timelines
Believe in all the possibilities that exist
Define your distractions and keep them away from you during work hours - you can do this!
Work at tasks for certain amounts of time - and keep these start and stop times sacred
Begin with the end in mind - keep your eye on the prize - know that you will reach the pot of gold
Exercise for energy, health, and fitness
Rest and relax
Know whose rules you are following - make your own rules
Define what drains you - and avoid your drains
Define what fuels you - and embrace these
Change your mindset to reflect what you want to focus on - and use the power of your mind to succeed
Take time to enjoy what you already have worked for and achieved - don't wait for it to be finished or perfected
Stay fresh by doing something new or something different

There are many ways to keep your focus and these are just a sampling of them. I'd love to hear from you on how you keep your focus.

Successfully Self-Employed

2006-09-25T09:29:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts focuses on the characteristics of the successfully self-employed. Self-employment isn't for everyone; however, for some, it is the only way to earn a living. What makes self-employment a viable option for some and not others? We'll explore those very qualitites and traits that make self-employment a successful enterprise.

What does it take to be successfully self-employed?

Motivation
Strong self-management skills
Integrity and accountability to oneself
Patience, persistence, and perspiration
Commitment to doing whatever it takes to make it happen and never settling for less

What else does it take to be successfully self-employed?

Talent
Seeing the opportunities that exist - and making the most of them
Creating more opportunities - and making the most of them
Building the strongest team of experts that can be put together
Building relationships that will last a lifetime
Making the best decisions on a daily basis
Stepping out of fear and comfort - into boldness that creates and sustains success

Self-employment is sometimes a lonely existence and is often filled with struggles uniquely owned by this group (of which I am one!); however, self-employment can be made better and stronger with the ingredients mentioned above.

Self-employment can also be a fabulous way to earn a living and provide needed goods and services to the world at large.

Filters for Success

2006-09-19T12:48:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts will focus on the filters for success - both personal and business success. [Filters for success refers to the filters through which we see reality and life.]

Be proactive - seek solutions instead of rehashing the reasons for lack of success.
Take action - any action to move forward.
Believe in the possibilities - and focus on them.
Don't procrastinate - rapidly respond to new opportunities.
Be accountable - to yourself and others.
Do something different - and see what happens.
Honestly and candidly assess how well what you are currently doing is actually working for you.
Make necessary changes.
Variety is the key - you must keep it fresh.
Stop talking and start making it happen!

How we view anything is as important as what we are viewing. We must see things through the right filter - or risk sabotaging ourselves and our success.

Reflections

2006-09-11T08:22:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts is back on track after a 10-day break. For the past few years this was my annual vacation at the beach; however, this year I had other responsibilities and the beach wasn't in the equation. Instead of rest and relaxation, I instead used this time for reflection. I'm sharing some of my profound period of growth with you here.

The first thing I gained from this period of deep reflection is that reflection is needed. All of us are busy. All of us have certain stresses. All of us have more on our plates than we probably want. Reflection helps us re-adjust and re-align our lives and our work. Reflection is needed.

Another thing I re-discovered is that our purpose and mission must stay in front of us and that everything else we do has to fit. If our purpose and mission isn't in alignment with what we are doing, then we aren't as productive and efficient as we need to be. Actually, we sabbotage ourselves every time we do anything that isn't in agreement with our mission. Businesses have failed for this very reason. Purpose and mission must lead the way.

And probably the most important thing gained from this period of deep reflection is that when we believe in what we are doing, everything else will fall into place. When we doubt ourselves and let the doubt from others seep into our thoughts and actions, we lose our sense of who we are and why we are here. We must believe in what we are doing, and everything else will fall into place.

Today is a special day for me because I'm announcing something that I've been working on for more than 5 years. I'm extremely pleased and proud of this work and this product. In the weeks ahead it will sit on a bigger stage and will be available for the owners of small businesses and their top management teams. It can even support self-employed professionals. It is a coaching system - not a program or seminar or workshop - it is a system that will provide a structure for increased success, growth, and revenue of small businesses and corporations. The market is Fortune 500 companies, Inc 500 businesses, and those businesses who want to make either list. More will be announced later - but the name of my trademark coaching system is Simple Little Formula.

Stay tuned....

Stop Trying

2006-08-30T08:05:00.000-04:00

How many times in a day do you hear someone say that they will "try" to call you back, that they will "try" to meet you for lunch next week, that they will "try" to get a particular task done? How many times do you ever use the word "try" in the same context? Now the flip side of the original question: How often do they call you back, meet you for lunch, accomplish the task "tried"?

I feel that "try" is a word of inaction and disempowerment. Just using this word creates a climate of uncertainty - will it get done or not? I propose that we do not use this word - personally or in business - and instead be more decisive by stating clearly what we will do or not do. Almost immediately we have more credibility in the eyes of colleagues, clients, and customers. This is an empowering posture that can help us hold our own accountability.

A quick way to increase your position and credibility is to stop trying - and start doing or not doing. Either do something or don't, but stop trying. This is the best way to get into action, hold your accountability, and set yourself apart from others. The only thing left to do is follow up and follow through.

Reasons We Get Stuck

2006-08-29T15:58:00.000-04:00

From time to time all of us experience the feeling of getting stuck. While I think it's much more important to get unstuck than to focus on being stuck, the reasons are important to note - so we can move forward faster.

The major reason we get stuck is that our choice of goal doesn't fit our priorities. Sometimes the goal we've chosen is one we've had continuously for months or even years. And sometimes our goal is simply too big and we need to break it down into smaller pieces. The cure for this could possibly be that we need a fresh perspective - and a fresh goal. We need to have a reachable, realistic goal that can be achieved in particular steps.

Another reason we get stuck is fear. Fear isn't always bad - it sometimes keeps us alive. Fear needs to be addressed and acknowledged for what it is. We must respect the fear. And then we must build reserves in order to reduce the consequences of our fears.

Yet another source of our "stuckness" is attitude and mentality. Positive attitudes get more positive results. Negativism breeds a contempt that creates an environment detrimental to growth and postive change. We can get unstuck and move forward if we adjust our attitudes and our mentality.

While there are many sources of why we can get stuck, these are at the top of the list. If we can address these sources, we all will move forward faster.

Lessons Learned

2006-08-28T09:47:00.000-04:00

Today I'm thinking about all the lessons I've learned in the past years - about life and about business. One of the lessons I've learned is that things take longer than you want them to or need them to take. Why do things take longer? There are a number of reasons, I suppose; however, the one reason that keeps coming to mind is that no matter how well prepared you are, the timing is still not perfect. Since timing isn't perfect, things take longer!

Another lesson learned from my experience is that calm is power. When you are calm and others around you are not, you definitely have the edge and the upper hand. When you lose your calm demeanor, you lose control of all emotions and rational thoughts. Even if you just focus on remaining calm, you have an edge. And, once you lose composure, you can't take back what is said.

A third important lesson I've learned is that we have the power to make things happen. It isn't magic and it isn't mysterious. The power to make things happen consists of passion, motivation, determination, and persistence. We can't sit around and wait for something to happen - we must make it happen. And we must make it happen every single day.

Top 5 Characteristics of a Great Manager

2006-08-25T08:20:00.000-04:00

Great managers are wonderful to work with and for - and here are the top 5 characteristics of the best managers.

Create a climate of openness and trust.
Never hide behind the position.
Acknowledge every staff member for his/her contributions.
Listen and observe.
Admit mistakes - learn from them and teach others how to avoid them.

Great managers can get excellent results from their staffs because they know how to manage people. They have many more attributes than the ones I've listed above; however, the list is made up of what matters the most to the people working in any company.

Top 5 Ways to Manage Your Time

2006-08-24T08:37:00.000-04:00

There are many ways to manage your time, but I think these are the top 5. Even one of these 5 will help you take control of your time and create some breathing space.

Create stronger boundaries. Set limits and stick with them.
Confirm all appointments. This way you will never waste time driving or waiting for the meeting or appoinment.
Touch each piece of paper once. Stop moving stacks of papers from pile to pile.
Schedule everything. Much like the adage a place for everything and everything in its place, schedule everything that must be done and set a specific time in which to do it.
Capture an hour just for you. This rejuvenates you and creates more energy to get the other things in your life done.

Top 5 Characteristics of a Good Leader

2006-08-23T08:28:00.000-04:00

Leadership remains a hot topic and today I'm listing the Top 5 Characteristics of a Good Leader.

Practices clear, candid, and open communication.
Creates a climate of trust.
Gives feedback and expects feedback from others.
Puts the right people in the right positions.
Sees the big picture - and never loses sight of it.

There are many characteristics of good leaders, but I think these are the top 5. Without these particular attributes, leadership suffers.

Top 5 Mistakes of Entrepreneurs

2006-08-22T08:08:00.000-04:00

Today's Top 5 List is based on some of the mistakes made by entrepreneurs. The point is for us to learn from them and to strengthen our entrepreneurial spirits.

Sticking to one idea too long. Ideas are the currency of entrepreneurs - so try out several to see which ones are financially successful.
Ignoring cash flow. You'll always need more cash than you think you will.
Selling too hard. If you have to sell your ideas too hard, start listening to why they aren't buying.
Not having support structures. Hire people to help you - build your own team of support to include a virtual assistant, accountant, business coach, and any others you need to make your business venture work.
Giving up too soon. Everything takes longer than we want it to, expect it to, need it to. And that's just the way it is. Plan on a much longer launch time than you want - and stick with it.

I love entrepreneurial spirits - and have several entrepreneurs as clients. If you're an entrepreneur who is wanting to make things happen faster, a coach is one of the tools that can help.

Top 5 Ways to Work Effectively at Home

2006-08-21T08:49:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts is devoted this week to daily lists of top 5's. Today I'm listing the top 5 ways to effectively work out of your home office. Sometimes it can be extremely difficult to work out of one's home, but I find that the most successful home offices utilize these 5 ways to be more effective.

Develop a routine or schedule. You're the boss, so set your times of operation - and stick with them.
Set deadlines for specific tasks - with consequences attached. Usually the self-employed have built-in consequences of not getting the work done!
Educate your family, friends, and neighbors about your business and your work schedule. While everyone experiences interruptions from time to time, set strong boundaries and live by them - period.
Set daily goals that will hold your focus. This can help manage your time, too.
Prepare for the next business day before today's close of business. Just by clearing your desk, organizing your files, reviewing the calendar, and knowing what's on tap for the next day leads to the start of another good day in business.

Each of us must find our own best ways to run our businesses and our home offices, but these are the top 5 ways that successful people have remained effective leaders in the business world.

Extreme Self Care Program

2006-08-18T09:42:00.000-04:00

Today I'm showcasing Extreme Self Care. I'm licensed to provide this coaching program and those who have completed this program have found that they are living better, healthier lives as a result.

Extreme Self Care consists of 100 items which, when completed, will very likely result in emotional and physical balance - which further supports your career and busines success. The entire purpose of this program is to focus on strengthening the client through improved balance, wellness, and improved overall quality of life. Stress reduction is a major benefit as well. The whole point of this program is that it integrates the changes you are making in your life in order to create sustainable growth and sustainable improvement.

For more information, please contact me. I'd love to explain how this program can be designed just for you.

Personal Freedom Coaching Program (TM)

2006-08-17T09:36:00.000-04:00

Today I'm showcasing a program that I'm licensed to provide. Personal Freedom is a fabulous personal development program that is based on 10 foundations of our lives.

The Personal Freedom Program addresses each of the following foundations of our lives as a separate module. I offer this as a 12-week program covering a module per week with assessments provided. The following are topics that are covered in this program:

Creating Boundaries
Requirements
Raising Your Standards
Finsih What is Unfinished
Getting Your Needs Met
Orienting around your Values
Building Reserves in all Areas
Minimizing Tolerations
Handle Your Money Completely
Define Success on Your Own Terms

People of all ages and professions have benefitted from this program and attribute it to increasing their personal success as well as business success. If you'd like more information, please contact me. I'd love to talk with you!

Intentional Leadership

2006-08-16T08:31:00.000-04:00

Intentional Leadership is the coaching program I'm showcasing today. Please contact me directly for more information or to schedule a complimentary session.

Intentional Leadership is a 90-day program that focuses on the specific skill sets that are needed to set apart excellent leaders from those who only hold the title or position. The program consists of weekly 30-minute calls, unlimited email support, and weekly laser sessions of 5 - 10 minutes that support the client's progress. While this program addresses particular skills, the client's unique and individual situation is addressed at every point.

This program works for managers, sales professionals, team leaders, project managers, supervisors, and anyone who wants to position themselves for leadership roles in any organization.

Please visit www.SLFConsulting.com for more information on the programs I offer - or contact me personally to find out how this program might work for you and your specific needs.

Manage Your Time

2006-08-15T09:50:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts is dedicating this week to showcasing five coaching programs that I offer. Please contact me for additional information or to schedule a complimentary session to explore any of these programs.

Manage Your Time is a 6-week coaching program that provides a structure with supportive strategies to help you take control of your time and manage it - instead of letting it control you. The program works with weekly 30-minute phone calls (one-on-one coaching) and unlimited email support between calls. Strategies and techniques are presented in addition to providing unique structures for the individual needs of each client. The success rate for this program is extremely high - actually 100% of my clients have reported improved time management skills over the past few years.

This program works for individuals - personally and professionally - to improve their time management and give them more time. It keeps them efficient and more productive. For more information, please visit www.SLFConsulting.com or contact me directly. I'd love to help you manage your time!

Peak Performance for Managers

2006-08-14T08:49:00.000-04:00

This Week with Sara Fitts will focus on five coaching programs that I offer to give you a better idea of the broad spectrum coaching provides. Please contact me for additional information or to set up a complimentary session to explore any of these programs.

Peak Performance for Managers develops the skill sets needed to move forward at a faster rate of success. Peak performance is vital in today's business climate. This program is designed to close the gap between current and desired performance, to increase job satisfaction and productivity, and to increase the rate of career success. This program will benefit managers, supervisors, project or team leaders, human resources professionals, and just about anyone ready to move forward faster.

The real beauty of this program is that it works for groups or individuals - and is unique to the client's field and position. For more information, please visit www.SLFConsulting.com or contact me directly. I'd love to talk with you about reaching your peak performance.

What 3 Words Describe You?

2006-08-11T09:28:00.000-04:00

What 3 words describe you at your best? What 3 words describe you at your worst? What 3 words describe you on a daily basis?

These adjectives create power and learning for you. When you are candid with yourself, you can fully express where you are in your personal and professional development. After identifying the words, are you satisfied with them? If you are, excellent! If you aren't, what do you do now? The power in this exercise is in defining and re-defining who we are. If we don't like who we are, we have the power to create something better.

Try this coaching exercise and see what happens. What did you learn? Were you surprised? Take it a step further and ask those around you for their input. Again, what did you learn? Did their words surprise you? What changes will you make as a result of these words?

If you'd like to experience this coaching exercise with me as a facilitator, please contact me and I'd be happy to take you through a complimentary session.

What 3 Things Aren't Serving You Well?

2006-08-10T08:34:00.000-04:00

What 3 things are you doing that really aren't serving you well? I think this is an interesting exercise. When you can identify anything in your personal routine or in your career or business operations that don't really help you in any way, you can eliminate it and substitute something that will get you better results.

If what you're doing isn't helping you, it is hindering your success. Regardless of whether it is personal or professional, we all should only do the things that serve us well. When we do anything that doesn't serve us well, we are literally shooting ourselves in the foot and engaging in self-sabotage.

One of the quickest ways to immediately get better results is to identify the things in our lives and in our work that aren't serving us well - and eliminate them. Take this exercise seriously - and reap the benefits almost instantaneously.

What Do You Want Less of?

2006-08-09T08:44:00.000-04:00

What do you want less of? This question is usually posed in the opposite direction - asking for more, not less. So the question sometimes throws us off a bit, but when you really think about it, there are many things we want less of.

What do you want less of?

stress
struggle
overwhelm
pain
fear
conflict
mindless chatter

This is a provocative question that can lead to enormous empowerment to improve one's life and one's business. Take the time necessary to answer this question fully - and you'll be catapulted forward at a powerful rate of speed.

What do you want less of?

Where Do You Hold Yourself Back?

2006-08-08T08:24:00.000-04:00

Where do you hold yourself back? If you really give this question serious thought, there is no telling how empowering the outcome can be. When we address what is holding us back, we can then move forward faster.

Where do we hold ourselves back? Sometimes the answers are obvious and other times we must dig deeper to name them. Here are some answers that I've experienced over the years from clients and colleagues.

Telling only part of the truth - not the "real" truth
Going along with the crowd instead of finding our own voice
Not showing up fully
Listening to others instead of ourselves
Giving in to fear
Settling for less than the best

In order to move forward faster, either personally or professionally, we all must address everything that holds us back from living our fullest lives. Where do you hold yourself back? Just by answering this one question will move you forward - as soon as today!

What Fuels You?

2006-08-07T08:56:00.000-04:00

What fuels you? What energizes you? What makes you get up in the morning to face another day?

My work fuels me. I get energy from my clients and the projects I create and participate in. When I'm working on something, I can get lost in it and not even take a lunch break! But in order to stay fresh and focused, I often have to "schedule" short breaks within my day. Sometimes just 10 minutes to breathe is enough to rejuvenate me and keep me fresh.

While I love what I do, I am a strong advocate for vacations. I believe that all of us need to have some down time for rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation. It can be long weekends away, a week at the beach, or even an elaborate vacation abroad. The real point is taking some time away from stressors (and stresses) and doing something you enjoy for a sustainable period of time. I believe you really need a long weekend at minimum in order to accomplish this. My ideal is 10 days or two weeks. This is long enough to really relax and rejuvenate.

The purpose of vacations should be to fuel us for the next several months. It should provide enough fuel to get us through the routine stress of the workday and other things that pop up and attempt to throw us off our game. In today's environment, we all need to fuel ourselves for the long haul.

What fuels you?

Attract Success: Master Your Craft

2006-07-28T09:39:00.000-04:00

Become more attractive to customers, clients, or superiors by mastering your craft. Being the best at what you do is the easiest way to become successful. This principle isn't promoting competence - it implies an even higher standard than mere competence. To master your craft means to learn how to deliver your services to fit the ever-changing needs of your customers, clients, or managers. It means to invent better ways to do everything you do.

Mastering your craft is about raising your own personal standards within the context of your professional life. It is about reducing the costs (in time and emotions) of delivering your services. It is about increasing the demand for your services. It is about making any and all necessary personal changes in order to move forward.

When you master your craft, you often experience the following:

You learn more.
You learn faster.
You separate yourself from colleagues and others who drain you.
You find better ways to do what you're doing - even if you're already good at it.
You find greater joy in your work and in your life.
You influence others more easily.

Being the best at what you do is the easiest way to become successful. Master your craft.

Attract Success: Deliver Twice What You Promise

2006-07-27T08:38:00.000-04:00

Another excellent way to attract success is to deliver twice what you promise. When you consistently deliver more than was expected, new customers and clients are drawn to you. Anyone can do this by positioning themselves to always do more than is expected, more than is necessary, more than others in the same business or job are doing. This sets you apart from all others in the same field. This makes you the "go-to" person and makes you more attractive in business and in life.

This principle is fairly easy to implement. It begins with a commitment on your part that you are controlling your repsonse to all requests from superiors and customers or clients. You decide that your response to all requests will be twice what is being asked for. It is closely tied with eliminating delay because in order to deliver twice what is promised, you must get it done without hesitation.

Delivering twice what you promise not only will attract success - it will be a huge stepping stone in your career and professional life. It will set you apart from all others.

Attract Success: Eliminate Delay

2006-07-26T09:27:00.000-04:00

Eliminate delay. Time is expensive. Wasting time is very unattractive. Putting things off is unattractive. People do not buy from unattractive businesses when other options are available; therefore, eliminating delay is an excellent way to attract business, customers, and clients. Personally, this principle works to attract friends and colleagues as well.

But, eliminating delay does not mean rushing. Details are still important. Steps cannot be left out of important procedures. Eliminating delay refers to making the most of our time. Eliminating delay refers to removing the obstacles to our success. It doesn't mean working faster - it means working more efficiently and more productively. It means doing what is most important and doing it now. It means refusing to let the obstacle spin our wheels. It means refusing to let anything else get us off our game.

People and organizations who are slow to respond will get further and further behind. People and organizations who are most successful are the ones who eliminate delay.

Attract Success: Unhook Yourself from the Future

2006-07-25T08:03:00.000-04:00

Unhook yourself from the future. Attraction works in the present, not in the future. No one wants to know what you're going to do, they want to know what you are doing. This principle of attraction works in your personal life as well as in your business life.

Too many times we wait for just the right moment, just the right job, just the right amount of money in our account, just the right weight in order to do something. And in the process of waiting, we miss the opportunity that now brings us. Now is the time to do whatever it is you need or want to do. Putting things off until an arbitrary date in the future immediately disempowers us. Even if we must have a future date for a project, there is nothing that prevents us from working on it or towards it today.

Unhook yourself from the future. Attraction works in the present, not in the future. How will you attract success today?

Attracting Success: Become Selfish

2006-07-24T08:29:00.000-04:00

Thomas Leonard developed 28 principles of attraction that formed his book "The Portable Coach". This week I'm taking 5 of these principles of attraction to illustrate what I know to be true about attracting personal and business success.

Become incredibly selfish. Without you, there is nothing, and attraction isn't possible. Selfishness isn't always a negative character trait. When we become selfish in a positive way, we take care of ourselves and are able to grow and develop in ways never before experienced. No one attracts success when they are tired, run down, and drained. We can only attract success when we are fueled and energized. Our fuel and energy comes from our "selfishness" that creates boundaries that protect us.

Regardless of what we seek to attract - more business, more sales, more money, a stronger team - we must put ourselves first in certain ways. We must put ourselves first in terms of taking care of ourselves. We must eat the right foods, get rest and exercise. We must protect ourselves from influences that drain us or harm us in any way. We must realize that we are what we are selling. We must also realize that no one is buying "tired and worn out" when "fresh and energetic" is on the market, too. By becoming incredibly selfish, we become (and remain) fresh and energized.

A key way to attract success personally and in business is to become incredibly selfish.

Risk is Always Reducible

2006-07-21T07:17:00.000-04:00

Risk is always reducible. Personally and in business, we can always reduce our risk. Here are a few ways risk can be reduced.

Leave 20 minutes early.
Have a few more copies of the report you'll need for your meeting.
Under-promise and over-deliver. [Never the other way around!]
Prepare "new client/customer" packets before you get new clients/customers.
Upgrade your personal operating system (so you can manage your time, set the right goals, create balance in your life, and move forward).
De-clutter your home and office so you don't worry about unexpected guests.
Have a system for everything you do.
Develop your own routine.

Reducing risk is really about having an insurance policy of sorts. Your personal and business "insurance policy" is in place when you reduce risk. Most of the ways to reduce risk are very simple and easy to implement.

How do you reduce your risk?

There's Usually a Better Way

2006-07-20T09:17:00.000-04:00

There's usually a better way to do just about anything. When we do the same things we've always done in the way we've always done them, we generally get the same results we've always gotten. To get better results and outcomes, we need to find better ways to work - personally and in business. If we're not moving forward, we're standing still. If we're standing still, there is no growth. If there is no growth, we're stagnant.

Like with most changes, the first change is the mindset. We must believe that there is a better way. It may be simpler or more complicated. But any better way will bring better results; otherwise, it isn't better.

Think about your own personal operating systems. If you are content with the results they bring you, there isn't a pressing need to look for a better way of doing them. But, if you aren't operating at optimum performance, there is a better way. These questions may help you decide.

Do you manage your time extremely well?
Do your priorities fit your goals and actions?
Do you have a life outside of your work that you really enjoy?
Are you experiencing growth personally and professionally?

If you answered "yes" to these questions, you are working at or toward peak performance. If you answered "no" to any question, there is a better way.

Contact me for a complimentary 20 minute session to find out more about creating better ways to design personal operating systems around time management and goal-setting strategies.

Problems are Immediate Opportunities

2006-07-19T09:12:00.000-04:00

While no one enjoys problems, they do provide opportunities for us - immediately, if we act fast enough. When you think about it, this one framework has the power to transform a negative into a positive. This alone can move us forward much faster regardless of our situation.

Problems can drain us of energy, motivation, and creativity. Problems can stop all momentum. But if we change our mindset and allow a different perspective, we can then focus on the solutions instead of the problem. Just by switching the focus, we empower ourselves and those around us to move forward. When we are moving forward, we are fueled by energy, motivation, and creativity.

Sometimes it's easier said than done, but problems are immediate opportunities for everyone and every business. Just as "necessity is the mother of invention", this coaching framework is a powerful tool in business as well as personally. Problems are immediate opportunities. Do you have an opportunity today?

The Answer is Somewhere

2006-07-18T08:06:00.000-04:00

The second coaching framework I'm discussing this week is: The Answer is Somewhere.

Often we face problems in our personal lives and in our work - and sometimes the solutions don't come easily. But the answer to everything is out there somewhere. We sometimes have to get out of our comfort zones and face our fears head on in order to find the solution.

A critical factor in using this framework is being proactive in searching for solutions. What we focus on expands - and, if we focus on the fact that there is no way out of a particular situation, then the solution will be almost impossible to find. On the other hand, when we believe that there is a solution out there somewhere, we are much more likely to find the solution.

When we focus on the solution instead of the problem, we are 100% more likely to solve it faster. The answer is always somewhere.

Delay is Increasingly Expensive

2006-07-17T09:11:00.000-04:00

This week I'm exploring a few of the frameworks of coaching. I'll relate them to personal and business coaching situations - and make each one applicable to everyday life for most of us. I hope you enjoy the frameworks I've chosen to discuss.

A coaching framework is simply a structure designed to support the client as he or she moves forward to a different level. The framework itself offers a perspective that often drives change.

Delay is increasingly expensive. Another way to state this is: If not now, when? Often when we wait for "just the right time", we miss the opportunity completely. Windows of opportunity are usually small - so waiting jeopardizes our success. In personal situations as well as business situations, time is usually extremely important. I'm not advocating jumping off a cliff; however, I'm totally against waiting around trying to "over-perfect" the task at hand.

Delay is increasingly expensive. Believe in your abilities. Trust your instincts. Go for it. Make it happen. Your coach is the safety net.

For more information on how this coaching framework can support you personally and in business, contact me and I'll arrange a complimentary session to illustrate this framework.

Stop Talking about It - and Make It Happen

2006-07-14T08:36:00.000-04:00

The real key to finding balance is to make it happen. We need to stop talking about the lack of balance or feeling out of balance - and create it for ourselves. We really do have the power to balance our lives - maybe not 100%, but we can create some balance in our lives and in our work.

My point is this: What we focus on expands. When we focus on the fact that we don't have balance in our lives, the "lack" of balance gets so big that we become paralyzed by it. The paralysis keeps us from being productive and efficient - and happy. The cycle, at this point, becomes difficult to break; however, it definitely can be broken.

Break the cycle of imbalance.Stop talking about it and make it happen. Create some balance in your life - and get more accomplished, live easier and happier, and have more energy. How can you create more balance in your life?

Take a Break - without Feeling Guilty

2006-07-13T08:54:00.000-04:00

An excellent way to achieve some balance quickly is by taking a break without feeling guilty about it. It can be a day off, a weekend away, or even an afternoon away from work. We all need to be rejuvenated in order to be productive. Tired and "out-of-balance" people aren't nearly as productive as they could be with some rest, relaxation, and sheer enjoyment. Stephen Covey calls this time to sharpen our saw.

Last weekend I took the entire day on Saturday to rejuvenate. I had an absolute blast! I just needed time to myself - so I rented 4 DVDs and had my own film fest. I never even left the house the entire day! What a wonderful respite I had. And, believe me, it has had powerful carry-over into my work, too.

It doesn't have to be an elaborate event in order to have positive effects. The point is that this time off must be relaxing to you and must not make you feel guilty about taking the time away from other things. It is tremendously important to create balance in our lives in just this way. Taking a break is necessary for balance, productivity, and our overall mental and emotional well-being. Try it and see what happens in your life and in your work. My bet is that everyone around you will take note of the change. Give yourself permission to take a break without feeling guilty.

Create Balance with Stronger Boundaries

2006-07-12T08:14:00.000-04:00

I believe that we can balance our lives with stronger boundaries. It is extremely important to set boundaries and honor them. No one will respect our boundaries unless we are committed to them and protect them. Initially, it may be difficult; however, once we respect our own boundaries, they are truly set in place.

What boundaries can we set for ourselves? There are too many to name, but here are some:

a closed door
"voicemail only" times during the day
structured start and stop times for tasks
"Do Not Disturb" sign
saying "no"
a 10-minute walk
definite meal times
scheduled short breaks during the day

It really doesn't matter what the boundary is - the purpose of it is to protect you. In the process, it creates balance in our lives and in our work. When we have balance, we are more efficient, more productive, more relaxed, and happier. Create balance by setting stronger boundaries - and honoring them.

Balance is a Verb, Too

2006-07-11T07:58:00.000-04:00

Often our use of the word "balance" is in the noun form. We want balance and we want to feel the power and peace it brings. But what I've found is that we all sometimes forget that balance is a verb, too.

When we shift our mindset and focus on the fact that we really have the ability to "balance" things in our lives and in our work, we then move to a totally different field of play. Just this shift in thinking allows us to create balance. We can do this by:

allowing ourselves to set boundaries that protect us and our time
deciding when we will complete our tasks
specifically setting times (start and stop times)
letting go of the need for absolute perfection
making the commitment to create more balance in our lives and in our work
taking charge of our schedules - of our time
making decisions and sticking with them

This isn't necessarily an easy concept to implement; however, once done, it can be the most powerful tool we will ever have, personally as well as professionally. When we use balance as a verb, we become much more confident and competent.

Finding Balance in Life and Work

2006-07-10T05:44:00.000-04:00

Finding balance can be one of the most difficult things we face. There always seems to be too much to do - and something gets left undone as a result. We never seem to have enough time to do many of the things that we really enjoy. We feel drained because we don't have enough rest - or enough recreation.

The real truth of the matter is this: Balance isn't either/or - it's AND.

The way we find balance is to create it by changing our mindset - and making room for the fun things and the important things in our lives - and in our work. Our biggest restriction is the 24-hour day; however, with the right mindset that can be handled.

For starters, change your mindset so that you aren't choosing one thing over another - but changing something else so that you can have both if it is possible - and if it is important enough. Finding balance is about finding ways to do the things we really love to do - and want to do - while doing the things we have to do.

Intentional Leadership

2006-07-07T08:29:00.000-04:00

Intentional leadership is leadership defined by each member of an organization regardless of position. It defines the role of leadership as it plays out on a day-to-day basis and strengthens the organization. Intentional leadership creates a culture that develops all members and holds the expectation that everyone assoiciated with the organization grows personally as well as professionally in all areas.

Intentional leadership is expressed and illustrated by:

decison-making based on the beliefs, values, and culture of the organization
open communication with and between all members of the team
ownership, responsibility, and accountability from, with and by everyone
commitment
results!

What I'm really saying here is this: while some leaders are born, all of us can become leaders by our intention. Intentional leadership is developed. In fact, I have designed a coaching program that does just that - it develops leaders intentionally. If you'd like more information on my coaching program, please contact me @ 703.791.4741 or email thecoach@SLFConsulting.com.

Trademarks of a Leader

2006-07-06T08:11:00.000-04:00

Leaders are unique in many ways; however, there are qualities that every leader possesses. I call these the trademarks of a leader.

good communication skills
great motivator
excellent ability to persuade others
leads by example
rallies the team
is unselfish
puts goals of the organization ahead of their own goals
determination
courage
confidence
results-oriented and results-driven
ability to create the future by believing in the team
positive attitude
takes ownership
accepts responsibility
accountability abounds
makes decisions
appreciates team efforts and expresses that appreciation
commitment
enthusiasm

When these trademarks are developed, organizations are effective and successful. Organizations without effective leadership are never as successful as they could be. Leadership skills must be developed - in all areas of every organization - regardless of position.