What a weak capitulation by the Indian cricket team this summer! When they arrived here they were rated as the best team in the world, but after 4 pretty abject performances it is difficult to think of them as being in the top 5. So what has become of them, and how have England (2 years ago rated as 6th in the world) turned things around so dramatically? For me it is all down to hard work and professionalism.

In some ways it is strange to see an England team showing these traits. The traditional English way, now curiously adopted by the Indians is to believe in your own talent, assume you are better than the opposition, turn up on the day, and trust that everything will go your way. Practising, turning up on time and being professional in every aspect of what you do, used to be seen as rather “vulgar”, and only something that people less talented than yourself needed to do. However, it has been proven once again (as it did with the England rugby squad under Sir Clive Woodward) that there is no substitute for true, thorough and complete professionalism. Hard work, practice and leaving nothing to chance is the way of winners. There is no such thing as “luck”, it is everything you do up to the event, and everything that you prepare before, during and after, which creates a situation which apparently allows “lucky” outcomes.

The point naturally enough is, that business is exactly the same. Don’t take rash chances with your business, and prepare for opportunities and eventualities, so that when things happen, good or bad, you are ready to deal with them. Professionalism in everything you do should be what you are striving for. Of course people who are jealous of you may scorn you for doing things in a way which they consider grandiose or unnecessary, but it is no co-incidence that all the most successful businesses are those who practice professionalism and hard work all the time.

What a refreshing meeting I had the other day with a young salesman just starting out. Instead of the usual over-confidence and conviction that he already knew everything, and there was nothing he could possibly learn from someone like me, he listened intently, asked questions, and above all took notes. At the end he was very appreciative of what he had learned, and hoped that we could do more training in the future. With this sort of attitude, he will go far.

Of course the older we get, the more knowledge we accumulate, and the more we think we therefore know everything. However, as soon as we make the assumption that we know the answer to something, then we stop listening to other’s advice, and stop looking for possible better ideas. This is a very unwise place to be, because things are constantly changing, and something which used to work and be entirely appropriate may well no longer be the best solution.

So are you someone who knows it all, or are you open to further and continued learning? Sometimes we may need to swallow our pride, and realise that the world and business generally are dynamic, and that we constantly need to learn from others to keep abreast of the latest developments.

How often do you read a book? How often do you go to a seminar or workshop? How often do you ask for advice from your peers? Many people will perhaps cite lack of time as a reason for not developing their own knowledge, but I could argue that it is time well spent. Like a business, if you are not growing you are dying, so why not plan to expand your knowledge on a regular basis, and keep ahead or at least abreast of the latest business developments.

When I was a lot younger I used to imagine scenarios whereby I was living the life of Riley, as a wealthy and successful businessman. I’m not quite sure how I had expected to reach this level, but I just imagined things would happen to allow these daydreams to come to fruition. Over the years I began to understand that things generally do not just fall into your lap, you have to work for them, and that there are seldom any shortcuts.

Of course I am not the only one who hoped to find the way to riches with as little effort as possible. In fact it seems that more and more people nowadays expect things to be given to them without having to work for it. I recently met a charming person in their twenties with masses of great ideas, and full of the enthusiasm of a young entrepreneur. Unfortunately despite all the energy, everything is still in his head, with a vague hope that someone would want to invest in one or more of his ideas. After talking this through with him it became evident to both of us that whilst he was bursting with money making plans, he simply wanted someone to pay him for them, and really for them to do all the work to make them happen. Once I had brought him down to earth a little, he suddenly realised that all chat and no action was unlikely to get him what he wanted in life, and that he needed to put his money where his mouth is.

It is not just the younger generation who think they can get something for nothing. I often meet business owners sitting on their backsides waiting for a golden goose to appear. Funnily enough it hasn’t happened yet, and unless you are prepared to work for it, it probably never will.

When I first started business coaching, I found the concept of visualisation quite hard to comprehend. Exactly what did it mean, and how could it possibly be beneficial to anything, especially in the business world?
Those of you who regularly read my blogs will know that I love my sport, and visualisation is now a commonplace thing for many sportsmen. Matthew Hayden, an opening batsman for Australia, used to go and sit on the pitch before the start of the match visualising where and how he was going to hit the ball, and it certainly did him no harm. Many successful golfers visualise their ball landing on the green before they play their shot, and Johnny Wilkinson, arguably the best all time stand-off half for England, used to visualise the ball going between the posts every time he kicked it. So many obvious examples of the success that this practice can bring on the sports field.
But what about business. Well interestingly enough I have recently been working with a business who have employed a telemarketer to boost their leads. Unfortunately she has been missing her targets week in, week out, and so we felt we needed to offer further help and training. Part of this has been to visualise the positive outcome she will achieve by following the process and script we have given her. We suggested that before she starts each morning, that she sits quietly and visualise the number of meetings she will secure for the business, and already we are seeing positive results.
I know from my own experience, that visualising the positive outcome of a sales meeting gives me a far greater chance of securing the business, and have proved it to myself on many occasions.
So if you are struggling to achieve something important in the business, why not try a spot of visualisation, and see what happens.

I find that with most businesses which I start to coach, that the business owner not only has no targets for the business as a whole, but that there are no individual targets either. I’m not just talking about the financial targets which you would expect to be in place for the sales team, but all the other key performance indicators (KPI’s) which are so important to get right, to help the business run smoothly.
I often talk about the importance of setting goals and targets, and there is without doubt a very clear benefit of setting financial targets for the business. However, if you turn this around and look at it from the point of view of the individual, you will also soon see how this helps them as well. It might be simple things like punctuality, or ensuring the stationary levels are kept stocked up, or that the coffee mugs are clean, but whatever it is everyone should know what is expected of them. If each individual does not have targets, then how do they know if they are performing well or not? Most people thrive on knowing how well they are doing, and love to get a pat on the back for recognising that they are meeting or exceeding their targets. Equally well if they decide to drag their heels, there can be no complaint when you pull them up for not doing their job properly.
Of course to be able to set KPI’s, you must lay down specific responsibilities for each role, so it is easy to set targets. Once you start this process, you should continually look to raise the bar, so there is a constant improvement month on month, thereby allowing each individual to shine, and the business to flourish.

I recently met with some business owners who apparently had the perfect set up, which provided the sort of life-style which many aspire to, but few achieve. Essentially they had a business that worked well without them, it was bringing in a steady income, and generally they only spent a couple of hours a day working. However, despite all this, they recognised that they could have achieved a lot more with this business and were now looking to revitalise it so they could draw more substantial incomes, and/or sell it for a far greater sum when the time is right.
So what was wrong with this apparent success? Well the first thing they offered was that they had managed to grow the business quickly, and had created a profitable enterprise that could work without them within 2 to 3 years of setting up. However, as they had no clear personal goals, and consequently, no “Why” in their business plans, once they were doing well enough, they decided to take the foot off the pedal and enjoy life at the level which seemed OK to them.
In the subsequent years where their input both in management and direction had been minimal, things have remained static at best, and in some aspects, have gradually fallen away. Because they have no set goals, no-one has been set any targets, so everyone does just enough to maintain the equilibrium. There is no clear organisational structure with roles and responsibilities, so no-one is held accountable for anything. The culture has slipped badly, and bad habits which start at the top, have gradually filtered right through the business.
The good news is that they have recognised the need to turn it back around, and start bringing good business practice back into play. So the answer is if you want to keep your business running efficiently and profitably, don’t take your foot off the pedal until you sell it.

This may seem a slightly odd question, but understanding the difference between what you think are your goals, and what your true goals are is extremely important.
Many people I meet both in the business or social arena will tell me things they want to do or achieve, places they want to go, and money or possessions they aspire to, but for the most part these are just words which they think sound good, but in reality they are never likely to pursue them with any determination. In fact often if someone offers them the chance to fulfill their goal (or at least start the process of fulfillment), they will find an excuse for not taking part.
Some goals, however, are things that we really honestly want in life, and we are prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve them. It often takes a huge amount of self sacrifice and single mindedness, but if you truly want something in your life, then you have to do what it takes to get there.
My son is a very keen cricketer, and plays at a good level with many young lads who all apparently have aspirations to play at the top. However, how many of them are really prepared to put in the hours of practice required to get them there. Do they know what it is going to take, and once they find out, will they still be prepared to make the effort. Seeing Alastair Cook yet again batting his way to just short of 100 runs on Friday shows what true determination to be the best means.
So as business owners, when you next sit down to think why you are doing what you are with your business, perhaps it is worth re-assessing what are your true goals. Then you will find it easier to set a path for the business to take, and of course you will often be more likely to take the necessary actions to make things happen and fulfill your dreams.

I have recently been working with a business where one of the employees is struggling with his life outside of the workplace, and as a result is not performing well in his job. The consequences of this can be considerable, and in this case, not only is it having an effect on the turnover of the business, but it is also causing stress and extra work for his colleagues. So how should this be handled?

I find this a particularly difficult topic, because like most people, I can find it hard to be brutally honest, and tell it exactly how it is. However, avoiding or skirting the issue, whilst easier to say, and in the short term less painful to the recipient, may not necessarily be helping. If you think that by making things sound better than they are you are being kind to someone, perhaps it is worth thinking again. In fact more often than not, by trying to soften the blow, or by re-enforcing their excuses or self pity, you are actually preventing them from dealing with a crucial issue, and potentially allowing it to build up, until it becomes explosive, and all hell lets loose.

From a selfish point of view, we worry that we may lose friends, or be seen as callous. Whereas in reality, we should face up to the issue and tell them, because in this way we are being genuine friends or colleagues.

Going back to the business I cited earlier. They have all offered a sympathetic ear, avoided the issue, and tried to carry him through the tough time. It hasn’t worked, and now there are potential fireworks ahead. Perhaps they should have just said “Stop being a victim, face up to your issues, change your ways and things will soon start to improve”.

Do you just talk a good game, or do you actually make things happen?
Often when I start working with business owners they profess to wanting to change all sorts of things, but when it comes down to it, how much do they really want it? Is it really just words? They will tell me that they have tried to change things before, but in the end nothing meaningful is ever achieved. The temptation is for them to blame this on the ineptitude, inability or unwillingness of their team to take the steps and actions that that they have been told to take. But shouldn’t they be looking a little closer to home?

Change can start with small seemingly unimportant steps, but it is not necessarily the action itself, but how it is implemented, and the determination behind it to make it permanent and meaningful. For example I have a client who was constantly tripping over things in the workshop, because the production team was untidy and careless. They had been told countless times to pick things up, put them in the bin, or hang them up, but to little avail. However, you only needed to walk into office to see why this was not working. There were heaps of paper everywhere, people on top of each other, no obvious filing system, rubbish on the floor etc etc. So what message was that sending out? It’s OK for the boss to live in a mess, but not for the rest of us? Apart from the fact mess makes for inefficiency, mistakes, and reduced productivity (always looking for things, and therefore wasting time) it sends all the wrong signals when trying to make changes.

I’m pleased to report that this particular client “got it” and the office is now organised, and the production line for the most part tidier and far more productive. So now the team can actually see that the boss means what he says, that it applies to all, and we are starting to see changes for the better that are going to stick.

One of the hardest things to do when everything seems incredibly busy, is to find time to stand back and do some planning. When you are running about like a headless chicken, desperately trying to keep all the balls in the air the last thing you feel like doing is to stop, take a deep breath, and reconsider where you are going, and perhaps what needs to change.

When I start out working with business owners, it may quite often take a few months before they fully appreciate and understand the significance and importance of our meetings. Quite often they will cancel at the last moment, either because they haven’t progressed things and taken action as agreed, or because they organise something else at the same time (generally a meeting with a client or lead) which they still perceive as being far more important than a meeting with me. The truth is, however that whilst these alternative activities are indeed important, they are no more important than sitting down and discussing the next actions to be taken, which will then improve the way things are done, lead to greater profitability and sales, which in turn will allow them to employ new people and free up further time for the business owner. Whilst the business owners can see the sense and logic behind this, and will happily agree that pursuing the planned step by step procedures to make things change for the better is the right thing to do, they will still keep on fire fighting doing all the tasks that “need” to be done, until at some point something happens where they finally “get it”.

At that point they will start to book out time in their diary to start working on their business. This is when they can do the “homework” we mutually agree, so that at our next meeting we can assess the actions taken, and then plan the priorities to achieve the goals and changes that were planned at the outset. So how important is working on the business? Until you start on a regular basis, your role will be constantly that of an employee not a business owner.