The Balancing Act
Balance is essential in everyone's life. No one can do the same thing all day, every day. "All work and no play" does more than make us dull; it sets us up for unhealthy lifestyles and relationships.
One of the best ways to keep balance is to define what balance means for you in your life; everyone has different values and will devote different amounts of time to each part of their lives. Once you determine a definition, outline specific daily actions that will maintain that
balance. For example, make a written list of three to seven major areas of your life and then determine three to five measurable actions to take in each of those major areas.
Keeping balanced in life is not something you do once; you have to deal with it continually. It's something that consistently changes, and weekly attention needs to be given to it. Often people will get their lives out of balance over a longer period of time, maybe three to five years, and then expect to get it balanced in a week. Remember that you didn't get to where you are overnight and you probably won't change overnight.
It's something that consistently changes, and weekly attention needs to be given to it. Often people will get their lives out of balance over a longer period of time, maybe three to five years, and then expect to get it balanced in a week. Remember that you didn't get to where
you are overnight, and you probably won't change overnight.
Divide major areas of balance into small actions in which you can concentrate and be successful. Maybe your spouse is saying that you don't give him/her enough time or don't seem to care for him/her as much as you did in the past. Reflect on what you used to do when you felt like there was more balance in the relationship, and start doing some of those
things on a daily basis. It's amazing to see how results and feelings will follow actions.
If you feel like you need more balance with friends or children, look for small things that don't take much time but pack a great deal of meaning. It may be as simple as a hand-written note once a week or a ten minute phone call once a day.
Another way to balance your life is to build specific routines that automatically help you attain balance. Every Friday night could be date night, Sunday could be for spiritual focus, Monday night could be for football, Tuesday could be game night with the family, Wednesday could be for friends, and Thursday could be a personal night for you to do something for yourself. Visit, call, mail, e-mail—do whatever you can think of to help keep balanced in every area of your life.
Let's Get Organized
You are successful. You have a home, a spouse, a family, a pet, and a career. And, you are ready to have a nervous breakdown. The time has come to get organized. Take a moment to sit down and divide your life into major categories: such as family, home, self, career, friends, etc. Beginning with your "number one category," write down your goals for each area. They may be something you want to accomplish on your own, or they may be something to work on with the rest of your family.
Once you have your goals down on paper, imagine one day as a giant pie sliced into pieces of pie—blocks of time. Now allocate an appropriate amount of time to each category for one day. You may want to get a daily planner and break up your day using time increments. Include time for yourself, and for sleep. And remember, you do not have to classify each day with the same time allowances and activities.
During the times you have allocated for certain areas of your life, work towards that area's goals. You may want to ask someone to help you review your progress monthly as incentive to follow your plan.
You are successful and now you are organized. Now nothing can stand in your way.
Finding Your Goals
"If you do not know where you are goin', you probably will not wind up there." So states
idiots, Forrest Gump. Although Mr. Gump's character is unrenowned for his business sense or even his common sense, he has caught hold of a truth. If you don't know what your goals are, then how can you achieve them?
Goals are not optional ingredients to a business, especially yours. It is also not good enough to say the goal of your business is to make money or to help people or to provide entertainment. How much money do you want to make? How many people do you want to help? How much entertainment do you wish to provide? These quantifying questions are important because, if left unasked, your business may never reach its potential.
Goals set the tone for projects within the company. Once your goals are identified, it will be easier to judge which projects are the most worthwhile and which are most likely to help you achieve your goals. One way to ensure that all actions taken by your company comply with one or more of its goals is to filter your goals throughout the company. Achieving departmental goals leads to collective achievement of the company's overall goals.
What about you and all the other people your company employs? Goals are important not only in the realm of business but also on a personal level. Each employee needs to know where they are headed personally as well as where the company is headed. Often, personal goals can be in line with company goals. This is a powerful combination because if an employee can see how the company can help him or her achieve personal goals, that employee will be more motivated to achieve the company goals. This is also important from a management perspective because people who know where they are headed do not need to be told where to go. In short, employees with goals tend to be easier to manage. Also, by
helping employees figure out their goals, a company will be able to weed out those whose goals are in direct conflict with the company's goals and would slow momentum toward achieving company goals.
Goals are a unifying force that pulls a company together as a team. Without them, realizing your own and your company's potential is not only difficult, but nearly impossible. Even Forrest Gump figured that out. Don't kid yourself. You can't get where you are going if you do not know where it is.
You've Come A Long Way
"You've come a long way, baby." Although that may be an overused cigarette slogan, it is true, isn't it? We have come a long way. In the last one hundred years, we have sent man to the moon; gained convenience through computerizing just about everything we own; and created technology that links the far corners of the world. And, what about you, personally? Just think of all that you have gone through to get where you are today—from the job that paid minimum wage to the one that gave you the necessary experience to get ahead in your career. Remember all of those painful interviews?
And, remember those two dreaded questions—you know, the ones that all interviewers seemed to ask: WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN TEN YEARS? WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?
Thank goodness that's over, huh? You have a career now and you know exactly where you're headed. In fact, if anyone asked you those same questions today, you could probably answer him or her without even thinking about it, right?
If "right" is the wrong answer, don't worry about it. You're not alone. Many people approach their careers without a 10 year vision or specific goals and they get along just fine.
Of course, the truly successful people not only know their goals but also plan their actions by them. Knowing where you want to end up is only half of the battle—you also need to
know how to get there.
Goals are essential to your success because they focus your energy into the direction you wish to go. Once you determine your goals, outline the steps you need to take in order to achieve your goals. It's kind of like playing a tennis match. While you have the overall goal of winning the match, you also must have a strategy to win each game in the match and the necessary points within the match.
Do you know what your goals are but still are a little fuzzy on how to achieve them? Or, are you going through your career without a clear focus of where you want to be in ten years? Answer these two questions, and you'll be amazed at the results you can achieve!
Taking the Lead
A neighbor noticed the young boy and the rather large family dog who lived next door heading out for their morning walk. "I see that Rover is taking you for a walk, Billy," the neighbor quipped, as the huge beast pulled the lad down the street.
Have you ever felt like Billy—being led, uncertain of your destination in your business or life? Maybe you wish to remain comfortable and safe in your present position, doing what you always do. But do you have an urge to improve, to see what you're capable of? If you want to go places, you have to plan a route and decide how you're going to get there.
To bring about change:
1. Set a goal.
2. Devise some steps that will enable you to reach that goal.
3. Periodically review your progress to see if you're on track.
The company you work for probably has a plan that it uses to set goals for the year. It's called a budget. Budgets help the company set income goals for the year, determine how much fundage the various departments will need, and sometimes issue monthly reports to see how close to the company is to realizing its goal. More specifically, some salespeople set quotas they'd like to meet. Having a goal will help push the motivated salesperson to do his or her best. And having something to strive for can assist people in their everyday lives as well.
All you have to do is write down something you'd like to achieve in the next twelve months (or make your own the better because you'll be better able to determine when you've reached your goal. For example, instead of writing down as your goal, "I am going to get in better shape," say, "I will exercise for 30 minutes 3 days a week." To construct steps to reach that goal, you may want to try to exercise for 1 day a week after 2 months, then for 2 days after 4 months, and so on. And by using a calendar or progress sheet to keep track of how you're doing, you'll be able to see your improvement.
By taking the lead and being in control of your future, you can improve and grow to be the best person you're capable of becoming. All you need is a plan.
Going 'Round In Circles
Ah, the joy of a summer vacation. Hopping into the car and heading out on the open road, with no particular place to go. You may find adventure on the highways and byways that way, but suppose you don't have a particular place to go? What if the highway takes you right back to where you started because you didn't know it was one big loop? Or the road leads you nowhere is that where you want to be? While vacation is an opportunity to waste time for some people, they probably don't want to waste it using up fuel. By planning a route, you can avoid unforeseen wastes of time and money.
The same advice holds true for business. You and the other team members can show up, do the routine, collect your paychecks, and feel the job is getting done in a satisfactory manner. Well, that sounds like a merely satisfactory vacation spent driving down the highway with no specific endpoint in mind. A great vacation is when you experience something novel, learn something new, and return enriched.
To get out of that "satisfactory" rut, determine a destination toward which to work. Set some goals to increase or improve your business. Just as some vacationers plan the best route, figure where they'll want to be at certain points along the way, and know where they'll want to end you can do the same for your business. Where do you see your business in one year? What's the best and most efficient way to get there? And you'll want to see how well your "journey" to an improved business is coming along at various stops along the way. That last step will assure that you're on the right road.
You could wander aimlessly along the highway, uncertain of where you'll wind up. But if you know where you want to be at the end, just remember to make a plan, then determine the
best route to get there, and move at a consistent pace. You'll get there and then have time and resources left to get to another destination.
Cluttered "Stuff"
Okay, you know that "a cluttered desk means a cluttered mind" and you can imagine what a cluttered house must mean, but what can you do? You have a lot of stuff but don't have the room to store it. Besides, once you put it away, you only need to get it out again or you can't remember where it is.
Well, there are a few remedies for this dilemma. First of all, go through the "stuff" you have. Sort out what you really need, what you really want, and what you really have to keep because a relative gave it to you. Get rid of whatever is left.
Now, take what is left and try to put it into some sort of a system. Don't fool yourself. Some of your "stuff" will be lying around some of the time. Yet, try assigning certain items to certain rooms. All computer manuals stay in the den by the computer. All magazines stay in the living room and back issues that are to be kept should be put on the bottom shelf of the closet, etc.
Clutter can be okay. Just don't let it clutter your entire life.
Fundamental Foundations
One, two, three. A, B, C. Do, re, mi. What do these three groups of concepts have in common besides the fact that they constitute the lyrics for a famous Jackson Five song? They are foundations. You need to understand the concept of "one" before "two" can make any sense. This same thinking applies to project management.
A good project plan will have a foundation of three factors which drive the project: the budgeted time frame; the actual status of completion; and the actual number of hours invested into the project. Knowing these three bits of information allows a manager to anticipate when extra resources or hours will be needed to complete a project. Also, once one project is planned and completed, you can use that data as a basis for allocating time the next time you do a similar project.
Without a system to track these foundational elements, it is easy to lose control of projects, causing them to run overtime and over budget.
A, B C. Do, re mi. One, two, three—that's how easy managing a project can be.
Planning for What's Lurking in the Bushes
It is shortly after midnight. You're walking down a poorly lighted street. If someone was going to sneak up on you, you wouldn't see him coming. "If only I remembered which street I parked on," you anxiously mutter to yourself. A row of tall hedges lines the sidewalk you're walking down, and who knows what may be hiding in them, waiting for an unsuspecting victim such as you.
Do you feel this way when you are about to begin a project for your company, like you'll end up in a situation where disaster could strike anytime, but you don't know when? The good news is that the anxiety can be prevented by breaking down the project (preparing a new marketing campaign, moving to a new office, painting your house—anything) into steps. Then after you've budgeted time for the project, start the job. Track time so you can see, at a glance, how wisely your time is being spent on the project.
Now about that anxiety. Allow room for unexpected disasters (your printer goes berserk, the new office has no walls, you can't find the right paint color). This allows you to keep on top of your project without pulling your hair out.
No need to feel afraid when you take on a project or walk through a strange neighborhood. Just plan ahead for the unexpected.
Giving It Away
"When you want something done right, do it yourself." With all due respect for those self-made men and women who did, in fact, do it right themselves, the best managers know that
the ability to delegate demonstrates good leadership. They remember the people who can do the job better, faster, and cheaper. Remember the 5 W's for advice on effective delegating:
Who will do the project? As mentioned above, the most qualified should be chosen, but also consider individuals who will benefit from the experience.
What are the desired results of the project? Clearly state the goal of the task so team members know what they're striving for.
Where does the project (and worker) fit into the larger picture? Each project has its importance to the company's plans, and the people working on it should be aware of its significance.
When should each step of the project be finished? The manager can track progress by breaking projects down into steps and quantifying the amount of time and labor needed to complete them.
Why are people being assigned the job? When the manager explains why the company is undertaking the project, team members' interest in doing it builds.
Through delegating, managers demonstrate the trust they have in the skills of the people assigned to the project. So if you're interested in getting the job done, delegate it right.
Too HUGE to Handle?
Your sales staff has just been assigned a HUGE project and worse yet, it's a very important project. Your company wants to boost sales by 15%. If all goes well, there may even be a promotion in it for you. You want to do a good job, that's obvious. You want to impress your boss—that's even more obvious. As you begin thinking about the project and what is entailed in attaining its goals, the most obvious thing is that you have NO idea of where to begin!!!
Don't Panic! Take a deep breath and pick up a pencil. Now ask yourself, what is the purpose behind this project? Do not be discouraged if you need to write down three or four different purposes before coming up with the one that best suits your project. This is normal.
Once you've written the purpose, break your HUGE project into steps. These steps will be the actions you need to take in order to complete your project. One step should flow into the next, and the last step should refer back to the purpose of your project. Once the plan is complete, all you need to do is follow it. Plus, you will be able to utilize it over and over again—increasing efficiency and saving time that would have been spent on planning.
Now, take what you have written, type it up, and make copies to give to your sales force. You have now, just by giving each salesperson that plan, united your sales force into one HUGE flux of energy aimed at boosting sales by 15%. By consistently following up with the members of your sales force and closely tracking which actions are working and which ones aren't, you'll be able to adjust your plan easily and attain your company's goal.
Now that you're relaxed and your pulse rate has returned to normal, it's time to ponder another question: What will you do with that HUGE bonus you receive when your boss promotes you for doing such great planning? Got any plans?
Plan your projects. Work your plans. Reap rewards.
Plan For Success
It's January. Do you know how much progress has been made on that massive sales effort you started in May of last year? And what about the seminars that were supposed to bring in all those new leads?
Isn't it funny how time flies when you have work to do? Isn't it also funny how all those great ideas designed especially to increase both you and your company's success
seem to find a way to hide behind the work it takes to maintain your company's current success? How can you ensure that ongoing projects will get done without taking away from
the maintenance of your current level of success? Develop a project plan and follow through with it.
By planning out a project, you break it down into steps that build upon each other. Then all you have to do is incorporate the different steps into your daily, weekly, and monthly schedule, recording it carefully in your daytimer. This saves the time that you generally would need to organize yourself every time you started working on the project. Also, the plan can be used by more than one person. For instance, a sales person may come up with a plan to increase sales by 25% and it could be applicable to more than that individual. All of the people working in their sales' team could utilize the plan developed by that individual.
When you plan your projects, be certain that you build into it an accountability partner—someone who will make sure you are doing the actions required to achieve the desired results. This partner also can evaluate whether or not a particular action is working as well as anticipated. Review your progress monthly, log your daily activities and track how long each task takes. It is helpful to do this on an hour-by-hour basis so you can be more accurate. All of this will help you during the planning process on your next big project.
Begin planning your projects now because, before your know it, January will be here again, and, we'll be asking once again, "Do you know where your projects stand?"
The Camel is Back
How do you know how much weight it takes to break a camel's back? By loading it until its back is broken? Well, if you depend on your camel in order to get around, this could be a costly way of determining the strength of its back. Likewise in business, approaching a project with a trial and error attitude is an unwise way of determining the amount of revenue a project will need in order to pay for itself.
When planning a project, you need to decide on a focus and keep the end results in mind. In order to move from one pass a certain pressure point. Figuring out exactly what and where the pressure points are is called "pressure point analysis" and they depend heavily on educated guesses. For instance, if you are developing a new product or service with which you plan to bring in a certain amount of revenue, then you need to figure out how many customers will need to buy that product in order to obtain that particular result.
Perhaps the first step you should plan to take is to research your target market through the use of a telephone questionnaire. The number of people you call should relate to the number of people you want to buy your product. You need to make an educated guess regarding how many people will take time to complete your survey. Of those people,
how many will be interested in your product? Of those who are interested, how many will actually buy your product?
As you work through your project plan, you may need to adjust the pressure points, but the original numbers you come up with will not only be a goal towards which to work, but also they will aid in determining the cost of the project.
Although trial and error is a part of just about every project, try to predict the results you will get from each trial and learn from each error. Remember, it's no use to keep loading straw onto a broken camel's back.
A Place For Everything
The people at work taunt you about how neat your desk is. Your guests at your house warming marveled at how neat and orderly things were in your home. After all, it had only been a week since the moving vans pulled away!
Being organized and having things in their proper place is commonplace for some and a challenge for others. Still, organization has its advantages. When things are organized and in their proper place, you can readily locate them and not waste time searching under cushions, behind the curtains, or under the cat's food dish. This even applies to your thoughts; when you have your thoughts organized, saying what you have to say is easier and clearer.
Organization has a liberating power. Putting the medicines in the medicine cabinet in an orderly fashion makes getting an aspirin less of a headache. Organizing the recipe cards and filing them appropriately makes life a lot easier. Just about anything in your life can be organized, giving you the freedom to easily deal with it; laundry, finances, schedules, etc.
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