Valued and Smart Business Alliances

In today’s fast-paced, tech-driven business world, collaboration is no longer a dirty word. Forming alliances & collaborating with another business–especially if you’re the smaller fish–can be great. Leveraging another company’s audience and gaining access to their resources and knowledge might just be what you need to grow. But how do you know if the opportunity will be worth spending time & resources?

Oftentimes, when you try to implement some of the mentioned elements, you may run into challenges. To resolve this very issue, I wrote my 13-book Series “Becoming a Pioneer” – Join the Pioneers Club by Clicking this Link

Ask yourself these below noted important and decisive questions to know for sure: 

What is your Business’ Core Challenge?

The best collaborations are those that help you to overcome your core challenge. But how can you do this if you aren’t clear about what that challenge is? Perhaps you are looking to break into a new market and a partnership can help you reduce barriers to entry or give you proprietary insight into that new market. Entering into a partnership without knowing what problem you’re trying to solve, or what result you’re hoping to achieve, is not going to be as successful as if you enter into a partnership with a clearly defined set of goals.

What are your Brand’s Values?

Before you seek out a partnership, have a clear understanding of what your brand is about and what you’re looking for. Being clear about your values allows you to align yourself with a business that shares similar goals. Don’t assume that you know what the other company’s values are. Take the time to articulate your common vision and make sure that you’re on the same page.

Do you have enough time to invest in this collaboration?

Getting involved with another business can feel a lot like having multiple hands in the same pot. It can result in high management costs, slow certain processes, and, in some cases, the loss of strategic power if the business you partner with wants to have decision-making power. A successful collaboration starts with having a good strategy.  If you have a bad strategy, you’ll find it easier to succumb to the pressures of day-do-day operational firefighting and distractions. Be clear on your goals and how much time you are willing to invest.

Is there a Perfect Partner in your own industry?

Sometimes the perfect alliance exists right next door. For example, say a French restaurant has a connecting swinging door next to a pub and every time the door opens, it would allow in the boisterous cheer of the next-door pub. The door was opening because the kitchen of the French restaurant would be supplying the pub with its burgers and the fresh sizzling-hot fries.

Though the restaurant and the pub could be considered competitors (since both are in the food industry), they each offered different experiences and target audiences, making for a perfect and convenient collaborative opportunity.

It is very important to remember that before jumping into a contract for collaboration, see if you can test the waters by working on a small event or project together. A test project will allow you to evaluate each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and working styles before getting into a more serious commitment.

Three Cheers to Happy Alliances!

Immeasurable Value of Being Lifelong Learners

History’s greatest men were lifelong learners — many of them devoted quality time to self-education. Albert Einstein, Theodore Roosevelt, Richard Feynman, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, and Isaac Newton committed a lot of time to personal learning either in addition to traditional education or as a substitute to formal schooling.

The most successful people in history were dedicated to self-learning. They recognize the need to grow and deepen their understanding of themselves and interesting subjects. We would be wise to follow in their footsteps.

Theodore Roosevelt was rumored to read a book a day. Learning for him was a path to professional success. He wrote his first book at 23. 

Oftentimes, when you try to implement some of the mentioned elements, you may run into challenges. To resolve this very issue, I wrote my 13-book Series “Becoming a Pioneer” – Join the Pioneers Club by Clicking this Link

Lifelong learning is the “ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated” pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. It’s about learning to know, learning to do, and learning to be. Cultivating the mind is essential for personal growth.

Our whole life is an Education — we are ‘ever-learning,’ every moment of time, everywhere, under all circumstances something is being added to the stock of our previous attainments. Self-learning is a habit many of us can emulate to thrive in an ever-changing world of work. With all the disruptions in the modern economy, ongoing skill acquisition is critical to professional relevance.

More than ever, learning is for life if you want to stay relevant in the world of work. If you are aiming to become a lifelong learner, some of these habits can be useful for you.

Habit 1 – Successful learners prioritize self-learning 

Are your skills, knowledge, and experience more valuable today than they were a year ago? We can all become obsolete over time. The fast pace of change today also means we can become obsolete faster than ever before.

Committing to self-learning can help you do your current job better and remain adaptable even when things change in the future. Scheduling continuous or lifelong learning can help you stay relevant. Make lifelong learning a priority in your life to consistently improve your skills, knowledge, and experience.

Habit 2 – Effective learners are voracious readers 

The most successful people we know today don’t stop learning. They read a lot — they continually expand their knowledge despite what they already know or have achieved. Elon Musk grew up reading two books a day, according to his brother. Bill Gates reads 50 books per year. Mark Zuckerberg reads at least one book every two weeks.

Warren Buffett spends five to six hours per day reading five newspapers and 500 pages of corporate reports. Buffett has invested 80% of his time in reading and thinking throughout his career. Nike founder Phil Knight so reveres his library that in it you have to take off your shoes and bow. 

Why do the world’s smartest and busiest people find time for self-learning while others make excuses about how busy they are? The answer is simple: Learning is the single best investment of our time. Or as Benjamin Franklin said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

Habit 3 – Efficient learners maintain to-learn lists 

We experience many learning opportunities every day but we can’t commit to them when we are busy getting other equally important things done. We often have to let them pass at the moment because of other tasks. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get back to them later. 

To make the process of learning easier, create a to-learn list, and write down a list of concepts, thoughts, ideas, mental models, and topics you want to explore.

Or better still save them to your favorite bookmarking app. You can use Pocket to save every new idea you come across online — it’s a rewarding experience.

You can later explore them in your downtime or at the specific time you have planned for your learning and make the most of your downtime. Learning is the best when one is relaxed. We all have times when it just feels like the right time to learn something new. Use those times to learn things you bookmark.

Achieve Time Management Mastery

Time is our most precious resource. And whether you’re a high-powered executive or just starting your career as an intern, it doesn’t discriminate: We all have 24 hours in a day!

But, when the temperatures get warmer and the A/C is blasting in the office, those 24 hours all of a sudden seem even shorter. Even as a dedicated professional, you might find yourself longingly looking at the clock while trying to power through your tasks as fast as possible so you can head out and dive into the non-working half of your life.

 

The good thing is that depending on how you manage your resources, you can manipulate time and get the most of your working hours — and enjoy life outside of work to the fullest as well. Oftentimes, when you try to implement some of the mentioned elements, you may run into challenges.

Oftentimes, when you try to implement some of the mentioned elements, you may run into challenges. To resolve this very issue, I wrote my 13-book Series “Becoming a Pioneer” – Join the Pioneers Club by Clicking this Link

So, before you dive in and enthusiastically adopt a new workflow, it’s important to embrace a couple of important mindset shifts.

 

First and foremost, you need to switch your thinking from time spent to results achieved. The most effective time-management tactics are about improving efficiencies and maximizing the impact of every minute spent — not all tasks and activities are even and every working hour is precious.

 

Keeping results at the forefront of your mind will help you get the most of any productivity method. Set the 80/20 rule which states that 80 percent of goals achieved are the result of 20 percent of efforts. Think of your most important project and its most crucial deliverables and outcomes. Are you spending most of your time on activities that move the needle towards the successful completion of that project? Or do you regularly get caught up in things like attending meetings with unclear agendas or answering emails?

 

Next, you must be willing to be real with yourself when it comes to the way you currently spend your time. Are you stuck in a spiral of over-commitment because you’re afraid of saying no? Do you tend to procrastinate or are you a multitasking addict? 

 

Assessing the present with honesty and humility is the first step towards building a schedule that allows for more freedom. Try time-blocking which is about dividing your calendar into blocks allocated to specific sets of activities. 

 

If you’ve got a lot on your plate, you can fight off that feeling of overwhelm by planning in advance how you want to split up your various activities throughout the week.

 

As long as you regularly check in with yourself and your productivity levels and are willing to focus on working smarter instead of harder, time management should be a piece of cake to enjoy (watch the calories though!).

The Importance of Planning

Prepare before getting started. Productivity does not just happen “in the moment.”

It happens long before you even sit down and get to work. The more you prepare ahead of time and get clear on exactly what it is you want, need, or should do, the easier and faster you will move once you start.

The reason why so many people struggle with “being productive” is because they skip this step, and when they sit down, they expect to start flying even though they haven’t even decided where it is they want to fly to.

Turn off all distractions

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that every time your phone buzzes, your e-mail pops up on your screen, your office door opens, your train of thought is ruined. We like to believe we can both participate in a group chat via text and write our best-selling book, but the truth is, we can’t — and to think we can is wishful and naïve.

Your best work comes in silence. It’s why people retreat and take vacations away from the bus(i)yness of life — to distance themselves from distraction.

Oftentimes, when you try to implement some of the mentioned elements, you may run into challenges. To resolve this very issue, I wrote my 13-book Series “Becoming a Pioneer” – Join the Pioneers Club by Clicking this Link

Create a Routine

It is said the best musicians, athletes, innovators, etc., follow a daily routine that trains their subconscious to know when it is time to work and when it is time to relax. There is absolutely something to be said for always practicing at the same time, or always going to the gym at the same time, or always writing at the same time, every day. You train yourself to know, as soon as that hour strikes, to fall into that mode of focus required to do your best work.

Share your work – for Feedback

Maybe you are one of those professionals that never want to share or talk about anything being worked upon. You may think it was “bad luck” or would take you out of your flow. And I’ll admit, there are those moments when your ideas are best left to ruminate in your own head, but you should not be hesitant to share what you’re working on. Feedback is extremely important, and a lot of time can be saved by a single conversation where someone points out, very clearly, something that isn’t “working.” This might not be easy to hear in the moment, but you will be thankful for it later.

Take Breaks

Again, being “productive” does not necessarily mean sitting still for eight straight hours. You might be able to swing that for a day or two, but you are not a robot. You will burn out. Productivity is all about flow. It’s about knowing your limits and being conscious of how to move within your own constraints. Maybe you need to take 10-minute breaks after every 50 minutes of focus. Great. Do that.

Or maybe you can work for four hours no problem, but then you need to take the afternoon before diving into another four-hour work session at night. Great. Do that.

Do what works for you, and only you. This isn’t about being productive based on someone else’s habits or way of doing things. This is about knowing yourself and using your habits to your advantage. Get going and All the Best!

Great Communication is the Key to Success

There are good communicators. And then there are amazing, outstanding, powerful communicators who will have you on the edge of your seat with their riveting delivery. But what makes the difference between a decent communicator and someone who will instill awe in the people they interact with?

There are several, sometimes subtle habits that master communicators have truly understood and leverage on a regular basis.

 

Oftentimes, when you try to implement some of the mentioned elements, you may run into challenges. To resolve this very issue, I wrote my 13-book Series “Becoming a Pioneer” – Join the Pioneers Club by Clicking this Link

 

If you’re looking to elevate your own communication skills, adopting these habits will help you get to the next level. But it’s important to remember to remain authentic and not try to be someone you’re not — it’s not about emulation but learning how to unleash your own strengths and style. 

The tendency to lean in a particular direction is heavily influenced by personality type and this fact alone is often overlooked. When in doubt or ignorant about your communication style it’s easy to overcompensate or adopt a style that doesn’t suit you. The best communicators are comfortable in who they are and their personalities. They are able to authentically connect with their audience because they have first authentically connected with themself.

However, if you’re ready to crush it while also staying true to yourself, here are a few pointers to level up your own communication game. 

Leverage your personal experience - There is a reason people say what is most personal is most universal. It turns out that your past experiences that don’t seem immediately relevant or some of the insights you learned the hard way can end up being your edge when transmitting the information. 

Continuously honing your craft and providing value - Master communicators love analyzing their communication habits, strengths, and areas of improvement. Some good communicators enjoy hearing themselves talk. But outstanding communicators transcend their own experience to focus on the experience of the audience they are addressing. They have a value-first mindset. 

Master communicators are amazing listeners - Here’s a secret about the best communicators: They sometimes spend more time listening than talking — and that’s what makes them excel when they do speak. In order to talk about things that are of the utmost importance to others, they have to first be able to form those thoughts. Those thoughts can come from spending adequate time receiving information from others, thinking deeply and being able to see what others are missing.

So, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing you don’t need to try to be like the very topmost expert communicators to nail your next presentation and you can forge your own path to create value and earn the respect of your clients and peers.

Great Tips for Awesome Meetings

With how unpredictable this day and age has been, there is a lot to account for and more changes than ever before.

However, the one predictable thing, although not in person for obvious reasons, is meetings, meetings, and more meetings…only this time virtually! At school, at work, family time and even during the holidays.

We are thankful for Zoom and Google Meet, which for the most part, have allowed us to experience some set of normalcy during a worldwide pandemic, even if it is through a computer screen. That being said, our adjustment to Zoom has been few and far between with the level of mishaps and general lack of awareness.

Oftentimes, when you try to implement some of the mentioned elements, you may run into challenges. To resolve this very issue, I wrote my 13-book Series “Becoming a Pioneer” – Join the Pioneers Club by Clicking this Link

While virtual meetings might be the new norm over the last year, the changing circumstances have led to an entirely new set of virtual meeting etiquette problems. There are missteps out there when it comes to virtual meetings that one needs to be aware of! 

While different from in-person, social etiquette is not thrown out of the window just because you happen to be in a virtual meeting. All social rules apply. Therefore, here are some no-no’s below that one should avoid while virtually live on camera (or as you will see right below, not on camera) that you should be aware of!

Not turning on the camera. For many, the blank screen and no camera has become a chronic habit. Not having your camera on serves as a way to “not” pay attention to the meeting at hand while it is assumed that you are. While you might think you’re trying to get other things done, if you ask a presenter, talking to a blank screen can be draining!

Sure, you might be driving your car, but this is a no-no too! Not having your camera on, regardless of the reason, signals a lack of respect and transparency on your part that will likely turn off those on the other end. Be mature; turn it on! 

Not being presentable. Look presentable in a Zoom meeting; it is simple as that. What is normal for most meetings is the same for most virtual meetings! It is easy to tell that you just rolled out of bed or haven’t tidied up a bit.

Take the extra step and make yourself look presentable, and that way, you’ll feel good too. Whether you need to find a cheap haircut in a hurry, or you keep a button up next to your desk, having a professional top and looking lively is a good habit for virtual meetings!

Forgetting to mute the mic. On platforms like Zoom, you have the option to turn on/off your mic when you speak and are finished speaking. However, keep in mind that when you do speak, sometimes the screen brings your name up on the main screen, and doing that without knowing your mic is on, can lead to an embarrassing situation. It’s best to enter meetings on mute, and always double-checking that real quick can reduce mishaps from happening. It’s courteous to others when it is not your turn to speak.

Final thoughts. Sometimes being on a video conference instead of in person can be tough to adjust to because it requires more of something we simply are not used to, and perhaps will take time. Still, it is essential to say that we need not substitute our professionalism for comfort. Always use the litmus test when attending virtual meetings, “Would I do this in person?” and if the answer is no, don’t do it virtually! Just because you’re online doesn’t mean social etiquette never stopped remaining in effect.

If we learn to be respectful, courteous, and polite by making sure we are focused, free of distractions, camera-on, in plain sight, and all of the necessary bells and whistles of Zoom in check, you won’t ever have to worry about committing a virtual meeting misstep again!

Goal-setting Matters, a Lot

Are you kicking 2022 off by setting fresh goals? Good call - having goals can help you stay focused and get so much more out of the new year. Goals give life meaning, direction and purpose, and help you get out of bed with enthusiasm every single day.

While it’s important to enjoy the journey and find fulfillment in the present moment without waiting for something external to make you happy, having a results-oriented mindset can also enhance your life and career.

Results matter and a goal-oriented mindset helps teach that. That’s a very crucial lesson to learn because a lot of people like to say it’s just the journey that matters, but no, arriving at the destination actually matters too. Who you become is important but getting there is as crucial too. 

Oftentimes, when you try to implement some of the mentioned elements, you may run into challenges. To resolve this very issue, I wrote my 13-book Series “Becoming a Pioneer” – Join the Pioneers Club by Clicking this Link

But don’t shoot yourself in the foot. Making mistakes during the process of goal setting can backfire and discourage you. Here are some simple ideas to set yourself on the path to setting meaningful goals for the New Year.

No timelines. Without a timeline, it’s so easy for a goal to fall to the side. The biggest common mistake is that people don’t give their goals deadlines.

Without a deadline, it’s just a dream, it’s just an idea. We need to create urgency and work against the clock, and there needs to be a consequence for not achieving the goal. Assess your goals. Are they things that you want to have achieved by the very end of the new year? Or are there some goals on the list that will most likely be accomplished by mid-year? 

Estimating how much time you’re giving yourself for tackling your various objectives will ensure you keep your eyes on the finish line.

Zero Accountability. There are three types of accountability: self-accountability (telling yourself that you’re going to accomplish something), coach accountability (hiring a coach to work with you), and public or peer accountability.

Peer accountability is the most important one because it’s about mentioning your goals to people you don’t want to disappoint. The most powerful way to set goals is to tell a best friend or someone you truly do not want to let down. Without factoring in mechanisms for staying accountable is a mistake you’ll want to avoid if you want to be successful.

Be well-rounded. Glorifying hustle culture and burnout is so yesterday. When setting goals, it’s important to favor well-roundedness over single-mindedness.
You would not want to be a one-dimensional human being, you want to set goals in your physical life, intellectual life (which can be related to your career, mindset or growth), relational/emotional life (could be goals you want to set with your spouse or family members), and spiritual life.

With these simple yet unique ideas, you are better prepared and ready to face the challenges of the New Year. Believe in yourself!