Masterful Problem-Solving

Everyday in life we are faced with problems to be solved and decisions to make. Some choices are easy and some more complex and critical to get right. As entrepreneurs, we are the key decision-makers in our business. Having a proven process for making good decisions builds our confidence in the choices we make.

Today I’m going to share a system that I discovered in the book The EQ Edge, Emotional Intelligence and Your Success, by Steven J. Stein, PH.D and Howard E. Book, M.D.  I will paraphrase an approach to problem solving that is outlined in this book, and was researched and developed by psychologists Thomas D’Zurilla and Arthur Nezu.  

The next time you encounter a problem or have an important decision to make, practice this approach:

• State the case. Describe it as accurately and realistically as possible.  Try to see it from the other person’s point of view.
• Generate alternatives. Think of as many situations and approaches as possible to solve the problem. Don’t evaluate them – just brainstorm ideas.
• Evaluate each alternative. Look at each and consider the outcomes. Next prioritize them from best to least favourable.
• Choose the best option. Choose one knowing the risk involved. No one can predict success or failure with 100% certitude. Gain confidence knowing you took action based on sound information from the previous steps.
• Implement your solution. Press on without getting bogged down in what-ifs or maybe-we-should-haves. You may make an adjustment along the way, but resist the temptation to go back to square one. Give your strategy a chance to work. Congratulate yourself for moving forward.
• Assess the outcome. Evaluate if your solution has solved the problem. If is has great!  If not, begin the process again.

Having a systematic approach to problem solving is like having a roadmap to the solution.  Give this process a try the next time you have a critical decision to make and let us know how it worked for you!

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Business!

If you believe as I do that our thoughts have an enormous impact on our experiences in life and the choices we make, come along on this journey of exploring the thoughts that keep us from promoting our business/offering.

I’ve been coaching health and wellness entrepreneurs since 2006 and I’ve noticed some common themes about what we say to ourselves that keep us stuck in old, ineffective patterns.

I’m going to share with you some of the most common negative messages we give ourselves that hold us back from taking the steps necessary to grow our business.  You’ll also find some suggested affirmations to counter these negative thoughts and reframe them in a more positive light.  This exercise is most effective if you take the time to create the affirmation that is most true for you. 

The way this works is by replacing the existing negative thought with the affirmation that resonates most truly and authentically for you.  Each time you become aware that you are running that old negative message in your mind, replace it with the appropriate positive message.  Soon the new affirmative message will become your habit and lead to strengths-based action.

 

Common Negative Thought	Behind That Thought	Affirmation
I’m not a sales person and don’t want to be seen as one	Sales people are pushy, inauthentic, overbearing and no one wants to be in their presence.	I’m an expert in my field and talking to people about my offering is critical to my business success. If I’m authentic, respectful of others and genuine in my interactions people will be drawn to work with me.
I can’t sell	I’m a practitioner not a sales person. I don’t have those skills.	As an entrepreneur I must wear many hats. It’s critical to my business success to talk to others about my offering.  I will learn and explore ways to promote my offering authentically.  Answering questions and discussing my offering is a form of selling, and I can do that.
I don’t want to be pushy	Talking about my offering will offend others and they will avoid me or feel uncomfortable around me.	Talking about my offering while being respectful of others and having a back and forth dialogue about what I do is respectful and allows the other person a chance to learn more about what I offer.  Talking about my offer lets people know what I do so they can decide for themselves if we’re a fit to work together.  I believe in what I do and know how others will benefit from my services.
I don’t want to look “stupid”/not have the answers	I worry that if I don’t have the answers I won’t look competent.	Just like I would ask questions about something new to me; others will do the same. The most common questions I anticipate are: X, and I will prepare for that before I talk to about my offering.
If people question me/my offering it means they don’t want to work with me/want what I offer	If they question me they are questioning my competence.	It’s natural for people to ask questions.  If I don’t know the answers I’ll tell them, but I am prepared (as above).  The more questions they ask, the more interested they are!  Questions are a good sign.
What if they don’t like what I’m offering?	What if I tell them about my offering and they say ‘no, I don’t want to work with you.’  I can’t handle rejection.	My offering is not right for everyone. I know this. I am clear about who my ideal clients are and they are the ones I will attract.  But, I won’t find them unless I get out there and talk to people about my business.
I don’t know what to say	I’ve never done this before – it’s new to me.	I will talk with others who do know; read or find a mentor to show me the ropes and I will build my confidence.  It’s not rocket science, but learning the right way to promote my business with integrity will bring me success.
People will find me if it’s meant to be and if I’m meant to work with them (I shouldn’t have to search them out)	I’m not comfortable promoting my business for any or all of the reasons above.	People will find me faster and more of them will find me when I share with others what I offer in a way that resonates with them.  I will fill my practice with my ideal clients by doing what I know is critical for my success.

Choose the negative message that resonates most strongly with you and start with that one.  It will be the one that will make the greatest difference for you.

Enjoy!  Have fun getting out there and sharing your gifts with the world!

Expect Success

March is “Expect Success” month.  Isn’t that nice! It makes me feel good just to write about this topic. 

Today we’re going to look at a strengths-based approach to creating success in our business. Generally speaking, we’re conditioned in our society to spend our time and money focusing on where we’re lacking and what we need to improve upon so that we can ‘fix it’.  The downside to this approach is that it keeps us blind to all of the greatness we have to offer, and diverts us from exploring how to utilize our existing gifts and talents to create what we want more of in our business and our lives.

The foundation of focusing on our strengths to be successful that we’re going to explore comes from Appreciative Inquiry (AI). AI began as an organizational change philosophy developed by David Cooperrider and his thesis supervisor, Suresh Srivastva in 1980.  Recently it has been developed into a personal growth and development tool for anyone to use, by Jacqueline Kelm which she calls Appreciative Living.  Jacqueline has written about this in her new book The Joy of Appreciative Living, Your 28-Day Plan to Greater Happiness in 3 Incredibly Easy Steps (yes, they really are incredibly easy and incredibly powerful)!

Based on these concepts, the questions below can get you started in utilizing your natural strengths and what you’re doing well already, to create greater success in your business.

Explore these questions to help you create your ideal business:

1. What is going well in my business right now?
2. What do I want more of?
3. When I think of the challenge(s) I’m facing in my business today, when was a time in my past when I’ve faced something similar?  How did I overcome it? (Who did I engage for assistance, what steps did I take, what was the key in successfully overcoming it.)
4. How can I apply what I learned from that past experience (above) to what I’m facing today?
5. What do I truly believe about reaching the level of success I desire in my business?
6. Complete this vision with as much detail as possible:  “My ideal business looks like this…”

What we focus on grows; and what we expect – we get. By answering these questions we take a look at what is working; and by imagining our desired future we’re motivated to take positive action in creating our ideal. 

Considering the positive outcomes from the exercise above, and reflecting upon what’s worked in the past, we’re retraining our thought patterns to see what’s right in any given circumstance and revealing a roadmap for future success.  The result is greater success along with greater joy!

Couldn’t Have Done It Without You!

Today is “Bake Cookies Day”!  What a great reason to gather your friends, children, pets or family members to do something special and fun together – whether it’s baking cookies or making snow angels. 

Entrepreneurship is somewhat of a solo endeavor, and for me there have been times when I have felt alone on my journey. But when I think of all of the ‘gathering’ that traditionally goes on at this time of year, I become aware of the many people who have supported me and contributed to my success.

If you’re feeling pangs of loneliness or isolation at this time of year, or at times in your entrepreneurship, it’s important to do 2 things; 1. Acknowledge all of the beings in your world who support and contribute to your business and life. 2. Reach out and ask for what you need. 

It’s easy to slip into the “I can do it all myself” mindset feeling that since it’s your business/life, you really should be able to do it all yourself.  This type of thinking can leave you feeling overwhelmed, under-supported and running on empty. 

By raising your awareness of all who have supported you in even the smallest of ways you focus your attention on what you have, and that will lead to receiving more of the same.  Where your attention goes, energy flows.

Taking action to create the life you want is a form of taking responsibility and being fully present in your life.  There is only one person who can live your life and bring everything into the world that you are meant to offer and that person is you.

The real-life angels that surround us are the fuel for our journey, and we are the pilot that drives us to our chosen destination.

To all of my friends, family members, clients, associates and well-wishers, I thank you; I’m so very grateful for you and I know that I couldn’t have done it without you!

All the very best to you and yours for a happy, healthy holiday season, and cheers to a New Year filled with love, unbounded wealth and prosperity!

Writing As a Way to Boost Your Business Presence

Writing is one of the most powerful ways to present yourself as an expert in your field and boost your credibility. Think about it; when you walk into any book store and you see non-fiction books written on specific topics what do you infer about the author?  You think that they must be an expert in that field to have written and published a book.  Right?  I know that’s what I think. 

You certainly can write and publish a book, but there are other forms of writing that can get you noticed, raise your credibility and present you as an expert in your field as well.  Some of these ways are: publishing articles, writing whitepapers, workbooks, blogs, eBooks or contributing to on-line forums.

When thinking of a topic to write about, ask yourself “What problem am I solving with this book/article etc?” Think about common issues or challenges your clients come to you about.  What gap in your offering could be filled with what you write?  Or, if you find yourself offering the same solution to the majority of your clients, can you create something they could take away to refer to when you’re not with them?

For the small business owner, writing as a form of business promotion provides visibility and credibility that is worth its weight in gold, and it’s one of the ways I mention in my new eBook: 10 Ways To Promote Your Business With Integrity. Yes, I take my own advice!

I know that when you’re running a small business – especially a service-based business – it’s a challenge to get yourself known to a wide audience.  You’re always searching for integrity-based ways to keep your name top of mind for potential clients.  Writing client-valued material can build strong trusting relationships, promote your business and attract clients in a non-threatening manner as well as heighten your business presence.

Differentiating Your Business For Success

Apropos to the approaching holidays – it’s “Cookie-Cutter” week! I’m sure this obscure holiday was named for the baking activities that often occur at this time of the year, but today we’ll talk a little about veering away from a “Cookie-Cutter” approach to business to help you stand out from the crowd – in a good way – and draw to you, your ideal clients.

There are standards of practice in almost every complementary health care discipline and those should always be adhered to, so in consideration of that; in what ways can you stand out from those offering the same thing as you?  How does someone choose to visit you for their wellness needs vs. Bob down the street?  In what ways do you differentiate yourself and your offering to attract your ideal clients? 

These are important points to consider because when you can articulate and demonstrate what makes you, uniquely you, it becomes easier for the people who most need and value your services to find you.  For those who will refer to you, it helps them to be able to send the right people your way.

You may be demonstrating your uniqueness already in ways you don’t even realize!  Perhaps it’s your breadth of offering.  Maybe it’s your specialization in a specific technique. Is it your monthly draw for a gift basket?  Is it the ambiance you provide in your work space?   You may have your perception of what makes you unique and valuable to your clients, but what do they say?  You can be sure they have a different experience being in your practice than you do. 

So, here’s the thing, if you can articulate to potential clients and those who may refer to you, the things your clients value most about what you offer, you will have a powerful, authentic descriptor for your business that will resonate with your ideal clients.

Put these two or three of these points into a phrase and use it when describing your business to others.  Doing this will attract your ideal clients.  Additionally, referral sources will be able to direct to you those who will most value the services you provide.