Sugar Plums

HAPPY NEW YEAR With Visions of Sugarplums Dancing in Their Heads I did a search on "Google images" to find this picture of a sugarplum. I did it so that we could both see what one looks like. Since I had never seen one, I did not have anything stored in my brain files to help me understand the phrase "visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads". And yet, I have heard this saying so many times over my lifetime that it was "branded" into my mind. Now that I've seen this picture, I know that it did not measure up to what I thought it would be like. I think it's often that way in business, too. Take a moment to consider the current state of your business; does it resemble the vision you had when you created it? If your answer is "no" and you are murmuring under your breath about your circumstances, you are not alone! The happy news is that you have the ability to change it and turn things around. After all, you are the boss, right? Sometimes in the day-to-day details of running the business, the fundamental vision gets lost. As the leader of your organization you are the person who needs to promote your vision. Since it is not only your business, but also your creation, it is you who must communicate your vision clearly to your team. So what is your vision? Take a look at the coming year. What kind of growth or changes would you like to see? A year from now, what will your business looks like? At the risk of sounding like an interrogator, here are some questions you might want to consider: Do your team and staff members know your vision and assist in the efforts to achieve it? Do you have a business plan? Is your business experiencing profitability? What kind of attitude do you have? Who will you work with? What's the reputation of your business? Do your departments communicate with one another in a productive manner? What kind of training do you have scheduled? Do the people who work for you have any means to grow? Are your team members excited about their work and growth? Do you need to set a portion of your profit aside to prepare to hire an additional staff member? Are you delegating more? I suggest that you start the New Year off by taking some time to plan. Get out your calendar and block out some designated times for yourself. Use those times to do such things as evaluate your current business state, consider new ideas and make new plans. Write down all of your employee's names and plan to schedule quarterly reviews with each of them. Think about the types of training that might be required to help improve your business. If you plan on hiring a new person in the future, decide what their salary will be. Examine your financial fortitude. You should expect that your new hire would be doing more training than anything else early on, so prepare yourself for a peaceful transition by setting aside six months or so of their salary to soften the impact of paying someone who is not yet producing. Owners with panicky attitudes (i.e. will we meet this month's overhead?) do not make good leaders! Also, don't forget to allow time for those menial tasks that always seem to pile up - move your old files out, get rid of the junk and clean up your workspace. You will be amazed by how much lighter you feel and the clarity with which you are able to focus after completing those simple tasks. ~ACTION Purchase your calendar for the New Year and keep it readily available. Spend some time reflecting on your vision, the health of your business and personal life. Schedule a meeting with your staff to discuss your vision and brainstorm new ideas about how to achieve it. Remember: Intentions + Action create Outcomes. Remember: You are welcome to forward this e-letter as long as you send it in it's entirety. Copyright