Oct
21
Reliability, Reputation and Team 100
Filed Under Business, Customer Service, Project Management | 4 Comments
© Gaye Wilson 2009
I recently hired a contractor to erect some fences on my property. I did it the right way – I contacted several fencers, and asked for quotes.
The first round was woeful. Some of the fencers didn’t bother to turn up, some didn’t give me a quote after they came and looked. One person gave me a ballpark figure seemingly plucked out of the air (which didn’t give me a feeling of confidence about his competence!).
I got frustrated with all this, and rang a few more fencers. This time I told them that I wasn’t getting any joy from other fencers, and asked if they were reliable, would turn up when they said they would, and would actually give me a quote once they’d turned up. Of course, this lot all said they were reliable, would turn up on time, and would give me a fair quote.
- The first one didn’t show.
- The second one didn’t answer his phone.
- The third one said he’d come next week, but then I had to chase him three times for the quote.
- The fourth one said he’d call me.
Then the second one called back. He had missed my call, but did actually call back. He came that afternoon, gave me some advice and wrote out a quote on the spot. Nice! But he was very expensive, and I didn’t feel comfortable with his attitude.
To cut a long story short, I finally hired a fencer, more than two months after I started the process. He had some good ideas, his prices were mid-range, and although he talked a lot, I liked his suggestions.
He rang last week and said he’d be here first thing on Monday morning, i.e. 8:30 am. I rang him at 10:30 on Monday morning to find out where he was. He’d been hung up at the office doing paperwork, but hadn’t bothered to keep me informed.
He finally arrived three hours late, and said that he’d get the posts up for the dog pen that day, and the wire up the next day.
But he and his assistant only spent two hours here on Monday, and there were only two posts in the ground when they knocked off for the day.
The next day, they arrived at 9:30 am and left at 5:30 pm. But every time I looked out the window they appeared to be chatting to each other rather than constructing the fence. They left with all the posts up, but nothing more done.
Today I rushed out to do errands before they were due to come and install the wire. After I got home, I received a phone call to say that his supplier had given him the wrong corner braces (or some essential part), and that they were not in stock, and wouldn’t be here until sometime next week.
Say what?
Why didn’t this contractor, who proclaimed loudly to all and sundry that he is a professional and reliable, CHECK THE SUPPLIES BEFORE HE GOT HERE? Why didn’t he tell me there was a potential problem yesterday, when he discovered the discrepancy?
Okay, there’s another fence he can get on with while we’re waiting for the parts.
But no. He doesn’t have all the bits for that fence yet either.
???????????????????????
Now call me silly, but I really can’t understand why a professional wouldn’t check that a delivery is correct. And why didn’t he check before he got to my place? And why didn’t he say something to me last night when he left, rather than ring me this morning, when I had rearranged my day to be here, and say he won’t be here?
AAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
Okay.
Deep breath. This happens all the time. But it shouldn’t.
How does this tale of incompetence and woe relate to All Paths to Victory?
Simple.
If you want your business to thrive, you’ve got to make the customer happy.
When you have contracted to provide a service or a product, you need to do everything you can to make the customer happy. You need to make sure that whatever you need to complete the job is delivered on time, and you need to keep the customer informed at all times of progress. I don’t care whether you’re a fencer, a plumber, a builder, a rock star or a trainer, those same rules apply.
You wouldn’t expect to pay for tickets to a rock concert, only to be told when you arrive that the lead guitar has a broken string and there aren’t any replacements available, would you?
So, to be professional you need to ensure that you:
- keep the customer informed every step of the way
- turn up when you say you will
- do the very best job you can
- make sure that any supplies you need to complete the job are checked when they are delivered, and rectify any problems immediately – the customer should not ever know that your supplier let you down – you should be on top of everything all the time
Expand your network
Something that puzzled me about the fencing contactor is that he appears to use only one supplier. This seems to me to be a potentially dangerous practice. To keep your business afloat, especially in these economic times, wouldn’t it be a useful thing to expand your network of suppliers and other people who could potentially help your business? You could set up arrangements with other service/product suppliers whereby you call each other or refer to each other when there is a problem that you can’t fix, or when you have too much work and need a sub-contractor, or simply when someone you meet needs something that can be supplied by someone in your network. Coaches trained at Coach University (as I was) call this the Team 100 Program. (Click here to email me about ways we can work together to create your own Team 100.)
Be ultra-reliable
People don’t give repeat business to people who aren’t reliable. Yes, that’s right, I said people who aren’t reliable. Businesses are made up of people, and if you, as the customer, deal with someone who is incompetent, rude, clueless or unreliable, that gives you the impression that the entire company is like that.
To be ultra-reliable you have to
- train your staff
- put failsafe systems into place, so that you can get the supplies you need when you need them or somehow ensure that you provide your customer with the correct service/product on time, every time
- have a company culture of reliability
- make the effort to be reliable – as soon as you are unreliable, there goes your entire reputation.
These points apply even if you are a sole trader. It’s sometimes harder to be ultra-reliable when you are a sole trader, which is why you need a Team 100.
What is my opinion of the fencing contractor now? Well, not so good, as you might imagine. So this person has ruined, not only my entire fortnight, but his own reputation. I won’t be recommending him to others.
Bottom line
To be reliable and keep a good reputation in business, you need to go out of your way to make the customer happy. If you’re unsure of how to do this, or you want to create failsafe systems for your business, or if you want to create your own Team 100, email me now.
Sep
23
How to finish 2009 with a bang, not a whimper
Filed Under Coaching, Internet goodies, Procrastination, Productivity, Project Management, Resources, Taking Action | 3 Comments
I first met the work of Gary Ryan Blair when I was in the middle of my PhD candidature. He has some cool gadgets and suggestions for achievement.
Now he’s running a 100 Day Challenge to finish the year with a Big Bang. Have a look at this video:
Here’s some more about Gary Ryan Blair’s 100 Day Challenge:
Change Your Life in 100 Days
What if I were to follow you with a camera crew 24 hours a day 7 days a week for the next 100 days while you went for your goals?
I bet three things would happen…
1. You would START doing the things you say you need to do.
2. You would STOP doing the things you know you shouldn’t be doing.
3. You would MAKE monumental performance gains and change your life.
This is ALL possible through the discipline of accountability. Accountability serves and protects your character, credibility and commitments. It ensures that what you want to accomplish gets accomplished. (That’s what personal coaching is all about: accountability.)
Throughout every area of your life it’s important to understand that ALL unfinished goals, projects and relationships are the result of broken promises, unfulfilled commitments, and lack of accountability.
With that in mind, I wanted to share with you an exciting opportunity to achieve every goal you set, to enforce ultimate accountability into your life, and show you how you can make monumental performance gains. I’ve signed up, and I’m excited to get started.
Gary Ryan Blair, otherwise known as The Goals Guy, has put together a fantastic comprehensive approach to goal setting and performance enhancement.
It’s called the 100 Day Finish Strong Challenge and it begins on September 23rd, which happens to be the final 100 days of the year.
The 100 Day Finish Strong Challenge is a structured 14-week performance improvement program where challengers compete against themselves to achieve a number of challenging goals and finish the year strong.
Free Special Report and Video
Gary is offering a powerful special report for free which is titled: How to Create Your Own Big Bang!
This report is worth its weight in gold as it shows you how to create huge performance gains quickly. I encourage you to get your copy right now.
So what are you waiting for? The clock is ticking and if you want to seriously improve your life and corresponding results, I encourage you to check out the 100 Day Finish Strong Challenge today as it will be one of the smartest decisions you’ll make all year.
I’m in it. How about you?
Sep
20
One extra hour
Filed Under Coaching, Procrastination, Productivity, Project Management, Scheduling, Taking Action | 6 Comments
© Gaye Wilson 2009
What could you do with one extra hour?
- Sleep in?
- Watch television?
- Play a computer game?
Or could you
- Read a book?
- Walk the dog?
- Write a letter?
How about:
- Work on your business plan.
- Write out your goals.
- Have quality time with your family.
There are many activities you can do in an hour. An extra hour per day would allow you to do many extra activities, so it would be a good thing, right?
But where do extra hours come from?
Take a look at the first list above. These are activities that you could curtail to find an extra hour. These are passive activities. They are about being, rather than doing. They don’t necessarily have a purpose. They just are. They are often default actions when we are too lazy to do something constructive.
The second list contains active activities. Like the first list, they are ego-centric – centred around you. Unlike the first list, they have a purpose. You walk the dog so that both of you benefit from exercise. You read a book to relax or learn something. You write a letter to communicate with someone. These activities are about the present. They are good to fit into your day.
The third list is also an active list, but this one contains activities that are all about the future.
When was the last time you sat down and planned your future?
If you’re like most people, you haven’t. Most people drift through life and wonder why it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Those who revel in life and accomplish what they want in life are those who plan their future.
Victories are planned.
So, this week, to gain your victory, find an extra hour to do some planning.
Aug
16
Wanting it and doing it are two different things
Filed Under Procrastination, Productivity, Project Management, Scheduling, Taking Action | 4 Comments
© Gaye Wilson 2009
Yesterday I attended the annual Egyptology conference at the Australian Centre for Egyptology. As always, the atmosphere, the people, and above all, the images in the lectures, got me all fired up. I love Egyptology. I always have. That’s why I earned a PhD in the subject.
And I want to be in the discipline – badly.
But I haven’t yet published my PhD thesis. And I haven’t found the Access database programmer I need to set up the prosopographical database I want for further research (any database whizzes reading this post?).
And wanting something does not equate with having it. To have what you want, you need to make it happen. You need to do it.
Okay, what have I done in Egyptology in the seven years since I got the PhD?
Not a lot. A bit, but not a lot.
Why?
Because I’ve been dealing with other things. Since I graduated I have become a qualified coach, started a coaching and editing business, created seven websites, learned how to sew, earned qualifications in desktop publishing, small business management, leadership and frontline management, and started to learn my ninth foreign language. I’ve also been coping with other things like ill health, the need to earn money (I can’t get a job in Egyptology – there aren’t any available ones), dealing with parent illness and death, maintaining a house and garden, and simply … well, living. So I haven’t been idle – far from it – but I haven’t done much in one of my great passions, Egyptology, either.
So this year, when I attended the conference, I got enthused all over again, as I do every year. But this time it will be different. I will actually do something about it this year. This is how I’m going to do it.
Formulate a goal
I’m going to decide exactly what I will have accomplished in Egyptology by this time next year: my goal.
List all commitments
I’m going to make a list of all the projects I have on my plate, so that I know exactly what I am doing.
Decide the priority of those commitments
Making the list is the first step to seeing how much available time I have. Rather than allowing the list to just sit there, I also need to prioritise each commitment. Which ones need to be done first, in order to reach my five-year goals? Which ones can be done in the next three months? Which ones cannot be delayed?
Decide what to cut
If I have too many projects, I won’t be able to do justice to any of them. Or I will concentrate on one or two and the others will go by the wayside (that’s exactly what’s been happening with Egyptology for the past seven years). If I can’t do all the projects at the same time, I need to decide, according to my prioritised list (see above), which projects I will temporarily (or permanently – it does happen) drop in order to achieve something with a higher priority.
Figure out what I need to do to achieve my goal
There’s no point in starting a project without knowing what steps are required to complete it. For every goal you need to work out what you need to do, and in what order.
Decide how I am going to spend my time in order to achieve my goal
Making lists and prioritising them won’t get the jobs done. I actually have to do them. The only way to do them, apart from listing them in the first place, is to schedule them.
Enlist help
I need to tell other people what my goals are, and ask for their help. I can join an online goal setting club, or post my intentions on my blog (doing that now!). Hire a coach. Invite friends to create their own action schedules, and create a mastermind group to support all of us. I can join a 30-day or 100-day Challenge. However it’s done, I need support.
Do it!
So I’ve made a goal, listed what’s on my plate, prioritised my commitments, decided what to cut or pull back on, listed what needs to be done, scheduled actions and enlisted support. What’s left? Actually doing it. There’s no point in making all these lists and schedules if action does not happen. I can schedule by month, by week, by day. I’m going to make a loose list of items to accomplish in the next month, divide it into weeks, and then schedule only three major actions each day. Then I’m going to do those actions, come hell or high water.
So.
I want Egyptology in my life. I want to actually DO Egyptology, not just read about it or dream about it or sigh over it. So now I have to actually do something about it. Somehow I have to fit it into my schedule.
The tagline for my coaching website, PhDSuccess.com, says it all: “focus on the actions that will achieve your goals”.
So that’s what I’m going to do.
Jul
25
What’s your Best Use of Time right now?
Filed Under Blogging, Coaching, Learning a Language, Productivity, Project Management, Taking Action | 6 Comments
© Gaye Wilson, 2009
Getting everything done isn’t easy when life gets in the way. You have shopping to do, paid work to do, the kids to take to sport, an essay due at university, the washing, the cooking, the ironing, catching the train … the list just goes on and on.
So how do you cope? How do you get everything done properly and on time?
By asking yourself one simple question:
What is the best use of my time right now?
I call it the BUT question.
This one question will guide you to victory. You can apply it to everything:
- Whether to do this task or that one
- Whether to make this choice or that one
- Whether to eat, socialise, work, relax, exercise, sleep, clean up, see the doctor, outsource … you name it.
I have a client at the moment who is in the last stages of writing his PhD thesis. He hired me to get the formatting of the document right. This was a good move, because it freed him up to concentrate on the writing.
But he’s not writing. Although he has outsourced part of the job (the formatting), he’s still obsessing about the part he outsourced (yes – the formatting). He seems to be spending more time on how the final product is going to look than he is on the content of the final product. That’s fine, and every PhD candidate needs to obsess about both the content and the presentation.
But what this person is doing is the equivalent of having a dog and barking too.
He’s already outsourced the formatting. So why is he obsessing about whether the document should be double spaced or not? That’s my job. He hired me to format the document so that it looks outstanding and gives a professional, jaw-dropping first impression to the examiners. I’ve already given him my best professional advice, but he’s still vacillating.
He needs to ask himself what is the best use of his time: either cancel his contract with me to do part of the job; or allow me to do the job he hired me for, and get on with the actual meat of the project himself.
That’s what I mean when I say, what is the best use of your time right now? What is the one thing you can do that will have a positive impact on your project or your goal or your life right now?
If you get into the habit of asking yourself that question throughout your day, you will become much more productive, efficient and accomplished than you are now.
Try it. You’ll be surprised at the results.
Jul
12
What’s your victory?
Filed Under Coaching, Philosophy of Life, Project Management, Scheduling, Taking Action | Leave a Comment
© Gaye Wilson, 2009
This blog talks about ways to win your victory, but so far it hasn’t talked about what your victory is.
What is your victory?
It is your goal, your desire, your dream, your fantasy. It’s what you want in life. It’s what you want to do or accomplish. It’s your current project. It’s what motivates you to get up in the morning. It’s that thing you’ve always wanted since you were a child.
It’s your reason for being.
Everyone has goals. Everyone has dreams. And everyone has projects. All of them are different, but all have a desired end result.
That’s your victory. Your desired end result.
So what is your desired end result? Do you want to lose weight? Learn a language? Complete a doctorate? Or do you simply want to clean up your garage or start a garden?
In order to win your victory, you first need to know what that victory will look like. How will you recognise it when you achieve it? What exactly is it that you want? What specifically is your desired result?
Once you know that, you also need to know how you will accomplish it. This means thinking about the steps you need to take. Break it down into doable actions. Think the process through, walk through it in your mind, on paper, with others, or using a project management program. Try not to miss any vital steps.
With your list of actions in hand, you can then set about completing those actions.
One last thing. You probably need to put a timeframe on it. I say probably, because not all victories are timebound. You might want to be happy – how does one put a timeframe on that?
So then what? You do it! And when you’ve completed all the tasks on your list of actions, voila! There’s your victory.
I discuss plans and action strategies further in my chapter of Top Coaches Share Their Personal Action Strategies. You might like to click on the link and check out the book.
So, what’s your victory, and how do you plan to achieve it?
Mar
24
Working to a deadline 8: use a system
Filed Under Editing Strategies, Productivity, Project Management | 5 Comments
© Gaye Wilson 2008
A system? Not a system! I can’t use systems!
Yes, you can. Systems are invaluable for getting stuff done. They are especially important when you are working to a deadline. They help you plan the project, they tell you what still needs to be done, and they tell you what to do next.
For instance, for the editing project I’ve been talking about in this series (I finished the project, by the way, on time, and the client was ecstatic with my work), my system was:
- Print out all emails pertaining to the project
- Start a file for everything related to the project
- Keep track (see this post)
- Use checklists
- File all the stuff when the project is done so that I can refer to it again if necessary (for instance, if the client wants changes or disputes what we’ve agreed, or if I have a similar project in the future).
Without the system, I don’t know where I’m up to, and I don’t know what is still to be done. Having everything in hard copy in the one place I find is much better than having to boot up my computer to find stuff.
The beauty of this is that, once you’ve figured out a system to get a particular task done, you can use that system again and again for similar tasks. Tweak the system as you go, so that it is the best system for you.
Studies have shown that people who use systems get more done.
So what systems can you come up with?
Jan
24
© Gaye Wilson 2008
One of the most useful strategies I’ve used for this particular project, and one that I will use again, is keeping track.
Keeping track of what, you ask?
Keeping track of whatever will help you (a) reach the goal and (b) reach your next goal.
For this current project I have been keeping track of:
- the hours spent on the project: it is essential to know this, so that I can charge the client for my time.
- the number of pages I have edited per hour: I seem to be averaging five.
- the number of pages I have proofread per hour: this one is not as simple to quantify, because I was not doing my usual thorough proofreading because the time was running out. I definitely need to note how many pages I proofread on my next job.
- the amount of time I spent formatting the document. This particular one had issues that I hope I don’t get again. Unfortunately, I didn’t note specifically which bits were formatting and which bits were editing. I’ll need to do that next time.
- extraneous items that need to be included in the invoice at the end of the job, such as the cost of phone calls, postage etc.
For larger projects, or multi-faceted projects or projects that need a lot of resources or take a long time, you would need to keep track of some other items:
- who’s doing what
- when each phase needs to be completed and how on track you are
- problems/delays
- what’s been done
- costs
This is only a very short list of what can be tracked on a job.
I keep track of my projects using an Excel spreadsheet I developed some years ago. I plug in the date, the time I start work, the time I finish work, and a short description of the work. I can also track what has been sent off and when, and interim payments, and I can see at a glance what my productivity is like by using graphs.
Someone else who uses spreadsheets to keep track of business stuff is Gayla, of Mom’s Gadget. Have a look at her blog entry on how she uses spreadsheets.
What else do you keep track of, and what tools do you use?
Jan
22
© Gaye Wilson 2008
What happens if you are working to a deadline, but there is no way you can meet it?
You have a couple of options:
- contact the person who set the deadline and see if you can renegotiate it
- enlist help
Maybe you can combine the two options.
Other ways you can enlist help are:
- Brainstorm with a friend or your mastermind group how you can meet the deadline
- Ask a process-oriented friend for ideas on how you can streamline what you are doing
- Tell the people you work with that you need to stop talking or attending meetings until the project is done
- Ask your family to do some of your chores, to give you more time to work on the project
The All Paths to Victory Strategy states that you do whatever it takes to achieve your goal. If that means you ask for additional help, then go for it!
Jan
17
Working to a deadline 5: take refreshing breaks
Filed Under Editing Strategies, Productivity, Project Management | Leave a Comment
© Gaye Wilson 2008
When you are working hard on a job, especially one as physically and mentally challenging as editing or proofreading (amongst others), it really helps to take regular, refreshing breaks. I have found on this particular editing job that I stopped seeing errors after about an hour of intense concentration. Getting up, taking a walk, drinking a glass of water and maybe playing with the dog all helped when I got back to work. I would pick up the job, re-read the last paragraph I was working on, and immediately see the problem that had been eluding me.
This tip is applicable to almost everything you do. If you are a workaholic who doesn’t take breaks, your health will suffer. If you don’t take annual holidays, your health and relationships will suffer. If you have multiple tasks to do, changing to another one when you are weary of the first one is a good way to refresh yourself, and when you come back to the original one, you’ll be able to cope with it a bit better.
Want to subscribe to this blog?
Top Ten Coaching Blog 2009!
Want to use this content?
Visitors come from – thank you!
-
Subscribe by Email