3. June 2010 by Monique Guilford.

That’s right folks, there is no way around it. The world is constantly changing around us. We have gone from the Agricultural Era to the Industrial Era. We have gone from women working mainly in the homes to holding a political office. Once upon a time, technology was a strange, new tool to us, but now it has become a tool that is essential for our survival. Change is inevitable, but it is how we handle that change that makes the difference.

Recently, I finished reading a book entitled; Attitude is Everything by Keith Harrell. Today, Keith Harrell is one of America’s most popular motivational speakers, but before this notable title, he was an inspiring NBA player from Seattle University. Once he was not afforded the opportunity to play for the NBA, he went for the next big challenge, working as a salesman for IBM. After a few years of training and conducting workshops at IBM, Keith decided that it was time for him to focus mainly on what is was called to do…motivational speaking. Mr. Harrell was about to endure a major life change, but he was determined to succeed with his “whatever it takes” attitude.

It was not easy for Mr. Harrell to reach his goal. The road ahead proved to be very tumultuous and there were a lot of “nay sayers” along the way. However, he kept a positive attitude and he refused to become a victim of “changecosis”, a disease that threatens your ability to enjoy life and to develop your full potential (p.181). Again, I understand how ‘scary’ change can be; the unknown can be frightening. We must remember though to keep a positive attitude when change is occurring in our lives. Keith Harrell (2000) suggests ten strategies for creating a positive attitude about change that can be adopted into our lives daily.

1. Tap Into the Power of Your Subconscious.
The mind is a powerful tool and it can be trained to work wonders for you. Take the time to program your mind with a positive attitude about ongoing change. Jump out of bed each morning grateful that you have lived to see another day and be ready to seize it. The author used the example of how he wakes up each morning, clapping his hands a few times to welcome the new day and to get himself “psyched” for the new challenges. This is a good attitude to have towards work. Instead of saying, “Oh no, is it Friday yet?”, try viewing workdays as another opportunity to strengthen your work skills, thus making you a viable employee.

2. We live in a culture of reflection.
Reflection is a powerful tool used by educators to better themselves in the field.  The author encourages us to elevate our standards and overcome our limitations through this process. During this reflection period, we should be cautious to monitor our inner dialogues and be aware of any negative inner thoughts and cease them immediately. It may be helpful to keep a work journal in which you record your actions and tasks, then review them at home to seek ways to improve.

3. Keep Your Long-Term Goals in Mind.
Well-defined goals will keep you focused. Visualization is a great tool to help you in this process. Focusing on your goals helps you to regain a sense of control over your life. It also increases your self-esteem and your outlook on life. I know that when I visualize myself as Dr. Guilford, it makes me that more determined to finish my doctoral program. I have even gone as far as printing out a picture of a scholar in the doctoral regalia and placing my face on the body. If you are hoping for a new promotion on the job, visualize yourself receiving that promotion and keep yourself encourage during the process by remembering things that you have done to enhance the company.

4. Avoid Learned Helplessness.
If you don’t find direction in life, it will direct you. We may not be able to stop unwanted change from occurring in our lives, but we can program ourselves to take positive actions and make the most of it. We are not helpless! We have enormous power to act, set goals, and to go after them. You may not be able to control the fact that your job is down-sizing and that you may be affected soon, however, you can remain positive about this change and make the most of it.

5. Maintain a Balance.
It is important to maintain a physical, mental and spiritual balance. Remember, you are no good to the world if you don’t take care of yourself. Rest, healthy eating habits, and regular exercise are vital in keeping a positive attitude. When we feel overwhelmed at work, quality time with friends and family can easily help us put things back into perspective. Companies today are becoming more and more in tuned with meeting the whole needs of the employee and offer fitness courses that employees can participate in during their lunch breaks. The key here is being in tuned with yourself to know when you need to regroup and to use the words of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin “reload” (without guns of course!).

6. Acknowledge Change.
The author encourages us to never ignore change. We make greater strides in life when we let go and strive for something better. Letting go empowers us to release past hurts, rejection, and frustration. This reminds me of someone whom I used to work with that I will refer to as Sally. Sally was a good employee at company ABC, but her demeanor was not received well by other employees and/or customers. Although Sally received excellent employee evaluations from the company, her employee contract was not renewed during the renewal period. Sally and I were good friends at ABC and one day during lunch, she confided in me that she believed the reason for contract not being renewed resulted in her poor attitude and resistance to change on the job. Sally is a good employee, someone I would hire to work for me if I had my own business, but I am afraid that her attitude may prevent her from getting the job that she deserves in the long run.  Accepting change is not over night, it is a gradual process.  Ultimately the only thing that we can change is ourselves and that makes a world of difference.

7. Convert Threats into Opportunities.
When change seems threatening, try to look at it as a new opportunity to make a difference in the world. When we are given new tasks on the job, exposed to new technology, or even a new boss, we should view these changes as an opportunity to widen our experience and expand our knowledge. Think about it, how impressive will your resume look to future employers now that you have experience working in a different department or with a new tool in technology.

8. Turn the Change into Challenge.
The challenges in life teaches us something about ourselves.  It forces us out of our comfort zones. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The ultimate measure of a man [or woman] is not where he [or she] stands in the moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. If your manager changes your work agenda at the last minute, do not panic! View this change as a challenge and remember that you have the ability to remain professional and make the most out of it.

9. Keeping your mind in a constant positive state requires a tremendous amount of work.
Create affirmations to say to yourself throughout the day or make a list of positive quotations to stay on track. Some places of work have opportunities in which managers and employees empower one another before the day begins. If this is the case for you, I would suggest that you take advantage of that opportunity each time. Empowerment for the mind is like Vitamin C for the body. It will also help if you composed an A-Team which will consist of positive mentors that can help you “snap” out of a negative mood. The A-Team should be diverse and consist of people from all ethnic groups and social classes.

10. Seek Support from Members of You’re A-Team.
As mentioned previously, it is important to have nurturing relationships that are dependable in times of need. Avoid those that a “busy bodies” at work. Surround yourself at work with people who enjoy life and want to make the most out of it. People who truly care about you want you to lean on them in difficult and challenging times because they know that you would be there for them in return. Remember, no man is an island. We can all help each other achieve our goals.

I have decided to refer to this book as my “mini-bible” on attitude. Keith Harrell reminds us that attitude is everything and it impacts everything that we do. A good attitude can lead us down the path to having everything that we desire in life. Whether starting a new job, getting new boss, or dealing with a natural disaster, keeping a positive mindset will help you through adverse times. Jim Rohn said, “If you learn to set a good sail, the wind that blows will always take you to the dreams you want, the income you want, and the treasures of mind, purse, and soul you want. ”Having a positive attitude especially when it comes to change is one way to achieve that. 

Source:
Harrell, Keith (2000).  Attitude is everything: 10 life-changing steps to turning attitude into action.  Harper-Collins Publishers, Inc.

Rohn, Jim (2010).  Retrieved from http://www.jimrohn.com

Posted in Hiring Process, Customer Service, Creating the Culture, Training | Print | 2 Comments »

23. May 2010 by Bob Griffin.

When is the last time you looked at your business?  No, not the numbers…the message.  There are a lot of messages that we project to customers that are unintended because we are overwhelmed with too many things to take care of in 24 hours.  How many of you have put a sign at the cash register that says, “No checks!” or “Payment Upfront”?  It is that kind of negative message that makes customers think you don’t trust them or want them.

You want to be known as being a professional and then you put up a hand written sign that says, “All Sales Are Final”.  If that doesn’t scream Go Away, I don’t know what would.  OK, so I have another more extreme way of keeping customers out.  Let them know you don’t want them in the first place. 

Take a look at this picture.  It can be hard to read the words on the window, but is says, “Hot People Wear Shorts”.  Sorry, I used my phone to take the picture and I am not a photographer.



Can you see where the problem is?  None of the mannequins are wearing shorts.  Even the picture in the window has a guy in pants.  This is typical of what we do.  That desire to get everything done now gets us further behind because we tell customers we do not know what we are doing.  Would you buy shorts where they think pants are the same as shorts?  Probably not.

How about this wonderful image?  I was driving around and saw a nice building with a dry cleaners in it.  I would never drop off clothes here because the message they project is - Dirty = clean.  (I blurred the name of the business.  They aren’t all bad).



What are you telling your customers?  It can be as simple as having the same signs up year after year.  Follow Bulldog Rule #12 - Be aware of your entire business.  Get out and look around.  While you are out there, use the article, SWOT ‘Em to get a good understanding of the message that your competition is telling your customers.  We do like to multi-task don’t we?

As much as I want to place the blame on the shoulders of the owner, I also want to take this opportunity to let you know I understand how this can happen.  Being an owner is like getting trying to roll a million little balls in the same direction at the same time at the same speed.  Bad things happen when you move too fast.  It is the nature of business to move fast, but make sure you end up where you intended.

The best way to fix many of these problems is to get out of your business.  Yes, get out! Go out to the parking lot and just stand there.  Close your eyes and start thinking like a customer.  Now open them and look.  What would draw a customer’s eyes to your business?  How do we look?  What message do we send from just looking at the store?  Often, the need to just get things done makes a potentially good message go bad.

Find the message you want to send and then stop, look, and read what your customers see.  If you are not projecting the professional business you see in your head, make changes and make the message one you intend to send.

Bob Griffin - The Original Bulldog
Bgriffin@BusinessBulldog.com

Posted in Marketing, Customer Service, Making Money | Print | 3 Comments »

7. January 2010 by Bob Griffin.

There are two types of owners that need to grow their view of the business they own.  One type of owner spends a lot of time on numbers.  They see the trends and how the customers respond to the marketing or employee efforts.  The “Number Cruncher” is a good master of his domain.  He is up to date on what has happened in his business and what works.  He can plan and explain his business in terms of dollars and cents.  Why is this not a big enough view?  He is good with changing to a new plan.  He can see what works and plan, but moving to a new plan is outside his view.  Limits like this are part of an old way of doing business.  I grew up in this format.  I am happy to look through these eyes.  I also know that if I want to make stores successful I need to look bigger and make changes quickly to stay ahead of the competition and fire up my team.  Numbers tell no lies, but they also do not inspire growth.  People do.

The second type of owner is the marketing guy.  He can tell you what works and why.  Coupons, discounts, and media buys are part of his lexicon.  There is no way he is going to let a customer get away without knowing what his business is all about.  Branding is a key to his success.  Finding new ways to communicate to customers is his passion.  This guy is his own best marketing…just ask him.  Why doesn’t this work well.  If you are focused on marketing outside your business, you may the operations  and the reason customers come back.  Ever watch a commercial, try out a new business and then never go back? Why?  The hype did not match the service, the products, or a combination of both.  Marketing is critical, yes critical, to every business.  It just can not be the beginning and the end of the game. Save marketing until you have something to brag about.  Then yell it!

Look at the whole picture.  Crunch numbers to see what works best.  Take the best parts of a campaign, product, or service and build your store around it.  The best businesses ask more questions than make statements.  Every question or answer should bring more questions or answers.  Look bigger.  Dream about where your business can grow.  Do not EVER be comfortable.  Comfort is good for a blanket, but bad for a business model.  Be ready to change.  Look inside your business first to ensure that when you go out and invite customers in you are ready to make them say “WOW”.

Posted in Marketing, Customer Service, Creating the Culture, Making Money | Print | 87 Comments »

2. January 2010 by Bob Griffin.

When we talk with owners, there is a need for them to ask certain questions immediately that always makes me think they may or may not be ready for the next step in the evolution of their business.  The issues are money and time.  If you want to have a strong business, you need to spend either more money or more time or both.  If you are not ready to do so, please find the time and money and then find the help in getting started right.

Business owners have a desire to fulfill a vision for what the business should look like and sometimes miss the basics of how the business should run.  I do not blame them for that fact.  If you start a business from scratch, even a franchise, requires that you are a real estate expert, contractor (or at least oversee the contractor), and the middleman between the business and the government agencies that require that you have permits and fees paid before you are allowed to make any money.  Transitioning to from that to handling the day-to-day operations can be a dilemma when the store opens.  At this point, they either invested well enough to hit the ground running or they stumble out of the gate.  You spend a lot of money and time getting things rolling.  The last thing you want to think about is how much more time and money it will cost to get the business open and keep it open, but that is where your thinking should be.

More often than not, owners stumble on day one.  The problem starts with having the basic operations knowledge and then translating it to a function of getting the job done by leading the team and communicating the vision.  Working in an industry for more than a year is a sure fire way to learn from the ground up.  This gives you a chance to work as a leader, find the answers on how things should work, and how to communicate effectively to employees.  Most entrepreneurs do not spend that kind of time or want to make that kind of sacrifice.  It is the difference between being in business in five years or dying out your first few months.

One problem that I see very often is - Ego.  When someone wants to start a business they say it is for the money.  That, unfortunately, is only half the reason.  The other reason is that it is something that will give them the ability to tell friends and family that they are a business owner.  Most people you see each day do not own a business.  They are happy to work for someone else, but do give credit to others who jump over to being an owner.  Ego gets in the way because the owner wants to be the owner more than the operator of a business that may require them to be on the front line.   Do not think you can delegate to a successful business.  Bulldog Rule # 14 - The right people never want to work with the wrong people - hits the nail on the head.  Make sure you are the right person to lead…not yell at people and be angry or make the place a “work-hell”.  Otherwise, you will spend more money to hire the right person to lead.

I have been enjoying reading for the millionth time The E-Myth Revisited by  Michael E. Gerber.  He makes many valid points on hiring people who can be trained and can follow your lead.  This requires that you have a training program for them to follow and are able to lead someone through training to be the best employee for the job. You can’t have a big ego and lead employee through training (no one would follow).  Creating a great training program removes you as the main focus of the business and makes the system most important.  I was also reading What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell where he made this point.  He interviewed Ron Popeil, the founder of Ronco and the Inventor of many products you probably have in your kitchen.  I was impressed with the way  Ron took the interest off himself and made the product the star.  Coming from a family of salesmen, that was always the formula, but for someone without that kind of knowledge and with an ego going into business, it is easy to see where a person can slip up and make the product or service second to the messenger.  Lose the ego and make the system follow the sale.  You may want to take a vacation.  If the emphasis is on you and your ego, what happens when you are not there?

Great leading through training requires a few items:

• Each job has a cost and an outcome.  List the parts of the job and the desired outcome.  Be prepared to change the training and the costs as your business grows.  There is never just one way to do a job and costs change over time.
  
• Be a coach, a mentor, and a teacher that someone would want to learn from.  This implies that you can lead through teaching.  If you can’t or are not very good, find someone who can.  Yes, this costs more money, but it will save you from wasting time and money in the long run.
• Invest money and time early in the game to make more later.  When you spend, spend wisely.  Getting the ship headed in the right direction from day one is the best way to jump ahead of the competition and find better people who want to work with you.
• Fire yourself if you need to.  Being an owner does not mean that you need to be the leader of the organization.  Set the tone, set the budget, keep up with the data, and get the heck out of the way.

There are great ways to make a great business and they all come back to spending your time and money in ways that make you more down the road.  Be prepared to keep spending time and money on training, firing/hiring, better information, and better processes.  The investing does not stop when you start making a great paycheck.

Posted in Customer Service, Training, Making Money | Print | 6 Comments »

27. December 2009 by Bob Griffin.

The article I wrote on compliments has been downloaded and printed a few thousand times I want to add to it to ensure you have the tools to help this value-adding idea to your own business philosophy.  There is more than just being polite to getting compliments, although that is a good place to start.  There is an  ideology that many small business owners and managers fail to notice and so fail to foster in their employees.  Business Bulldog, Inc. was started to help get businesses back to the basics and grow with time-tried, recognizable ways of growing.  It is what helped start the best businesses around.  It is also the path that businesses that do not worry about what people have to say about them use.

To just read the above paragraph and think you understand how to get compliments would be a mistake.  There is a school of thought that guides the best in business that must not only be understood, but lived. It is something that all good people know in their heart and live by.  It can be broken down to one simple, yet profound word.  It usually makes owners cringe and fail to see it’s worth and for employees to throw out of their vocabulary after the first hour on the job.

Trust

Compliments are broken down into three parts: the actions that bring about a compliment, the action of giving a compliment, and the context in which it is received.

Very often we hire “warm bodies”.  I mean - the people needed just to keep things going.   They fill a spot on the schedule, but do not really make things better.  Kind of a “space filler” on the payroll.  I call them a waste of space since I would not hire someone I did not see helping the culture of my organization.  All employees are a representation of the brand.  If you do not think so, you are in for a rude awakening when things go bad and you need everyone to step up and help with jobs they do not normally do or were hired to do.  Want to see just how cranky the person who normally unloads trucks can get when asked to answer a phone?  A quick check - - would you be comfortable letting anyone in your organization tell a news reporter about your business?  If that answer is no, you have “warm bodies”.

“Warm bodies” are the reason most places do not get compliments.  They drag down the rest of the employees who want to be proud of the company and the job they do.  I have seen far too many organizations that think that is the only way to keep the business going.  The reason I have heard is, “Employees do not want to do any more than they have to.  You have to push them to get anything done around here.”  That is the business with the going out of business sign on the front door and the merchandise being stolen by employees when the boss turns his back.  The culture there is “I don’t trust you”.

So, how do you start trusting people when your organization is geared to pushing and dragging crew to do their job?  The first step is to change the way you look at your business.  Why did you get into business?  Was it for a short term gain or for the long haul?  Businesses built for the long haul are the only ones we work with.  Why start with you?  Because you are the driving force in your organization.  If you make it important, the employees will see it as important.  Make your actions compliment worthy.  The rest of your team should see this as a clear path for them to follow.  It is also easy to see where your weak link is when you are acting professionally and expect others in your organization to act similarly.

We have mentioned a few times that getting compliments should be an easy task for your customers.  How many businesses do you visit each week that do not have a way (an easy way) for you to give feedback?  That is where you need to spend a few budgeted dollars (or for our international friends euros, dinars, etc.).  Find ways to get customers to give you their honest opinion.  Walk around your store and ask, place a phone call to a recent customer, give surveys, or have a third party ask.  I do not recommend using it as part of a promotion - you give us a score and we will give you a chance to win a prize.  There are too many ways for that to muddy the message.

Finally, how are you going to receive the message.  By that I mean, what are you going to do with the information?  If you are going to just look at it and thunder orders to your front line crew, forget it.  You don’t make changes that matter by pushing your team.  Either they are part of the answer or you are fooling yourself into thinking you are a leader.  If you want to use the information to make changes that will change your business, post the best examples of compliments that show the path you want your team to follow.  The feedback that is not a compliment is valuable too.  Use it to make changes, but do it as a team.  If you have field people, get them in the office for a meeting and have them brainstorm was to make the customer’s experience better.

Trust is an amazing thing when you have it in your business.  Trust your employees to do the right thing.  Trust your customers to give you meaningful feedback.  Finally, trust your team to help you build a stronger business.  Compliments can be an amazing part of your brand image.  It is tough to tear down a brand that has dedicated followers.  Just remember to start the path to compliments inside your business.

Posted in Customer Service, Creating the Culture | Print | 57 Comments »