Welcome April!

First quarter down, three to go! This seems like a good time to reflect on how you have started your year. Are you off to a good start? If not, how are you planning to get back on track?

We are honing in on promoting our first assistant manager of the new year, and have been chosen by our client AT&T to help pilot a new business campaign here in Sacramento! This is an amazing opportunity to really grow! Off to a decent start, yet a ton of work still lies ahead.

Be sure to follow us to stay up to date on the latest news and events!

Facebook
Twitter
Press Room

“All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney

Teamwork & Vision

Teamwork and vision go hand in hand

By John C Maxwell

Have you ever been a part of a team that doesn’t seem to get anything accomplished? Where the team may work and work, but nothing actually gets done? If so, you’ve probably been on a team that lacked vision.

Vision works like a rudder on a ship. Without it, the ship may travel a distance, but not necessarily in the right direction. With it, the ship reaches the destination by the shortest route possible.

Vision determines the direction of the team.

Champion basketball coach Pat Riley once said, “Teamwork requires that everyone’s efforts flow in a single direction. Feelings of significance happen when a team’s energy takes on a life of its own.”
With vision, a team has energy, and team members feel like they’re doing something of value. So if you’re the leader of a team, how do you impart vision to your people?

You transfer the vision both emotionally and logically.

What is needed to emotionally transfer a vision?

1. Credibility. People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision. Your people need to know that you can be trusted.
2. Passion. Team members will not be excited about a vision that the leader doesn’t care about. They need to see and feel your passion before they embrace it.
3. Relationship. How well do your teammates know you? How well do you know them? People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
4. Timing. For a vision to connect, its timing needs to be right. The right decision at the wrong time is still the wrong decision.
5. Felt need. This is relatively easy, because we all need to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Revealing how your vision meets that need can lead to emotional buy-in.

What is needed to logically transfer a vision?

1. A realistic understanding of the situation today. A firm grasp on reality gives your vision a starting point, and makes team members more willing to partner in achieving it.
2. An experienced team. How familiar are team members with the specific problem? The more they’ve dealt with similar situations, the more confident they’ll be in their ability to tackle this challenge. Make it your goal to show them how their previous experience has prepared them.
3. A sound strategy. Do you have a game plan that you can articulate clearly and succinctly? Team members need to know where they’re going before they can fully accept the responsibility for getting there.
4. Acceptance of responsibility by the leader(s). Do you embrace your role in achieving the vision? Are you willing to be held accountable? People need to know that you’ll do your part.
5. Celebration of each victory. A big vision is filled with many small goals. Celebrating victories in those areas helps team members track their progress and find the motivation to continue on the journey.
6. Evaluation of each defeat. When the team misses a goal, it’s important to acknowledge that and communicate how the team can do better moving forward.

Great vision precedes great achievement. Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, a leader of troops during World War II, wrote that “every single soldier must know, before he goes into battle, how the little battle he is to fight fits into the larger picture, and how the success of his fighting will influence the battle as a whole.” People on your team need to know why they’re fighting. This helps them buy in emotionally and logically, so that they can work together with you to achieve victory.

Dreamer vs. Doer

The Great Separator

One thing separates the dreamer and the doer.
It also separates the wishful from the wealthy.
Two people can have the same capabilities,
same hope and same aspiration,
but have radically different outcomes.

How?
One acted and the other did not.

ACTION is the great separator.

Right now, there are opportunities, ideas, dreams or aspirations in your life that you know you SHOULD act on, you WANT to act on, but you are afraid to do so.
Oh, you might be excusing your lack of action by your telling yourself you don’t know what to do, how to do it or if it will work out.

I can tell you firsthand, nothing I have ever accomplished had I done before.
I have been in wildly different industries: from the direct selling of environmental products, to real estate, to television, to educational software, to Internet media, to publishing and more.
None of these industries was I educated or trained to be in;

I had no experience in any of them previously—I just jumped in and started. And the outcomes evolved in ways well beyond what I could have planned for or envisioned at the beginning, meaning all the paralysis by analysis is useless anyway because it will never work out as you plan.

The key is to just get started.

Someone said to me recently, “You don’t have to see the whole staircase to take the first step.” That’s the key—just take the first step. Then when you do, take another. One at a time—one after another.
Before you know it you will have risen to the top of an industry, maybe heights you could never have allowed yourself to dream of and set goals for, simply because you jumped in and got started.

That’s all it takes, ACTION.

2013 is upon us!

Are Your Goals Realistic?

Take the Test
Ask any successful person, and they'll agree. In order to succeed, you must have goals. They are what turns your dreams and visions into reality.

Seems simple, right? You just write down what you want, and you're on your way to prosperity. Well, not exactly. In order for goals to work, they have to be realistic. Stating that you want to have more sales than Apple in 2013 won't make it happen.

So how do you know if your goals for next year are attainable and not just some pie-in-the-sky dream? Take this test to find out. If you answer no to any of the following statements, it's time to re-evaluate.

Are your goals in writing?
It's awesome to dream, and you should never stop thinking about what can be. But to actually achieve milestones, you have to get your goals down on paper. It will help you stay on track and reach them.

Are your goals specific and measurable?
For goals to work, you need to zero in on exactly what you want to accomplish. For example, saying that you want to make a profit won't cut it. Instead, how about, "I would like to make $500,000 in revenue this year"? It's specific and includes an exact (measurable) dollar amount. Once you have your targets, create a plan with deadlines. Then break it all the way down to daily activities. While preparing your strategy, it will soon become clear whether or not your goals are obtainable.

Are your goals shared?
Once you've written down your goals, it's time to get your team on board. Share your goals with your staff—called "casting your vision"—early and often, and watch them get fired up too. With everyone passionate about obtaining your dream, what may have seemed unrealistic this year could be totally obtainable in 2013.

Are your goals your own?
One of the easiest ways to fail while trying to reach your goals is if they are not your own. If your Aunt Edna wants you to be the most successful podiatrist in the tri-state area, it won't happen unless that's your dream too–even if you live in a place with some really bad feet. Why? Because as we all know, business is not for the weak of heart. It's tough. And you won't have the courage to fight through if you aren't working toward your own goals.

As Dave and thousands of business owners across the country have proven, turning your dreams into reality can come true. And it all begins by setting realistic goals. So before the new year, take time to write down your goals. You'll be amazed with the outcome