FailingCompany - Back to the Basics

Well, we have another Christmas in the books. I hope you spent some quality time with family and friends and took some time to recharge for 2023. It's now New Year's Eve and there is a good shot you're ready to celebrate. Hopefully you've created or updated your 2023 strategic and tactical plans for your business and are ready to execute starting January 2nd or 3rd.

Being ready to execute on a detailed plan will give you a leg up on the competition. While they are trying to figure out what their goals will be, you'll be lapping them on the track. Congratulations for doing the hard work!! It will most definitely pay off.

One important thing to remember is that it is perfectly OK to adjust your plan. You may start executing and realize that it wasn't well thought out. You may get inspiration to go in a slightly different direction. Heck, you may decide to switch businesses entirely and start from scratch. It's OK. The key is that you plan it out. Put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and write it down. Then execute.

To use a personal example, I took some time off around the holidays. In my downtime, I noticed that my mind slowed down and cleared. I started getting new inspiration for things I want to accomplish in 2023. I certainly didn't tell myself no because I had some rigid plan that I had to stick to. Rather, I'm updating my plans now to ensure that I capitalize on those new ideas as quickly as possible. That's the beauty of planning!

Does that example resonate with you? Good! That means that you're clear and you're getting some really great new ideas coming into your awareness. Those are a gift, so please don't waste them! Perhaps you didn't have the same experience as me during your downtime. That's good too. It also means that you're clear, you've planned appropriately and ready to dominate 2023. Either way, you're good!

Have a brand-new idea for 2023 and need some help in executing? Maybe your plan is solid, you're ready to execute and just need some additional arms and legs to pull it off? There are people waiting to help you! Check out FailingCompany.com to find the help that you need. Go sign up for an account or log in to your existing account and start working with someone today.

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It's Christmas Eve! It's astonishing has the year flow by. I'm sure there have been ups & downs, challenges, disappointments and victories along the way. If you're reading this then consider yourself blessed, as that means that you're still here and still have a chance to make your life everything that it was meant to be!

If you follow my blog, then you're probably a highly motivated individual. Probably a bit of a workaholic. It's tough for us to take a break and just enjoy life sometimes. I urge you to do just that today and tomorrow. If you're a Christian, then you know that these are very important days to spend in prayer and reflection. It's also a really important time to spend with family and friends.

Remember that everything we do is actually to LIVE life and not to just lie on our death bed and reflect on everything we accomplished. We want to think about the quality times that we spent with friends and family, the amazing experiences that we had and all the people that we helped along the way! So, put the phone, tablet or laptop down and go visit someone or find someone to help! Do it now. You'll be glad you did!!

I look forward to next year with all of you. Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

Need some help making 2023 the best year ever? Maybe you even need help laying out a plan to make 2023 the best possible year? There are people waiting to help you! Check out FailingCompany.com to find the help that you need. Go sign up for an account or log in to your existing account and start working with someone today.

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Imagine yourself in a work situation where there was far too much work to go around and nothing you did was ever good enough. The leadership or client never appreciates the hours that you put in and always find something to criticize. There's always something else that you should have completed by now. You never hear praise or receive compliments. This can be a very disheartening situation for sure. Sadly, it's a vivid reality for many of you reading this post.

If you've been in a similar situation, then you've probably vowed to yourself to not be that boss or that client. I bet you struggled to find motivation to keep going and you probably felt a bit helpless. Maybe even started looking for other opportunities. Chances are you weren't alone. Your co-workers or teammates were probably feeling the same way. Worse yet, those reporting to you might have even started resenting you for not shielding them from the craziness.

There are two clear paths to choose from in situations like these:

1. Path number one is a dimly lit and scary path. On this path you continue to be a victim and watch helplessly as those around you slowly get broken down. Things gradually get worse until you are completely defeated, or someone decides that you are no longer needed. I'd recommend avoiding this path.


2. Path number two is the grueling path to success. On this path you seize the opportunity to step up and be the leader that everyone is literally begging for in their heads. You choose to lead by example. It's not for the faint of heart, but this path can reap great rewards!

How exactly do you do lead by example? Let's say that you're leading a major project. It's of incredibly high importance and of high visibility, so the top sponsors are a little on edge to make sure everything goes perfectly. They are super hands-on and that added focus and pressure, though well intended, inevitably creates the hopeless scenario where there is far too much to do accompanied by that dreaded feeling that you can't do anything right.

Instead of playing the victim in this project, you choose to step up and shield your team from the brunt of the attack. Being a human shield is very painful to say the least, but you know it's the right thing to do!! You go out of your way to work even more closely with the sponsors and solidify yourself as the middleman between them and your team wherever possible. In doing so, you demonstrate great courage to your team. They will definitely notice what you are doing and will certainly appreciate it.

Your team will begin to see you as the true leader in the situation and the overbearing sponsors as mere annoyances that must be tolerated. They will become much more loyal to you, and you will begin to balance out the power between you, the team and the sponsors. They will likely work harder for you than they ever considered doing for the sponsors and you can begin to leverage this power to subtly influence the sponsors and steer them towards more appropriate behaviors.

Some call this leading from the front. In most great battle stories, the leader is the first onto the battlefield and the last off. They don't just set the example. They live it on the front line in harm's way with their fellow soldiers. By living the example and leading their soldiers from the front line, their soldiers are willing to run into a barrage of artillery, a wall of bullets and enemy soldiers ready to kill them. At the same time, they also insulate their soldiers from all of the politics that happen at the higher levels of the military and government. Their soldiers are free to do what they do best, which is to get their specific job done to the best of their ability.

Leading this way in the business world will yield similar results. Your team will be ready to move mountains to get the project done on time, on budget with full scope when they see you as one of them rather than some boss or project manager barking orders. They will see you as their battle buddy, and soldiers will go to great lengths to protect their battle buddy. This type of leadership truly makes all the difference!

Great leaders offer help too! I'm a big believer in staffing your team with experts and then letting those experts do their job. As a leader, your primary job is to give then them air cover and support. However, you must also be aware of when they are drowning in work and need some help. That's when you offer to roll up your sleeves, jump in trench side-by-side with them and help them get stuff done.

Taking swift action to jump in and help demonstrates that nothing is beneath you and that you're willing to do whatever it takes to make the team successful. You aren't asking any team member to do anything that you wouldn't do yourself. This is a very powerful way to demonstrate that you are there to serve your team...not use them for your professional advancement.

I might sound a bit idealistic here, but this is exactly how I operate! I believe in living the example and rolling up my sleeves to help wherever it is needed. I'm not too good for any job. I also believe it's my responsibility to insulate my team from the sponsor drama or any other unnecessary politics going on. They truly appreciate the cover so they can just focus on what needs to get done and I truly appreciate how hard they work to make our deadlines!

I say this not to brag, but to demonstrate to you that I'm writing this from personal experience of actually putting this stuff into practice. It works and can be just the ticket to turning a difficult situation around or at least keeping your team intact to go on and fight another day! Are you ready to lead from the front?

Need a little help for your team to give them a breather from some unrealistic deadlines? Maybe you realize that you could use some help in leading your team more effectively? Check out FailingCompany.com to find the help that you need. Go sign up for an account or log in to your existing account and start working with someone today.

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The holiday season is now in full swing. Lots of decorating to finish, gift shopping to do, holiday parties to attend and friends & family to visit. What should be a peaceful time of year often becomes incredibly busy and, dare I say, dreaded by some.

If you have a personality similar to mine, then it's easy to get a little anxious and stressed during the holidays. You have to balance your work, family & kids, household responsibilities plus all of the seasonal stuff. It can quickly get overwhelming, and you can find your mind spiraling downward faster than a WWII bomber that's just been shot down. It can put a real damper on the holidays. While there's no magic formula for managing it all, there are a few things that I try to do when I'm feeling stressed.

For me, it starts with self-reflection. I need to keep a finger on my pulse, if you will. I watch for my common signs of stress such as not sleeping well, getting irritated easily, feeling overwhelmed, etc. That's when I force myself to take a short break, which is the hardest thing for me to do. Who takes a break when there's so much to do, right??

I've realized that I'm not productive when I've overly stressed. I find that I try to rush tasks to get them done quickly and that my mind is so distracted that things don't go well and take 2 - 3 times longer than normal. I also make more mistakes, which adds to my already high stress level. It becomes a vicious cycle and taking a short break is the most effective way for me to break that cycle.

I have learned over the years that I can't just stop doing stuff. My mind will continue to focus on the to do items and I'll get more anxious on my break. Starting my break by creating a list works wonders in aiding that transition. So, the first thing I do is a brain dump! I get everything floating around in my head down on paper. Every task, party that I have to attend, person I have to visit, decoration I have to put up, etc. This helps so much!!

Once the brain dump is complete, I take some time to lay out due dates for everything and prioritize my list. I then break the list down and assign everything a day and/or time to work on it. I now have an action plan and there is no need to try and remember everything in my head and develop anxiety that I'll forget something. Magically, I can clear my thoughts because I know they are all recorded. Relief at last!!

I then officially start the short break and choose something active to do. Taking a hike, walking or working out usually make the itinerary for the day. Anything active does wonders for your mind. It gets the blood pumping along with producing endorphins and dopamine. Dopamine helps create a positive feeling in the body, like the runner's high. Endorphins help to reduce your perception of pain in the body. The net effect is that you feel more positive and all the muscle tension and aches from the stress seems to temporarily disappear!

I usually feel much more motivated after a purposeful break. I pick up my new action plan and get to work. Since everything is prioritized and assigned to days / times, I can get laser focused on the top priority task that I'm supposed to be working on at that moment in time. It's much easier to complete the task and transition to the next rather than trying to multitask on several things at once and things get done quicker! I get a little dopamine hit every time I complete something on my list, which motivates me to keep going and complete even more items! I'm now in a positive and productive cycle.

My approach to managing holiday stress certainly isn't perfect and is definitely not the only approach. However, I find that actively managing everything that I have to do gives me a sense of control over the situation. As a result, I find myself with a clearer mind and greater sense of presence. I can enjoy the holidays just a bit more. Perhaps my approach will help you too.

Have you written your list and know that you could benefit from a little extra help during the holidays? Perhaps you feel a little out of control at the moment and need some help putting together a plan to get you through to the New Year? Check out FailingCompany.com to find the help that you need. Go sign up for an account or log in to your existing account and start working with someone today.

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It's hard to believe that another Thanksgiving is in the books. For most of us, that means that that holiday season is now in full swing. Things get crazy with parties, gift shopping and traveling to visit friends and family. It's very easy to become distracted with all of the seasonal obligations and let our foot off the gas for our business or professional goals.

For Christians like myself, it's also Advent season now. Advent is a time of expectation and preparation for Christians. We reflect on the birth of Christ, expect the second coming and prepare ourselves to be worthy of Christ. This reflection and preparation manifests in more clear and focused thoughts and intentional actions. Even if you're not a Christian, I'd suggest that you can benefit from a time of focus in your life that leads to mental clarity and more deliberate actions. A time to really get clear on what you want and what it takes to get it.

Why not use the Advent seasion, or simply the holiday season for non-Christians, as a symbolic start to your new professional year? Use this time to reflect on your 2022 performance, the goals that you've achieved and the goals that didn't get achieved. Make a list of all the things that you did well and all of the things that need attention. Then, take some time to look forward to 2023 and visualize what professional success looks like and begin writing goals that will get you there!

This sounds simple and I write about it all the time. There is a reason for that. Having a clear picture of what success looks like to you and chunking that up into achievable goals to get you there is absolutely critical. Yet very few people actually put pen to paper and complete the task. Instead, they leave success up to chance and will be the first to complain when 2023 turns out to be a mirror of 2022.

I know the holiday season can feel like a whirlwind adventure. There's so much to do and so little time that the last thing you want to do is to squeeze in is a goal setting session. It's your future. We all have the same amount of time in the day and most of us have a very busy December. Yet, the really successful people reading this article will prioritize goal setting, or strategic planning, and will absolutely have something on paper before December is out. They will make time!!

The truly dedicated people will likely have a set of strategic goals laid out and tied to milestones and will have monthly or even weekly tasks and milestones laid out to achieve those goals. Everything is tied together for them and nothing is left to chance. Their long-term strategy is broken down into annualized strategic goals which are further decomposed into tasks with target completion dates.

Sounds like a project plan, doesn't it? Once we ring in the new year, these people simply start executing their plan while the majority are struggling to set some meaningless New Year's resolution. Who has the greater chance of making 2023 a huge success? Which group will be the first to complain that the successful people have some unfair advantage?

Do you have to use the Advent or holiday season to do this? Absolutely not. Continuous planning throughout the year is actually a better way to go. For those of you who are too busy to keep up with that, end of year planning is the second-best thing. Having a symbolic start and end for that planning event will simply help you to both remember it and actually complete the exercise. Just a simple tool to consider using if you struggle with the discipline of sitting down and actually writing a plan out. Anything that can help you be one of the of truly successful professionals should be tested out, right?

Is your 2023 plan already written, checked twice and ready to execute? Just need some help finding experts to help execute that plan? Maybe you need a little help building your plan? There are experts to help with that too. Check out FailingCompany.com to find the help that you need. Go sign up for an account or log in to your existing account and start working with someone today.

#FailingCompany.com #SaveMyFailingCompany #AdventAndPlanning #PlanYour2023 #LeaveNothingToChance #SaveMyBusiness #GetBusinessHelp