1. Identify Your Purpose Personally

Knowing your purpose is the foundation for your future business actions. As the chief executive officer or small business owner, your purpose along with the creation of vision, values and mission statements will expedite the decision making process and ensure alignment and consistency of those decisions.

2. Define why you are in business

This may sound simple and it is. However, this question does create a top of mind awareness that is invaluable when working through a strategic planning process.

3. Use a Qualitative/Subjective Evaluation for the Executive Management Team

Have the key management decision makers take the time to independently review:

• Quality
• Production
• Cost effectiveness
• Turnover
• Strategy
• Safety
• Waste & scrap
• New products or services
• People development
• Time management

Then through a facilitated and collaborative debriefing, those same executives will begin to identify some of the gaps within the executive team including leadership. This preliminary action may reveal that the top decision maker may require some business development or executive leadership coaching.

4. Compare Last Year’s Wins and Losses

Reviewing last year’s total revenue – the wins – to the missed opportunities – the losses – illustrates the importance of creating an . This tip builds motivation or WIIFM for the executive management team to follow through with the decision to take this proven business building action.

5. Use a Quantitative Organizational Survey or Assessment

Data is critical to when building an executable strategic plan. However, the real essence is finding honest data and not what management wants to hear. The evaluation tool should be representative of all levels of employees within the organization from the executive team to the support staff. Also, the data should be organized to align with known predictors for organizational success such as the Baldrige criteria. This assessment, evaluation or survey tool should:

• Be Internet accessible
• Have a proven historical track record
• Work with any industry including education, health
  Time Management - It is an Impossibility
  I believe in telling it 'like it is' using language and concepts that strip away misleading social conditioning. A few years ago I realized that the whole notion that people could somehow control or manage time was ridiculous. It is an impossibility, however, there certainly is something that we can control and we must if we are to be masters at selling.It may seem that I'm splitting hairs, however, I feel that clarity might just make things a little easier to gain results for you in this area. While you can't manage time itself, you can and must 'manage your actions and activities' within the
  business owner, your purpose along with the creation of vision, values and mission statements will expedite the decision making process and ensure alignment and consistency of those decisions.

• Define why you are in business

This may sound simple and it is. However, this question does create a top of mind awareness that is invaluable when working through a strategic planning process.

• Use a Qualitative/Subjective Evaluation for the Executive Management Team

Have the key management decision makers take the time to independently review:

• Quality
• Production
• Cost effectiveness
• Turnover
• Strategy
• Safety
• Waste & scrap
• New products or services
• People development
• Time management

Then through a facilitated and collaborative debriefing, those same executives will begin to identify some of the gaps within the executive team including leadership. This preliminary action may reveal that the top decision maker may require some business development or executive leadership coaching.

• Compare Last Year’s Wins and Losses

Reviewing last year’s total revenue – the wins – to the missed opportunities – the losses – illustrates the importance of creating an . This tip builds motivation or WIIFM for the executive management team to follow through with the decision to take this proven business building action.

• Use a Quantitative Organizational Survey or Assessment

Data is critical to when building an executable strategic plan. However, the real essence is finding honest data and not what management wants to hear. The evaluation tool should be representative of all levels of employees within the organization from the executive team to the support staff. Also, the data should be organized to align with known predictors for organizational success such as the Baldrige criteria. This assessment, evaluation or survey tool should:

• Be Internet accessible
• Have a proven historical track record
• Work with any industry including education, healt
  How to Provide Instant Customer Service
  Customer service is an essential component of any business. Clearly, if you work alone your business thrives on good customer service. But what if you run much of your business online? How do you provide excellent customer service 24 hours a day seven days a week? Here's an idea which is working for me.One of the challenges of an online business is having constantly available support - especially if you are a small business or a self-employed, lone worker. People want instant answers. They expect replies to emails in the same working day. Many people seem to want even more rapid replies.However, most tec
  ew:
  • Quality
  • Production
  • Cost effectiveness
  • Turnover
  • Strategy
  • Safety
  • Waste & scrap
  • New products or services
  • People development
  • Time management

  Then through a facilitated and collaborative debriefing, those same executives will begin to identify some of the gaps within the executive team including leadership. This preliminary action may reveal that the top decision maker may require some business development or executive leadership coaching.

• Compare Last Year’s Wins and Losses

Reviewing last year’s total revenue – the wins – to the missed opportunities – the losses – illustrates the importance of creating an . This tip builds motivation or WIIFM for the executive management team to follow through with the decision to take this proven business building action.

• Use a Quantitative Organizational Survey or Assessment

Data is critical to when building an executable strategic plan. However, the real essence is finding honest data and not what management wants to hear. The evaluation tool should be representative of all levels of employees within the organization from the executive team to the support staff. Also, the data should be organized to align with known predictors for organizational success such as the Baldrige criteria. This assessment, evaluation or survey tool should:

• Be Internet accessible
• Have a proven historical track record
• Work with any industry including education, healt
  Finding the Right Virtual Assistant for Your Small Business
  Articles abound advising the business community how to properly screen when looking for a Virtual Assistant (VA). Unfortunately, some of the advice may lead you astray, as it often ignores the fact that VAs are not employees but independent contractors providing professional business to business (B2B) services.For example, I have yet to have a prospective client actually ask me for a “list of references,” although if one did, I would happily provide him or her with a name or two if I thought the request was a valid one from a serious, qualified prospect.Many writers also suggest that a good VA will have
  >Compare Last Year’s Wins and Losses

Reviewing last year’s total revenue – the wins – to the missed opportunities – the losses – illustrates the importance of creating an . This tip builds motivation or WIIFM for the executive management team to follow through with the decision to take this proven business building action.

• Use a Quantitative Organizational Survey or Assessment

Data is critical to when building an executable strategic plan. However, the real essence is finding honest data and not what management wants to hear. The evaluation tool should be representative of all levels of employees within the organization from the executive team to the support staff. Also, the data should be organized to align with known predictors for organizational success such as the Baldrige criteria. This assessment, evaluation or survey tool should:

• Be Internet accessible
• Have a proven historical track record
• Work with any industry including education, healt
  Charismatic Communication: Conceptual Entrapment - How Metaphor Governs Our Lives
  A large body of research has been conducted into what is termed by cognitive scientists as metaphor. So as not to muddy the waters, think of metaphor as a template or lens through which you view the world. Cognitive scientists have been systematically unpacking the significance of conceptual metaphor in our daily lives since the sixties.Those scholars propose that metaphors are not simply playthings of the mind, but are a “natural outgrowth of the manner in which our minds are constituted”. What that means is that conceptual metaphors are product of your neurophysiology, that you have a genetic predisposition t
  at management wants to hear. The evaluation tool should be representative of all levels of employees within the organization from the executive team to the support staff. Also, the data should be organized to align with known predictors for organizational success such as the Baldrige criteria. This assessment, evaluation or survey tool should:
  • Be Internet accessible
  • Have a proven historical track record
  • Work with any industry including education, healthcare, manufacturing, not for profits and professional services
  • Include face to face interviews with a sampling of all employees
  • Provide for a variety of reports
  • Be affordable
  • Deliver quick results within 2 to 3 weeks depending upon the size of the organization
  • Focus on strength as well as weaknesses
  • Furnish a mini-action plan

• Consistent Goal Setting and Goal Achievement Process

An executable strategic plan revolves around the ability to consistently set and achieve goals. Given that goal setting and goal achievement is not currently part of the K-16 curriculum, those responsible for executing the strategic plan should all be using the same goal setting and goal achievement process to ensure that the measurable results are achieved.

• Assess Your Commitment Level

Why are you taking the action to create a strategic plan? Is it because of an excellent sales presentation from a business consultant? For a variety of reasons, some executives have been convinced to write a strategic plan. Yet, the finished plan may lie in a desk drawer or on a bookshelf unopened. Additionally, during the strategic planning process, the consultant, executive business coach or facilitator may be asked to assume greater responsibility than appropriate because the client's commitment level is weak. For a strategic plan to be truly executable requires a 110% commitment from the top decision maker along with the executive leadership or business development skills necessary to pull it off.

Strategic planning does not differ from any other organizational change management project in that taking predetermined preliminary steps will greatly improve the success of this critical decision to build the business by taking it to the next level of success. After all, if you are going to invest your resources of people, time and money, doesn’t it make sense that you prepare the ground before digging the foundation?