Happy July – another month ahead filled with possibilities. I want to share ” Barbara’s Basics” -Tips for Success….. These are things I believe that kept me on track for success…They are very SIMPLE!!
- Deadlines– I always had a definite deadline to complete a task or to accomplish an objective.
Those deadlines kept me focused and on purpose….and extremely productive. They became a ‘Point of Accountability’ for me.
- Active use of a Datebook (calendar or diary). I used a month-at-a-glance calendar format so I could see my schedule for the entire month.
The reason my datebook became such a great tool aiding me in reaching success was because I consider myself to be very “Responsible”.
~If I make an appointment; I keep it!!!
~If it is an appointment for an event, I show up.
~If I am hosting the event then I carry through with the plans.
- Hire An Office Assistant. There is a saying;
“If you don’t have an assistant then YOU are the assistant”
A Leader that Takes the Lead knows she can’t do it all! She probably is capable to do everything but a Leader’s role is to:
~Lead others and to grow the organization.
~Delegating everything except the people relationship, the meetings, training, and one-on-one time.
These are the “Barbara’s Basics” tips for success”! –I said they were SIMPLE –
“Did I forget to say they are POWERFUL?”
They are POWERFUL because they focus on simple essentials of business.
Deadlines are so important because working in a time frame keeps us on track; productivity increases.
Work expands to fill the time allotted to it. ~Parkinson’s Law
Datebooks – Teachers call them their plan books… even in today’s tech society a hard copy of your schedule is necessary. Actually writing down the details for your appointment in your datebook is a stronger connection to the event. I always felt it was more of a commitment. Also looking at any open spaces in a datebook is a natural motivation to fill them. “Nature abhors a vacuum.”…. Aristotle (Based on his observation that nature requires every space to be filled with something.)
An Assistant – I am so surprised when I ask a group of business women if they have an Assistant…. they most often say “no”. Their reasons are varied: I can’t find anyone. I don’t want to train someone or I am still looking (and they are still looking a year later)….
Sometimes I think the real reason may be the belief that if you are a strong leader you should be doing it all. Others have the fear that accountability will reveal how little they truly ARE working their business. The truth is the way for your business to expand is have a support team, starting with one assistant. If you are doing tasks that someone with less experience can do you are neglecting the opportunity to help them grow and to reach more people.
You can have it all but you DO NOT HAVE TO (personally) DO IT ALL…..
I would love to hear your comments on how using some or all of these “Barbara’s Basics” work for your success!
~Barbara
Thank you Barbara for your powerful words. My greatest years of growth were the years I hired help before I had enough to fill their hours! I then got to work so I had more to delegate. I am ready to grow my organization again & your words are timely, I will be seeking to hire more help. I too believe in the power of a written calendar for accountability.
Thanks again Barbara!
It is an exciting time of the year! I just got an assistant to help with tasks. I cannot believe the stress that relieves you of!
Here’s to a fabulous day, week, month and year!
Deborah 🙂
Awesome tips as I start to build my business. I am use to doing it all myself, I love my date book and have always use on regardless of my tech toys. Tech toys will crash and you will loose everything. Deadlines are my next focus. Thanks for the tip on how important deadlines really are. As I grow a little more in my business interviewing an assistant will be a must. Thank you!