The Perfect Hiding Place

When we were kids, we hid from chores, we hid from friends during a game of hide-and-seek, and on occasion ( if we’d really stepped out of line), we hid from our parents.

It wasn’t until we became adults that we learned to hide from ourselves.

People hide for different reasons, but we all do it…

and our work can be the perfect hiding place.

The trouble is, we are rarely called out.

Why?

Being busy is admired… even revered…

It’s easy to wear our busyness like a badge of honor instead of seeing it as a telltale sign that we are hiding.

Maybe we are hiding from something, or someone or maybe we are hiding from ourselves.

We all need balance between the intensity and demands of work and the intensity and demands of life. It’s the space in between that we crave. That space that grounds us in who we are and what makes us special. That space between that enables us to discover what ignites our spirit and what drags us down.

If you don’t have it, you need to build it in.

Come out, come out wherever you are…

Are you living the life you want or hiding from the one you don’t? It’s time to discover or rediscover what ignites your spirit.

4 Critical Considerations for Preparing to Sell Your Business

“It’s a heck of a lot easier to start a business than it is to sell one.”

— Mark Stroud, Founder of Lamination Services

Mark had not even considered selling his business until his accountant made the recommendation. Frankly, the recommendation shocked him.  As I facilitated the latest discussion in The Succession Planning Roundtable series, Mark Stroud spoke candidly about what selling a business is really like for an owner.  I felt compelled to climb on the roof with a bullhorn and shout out his insight for all business owners to hear:

• “The fact that I didn’t have to sell made all the difference. This wasn’t a fire sale.”
• “Have a succession plan in place first, then choose when to implement it.”
• “Be clear on what your specialty is. Usually it’s running your business, not selling it. I had to start getting my feet wet with the sales process and make a bunch of mistakes before I realized I better get some help.”

The advice I heard from Mark:

1. Get counsel from trusted advisors who can help you start the process.
2. Ensure support from your spouse and your family.
3. Keep great records. Run a clean business. It gives a lot of legitimacy and a great core to build from.
4. Don’t wait until it’s too late and you are forced into a fire sale.

If you are thinking of selling your business and don’t know where to start, simply start at the top:

Have a confidential conversation with a trusted advisor whose advice you can depend on. It would be an honor to hear from you… 

abby@leadershiplegacygroup.com

Your Employees Want to be Accountable

Do your employees truly know what is expected from them? Desired results don’t just appear out of thin air. The first step to accountability is providing clear expectations.

When you give your team clear expectations, the people that truly belong on your team have a strong desire not only to meet expectations, but to exceed them. They want to do work that is purposeful, work that gets noticed.

No one looks forward to falling short of expectations so use this to your advantage.  You can start with the assumption that they have the skills and desire to succeed, and as an effective leader, it is your responsibility to map out the path to success.

In turn, it is your team’s responsibility to take the journey set before them.

If there is an employee on your team that is not meeting your expectations, it’s time to act. I know you don’t want to – nobody does. But as a manager, you need to.

Schedule a time this week to talk to them to see if their perceived expectations match yours.  If not, you need to re-set your expectations. This is a key point. Setting or re-setting expectations well requires you to be very specific. Include the outcomes you expect, the measurable goals, where appropriate, include timelines, milestones, boundaries, and the resources they can tap into to get the work done (people, money, etc…).

If you don’t do this step, sadly it’s unlikely that you will see the outcomes you want. It is the single most important thing you can do for lasting results.

Don’t send them on their journey alone. Be there along the way, providing expectations, encouragement and constructive adjustments. It’s worth the trip.

Who do you need to talk to this week?