The end of one year and the beginning of a new one is the best time to undertake a self assessment. You should take the time to measure the successes you’ve achieved and make note of those goals that went unmet. As part of this you will want to look at the ways in which you either built your self confidence or showed your self assurance to your staff and to those business colleagues with whom you network.
Here are some ways to show your confidence and self assurance. Add these to your checklist for your 2016 business and personal goal planning:
Make note of and redefine your goals and visions. Take what you did last year and either expand up on it or set new goals and visions in your personal and your business life. Give yourself a “motto” for the year or choose a couple of words that will describe how you want the year to proceed. For example some of my coaching clients choose words like: Drive or focus or gratitude or growth. Choose words that speak to you.
Understand your strengths and your weaknesses. If you identify those areas in which you need assistance you can look to outsourcing or to learning that particular skill.
Polish up your communication skills. Whether verbal or written, we are a world in which our words carry weight and because of that you need to not only choose your words wisely, but you need to put them forth in their best possible light in all written and verbal communications.
Take risks in both your personal and your business endeavors. Make a deal with yourself that 2016 will be the year you embrace change and take on that risky proposition you’d been putting off.
Entrepreneurs wear many hats and juggle many balls. Because of that it’s important to make certain that your days are productive — not just long. Working a 14 or 18 hour day doesn’t necessarily make you a productive entrepreneur, it just makes you one who works long hours.
Here are my tips for making sure your days are productive:
Have a clear vision of how you want your day to progress and what you need to do
Break your day down into sectors and tackle your most difficult tasks during your most productive time and those tasks that don’t require so much attention toward your less productive times
Don’t put too much on your plate. Delegate when you can
Make your to-do list for the next day before you leave the office
Cross off those items you’ve completed — it’s a great feeling to see those check marks
Schedule time to look at your larger goals and make plans to chip away at them
Make sure you have income-generating activities on your to-do list; in other words, don’t get bogged down in paperwork and forget to reach out to clients and potential clients.
Take any unfinished tasks, move them to the next day and do them first
Schedule time away from the office. Get out. Get some exercise. Take time to play. Leave the office for networking events and to attend conferences and training. You need to stay top of your game and up to date on all changes in your industry.
Are some individuals “born” entrepreneurs? Maybe, but maybe not. There are business owners out there who have no family role models to emulate who are successful business owners. There are other individuals who come from a long line of entrepreneurs and who are happy being an employee. Whether you’re born into it or take to business ownership naturally, here are some signs you may want to consider to see if you might be an entrepreneur:
You’re always looking for a way to build a better widget.
You have confidence and get the job done even if it looks like nothing is going right.
You have passion to pursue what you love.
Taking “no” for an answer isn’t in your nature.
You are a connector and can connect individuals from disparate industries and find synergy.
You’ve always wanted a commute in which you could wear your bedroom slippers!
You simply were not a good employee. You know who you are if you fit that description. You were bored. Couldn’t hold a job. Moved from position to position. It was because you had the entrepreneurial spirit and probably didn’t even know it.
If you’re struggling to find your place with your employer, perhaps your place is being your own boss!
Business owners are faced with many demands and with competing tasks that need to be performed and finished. Right. Now! We know. We also know that if you have a staff who is competent and engaged in your endeavors you need to work with them to provide coaching and encouragement and assurance that you’re all working toward the same goal. Your success is their success and vice versa.
To effectively coach your employees you will need to formulate questions and provide opportunities for your employees to engage. Empowering your staff– whether on site or virtual means providing them the tools to not only perform their tasks but to feel free to meet with you if they need resources or assistance.
Here are some ideas you may want to implement for your workplace coaching sessions:
Approach the delegation of tasks as an opportunity to offer customized opportunities for staff to show you what additional skills they may have.
Don’t assume that your staff knows — or doesn’t know — something. Approach your meetings with an open mind and without assumptions.
Make yourself available to your staff for regular meetings and phone calls and let them know when you have open office hours for anything that comes up between regularly scheduled meetings.
If there have been major changes in the workplace or workforce, plan for debriefing sessions. These are also ideal once a major project has been completed. Talk about what worked, what didn’t and what everyone learned.
Make certain your staff knows they have your blessing to do peer coaching. It has to be a two way street between the coacher and the coachee. This is a great way for your staff to grow and learn from one another.
How well-defined is your employee coaching? Do you think your employees need more, or less, from you than they are receiving?
Co-working or co-work spaces are becoming one of the latest buzzwords and ways of work in many industries. Co-working spaces are those areas in which entrepreneurs gather to work. It is a way to get a space outside of a home office and it also offers the feeling of “working with a team” or in a team environment even though all who use the co-working spaces are pursuing their own business endeavors.
When you’re trying to decide if co-working is an option for you here are some items to consider.
Ask what amenities the co-working space provides. Some offer a kitchen space, access to internet, a meeting room or two, office equipment and private offices.
Do you often need a place to meet customers and you don’t want them to come to your home or you’re looking to elevate your business profile to one that is more professional than meeting at the local Starbucks? Then a co-working space might be for you.
Do you have to make a long term commitment or can you drop by and pay a rental fee and have a space for a day?
Are you looking for ways to grow your own business network? A co-working environment might offer that. Remember, though the individuals at the co-working space might just be there to work without the distractions of a coffee shop or their house and may not be amenable to chatting and networking.
Look for a co-working space that fits your personality and your work style. Some may be loud and the look industrial. Others may have a more corporate look and feel that may not mesh with your creative, artsy business.
Before you make a commitment to a co-working space, check it out for a day. Ask what the ongoing fees are and whether it’s less expensive to pre-pay. Do you have to pay for any of the amenities – making copies, having coffee, using the internet, etc. As with anything you do in your business, prior research makes sense so you can discover whether it’s a fit for you and your unique business.
