To jump start a plan or to get unstuck, you must accept that no matter how good the plan (to increase your sales), you will need to build into it The Law of Continuous Process Improvement for the plan to work over the long haul. Every plan requires continuous analysis and adjustment to find the way forward. Even basic tasks require a plan and a process of continuous improvement. This is important.
Remember, a few weeks ago, I gave you a very basic example of a plan. When my older brother began to drive and maintain a wallet for his driver’s license, I heard our father say, make a habit/plan of only placing your wallet and keys in one location and you will never lose them. If you don’t, you will constantly lose them and waste time trying to find them. Makes sense right?
In the mortgage and credit business there are a number of basic processes that must be developed for the business to become a business and not a complicated job. I have made this analogy before as well: imagine the axle, the spoke, the tire, and for simplification the engine providing power for the movement of the vehicle. Now imagine yourself the person benefiting from the system that generated the advancement that began with the engine that transferred power to the axle, etc.
This example asks you the question: Would you prefer to be the device that spins the most (the axle) or at the other end of the spectrum, the person benefiting from the system/process that allows you to accomplish a goal without spinning around like crazy? Well of course you don’t want to be the axle; but if you are not very careful and plan not to be and actually place processes in place to take care of the axle’s job, you will be the axle.
Every great plan starts the same way: Define the objective.
Now, make a detailed step-by-step list (don’t be complicated just use pen and paper). It is even better if you use different pieces of paper. Tape it all to the wall in sequence. Begin to add details to each step and then more detail.
Now stop! You must spend the appropriate amount of time determining if this is the right plan and if you have the energy and resources to really pull it together before you go one more step.
Because if you do spend time and money working on a plan that does not work, for any reason, you would have been better off if you just simply stop right here.
It’s OK to stop right here until you can determine how to move forward.
Only after you have completed this exercise, assign the task with a deadline to a responsible and capable person whether yourself or someone else.
Yes, but you say, "I work alone. It’s just me." Well even more you need a process for everything too. That may be why you are working alone and can barely afford yourself.
Since I am part owner of an outsource company, it has dawned on me that I should be outsourcing even more parts of my business. I have my on IT staff, but we outsource special projects such as: website design; e-mail creation; and content creation.
A contractor manages my Go to Webinar, JoelsJolt.com and other blogs. I recently used Elance to hire a person to find computer suppliers. I even outsource my daughter to add pictures to my Facebook of my grandson.
According to world-renowned management expert Peter Drucker, “The best plan is only good intentions unless it degenerates into work.”
Then he asks of every business that he consults when told of a new plan, “Which of your best people have you put on this work today? If you don’t have any best people or you can’t afford to place your best people on a project then you are simply admitting that you don’t have a plan.”
All this sounds good right. But what do you do if you need to increase sales, build a new website, etc., but you just simply feel overwhelmed and don’t know the next step to take and thus you have paralysis?
Step away from the office (and e-mail and text) and just simply stop! Use paper and pen to make a list of what is really important and needs immediate attention. Determine what you can and cannot do today and this week. Make a list of the resources that you have and the resources that you need.
Determine what is needed, what is possible and what is likely. It’s OK to not be able to do everything today. Take a breath.
More next time.
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