The level of preparation and action of the past six months is the only "asset" you have. If you want your "asset" to produce more income six months from now, you must adjust yourself right now to develop yourself into the person/business that is ready to, can, earn more income in six months. Nothing else will change your circumstances than you changing you.
So, how do I improve my "asset"?
1. Learning
2. Planning
3. Action
These three steps are the bedrock of all improvement/change. There are no substitutions.
Learning: What are you reading? What are you listening to? Is it appropriate or is it wishful thinking? For example, in our company, each employee is reading a book on team building. Additionally, I have asked each employee to read a book to help them develop greater skills in their particular roles within the company.
The IT department is reading books on the architecture of systems to turn data into information. The accounting department is reading a book on QuickBooks, budgeting and forecasting. The customer service department is reading books on phone techniques. The sales department is reading up on new ways to interact with customers in today's economy.
Those are examples of the learning that should be taking place within your organization every day.
An example of the wrong direction would be for your vice president to choose a book on "How Warren Buffett made his Millions" when the customer service department, sales department and product development department needs improvement. See what I mean?
Learning must be specific these days. To get your business moving, you don't need to go back to college, you don't need to be well rounded; you need a crash course in the specific and particular subject that is the most pressing.
I need a customer acquisition strategy. I need a new landing page, a new offer, a new set of e-mails, a continuity plan to help jump start the affiliates that we do acquire. That is my greatest need. So, I must focus on learning what I do not know with the energy of a laser beam.
And when I start, I cannot stop until it is producing or I would have been better off spending my time and energy adding up my bills. Until it is producing, it is a waste of time and effort and money. You must make it produce.
To the extent that I commit myself to learning exactly what I need to know right now, will be the extent of my success subject to how well I plan and I well I execute. If I do not do what needs to be done, learn first, plan second, implement third and then repeat, I will not improve my bottom line and that is the bottom line.
Talk and thought are cheap. You and I need to take action. Do it today.
Next week: Planning.
I want to thank you for reading my column. Do me a favor. If my column is meaningful to you drop me an e-mail:
