| This is the second time this has happened. Once with | | | | your list of goals this year. Assess the ways you |
| a neighbor and again this past week at our rental | | | | currently feed new information into your brain. What |
| property. A penny, a simple little penny disrupted a | | | | means give you the biggest brain boost for the time |
| household by lodging itself between the wall and the | | | | and cost? Replace those that don't cut it any more. |
| spinning plate inside a garbage disposal. When it | | | | The good news is that there is a plethora of great |
| happens, this little penny can stop the workings of a | | | | books out there targeted to hungry leaders who want |
| kitchen in an instant. Think about the stuck penny for a | | | | to do better this year than last. If you belong to a |
| minute. When one flicks the disposal's switch, nothing | | | | networking group or other professional club, ask |
| happens. Not even a match for a fork attack or a | | | | around to see what others are reading that might be |
| torrent of water. Large chunks of food sit idle. Decay. | | | | of benefit to you. Magazines are good for gaining |
| Inevitably, stench. Plus more problems. Dishwashers | | | | awareness, but by nature (the lengths of articles are |
| are often connected to disposals as a primary or | | | | short), they can't compete with books in terms of |
| secondary crusher, so when the dishwasher starts to | | | | providing depth and enough information to allow you to |
| pump out its water, the sink starts to fill up. Fork and | | | | retain and utilize what you've learned as well. There |
| water attacks are followed by the plunger. Still, nothing | | | | are also some excellent programs for executives |
| works. From this point on, you might say the kitchen | | | | offered through continuing education departments at |
| surrenders control to a simple, out-of-place penny. If | | | | universities such as from online programs to classroom |
| there's only one sink, one can't clean dishes at all. The | | | | settings. The courses that David teaches at New York |
| resident's time, once used for productive activity or | | | | University are experiences in and of themselves. |
| relaxation, is now spent working around a dysfunctional | | | | Business 2.0 also recommends University of Virginia, |
| sink. Then come repairs. If the owner calls a plumber, | | | | University of Chicago, and others (see their website) to |
| he will pay for repairs or installation of a new unit. A | | | | appeal to those in various geographic areas. |
| do-it-yourself job will likely result in a helter-skelter | | | | Balance: Schedule time to live your life amidst a busy |
| mess under the sink, a combination of dismantled pipes | | | | work regimen. This can be tough for those at the |
| and the water that's seeped out of them. Eventually, | | | | management and ownership levels. What's the point of |
| the owner rescues the disposal from the invading | | | | anything you do if your nose is so close to the |
| penny. Then the process of reconnecting pieces and | | | | grindstone that you don't see any fun in your life? |
| eventual cleanup takes place. All this for a penny. | | | | Working long and hard is admirable and often yields |
| What power. Well, that penny is like your business | | | | great successes. But there's no guarantee that |
| decisions or actions. One small decision or one small | | | | numerous hours of sacrifice will bring a proportional |
| action can completely alter outcomes, even grind | | | | load of prosperity. In fact, workaholic martyrs find |
| operations to a standstill, if you're not careful. With only | | | | themselves spinning their wheels, because they don't |
| a few weeks left until the year ends, you can still | | | | have the mental breaks they need to rejuvenate |
| make seemingly small decisions or take small actions | | | | themselves and bring fresh thinking to the table. The |
| that will have a huge impact on your organization in the | | | | time you take doesn't have to be on a long trip far |
| upcoming year. Here are a few: | | | | away. You can start by taking a 3-day weekend or a |
| Upgrade: Outdated technology, old equipment and | | | | Wednesday afternoon just to clear your head. If travel |
| software slow you down and prevent you from | | | | is something you'd like to do, try going somewhere that |
| competing at your best. You don't always have to | | | | would benefit your business: visit a vendor, attend a |
| have the newest state-of-the art items, but you can't | | | | conference, tour a client's operations, study your craft |
| afford to miss deadlines or turn out shoddy products, | | | | at a course. You'll be able to justify the time and |
| because your equipment isn't keeping pace. We | | | | expense to yourself and get away at the same time. |
| recently revisited an old vendor to buy some | | | | Exercise: This is not a New Year's resolution that you |
| marketing products. One employee explained how the | | | | can let slide by the time February rolls around. And no, |
| owner almost went out of business a few years ago | | | | we're not stressing the importance of activity, because |
| and complained that times were tough even now. A | | | | it will make you look prettier. Stress combined with a |
| quick glance around the production shop told the story. | | | | sedentary lifestyle will eventually take its toll on your |
| Equipment was archaic at best. The vendor couldn't | | | | heart or surprise you with other health calamities, if you |
| produce even the simplest of products for us by | | | | don't take care of yourself. Exercise is NOT optional, it |
| today's standards. She struggled her way through the | | | | is as important as nutritious food and fresh air. Just 20 |
| job, losing our confidence. Because she couldn't output | | | | minutes of activity 4 times a week can greatly |
| what she claimed, she had to compensate with | | | | improve your health. If you're looking for an easy, |
| products that we didn't originally want. She also put | | | | proven formula that combines activity with eating |
| undue pressure on us as she blew our deadline. We | | | | healthfully, pick up a copy of Bill Phillips' book, Body for |
| won't be returning…nor, we suspect, will many | | | | Life. You'll be inspired as well as informed. Besides |
| of her other customers. | | | | improving the quality and length of your life, you'll |
| Buy: Purchase reliable, portable tools to keep yourself | | | | improve blood flow to your brain, allowing you to make |
| organized. PDAs, phones with calendars and internet | | | | faster and better decisions on the job. |
| access allow you to stay on top of things even when | | | | Spend: If you haven't already, take an overall picture of |
| you're away from your desk. We use the Treo | | | | your organization and determine where extra dollars |
| products offered by most of the major players. (RIM | | | | can go to make improvements. Is there an unreliable |
| the provider of the Blackberry currently has a $400 | | | | computer in the mix or a crackly phone that deserves |
| million to $1 billion patent suit that may affect several | | | | a slam dunk in the trash bin, now's the time to make |
| million subscribers, so step cautiously with this product | | | | changes. Not that we have anything against the tax |
| for now.) Say you're at an event and you have the | | | | man, but let's face it, some wise spending now will |
| good fortune of meeting a very lucrative prospect. | | | | improve your tax burden as well as your operations. |
| You're busy, he's busy, and the timing is just right to | | | | Just be sure to get purchases documented by the end |
| make a follow-up appointment to talk serious business. | | | | of your fiscal year, whether that's December 31 or |
| Your chances of making that appointment happen, of | | | | another date. We know, December is a month when |
| closing a sale, and of building a long-term business | | | | you're distracted by holiday parties and the prospect |
| relationship greatly increase if you can strike while the | | | | of a few well-deserved days off with the family. Just |
| iron is hot. Having your calendar in your pocket via one | | | | make sure to keep the distractions in check and stick |
| of these handy devices affords you the ability to seize | | | | to the deadline. Also, if you're not sure where to wisely |
| opportunity now, rather than having to wait until you | | | | place those extra dollars, call in trusted colleagues or |
| return to the office and have to navigate your way | | | | other outside advice. When it comes to your own |
| past the prospect's gatekeeper on the phone. | | | | work environment sometimes it's difficult to make an |
| Strategize: Visit your strategic plan and make | | | | unbiased judgment call. Someone from the outside |
| adjustments. Our philosophy is that if management | | | | often can see your challenges because they are not |
| does not have their strategic plan on their desk | | | | stuck in your day to day work routine. |
| regularly the plan is most likely useless. Think of it this | | | | Deplete: For those of you with mandated or restricted |
| way. When you travel you have your map or GPS | | | | budgets, you may have to spend a certain amount to |
| with you and refer to it often. This means it must be in | | | | maintain budget figures for the following year-the old |
| a form that key decision makers can use to plan their | | | | "use it or lose it" philosophy applied to budgets. This |
| day every day for the upcoming year. David just | | | | doesn't always make a lot of sense to the rest of the |
| worked with Infosys, a company made famous by its | | | | world, but if you can't avoid the process, there are |
| own merits and highlighted in Thomas Friedman's most | | | | some strategies you can deploy to stretch the |
| recent book The World is Flat. During a strategizing | | | | benefits of in-a-rush spending. Your smartest options |
| session with members of the board and billionaire CEO | | | | are to look at opportunities that require payment now |
| Nandan Nilekani, the management often stated they've | | | | but that can either be utilized or delivered at intermittent |
| had 49 consecutive quarters of profitable growth | | | | times throughout the upcoming year: conferences, |
| hitting both revenue and profit projections while | | | | training and development programs, services or |
| growing close to 45% per year. Sanjay, the Chief | | | | products that arrive on a monthly or rotating basis, etc. |
| Strategist, spends his days making sure their strategy | | | | Besides, projects paid for in advance don't get cut that |
| is on target. They expect to grow from $2.2 billion to | | | | easily. New projects are subject to the new year's |
| over $3 billion next year. This from a group of people | | | | scrutiny. |
| who each put $250 into starting the business. When | | | | Not sure how to choose what tactics to employ? |
| they were all done, David and the team were able to | | | | How about placing a numerical figure next to each one |
| put the strategy onto one page so that everyone was | | | | on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the hardest to do and 5 |
| in sync. In addition, the plan has to meet its purpose, but | | | | being the easiest? Then rate the return on your efforts |
| its length needn't rival War and Peace. The most | | | | with 1 being the lowest return and 5 being the highest. |
| important thing to remember here is that you have to | | | | Add the numbers together. Those with the highest |
| use the strategic plan as your road map to success in | | | | number are obviously your top choices. As you can |
| the upcoming year. Getting it down on paper is often | | | | see, even with only a few weeks left to the year, |
| the most challenging task, but by far, the rewards | | | | there are still options available to you to make rapid |
| outweigh the time and effort you initially expend up | | | | change to your organization. Adding just one of these |
| front. | | | | tactics to your tool kit this month could transform the |
| Learn: Promise to put self-education somewhere on | | | | way you do business next year. |