Want It Done Right Journal 1Q 2009

Feature Article • Delegation Dr Daily Dose • Corner Crack-up • WIDR Products & Services

Survival of the Fittest

There’s no doubt that times are tough. There’s no doubt that no one really knows what will happen next. During such times of uncertainty, it’s hard to know what to do – personally or professionally. Here are some pointers to start the New Year right in your life and in your business:

Fight fear – decisions made out of fear are not our best decisions because they’re reactive and emotional. Think and decide objectively and strategically instead.
Hold an attitude of gratitude – maintain an attitude of thankfulness for what is going well and for what you have. It could always be worse.
Reassess – it’s a good time to take stock. Revisit your priorities. Rewrite your script. De-clutter your life physically and psychologically. Keep it simple. Clear out inventory. Define what works for you and keep it; eliminate what doesn’t work.
Standardize – work smarter rather than harder. Document your processes and streamline them by cutting out unnecessary steps, reducing rework and reducing the time it takes to do each step. Once you’ve eliminated as much waste, excess time, rework, etc., document the new process and follow it. Review it periodically for more improvements.
Heighten efficiency – we’re spending more time getting less done. Why? Because we’re often not clear about our desired outcome or we don’t communicate the outcome we desire clearly enough. How can we get what we want if we don’t know what it is or how to ask for it? We end up with multiple, frustrating iterations trying to achieve our end result. These iterations waste time and energy. Get it done right the first time, not the tenth time! Take more time to be clear about what you want and to ensure your desired result is clearly communicated and understood.
Be creative – find new ways to do old things. Or find new things to do and chuck old habits. Focus on how to do everything better.
Make-over meetings – reassess your meeting schedule. Eliminate those you don’t need to attend. Make your meetings more productive. Learn what does and doesn’t contribute to effective meetings and alter your actions accordingly.
Increase accountability – for yourself and others. Hold yourself and others accountable to a higher standard. Be a role model. Speak up when things seem out of whack (versus griping to others or mumbling under your breath). The only way to make things better is to improve. The only way to improve is to raise the bar. The exciting outcome of such efforts is everyone feeling more energized and invigorated by a job well done than a job done in mediocrity.
Simplify – enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Rather than running around like a chicken with your head chopped off (and teaching your kids to do the same), cut out some of the activities. Slow down. Streamline your to-do list. Make your life and schedule more manageable, less hectic. Allow yourself quiet quality time to spend with yourself and your family.
Plan a different year – make 2009 your best year ever! So many times we head into the New Year and let life happen to us rather than deciding how we want to live our lives differently and better. Instead of allowing life to happen to us “when we’re not looking”, look at what you’d like 2009 to be like. Then create a plan to make it happen.

Delegation Doctor’s Daily Dose

Even for those who “bah-humbug” New Year’s resolutions, here’s a great one: Become a “less is more” convert! Adopting a “less is more” lifestyle can significantly reduce the impact of financial stress.

We are an acquisition oriented culture. Our mantra is, “more is better”. But is it? What has “more” gotten us? We have more activities and less time. We have more quantity and less quality. We have more people and fewer meaningful relationships. We have more money and less joy. We have more of everything and less to show for any of it. So I ask again, is more really better?

Here are some ideas on how to transition from more to less:

1. Drive less. I know someone who lives in sunny California and drives 1 ½ blocks to work. I hate to say it but I grew up in the time when we walked over a mile —and yes, through the snow! — to school. And you know what? It wasn’t all that bad (unless the wind was blowing). It was a time we caught up with friends and stopped to smell the flowers or toss a snowball along the way. And those moments were precious.

2. Buy less. Say “no” to purchases. Do we really need all the stuff we buy? How often do we buy stuff then not like it or not use it? Is it any wonder why we have so much clutter? And the clutter bogs us down. The next time some item cries to us to take it home, say “No, thanks!” And by the way, it’s a good thing to say no to our children too!

3. Spend less. Cut up the credit cards. This is sage advice given by many financial gurus to help us manage through tough times. Research has shown that we buy more and more often because it’s easy to plunk down a charge card. Avoid the temptation. Keep one card for travel or emergencies or those situations where cash is unwise and cut up the rest.

4. Eat less. We’re a nation of over-eaters and our obesity rates show it. Our healthcare system is literally weighed down by the health issues and costs associated with obesity. While we’re in the process of simplifying our lives why not make the ultimate simplification. Eat less and eat better. When it comes to weight, more is definitely not better —for our self-esteem, our health, our mobility, our families and our budgets.

5. Discard less. We’re waste generators. It is absolutely amazing how much trash we generate. And so much of it is mindless. It’s as if we’re oblivious to where all that waste goes and how it comes back to negatively impact our lives. What would happen if we cut our waste in half or better?

Okay, time out. Are you feeling deprived with all this talk of less? Here are a few good ideas on what to do more of, just for balance:

1. Celebrate simplicity more. Those moments when we truly see a snowflake or a butterfly or a newborn in all his innocence can have a profound impact on us. What if we maintained this attitude of openness and appreciation for the simple things in life all the time?

2. Walk more. Why not go for a walk each evening after work rather than sitting down in front of the tube? Not only will it help with our new exercise plan —for those of us who’ve made that resolution —but it will also help with #1 in the “Do less” section above. The fresh air clears our heads. The pace will help us slow down. One of my favorite things is to go for a walk on a snowy evening. The quiet stillness of a snowy evening is magical.

3. Give more. Clear out the clutter that mounds up from all our purchases. Give those clothes unworn in the past year to someone who needs them more. Give those toys no longer enjoyed by our children to a child without toys. Give those unused toiletries to a battered woman’s shelter. There are many ways to give, especially in these hard times.

4. Save more. Throw spare change each night into a jar. Sock away a few dollars each paycheck. Put the money typically spent on a latte or lunch each day into an envelope instead (make sure to then pack a lunch!) It’s amazing how quickly these little savings tips can add up to big bucks.

5. Exercise more. Exercise is cheap. We don’t have to buy a gym membership or a fancy machine to exercise. Walking more as stated above is a great form of exercise. Join a local team. Take a dance class. There are many forms of exercise and ones that are very fun too. The only limit is our imagination!

If each of us made a few minor changes from more to less, the impact on our culture could be astounding. Being role models for this cultural shift for our children and others in our lives could change our sense of purpose as well. One of the reasons we’re in this collective financial mess is a lack of accountability. Denouncing this culture that emphasizes acquisitions increases our accountability to ourselves, our families, our communities, our country and our world. The buck stops with us.

Corner Crack-up

A rancher had a horse that limped sometimes and walked okay sometimes. Frustrated, he called the vet and described the problem with his horse. “What should I do?” the rancher asked the vet. The vet was silent for a moment then responded thoughtfully, “The next time your horse walks okay…sell him.”