#GlosBiz, #Networking, Business, Customer service, Knowledge, Leadership, Local business, Management, Strategy, Thinking

The GlosBiz® story: learning the lesson of keeping things simple!

Can you believe the GlosBiz® initiative started 7 years ago with a simple, rather random tweet?

It was the first time the #GlosBiz hashtag had been used, and the rest, as they say, is history (well, sort of, anyway).

From that ‘standing start’, it has grown into Gloucestershire’s largest business network, with its networking breakfasts and business lunches consistently rated “the best business events in the county”.

But, I am often asked what has made it so popular, so successful, so well-known?

So, here are just three ‘principles’ that I always try to apply in business, and especially to the GlosBiz® initiative.

 

1) Customers want what they want – so give it to them!

For me, this goes back to Stan Davis’ great book “Future Perfect”, which I first read around 25 years ago. Since then, I have firmly believed that main ‘rule’ of worthwhile customer service is simple – give them exactly what they want!

When it comes to business networking, by far the most valuable thing I have learned is to give people the chance to build relationships, to be themselves, and to get to genuinely know others.

They do not want to be told what to do, where to sit, when to swap business cards, and so on, for the simple reason that they are perfectly capable of doing those things for themselves!

2) Treat everyone you meet equally (no matter how hard it is, sometimes)!

As I am sure you can understand, I meet many, many business people, and one key element of the GlosBiz® success story is that no matter who they are, what they do, or what size their company, I always try to treat them all the same.

Needless to say, when I’m wearing my ‘GlosBiz® hat’, I don’t always get it ‘right’ – but I am only human!

It can also be quite a challenge to do this consistently…and I’m sure you know what I mean?

3) Stubbornly resist temptation!

However hard you try, there will always be things that get you attention and tempt you to alter the ‘winning formula’ you have worked so hard to build.

Don’t do it!

No doubt, you have heard the adages, “think twice, act once”, and , ”if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”?

Always, always, always stick to what you know works best, keep it as simple as possible, and remind yourself to think clearly at all times.

GlosBiz® is a registered trademark.

 

To find out more about how I work with business executives, leaders and owners to maximise their potential and success, and the benefits of professional executive coaching and mentoring, particularly in developing leadership, strategy and growing a successful business, please contact me:

t: 01242-672440

e: click here

© Adrian Malpass 2017. All rights reserved.

#GlosBiz, #Leadership, Business, Coaching, Development, Emotional Intelligence, Executive coaching, Knowledge, Management, Mentoring, Strategy

19 (yes 19!) reasons to work with an Executive Coach

As a professional Executive Coach and Mentor, probably the one question I am asked most often is, “What would executive coaching do for me and my business?”.

Well, to help answer that question, here’s a simple list of just some of the ways executive coaching can make a difference to you, your career, and your business:

  1. Completely bespoke solutions: a professional Executive Coach will work with you to develop solutions that are as unique as you are, ensuring they completely ‘connect’ with you and so deliver the results you seek
  2. Clarity: an Executive Coach will help you find far greater clarity in the areas you work on together
  3. Focus: your Executive Coach is fully equipped with the tools and experience to improve your focus in the areas you choose, significantly improving your performance
  4. Ownership and responsibility: working with you to develop a thoroughly defined ‘picture’ of the scope of your ownership and responsibilities, and how you interact with them
  5. Direction: by bringing together many of the elements listed here, your Coach will help you develop a clearer direction that ‘fits’ with you in the best way possible
  6. Self-awareness and awareness of others: your coaching sessions will significantly enhance your self-awareness, and your awareness of others, improving your understanding of how you, and especially your emotional states, influence your behaviour, and how you observe, interpret, and respond to those same states in others
  7. Confidence: your Coach works with you to improve your confidence by bringing together all the elements listed here
  8. Purpose: your Coach will help you understand what your purpose is – what you are here to do (or be)
  9. Improving your leadership: your leadership is a constantly moving, developing skill set which your Coach will help you understand and build on in the best way for you
  10. Improving your decision-making: every great leader is a great decision-maker too, and utilising coaching to establish and understand the decisions you make, will deliver decisions of much greater quality
  11. Empowering your beliefs: our beliefs can drive us forward, but also hold us back too. You Executive Coach will help you understand your beliefs, how they influence your life and work, and what you can do to work ‘with’ them rather than being held back by them
  12. Results: your Executive Coach will facilitate you achieving genuine, worthwhile results!
  13. Reflection and learning: your coaching sessions will allow you a dedicated, completely confidential space to reflect and learn
  14. Motivation and action: when you have greater confidence in your direction and understanding, you feel more motivated to take the actions required to move you forward. Coaching clearly facilitates this
  15. Values: eliciting your core values (the fundamental, life-long ‘building blocks’ that make you the person you are) could well be one of the most valuable exercises you undertake with an Executive Coach
  16. Vision: one of the key elements a professional Executive Coach can do for you, is to help you develop and fine-tune your vision
  17. Emotional support, and truth/honesty: your Coach will help you take a long, ‘hard’ look at yourself, but in a place where such ‘deep’ exploration can be undertaking in a thoroughly supportive ‘space’
  18. A confidential ‘sounding board’: the very best leaders and executives all need someone who they can confidentially share anything with, collaborate on sharing their knowledge and experience, and who is outside of their family and social circles
  19. Confidential and dedicated support: for improving your knowledge, skills, experience, abilities, and understanding

Remember, a professionally qualified and experienced Executive Coach possesses an extensive range of tools, experiences, and abilities that are all specifically focused on working closely with you in delivering the unique solutions that move you forward with clarity, focus, direction and motivation.

N.B.: one recommendation I would always make is for you to always, always, always choose an Executive Coach who is genuinely professionally qualified. Take a look at my blog article ‘Choosing the best business coach for you’, which contains tips for choosing a great coach.

To find out more about how I work with business executives, leaders and owners to maximise their potential and success, and the benefits of professional executive coaching and mentoring, particularly in developing leadership, strategy and growing a business, please contact me:

t: 01242-672440

e: click here

© Adrian Malpass 2017. All rights reserved.

#GlosBiz, #Leadership, Business, Coaching, Emotional Intelligence, Knowledge, Management, Mentoring, Strategy

What is the best communication style for you and your business? Easy! The simplest!

How often do you read something only to find yourself trying to work out what the author is trying to explain?

Have you fund some writers write in such a complicated style that you struggle to understand what they mean?

Or, potentially worst of all, you lose interest and stop reading any further?

Yet, the ability to communicate effectively is arguably one of the most important skills to have…in all walks of life!

First of all, let me emphasise that I am no ‘writer’ by any stretch of the imagination! In fact, far from it! Given the choice, I much prefer working with numbers than words.

But, I do have to do a lot of reading in my work: articles on the latest developments in leadership, executive coaching, business psychology, and emotional intelligence for example, plus a wide range of, often lengthy, client documents.

So, I get a fairly good opportunity to experience many different writing styles, and have learned that effective, engaging communication is all too rare.

All too often, I end up reflecting on what I have been reading, and realising how I struggled to understand its content, or how I lost interest in it, or how the information was presented in just too complicated a way.

The end result? The writer doesn’t get their ‘message’ across, and the ‘reader’ doesn’t retain any information (or, frequently, doesn’t even read far enough through the document to reach the information).

The solution?

I firmly believe in keeping things simple, so simple it is. Simple works!

Probably the easiest way I can explain this is by using my very simple ‘formula’ (which I have mentioned before in blog articles). When it comes to communication:

simple + clear = effective

It works! Trust me!

Keep your communication simple, and keep it very clear, and it will be effective.

Even better news is that you can apply this simple ‘formula’ to almost any aspect of your work or personal lives where communication is needed.

A few examples:

  • leadership
  • management
  • job applications
  • writing to those ‘long lost’ relatives
  • etc

But, this simple approach is nothing new.

Back in 1986, professional excellence expert and professional coaching originator Timothy Gallwey developed this:

The performance of any ‘system’ (examples include: communications, or a machine, or a business, or even a human) is equal to its potential (which is always 100%) less the influence of the things that interfere with (and therefore reduce) that potential.

So, there you are!

If you really want your communication to work, keep it simple, keep it clear, and it will be effective.

To find out more about how I work with business executives, leaders and owners to maximise their potential and success, and the benefits of professional executive coaching and mentoring, particularly in developing leadership, strategy and growing a business, please contact me:

t: 01242-672440

e: click here

© Adrian Malpass 2017. All rights reserved.

#GlosBiz, #Leadership, Business, Coaching, Development, Knowledge, Management, Mentoring, Strategy

General Election 2017: the key leadership lessons

“Well, how did that happen?”, appears to be the most common response to the outcome of our recent General Election.

Compared to the widespread expectations when the Election was called of what the result would be, what leadership lessons can be learned from the campaign?

Rather than analyse what worked and what didn’t in the tiniest detail, let’s look at just three essential (and significant) learning points:

1) Everything that glitters etc, etc…

Firstly, if someone is telling you that everything looks certain, that you’ll ‘win’ easily, that you’re set for huge gains, never, ever believe them – and I really do mean never!

Straightaway consult others, especially those of opposing views to yours, and build a thoroughly complete ‘picture’ of the environment in which you are competing – something every world class leader I have ever met does habitually. Then trust your knowledge, experience, and, perhaps most importantly, your intuition in making your strategic decisions.

Remember, as soon as you enter into any formal competitive environment, including elections and business (e.g.: bidding processes), the gaps between the competitors will narrow, and, usually, continue to do so over the entire ‘competition’.

So, make it your decision, not someone else’s.

 

2) The E-word rules, OK?

The whole point of being in a leadership position if that you are there to lead others! (I know that sounds obvious, but you would be surprised how many ‘leaders’ don’t realise, or forget this!)

This means, perhaps most fundamentally in leadership, is that you engage those you are leading, integrating them into your plans.

In the Election, just look at which party leader proved to be the most engaging with the electorate, and what happened to their share of the vote as a result (not least, as they were almost written off when the Elections campaign began).

Exactly the same applies to any leadership position in any other sector, and especially in business: as a leader, you must be able to thoroughly engage everyone you are working with (team members, peers, superiors, etc).

 

3) Simplicity trumps complexity. Every time!

As a leader, you need to always be able to communicate quickly, easily, and effectively with everyone.

Remember this simple ‘communication equation’:

Simple + clear = effective

Keep it simple (use simple words), and keep it clear (use easy to understand language), and it will be effective.

During the Election campaign, which part leader did this best?

The results speak for themselves!

So, if you ever have to ‘win’ in a challenge with a competitor, and as a leader you will from time to time, remember these three simple leadership lessons:

  1. Everything that glitters is…usually too good to be true!
  2. The E-word (‘engagement’) rules, OK?
  3. Simplicity trumps complexity. Every time!

To find out more about how I work with business executives, leaders and owners to maximise their potential and success, and the benefits of professional executive coaching and mentoring, particularly in developing leadership, strategy and growing a business, please contact me:

t: 01242-672440

e: click here

© Adrian Malpass 2017. All rights reserved.

#GlosBiz, #Leadership, Business, Customer service, Development, Knowledge, Learning, Management, Mentoring, Strategy, Thinking

Decision-making (part 2): when design influences our decisions

How much does the design of the world around us influence our decisions?

What would you say?

After all, everything that isn’t natural is designed, so we are surrounded by (for want of a better word) ‘unnatural’ influences, whether we like it or not.

Here’s an example to help explain what I am talking about:

Our Driving Licences include a photo of the holder, and have to be renewed every 10 years. At the time of renewal, we are also given the option to enrol on to the Organ Donation Register.

Take a look at the graph below. It shows the rate of organ donation enrolment at Driving Licence renewal, for a number of European countries:

As you can see, there are two distinct groups: a group with a relatively low enrolment rate (on the left), and a group with a relatively high enrolment rate (on the right).

You will have spotted that the differences between the groups are significant. So what is the cause?

Could it be, for example, to do with an individual’s beliefs, or could it be for cultural reasons?

After all, by the time we donate our organs, we are no longer ‘here’ to be concerned by it.

Even countries that you might argue are culturally similar have very different enrolment rates:

Denmark (4.25%) vs Sweden (85.9%)

Germany (12%) vs Austria (99.98%)

Netherlands (27.5%) vs Belgium (98%)

and, depending on your view of cultural similarities across Europe:

UK (17.17%) vs France (99.91%)

But, what has caused these differences?

Well, it turns out that it was almost entirely caused by the design of the renewal form.

The group on the left, with the low level of organ donation enrolment, had a form which included a box similar to this:

As we have all done when filling in a form, they didn’t check the box, so didn’t join the Register.

The group on the right, however, the group with much higher enrolment, had a slightly different box on their form. Something like this:

Just as the lower enrolment group did, the people completing this form still didn’t check the box, but, in this case, they joined the Register!

It really was as simple as that!

But, why didn’t they check the box in the first place?

Could it be because they considered the decision to enrol as, for example, trivial, or too easy, that it was simple, or could it be that they didn’t really care that much about it?

In fact, it was the opposite of these things.

They found the decision to be extremely important, very difficult indeed, highly complicated, and they actually cared so much about it that they couldn’t actually decide on which decision they wanted to make.

As a result, they just left it to the ‘default’ decision that was being made for them…and how many of us have done exactly the same?

So, there you are. Design can, and frequently does influence our decisions!

Along with a number of other influences (which I shall keep for future blog posts), our intuition, which we rely on heavily when we make decisions, is being led astray in a consistent, predictable, and repeatable way by the world around us, so much so that we do not always clearly understand the decisions we want to make.

A thank you: I’d just like to give a special mention to Dan Ariely, Professor of Psychology and Behavioural Economics at Duke University, whose work and research has been of great inspiration in writing these articles.

To find out more about how to develop your decision-making, and the the benefits of professional executive coaching and mentoring, particularly in developing leadership, strategy and growing a business, please contact me:

t: 01242-672440

e: click here

© Adrian Malpass 2017. All rights reserved.

#GlosBiz, #Leadership, #Networking, Business, Customer service, Development, Knowledge, Learning, Management, Reading, Strategy, Thinking

Decision-making (part 1): the ‘zero’ option isn’t useless

How often do you look at the choices in front of you, and think, “What’s the point of that (option)?”

We come across ‘zero’ options – the ones that obviously nobody would choose – surprisingly often.

But, what is the point of them? If they really are ‘useless’, what are they doing to our decision-making?

Well, take a look at this subscription offer run by The Economist in 2009:

In a controlled test, 100 MIT students were asked to express a preference – see the results shown above.

So, if the print only option is a ‘zero’ option (i.e.: nobody chooses it), what is the point of including it in the list?

Or, to put it another way, what would happen if it wasn’t there?

So, the print only option was removed from the list and another 100 MIT students were asked to choose from the revised list, with the following results:

As you can see, when there were only two choices, what was originally the most popular has become the least popular, and vice versa, meaning the ‘zero’ option was actually having an influence on the choices the students were making.

In fact, it wasn’t actually a ‘zero’ option at all. Just because nobody chose it, doesn’t mean it had no influence.

What was happening was the only ‘zero’ element of that option was that nobody chose it.  When it was present, it’s influence on the choices that were made – predominantly cognitive decisions – was important.

What it was actually doing was encouraging the readers to choose the ‘best nearest’ option that was closest to the (obviously) ‘zero’ option. In other words, it helped the readers to make their minds up!

So, next time you see a ‘zero’ option, or if you decide to include one in your own proposals, remember that they’re far from useless after all! They actually help the reader make a decision.

A thank you: I’d just like to give a special mention to Dan Ariely, Professor of Psychology and Behavioural Economics at Duke University, whose work and research has been of great inspiration in writing these articles.

To find out more about how to develop your decision-making, and the the benefits of professional executive coaching and mentoring, particularly in developing leadership, strategy and growing a business, please contact me:

t: 01242-672440

e: click here

© Adrian Malpass 2017. All rights reserved.

#GlosBiz, #Introverts, #Leadership, Business, Coaching, Emotional Intelligence, Knowledge, Management, Mentoring, Reading, Strategy, Thinking

Seventeen (yes, 17!) reasons introverts make great leaders

Have you noticed how often leaders rarely tend to be people who are of a quieter disposition, who appear more thoughtful, perhaps who are even considered ‘gentle’?

The convention for leadership in the western world is for them to be ‘bold’, ‘outgoing’, some might say ‘loud’.

Yet, around 55% of the adult population of the UK are at the introvert end of the personality type spectrum (note: this does not mean they’re shy!).

These introverts often miss out on leadership roles for the simple reason that convention strongly implies they don’t have what it takes.

Rubbish! Absolute rubbish!

So, here are 17 reasons (there are many more!) for more proactively considering introverts as leaders:

(To find out if you are introvert or extrovert, click here a free Jungian type test (often known as a Myers-Briggs test))

 

1: They’re prudent

Introverts are great at weighing up the pros and cons of every decision, and so tend to make decisions, and be leaders everyone respects

2: They’re brilliant listeners

Because their ‘inner voice’ tends to be quieter than an extrovert’s, introverts have an innate ability to listen. Often, brilliantly. As a result, they usually get far more out of their colleagues (including quite a few things they wouldn’t tell anyone else) than their extrovert co-workers. One of the most important skills for any leader is the ability and willingness to listen to everyone.

3: What they say is valuable.

Introverts usually listen more, think more, and speak less. As a result, when they do have something to say, it’s usually very valuable and something that earns the respect from those around them. In other words, others soon learn how important it is to listen to their introvert colleagues. All of the great leaders will have earned the ‘right’ to be listened to.

4: They know their limitations

Introverts tend to be more forthcoming in accurately understanding and acknowledging their limitations…and aren’t afraid to let others know about them. If an introvert needs help, they’ll ask for it – another great quality in a leader.

5: They embrace uncertainty

Uncertainty is something introverts tend to think of as something they can really get their teeth into. They’re also very open to new ideas and opposing views, as well as being great listeners, all of which they use to help them make better decisions. Leaders, perhaps above everything else, are there to make good decisions.

6: Working on their own is easy for them

Yes, they work happily as part of a team too, but they really excel when they have to work alone – and, let’s face it, that’s something we all have to do at some point, isn’t it? Leaders often experience needs on their responsibilities that includes things that they do alone – and introverts are quite happy about this!

7: Quiet time is good for you!

Introverts find ‘quiet time’ a great way to re-charge and refresh their batteries. Our extrovert colleagues tend to prefer being among people, perhaps in busy or noisy places too, to do the same. Having the ability to be quiet, encourages others to be more open with you, and gives you a better chance of accurately hearing what is being said without your inner voice ‘colouring’ it. Another important quality for leadership!

8: They often have a calming influence

Introverts tend to be calm people. They also tend to have tremendous inner strength. As a result, their calm demeanour has a habit of rubbing-off on those around them. Calm heads tend to work better as a team, think more clearly (remember Sir Clive Woodward’s “think clearly under pressure” (T-CUP)), and make better decisions. Any leader needs a calm head too!

9: They build more meaningful relationships

Because introverts enjoy talking on a one-to-one basis, or in small groups, and because they listen so well, and because they think before they speak, they tend to innately devote the time to building meaningful and valuable relationships. An excellent skill in the worlds of business networking and leadership.

10: They’re very well prepared

Introverts tend to be ‘detail people’ and so will almost always be very well prepared. Every leader benefits from excellent preparation.

11: They’re information junkies

Because introverts like to learn, they tend to be very knowledgeable indeed on the subjects they choose to speak or enter into discussion about. But they also like to learn from others who can expand their understanding. Both are highly desirable traits of good leaders.

12: They’re great in stressful situations

Introverts are great at keeping calm, almost no matter what. Leadership, whether you like it or not, will include a fair amount of stress. Due to their calmness, introverts usually deal very well with stressful situations and remain clear thinkers, and are able to deliver positive outcomes from them. Leaders benefits from these abilities too.

13: They often see the ‘big picture’

Introverts are excellent at being detached from the situation when needed. As a result, they are great at looking at, and understanding the ‘big picture’ and working out what is required to ensure a positive solution. The best leaders do this habitually.

14: If you want someone to study the details, find an introvert

That’s right! Introverts relish the chance to bury themselves in the details, especially if an important conclusion needs to be extracted from them. Their colleagues soon learn to give the ‘hard stuff’ to their quieter colleagues. Leaders need the ability to understand the details too.

15: They treat everyone as equals

From the newest, part-time employee, to the group chairman, the one person who will treat everyone exactly the same, and as equals, will be your quiet colleague! Great leaders earn the trust of, and get the very best out of their people by treating them equally and fairly.

16: They make excellent decisions

Introverts are usually highly rational, practical, and balanced decision-makers. They also are great at considering all of the relevant information and views, and understanding the needs of all those affected. So, they have a habit of making excellent decisions – just what is needed in leadership!

17: They have high levels of emotional intelligence

People will often think of introverts as being ‘well balanced’. They are also well known for be highly aware of their own emotional states and the emotional states of others, and how these states influence thoughts and behaviours (one of the most important building blocks of emotional intelligence). They then take these into account when making decisions, and interacting with others. Just as leaders should!

 

So, there you are – there are many, many reasons introverts make great leaders – and many of the leaders of the world’s most successful companies are introverts too. For example, Bill Gates (Microsoft), Larry Page (Google), Elon Musk (of Tesla fame), Theresa May (British Prime Minister), Warren Buffett (noted investor), to name but a few.

If you are an introvert who is in a leadership position, or looking to move into one, I can work with you to develop your skills, abilities and thinking to ensure you and your career continue to go from strength to strength.

To find out more about the benefits of professional coaching and mentoring, particularly in developing leadership, strategy and growing a business, please contact me:

t: 01242-672440

e: click here

© Adrian Malpass 2017. All rights reserved.

#GlosBiz, #Leadership, #Networking, Business, Customer service, Development, Knowledge, Management, Mentoring, Strategy, Thinking

Business networking: is it building your business, or holding it back?

A successful network is a many faceted thing! 

Hands up all those who undertake some ‘networking’ from time to time?

OK, OK, silly question!

In reality, almost all of us do it, in some form or another, almost all of the time, don’t we?

But is your ‘networking’ giving your business the best chance of growing, or is actually holding it back?

As always with these things, it’s very much a case of working out which network development opportunities are best for you and your business.

First of all, your network needs to work for you, and be worked by you. As such, it needs to contain:

  • Great value suppliers
  • Profitable, reliable, regular customers
  • Highly respected, well-connected referrers

In other words, everyone you meet could potentially be a great contact for you. 

The key is to be remembered, and for you to be remembered there are some important yet simple things you can do:

  • Let people get to know the ‘real’ you – this doesn’t meant you have to give them your life story, but let them undertsand that you’re actually a real human being, just like them, and not a robot that just presents a professional ‘mask’ all of the time that prevents any ‘connection’
  • Make sure you can recognise a potential customer when you meet one (see below)
  • Tell people what you do (have an impact!) not your job title!
  • Let them know about your AFTERs – what they will be left with after they have worked with you!
  • Differentiate yourself from your competitors, and finally….
  • Say less, not more, and don’t waffle!

To recognise your customers, try answering these 3 questions – collectively, they’ll create a ‘picture’ of your ‘ideal’ customers:

  1. Think of the customer that has paid you the most money over the last year. What did they do?
  2. Think of the customer who was the most enjoyable to work with over the last year (even if you didn’t charge them anything). What did they do?
  3. Think of the customer who created the greatest success for you over the last year (e.g.: raising your profile, great PR, etc). What did they do?

Obviously, developing that successful network will take a lot more too, but hopefully these tips will get you going.

If you’d like to know more, please get in touch.

To find out more about improving your network and networking, as well as the benefits of professional coaching and mentoring, particularly in developing leadership, strategy and growing a business, please contact me:

t: 01242-672440

e: click here

© Adrian Malpass 2017. All rights reserved.

#Leadership, Business, Coaching, Customer service, Development, Knowledge, Management, Mentoring, Strategy, Thinking

Business is business, but cash is King!

‘Money’, as the old saying goes, ‘is a dirty word!’ 

There’s an old saying in business which, in my time at a very large German corporate I used to visit some or our joint ventures and hear Lord X (to keep him anonymous) bellow often (and usually whilst banging the boardroom table), “Business is business, but cash is King!”.

It’s one of the most valuable pieces of ‘advice’ I have ever had the good fortune to receive.

One of the most valuable ways you can focus your efforts to build your business success is to ensure you have healthy cashflow.

In other words, make sure you get paid the right amount on time, by the right people, at the right price, and that you do the same.

Very often I find myself working with companies, of all sizes, to strengthen their cashflow. In many cases the bulk of it is easy to put right: just get your customers to pay up on time.

However, a great many cashflow issues are created because we have a habit of being a bit ‘too British’. What I mean is that many business owners and leaders tend to avoid talking about money….and end up paying the consequences.

If someone owes you money on a certain date, then they should be paying you on that date. Fact!

Obviously, the intricacies of building a strong cashflow go far beyond just getting people to pay on time, but this probably has the single biggest impact.

So, here are some tips for developing and strengthening your cashflow – easy to do, and great for your business:

  1. Know your customer! Obvious isn’t it? Be clear who you’re trading with, what type of organisation they are, what assets they have, and, for peace of mind, take out a credit check too (#BizTip: if you have business banking services at your bank, these checks can often be obtained free or at nominal cost). More detail and knowledge is better than less.
  2. Minimise your risk. Seek up front part-payment if necessary, ensure your terms and conditions make it clear you own the goods, or may withdraw/turn off the services in the event of late or non payment. If necessary, seek a written guarantee from the directors/owners.
  3. Make sure you have fit-for-purpose terms and conditions, covering payment, at what point full ownership is transferred, guarantees and liability. If you need to update your terms, many local law firms can do this at a sensible cost, or speak business support groups for guidance.
  4. Keep up to date! Even before payment is due, make it clear to your customer when payment is due and that you know it’s due. If you are being paid late, you are effectively funding their business (which is what banks are for). You’re running a business, not a bank, so remind and chase that payment. It’s your money, after all!
  5. If you do need to enforce your terms, or take legal action, be decisive and clear about your aims and objectives in doing this. Consider reasonable offers if necessary. Remember you’re running a business so paying legal fees, and using up valuable time and effort in chasing late payment is taking you away from the customers who you know and trust.

Sir Clive Woodward, World Cup winning England rugby coach, used the acronym T-CUP: Think Clearly Under Pressure.

When the pressure on you, and your cashflow issues grow because of late payment, think clearly about how you will resolve it, and take action.

 

To find out more about improving your focus, your cashflow, as well as the benefits of professional coaching and mentoring, particularly in developing leadership, strategy and growing a business, please contact me:

t: 01242-672440

e: click here

© Adrian Malpass 2017. All rights reserved.

#Leadership, Business, Coaching, Customer service, Development, Knowledge, Management, Mentoring, Strategy, Thinking

There’s always a reason not to, isn’t there? Really? I mean, REALLY?

Over the last 17 years, I have delivered a wide range of professional coaching, mentoring and consultancy services to the leadership and management of over 250 different businesses across the UK and Europe. From long-established multi-national corporates, to brand new single person start-ups, and many variations in between.

I have lost count of how many times some clients, and prospective clients alike, have said they’re “too busy”, or that they “need to sort a few things out first”, or “I’ll get back to you”, “School holidays/Christmas/etc is coming up”, etc, etc, as reasons for not doing important tasks.

You have come across something similar, I expect? Perhaps it even rings a few bells with you too?

But what is the main cause of this? What makes so many people feel they’re “too busy”, and so on?

The irony is that this is exactly one of the areas I work on with clients to improve their leadership, and grow their businesses.

So, how come there’s always a reason not to?

Easy!

It’s because their focus is not where it provides the most benefit, either for the individual or their business or, most often, both!

Now, focus is often a tricky thing to get right – there are so many things to do, so many changing priorities, and, dare I say, too many easy reasons to put more important tasks off!

So, how can focus be improved?

I’m a keen believer in trying to develop and deliver simple solutions to issues like this, simply because simple ‘works’. Complicated (usually) doesn’t!

So, when it comes to improving your focus, try these simple steps:

  1. Do or Delegate: whatever you come across, either do something with it yourself, or delegate it to someone else. Do not put it off until later!
  2. If it isn’t indispensable, it’s useless: this is one of the best time management tips I have ever been given. If you really can’t do without it, keep it. If you can do without it (no matter in how small a way), you don’t need it. Be firm in making your decision.
  3. Prioritise. Prioritise. Prioritise. Make a weekly and daily list of what you need to to do, prioritise it (click here for a simple way to prioritise any list), and do it in order of highest priority first!

To find out more about improving your focus, and other benefits of professional coaching and mentoring, particularly in developing leadership, strategy and growing a business, please contact me:

t: 01242-672440

e: click here

© Adrian Malpass 2017. All rights reserved.