Small Business Leadership and Sales Blog

What the heck are you talking about this week, Marvin?

I'm talking about a simple tip to COMPLETE more projects.

Did you know that your biggest "time management" issues can be solved for $2.99?
Yep, all you need to do is buy an old fashioned egg timer at the dollar store.

Here's how you are going to start using it, (just as soon as you finish reading this article then emailing the article to 3 or 4 of your good friends that are always late and always griping about the stuff they never get done).

Premise: there are very few people that can focus their attention on one particular project or task for longer than 30 minutes without getting distracted or looking to be distracted.

So don't fight it. Work WITH it!

Strategy: put an egg-timer on your desk.

• set it for 25 minutes
• work only on the task that you have determined that is important in this "25 minute" appointment.
• avoid any eye contact with others
• turn your cell phone off or put it on silent. (don't fight me here. the world will keep on revolving during this 25 minute segment. Besides, you're not quite as important as you give yourself credit for)
• lock your office door (if you're in an office)
• notify your co-workers you are in a "conference/meeting/appointment". Because you are!! You've made an appointment to meet with yourself to confer and COMPLETE SOMETHING!!

Would you please complete a project so you can feel the excitement and self-confidence that only comes from GETTING IT DONE?

Why 25 minutes? Because at the end of 25 minutes, that particular session is over. Now you can go get some coffee, make a run to the restroom or follow-up with a co-worker or customer.

Observation: until you've really monitored your behavior, you cannot imagine the number of times you are interrupted in a typical work day. Sadly, most of us are guilty of being the person that is actually DOING the interrupting.

Oh I see, you're reading this article thinking you are not the interrupter. Well, be sure to read my next blog post because it will expose some of your own disruptive behaviors. It's a great time saving tool and it won't even cost $2.99.

Call to action: go buy that egg-timer and try this idea. Be sure to pass on your experiences with this idea to me at Marvin@MarvinLeBlanc.com.  Please pass this on to a friend, co-worker or colleague! 

Until next time.

Be Marvelous!

Hello Marvelous people!

Many of you may have already read my 1st book, "Come Hell or High Water" (Life Lessons from Hurricane Katrina). In it I discussed the Five Impossible Laws and one of those laws touched on the fact that it is impossible to over-communicate.

For leaders, communicating and effectively "speaking" is an endless challenge never to be fully mastered.

Regardless of whether or not you ever speak from a stage, know that to some degree we all "speak" professionally. May these nuggets of wisdom in Mr. Popovichs' article aid you in conquering your own stresses and anxieties.

Drop us an email and tell us how you will put these ideas into action. Marvin@MarvinLeBlanc.com

Stress and anxiety are factors that a professional speaker will have to deal with in their careers. As a result, here is a list of techniques that a person can use to help manage the daily stresses and anxieties of their speaking profession.

Sometimes, we get stressed when everything happens all at once. When this happens, a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could take a walk, listen to some music, read the newspaper or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things before you give your speech.

A technique that is very helpful is to have a small notebook of positive statements that makes you feel good. Whenever you come across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write it down in a small notebook that you can carry around with you in your pocket. Whenever you feel depressed or frustrated, open up your small notebook and read those statements. This will help to manage your negative thinking before your presentation.

Sometimes, we can get anxious over your upcoming presentation. Before the big day comes, imagine yourself giving the speech using your mind. By doing this, you will be better prepared to perform for real when the time comes. Self-Visualization is a great way to reduce the fear and stress of a coming situation.

In dealing with your anxieties at your speaking profession, learn to take it one day at a time. While the consequences of a particular fear may seem real, there are usually other factors that cannot be anticipated and can affect the results of any situation. Get all of the facts of the situation and use them to your advantage.

Take advantage of the help that is available around you if you get really anxious in your presentations. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your depression and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future. Remember that it never hurts to ask for help.

BIOGRAPHY:
Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods” – an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com/

There's only two ways that you can have more money.

This is the only two that I know. You can increase your income, or you can
reduce your lifestyle and your expenses.

Obviously, it is highly encouraged to have a combination of both of those
going on at the same time.

Recently, I spent some time with some of my colleagues -- we were in a study group with insurance professionals from all across the nation.

In one of our discussions she shares with us a statement made by her client.

"I'm sorry, I really would like to implement a life insurance program that would deliver a check to my family in the event that I don't make it home
tonight due to an untimely death, but we can't afford it."

So, my colleague asks, "May I ask why it is that you can't afford it?"

Answer: "Well, I have to buy a new boat."

To which my colleague asks, "Are you a commercial fisherman?". (in
south Louisiana we have a large clientele of commercial fishermen, and that
would be a logical reason for buying a boat, because that's the way he may
make his living.) His reply: "No, it's not a commercial boat, it's just a
pleasure boat".

HERE'S THE POINT: You see, it was more important for this major breadwinner
to receive immediate gratification with the purchase of a pleasure boat than
it was for him to protect his family in the event of an untimely death.

This person could have chosen to reduce his lifestyle and secure his family,
but he chose immediate gratification over discipline and responsibility.

Now all you recreational boaters and fishermen out there, don't get
confused. I'm not against enjoying yourselves in Sportsmans' Paradise.

But just in case you don't make it home, could you please do something
financially meaningful for those you leave behind? It's much cheaper than a
boat, I can assure you.

What is a Meta Decision?

A meta decision is an umbrella-type decision that impacts all of the smaller decisions that come thereafter. It is made with the intention of impacting or replacing a number of future decisions. Thus, meta decisions are crucial to organizing because they save the mental anguish and time involved with making hundreds of individual decisions one by one.

How Can You Use Meta Decisions to Get Organized? You can use meta decisions with clothing (“I will not keep anything that I have not worn in the last 2 years”), magazines and newspapers (“If I have not read it in the last 3 months, it gets donated or thrown in the recycling bin!”), e-mail (“I will check email for 1 hour in the morning, 1 hour after lunch, and 1 hour in the evening only.”), requests for social events (“I will commit to 3 social events this month only.”), etc.

Let’s take paper for example. You can make a meta decision to purge any business paperwork that is over 7 years old. Then, all you need to do as you are sorting is look at the dates. Anything that is older than 7 years automatically gets purged. This takes the guesswork out of reviewing and making a decision regarding each and every document. Essentially, using meta decisions is a clever way to establish rules and set boundaries.

Try it! I guarantee it will free up some of your mental clutter, allowing you to purge more of your physical clutter.

If you find this article useful, please share it with your network, friends, family and co-workers. 

Peace, Love and Gumbo,

Marvin LeBLanc LUTCF, CNP

Each week we painfully witness Mother Nature's ability to interrupt our daily lives. Flooding, Icestorms, Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Hurricanes. What else am I forgetting? 

If you were incapacitated, would anyone be able to find your important records and take care of your family's financial or business matters? Having important papers organized and accessible in advance can be very important in an emergency or crisis situation. Consider the following for organizing your important records.

Location. Options for storage might include a home safe, fire-security box or off-site location such as a safety deposit box. The storage container should be securable and fire resistant. Shoe boxes or cardboard boxes in the closet or under the bed are not appropriate.

Who knows? Does someone in addition to your partner or family members know where these papers are kept? Consider making a list of such papers and records, and on the list state where these documents can be found. Then advise a trusted third party - an attorney, CPA, relative, or family friend - where this list is kept.

The general idea is that someone not living in your residence knows about this list and how to access it. This decision requires a certain comfort level, and you alone must make that decision based on trust.

Which papers? Regardless of who knows what, organized records are always a plus. The following items might be part of your "important documents" list:

· safety deposit box key
· life insurance policies
· deeds, contracts, leases, titles, mortgage(s), loan notes
· banking, savings, investment and retirement account(s) records
· will
· burial arrangements
· all other insurance policies (health, auto, home, etc.)
· birth certificates

However you decide to store your personal records, and whatever you decide to include, one fact is clear. If important legal, business and personal documents are organized and accessible, the handling of a crisis situation is made much easier.

We sincerely hope that you find these ideas helpful and then ACT ON THEM now. Knowledge is not power. Applying the knowledge and ideas is where the power rest.

Marvin LeBlanc, LUTCF, CNP

For more helpful tips on how you can Lead Smarter, Sell More Effectively or simply Live Life With a Lot more FUN,  grab your free subscription to this awesome blog. Over 200 articles available.   If you found this article helpful please feel free to share it with your friends, family and co-workers! 

Hello Marvelous People:  

Today we have a guest blog post from Southern Louisiana's own Jennifer Ledet.  It is a good one so all of you small business leaders out there take note. 

Here along the bayous of South Louisiana you may occasionally hear someone call a person a tete dur. A tete dur, which translates literally to “hard head” is someone who just won’t listen, whose mind has been made up, or who thinks he knows better. This is a term I’m pretty sure can be applied to most teenagers, starting around the age of 14 and ending around the age of, well, in some cases 21 or so. I am not proud to admit that I have been called a tete dur many times in my day.

Shoshin is a concept in Zen Buddhism meaning “beginner’s mind”. It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would.

What if, as a leader, you took the “beginner’s mind” approach to everything you did? What if you put aside your preconceived ideas, your assumptions, and your tete dur, and opened your mind to someone else’s ideas and suggestions? The practice of Zen states that “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.” Could you open your mind up to the many possibilities that are available?

Let’s take a look at the two approaches and you decide for yourself which you will aspire to:

The tete dur is insecure and sees admitting that she doesn’t have all the answers all of the time as an admission of weakness or inadequacy. I have found that many leaders find it harder to say “I don’t know” than it is to apologize or admit a mistake. Maybe it’s because we’ve been conditioned to believe that the boss must know it all. Beginners are secure enough to say “I don’t know” and will take the steps necessary to find out the answers. A beginner will even ask team members for their ideas. Often those on the “front line” will have great ideas for improvements but won’t speak up unless asked.

A tete dur sees himself as an expert based on years of experience and knowledge. A beginner’s mind doesn’t assume anything, but rather, expects that he can learn something from each person he encounters. Of course no one is suggesting that you forget everything you’ve learned, or negate experience; Rather having a beginner’s mind is about keeping an open mind on how to apply your experience to each new circumstance.

A tete dur will often focus on doing things the “normal” way, or the “way we’ve always done things.” A beginner will challenge her paradigms or think outside of the box. Thank goodness inventors like Edison and Da Vinci had the courage to disregard common sense and allow themselves to be creative.

A tete dur gets stuck in preconceived ideas and may even believe that he knows all that he needs to know on a subject. A beginner is insatiably curious and loves to ask questions, learn, and explore. My daddy was a beginner in this regard. He was fascinated by learning how things work and inventing solutions to problems or challenges. (Although he could still be a tete durin many ways!) I am reminded of a Zen story that illustrates this point:

A professor once visited a Japanese master to inquire about Zen. The master served tea. When the visitor’s cup was full, the master kept pouring. Tea spilled out of the cup and over the table.“The cup is full!” said the professor. “No more will go in!” “Like this cup,” said the master, “You are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”

Obviously this story points out the fact that in order to learn and grow – in any subject – we have to be willing to release our pre-conceived ideas and adopt a spirit of curiosity and discovery. As a leader it’s easy to get stuck in what you know and how things have always been done. Today, take on a problem from a beginner’s mind, Tete Dur!

Please share with me what you plan to start doing, stop doing or continue doing as a leader. 

You can get more information about Jennifer Ledet by visiting her website and check out her new book Lead, Follow, or Get Me the Hot Sauce!

Remember, “Marvelous Performance is always intentional.
                     Marvelous Performance is never accidental.”
 
Feel free to send me your opinions, comments and feedback. We encourage you to inquire how our systems will help inspire you, your team, group or association to measurable Marvelous Performance.  Email me at Marvin@MarvinLeBlanc.com
 

To have success in business, mentors can give the inspiration needed to achieve.

General Ferdinand Foch of France once quoted

“The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.”

Through mentors people can be inspired and their souls set on fire with drive and determination for success in business.

If you think you can achieve success in business and be inspired without a mentor, you are being naive. Everyone needs a mentor to some degree to keep direction and retain motivation.

Perform your own self-evaluation and consider these four things honestly:

1. Who are your mentors? What people have inspired you in your life? From childhood through college and into adult life, there are numerous people who have given you than extra push to achieve and become inspired.

2. List your mentors by name and recall how they inspired you. Mentors can take different approaches. What may seem like a small thing to one person could mean a life of positive experiences for another. From a simple pat on the back from your football coach, to that encouraging message from the local church leader, or that gentle yet firm lecture from your teacher – mentors can affect you in many ways.

3. When have you last been in contact with your mentors? Can you reach out to them and rekindle your relationships again? You can initiate by making a simple “thank you” call and telling them how they have changed your life in a positive way. Or you can find out how they are doing and show concern for their well-being.

4. Be open to seeking out new mentors. There are more people willing to help you than you may realize! At work there are always good supervisors and managers who are seeking out people eager to be mentored. Even fellow coworkers or those in people in your social network may be willing to give some inspiration and guidance to help you on your way – all you need to do is ask and be open.

Never believe you have all the knowledge that you need. There are always opportunities to gain knowledge and inspiration from the mentors in your life. Keep an open mind and welcome the inspiration to ignite your soul.

From my book “Come Hell or High Water” chapter 8 is devoted to mentors. Pick up your free chapter and learn more!

The New Orleans Saints have arguably been one of the premier NFL teams in recent history. The success of the New Orleans Saints stems from a set of core values that keeps the focus on winning ways.

Just as the New Orleans Saints have a focus on winning ways, so should your business. There are key areas that can help a business to sustain high performance excellence. Most successful businesses today hold tight to some core strategies that keep them moving forward and performing well.

At the heart of establishing winning ways for business success is a sound performance leadership-training regimen. With sound and consistent performance business success can almost come naturally. Your company should implement a performance leadership-training program as your first step towards business success.

Within performance leadership training, business success will be achieved using several strategies:

• The right people – Finding the right talent is the foundation for success. With people that not only have the skills to perform the job, but people who are driven towards success, your business can realize significant performance improvements. The right training will help you to identify real performers and how to recruit the best talent for your business budget.

• The right nucleus – At the heart of business success is a nucleus of values and processes that are tailored towards high performance. Streamlined systems that keep the focus on delivering results for your customers keep the wheels of success greased for continuous improvement and excellence.

• The right strategy – Even the best performing sports car needs a driver who knows when to accelerate and when to brake. With the right strategy for success, your team will know when to take the field, what tactics to use, and how to execute properly to make sure sales are made, shipments are shipped, and profits are booked.

Marvelous Performance Systems has a series of performance schools available that can be customized to suit your particular business needs. The schools can be structured for private meetings, private coaching, classrooms or keynote speaking to point your company team towards business success. We can work with you to put together a program with your specific goals in mind and that is unique to your particular industry and business.

Help performance come back to your workplace and achieve real success. Click here for your free small business downloads! 

Dear Marvelous People:

Our message today is entitled “The Power of Habit." For decades I’ve been involved in study groups and I highly encourage you to find a good study group in your field of endeavor as well. The book  “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg, recently inspired our Study Group Leader, Mr. Brooks Tish to be inspired to make positive personal behavior changes.
May you be inspired as you seek out your own positive behaviors and habits.

Marvin LeBlanc, LUTCF 

Brooks writes:
A few days ago, while discussing “The Power of Habit,” I promised (warned) that I would send something personal from my experience from the book.

Those of you who have been members for three or four years are aware of much of my health history, which has been compounded by being too short for my weight. My dear friend Mike Stoiber, in a total spirit of love and concern, approached me during a recent Tracker2 meeting and asked “Brooks. Have you ever considered losing weight?” I told Mike it was a high priority but tough due to injuries to my left ankle and my right knee it was tough to exercise. As much as I watched my diet nothing happened without exercise.

The first of March I dug a little deeper in the willpower well and stopped eating anything with flour or sugar, even most fruits. I knew that exercise was important. This is where “Habit” came in. I found an unused reporter’s notebook that was left over from my 16 years of writing for newspapers and magazines. I started a diary of when I walked, what time of day, the wind, and how far I walked. I visited my knee specialist and had him inject some cortisone under the right knee cap to help ease the pain.

I exceeded my weight management goal of 20 pounds in March by ½ pound. We have a doctor’s balance beam scale in the master bath so it is easy to see half pounds. Before I knew it, I was emptying out the dishwasher for my wife Dorothy. For some reason that chore really bothers her. It takes her half an hour to stress, drink another cup of coffee and slowly put the clean dishes away. So I started doing it. It takes me three minutes at most. One small success leads to another small success. Remember one of the “universals” we often discuss at the study group? Everything matters to everything else.

Today’s entry: I started my walk at 9:10 this morning, in a light drizzle with a three knot wind, and walked one mile.

This book was selected for a reason—to help us find ways to change habits, to become more accountable to ourselves, personally and in our offices.

Even if you are unable to be with us in our upcoming study group, please find a small notebook and pick out a habit you would like to change, design a plan, and keep notes. It is motivating.

One more thing. It is hard to help your team members change an office or personal habit until they see their leader lead by example.

To a great small habit change.

Brooks Tish

As a small business owner you have a lot on your plate. At the end of the day, you rely on yourself to complete many business tasks. And although your tasks are immense, there is one area that you cannot skip.
Specifically, you must pay attention to funding your retirement – now.

Why? Well because sadly, many business owners do not ever get around to starting a plan for retirement. No plan! No retirement!

“Without a plan, you are forfeiting the right to ever retire in the latter part of your life!” – Marvin LeBlanc, LUTCF,CNP

Ouch! Harsh, I know. Did you really get that last sentence? Because if you don’t embrace it, then you can forget about ever retiring. I’m sorry. Someone had to tell you.
Amazingly, we push the subject of “Retirement Planning” to the bottom of our "to do list". However, it's importance should really place it at the top of the list.

May I share with you this short, enlightening article by Laura Petrecca - USA Today (click and read carefully) Many small-business owners aren't prepared for retirement

Many small-business owners aren't prepared for retirement May this article inspire you to put ACTION into your Financial Plan. I would love to have a chat with you to see how you plan to manage your ACTIONS and manage your Retirement Plan. Give me a call or drop me an email! Make yourself the priority! Today!

As always, your insights and feedback are important to our blog community. Do share your helpful ideas so that all of us can have a positive learning experience