Do you stand alone?

October 8, 2018 by Michael Dill

A few weeks back I traveled to Las Vegas on business, yes, business as a few of my clients and colleagues chuckled when I said that. However, on returning from Vegas, I arrived at the airport a bit early. I decided to have a bite to eat then stroll through some of the shops in the terminal.

I came across a sports shop called World of Sports which carried jerseys, hats, jackets and other sports accessories. What I found most interesting when I looked up at the wall was that most all the jerseys carried the names of retired players. Names like Marino, Elway, Favre, Ortiz, Clemens, Jeter, Iverson, and many others. As I continued to look at all the different jerseys representing football, basketball, baseball, and others, they were all consistently of retired players.

I approach the man who was working at the store and started a conversation. He was actually the owner and he shared with me how he always ordered the jerseys of the current hot players. Only in frustration to have those players shortly thereafter traded away to another team. Every time this event took place, he simply got stuck with unwanted inventory. The last go-round actually cost him $50,000 in inventory. Ouch! Right then and there he made a decision that this occurrence would never happen again. If you were there, you would actually see the frustration on his face as he expressed this to me.

“I now carry the past greats, the names everyone loves and remembers. I no longer get stuck with unwanted inventory or experience cash flow problems. Better yet, my sales have doubled in the process. I stand out from my competitors as they are still playing the same old game. Let them get hit for $50,000 in unwanted inventory. Not me, no more!”

Brilliant, I thought. Here’s a man who made a conscious decision to go against the mainstream. He now stands alone as someone who has created a uniqueness in his brand. Good for him.

My question to you is. Where do you potentially need to make a shift in your business to stand out amongst your peers? Where do you need to make a conscious decision to go against the tide to create a uniqueness in your brand that stands out? Ask yourself if you are you actually willing in taking that step to be different? What’s the risk if you don’t make a shift? What could it cost you if you stay the same?

Remember the old saying, the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. This man chose to make a stand. Chose to shift his approach and model. He now stands alone, generates more revenues and stands out as someone who has created a uniqueness.

Whats Your Achilles Heel?

September 23, 2018 by Michael Dill

As the story of Achilles goes, to prevent his death, his mother Thetis took Achilles to the River Styx, which was supposed to offer powers of invulnerability. She submerged his body into the water; however, as Thetis held Achilles by the heel, his heel was not washed over by the water of the magical river. This became the … Read more

Do you Leverage your Hour of Power?

September 17, 2018 by Michael Dill

I have another question for all of you out there this week. The question is, “How are you spending the first hour of your day?” The first hour of your morning is the most important hour for you to get your mind right for the day ahead. It’s where you prepare to do whatever it … Read more

Is your energy serving you?

September 10, 2018 by Michael Dill

I have a question for all of you out there today. The question is, “where do you primarily focus your energy?”

Let me share with you why I am asking this question. I was talking to someone last week and she was complaining about her former partners of which she hasn’t worked with for six months. A wife was sharing with me on how her husband who was a little bit rough around the edges would watch CNN (Constant Negative News Channel) the first thing every morning. On social media, you see it all the time, some giving thumbs up and supporting our president, some giving thumbs down and ditching our president. Worst of all they combat back and forth on who’s right and who’s wrong.

These activities simply don’t serve you or anyone around you. Be clear that time is your most valuable asset, however, I believe our second most valuable asset is our energy, the energy we bring to the table day in and day out. We produce this energy based on what we focus on. We focus on the positive we produce positive energy. We focus on the negative we produce negative energy.

Take this point if you are a leader or manager of an organization. Unfortunately, you have a habit of focusing on all the little things your team is doing wrong, worse yet, you belabor the issue. Ask yourself a question, are they going to be productive? Are they going to feel good about themselves? Are you going to feel good about yourself engaging in this activity? I think not.

Now on the other hand, you are consistently praising your team by finding all the little things they’re doing right. Telling them about the good job they’re doing and taking it one step further to talk about as they continue to make these upward shifts of how they can rise to the next level in their performance. As you praise your team, this will actually increase their confidence, they will increase their productivity, they will begin producing better results. As your team increase their productivity and results it will actually inspire and empower you which will increase your positive energy of which in turn you’ll create a self-fulfilling prophecy of forwarding momentum. Simply, everybody wins.

What you think, how you speak, the words you use all makes a difference. What you watch or don’t watch, what you read or don’t read, what you listen to or don’t listen to. All this makes a difference in how it produces the right energy in the right place.

Get really conscious on where you focus your energy. Focus it in a place that serves you, your team, your organization, your clients, your community, and most importantly your family. If it doesn’t serve any of these aspects of your life, don’t bother with it.

Focus on what you can bring to the table, focus on being the absolute best that you can possibly be, reaching for your maximum potential. Because when we are focusing on that, we will be thinking all the right things, saying all the right things, doing all the right things and that energy will produce outward, the people around you will get the same effect and they will produce more also.

Make a personal commitment to focus on the right things and let your energy work for you instead of your energy working against you.

Are You Comfortable?

August 26, 2018 by Michael Dill

It’s a dark rainy Sunday morning in South Florida. Outside of maybe getting a cup of coffee, there’s really no need to jump out of bed as you’re comfortable right where you are. It’s winter time in Boston, it’s frigid cold outside, there’s snow on the ground. It’s nice and warm under the covers, you’re … Read more

What’s your word?

August 12, 2018 by Michael Dill

Throughout life somewhere along the way, we have adopted a word that describes who we are or how we have achieved the level of success we have today. Right now, if someone were to ask you what’s the one word that describes you? What’s the one word that you believe represents how you’ve accomplished the success and achievement that you have today?

For many entrepreneurs, business owners, CEO’s and business leaders alike, I believe the word persistence shows up quite a bit. Throughout the history books, persistence is always attached to some sort of great achievement.

For myself, persistence is and was my word. It has served me very well throughout my life. However, as I have matured in business and leadership I have adopted a new word that serves a greater purpose. A word, I believe is a step up from the word Persistence. That word to me is Intentionalism.

I’ve learned that we need to become extremely intentional on what we focus on that serves us most in our life and our business. We need to become intentional about who we associate with, the books we read, what we listen too or watch. We need to be intentional about who, what and where we spend our time.

The question you have to ponder is. Are you being intentional with your life? Are you being intentional with who you let into your environment or who you spend time with? Are you being intentional with what you read or don’t read, what you listen to or don’t listen to, what you watch or don’t watch? Are you being intentional with the conversations you’re having with a member of your team, a partner or a customer? Are you being intentional about who and what you focus your time on?

Don’t be the business owner or person that uses the old “I’ve got ADHD”, so I can’t intentionally focus or organize myself. No offense, but that line is a bunch of rubbish and it most certainly doesn’t serve anyone most importantly yourself.

Since time is really our most valuable asset and we need to honor and treasure it, being intentional is actually the best time saver in the world. Why? Because being intentional gets you laser-focused only on what’s important, what most moves the needle forward in your life and business. Being intentional also saves others time as you’re not wasting yours and you most certainly won’t be wasting there’s as you’ll be consistently focused on what’s most important to them and the organization. Intentionalism will also increase productivity which leads to better margins and ultimately increased profits.

I challenge you to get clear on your word. If it serves you well, congratulations. If it doesn’t time to adopt a new word that does. I’ve shared mine in intentionalism. So, What’s your word?

Whats yours?

August 6, 2018 by Michael Dill

8 There is an occurrence that may be similar for many of us as that somewhere in your life you heard or read a quote, heard someone say something whether it be someone we know, a great powerful speaker or from a historical speech that really resonated with you. Something that really got your attention. Something … Read more

What color is your beach ball

July 30, 2018 by Michael Dill

Imagine yourself at a boardroom table where all the important members of your organization are seated around the table. Now imagine a large beach ball directly in the center of the table. Depending on where you are sitting at the table will determine what color of the beach ball you’ll be facing.

On one end of the table could be the President of the organization of which his or her beach ball is blue. The other end is the Vice President of which his or her beach ball is red. Those who are sitting on the different sides of the table may be seeing a green, purple, orange or a yellow beach ball. The color of the ball that you are seeing is all determined by where you are sitting. Even though there are several colors to the ball, you may be only seeing one or two of the colors.

In an organization where there are specific rules or standards that must be adhered to by everyone then the beach ball is simply blue. It doesn’t matter of where you are sitting at the table or what your perspective is if this is the rule to be followed by all. Then the beach ball is blue, period! End of conversation!

Now if you are an organization that is looking to grow the company, a division, a team or just brainstorm ideas to stay ahead of your competition. In that case, the beach ball can be one of many of the different colors. It can be blue, red, green, purple, orange, yellow or any combination of those colors. This way you will want to be getting everyone that is sitting around the tables perspective, opinions and ideas. As a team of leaders, you’ll be getting a different perspective from every color of the beach ball.

By masterminding in such a way of not being so adamant of what color of the ball you personally are seeing, you begin to see different opportunities, perspectives, solutions or strategies to take your organization, division or team to the next level. You begin to brainstorm ideas to outsmart and outwit the competition. By being open to all the different colors and perspectives of the beach ball you’ll be able to decide on what color or option to choose that is best for everyone and the organization.

In conclusion, if it’s to be a set rule or standard, then the beach ball is blue. However, if it’s a discussion on how to be the best in business. I strongly urge you to consider all the different colors of the beach ball.

Beware Of The Success Syndrome

July 22, 2018 by Michael Dill

Beware of the Success Syndrome

Years back when I played the game of restaurant management. I represented one chain in particular that had all these theories that we would receipt and adhere to. One, in particular, was called the Success Syndrome.

The Success Syndrome was essentially this; In the restaurant, the food would always come out fresh, fast and hot, ticket times would consistently be checked to adhere to these standards. The restaurant would always be clean, there were standards in place of how often the restrooms were checked for cleanliness, everyone took ownership and would bend down to pick up that small piece of paper off the floor. The waiters, waitresses, and bartenders were always cheerful and pleasant. Their product knowledge was tops. A great experience was created.

Because of all these combined ingredients, the customer enjoyed the experience of patronizing the restaurant. They were happy, they would come back more often, they would tell their friends. Because of these result the restaurant sales continued to grow. Soon the restaurant was making continuous records in both sales and profits. The waiters, waitresses, and bartenders were all taking home good money. Ownership and management were happy.

Then somehow those standards began to slip ever so slightly. The food did not come out as fresh, fast and hot, because ticket times weren’t consistently being measured. The restaurant wasn’t always clean, the standards of how often the restrooms were checked for cleanliness weren’t adhered to. Those who took ownership previously would no longer bend down to pick up that small piece of paper off the floor because others weren’t doing it. The waiters, waitresses, and bartenders began to get a little arrogant in making it about them and just chasing the tips opposed to creating the experience.

Soon, sales began to erode and management was sitting around trying to figure out what happened. What happened was that they all fell victim to the Success Syndrome. They stopped doing the little things that got them to the top.

Think of a professional athlete who rose to the top of his or her game. They obviously put in a lot of hard work and hours of practice to get them to where they are. Then in the grand lights of the center stage, they achieved greatness. However, some as we know don’t handle greatness that well, they get complacent, they think it’s all about them. They stop being humble, forget what got them there and stopped doing those little things they did before to actually achieve that level of excellence. They are now struggling and are in a slump. How did it happen? They simply fell victim to the Success Syndrome.

In business and in life, don’t ever stop your quest for doing the things of getting slightly better each and every day. Stay humble, consistently practice everything that got you where you are today. Consistently test, measure and tweak all the little things to consistently move forward. Never stop articulating your organizational mission and purpose to the team as this keeps us all aligned with the vision. Stay consistent with your weekly meetings and communication. Just simply stay in tune with the level of excellence and execution that got you where you are today. Do this and you, your team and your organization will not fall prey to the Success Syndrome.

Are you the Tortoise or the Hare?

July 16, 2018 by Michael Dill

There once was a speedy hare who bragged about how fast he could run. Tired of hearing him boast, Slow and Steady, the tortoise, challenged him to a race. All the animals in the forest gathered to watch.

Hare ran down the road for a while and then and paused to rest. He looked back at Slow and Steady and cried out, “How do you expect to win this race when you are walking along at your slow, slow pace?”

Hare stretched himself out alongside the road and fell asleep, thinking, “There is plenty of time to relax.”

Slow and Steady walked and walked. He never, ever stopped until he came to the finish line.

The animals who were watching cheered so loudly for Tortoise, they woke up Hare.

Hare stretched and yawned and began to run again, but it was too late. The tortoise was over the line.

After that, Hare always reminded himself, “Don’t brag about your lightning pace, for Slow and Steady won the race!”

There’s no doubt that the world’s pace has sped up. If you’re a CEO, an executive, a manager, a business owner or any type of leader you are most likely strapped with many tasks and responsibilities. Many of us have business, families, charities, outside organizations and activities to contend with. We also have ourselves to take care of. Let’s face it if any of this represents you – you are running.

What’s a person to do in this face paced environment? Turning to technology isn’t the answer as that option has only proved to distract us more. The answer is simple; slow down to speed up! Yes, slow down to speed up!

When you’re in your business, especially if you are a small business owner you must take the time to slow down. Start in the morning by getting clear on the day ahead before you leave your home. Slow down on a Monday to have a morning team meeting to properly align for the week. Slow down for a day to create a quarterly or annual plan. Slowing down in this manner will give you the opportunity to get clear and speed up again.

Is it easy to slow down? Heck no! Especially if you’re attempting to do it on your own. Is it hard to create the discipline to slow down? Heck yes!

If you’re challenged in doing it on your own – get someone to assist you. Hire a coach to slow you down. A coach will ask you the right questions, the tough questions, hold you accountable to do what you say you’ll do, get you to recognize your blind spots that are holding you back, teach you the techniques, solutions, and strategies to maximize your time and efficiency. With the right coach and proper coaching, you will actually better yourself, your team and your company. You will gain clarity and be able to speed up to focus on what’s truly important.

I encourage you to take on the challenge of slowing down to speed up! The value of taking the time to properly slow down to get clear on what’s most important, creating a plan of implementation and follow through, coupled with the proper accountability and coaching is an investment that will pay you dividends for years to come.