Blog - Quiddity, Higher Purpose Business

Beating Superwoman Syndrome Just Got Easier For Women Entrepreneurs

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:33:44 +1000

Beating Superwoman Syndrome Just Got Easier For Women Entrepreneurs:

SYDNEY, Australia April 2012 – Many business women and women entrepreneurs are affected by what is known as “Superwoman Syndrome” where multi-tasking goes hand-in-hand with a delicate balancing act between quality family time and work. Business coach and mentor David Solomon has seen many women suffer from Superwoman Burnout and has made it his mission to impart business knowledge that enables female entrepreneurs to shed their “Superwoman suit” and become a happy woman instead. Having a successful business and spending more time with their family is the quest of many female entrepreneurs who seek David’s help, and they achieve this surprisingly quickly with his assistance. www.quidditybusiness.com.au/

David’s wealth of knowledge and passion for helping female business owners has seen him develop many unique strategies that save time; decrease costs and improve efficiency in the businesses he works with.

“I believe in working in partnership along the path towards my clients’ success, although they must make their own decisions and make their own commitment to action,” says David, Business Performance Strategist and Director of Quiddity. “This means that in the end everything they achieve belongs completely to them.”

“I like to have some fun along the way. I like to ask questions that cause my clients to think and see things in new ways. I have a heart as well as a brain and get passionate about helping and empowering female entrepreneurs whilst maintaining objectivity and professionalism,” David said.

Quiddity’s main goal is “to bring soul to business by helping women entrepreneurs build higher purpose businesses.” A ‘higher purpose business’ revolves around the values and aspirations of the owner of the business, particularly those linked to their personal values and higher purpose.

“My observations are that the best way to build a successful business is to be sure it serves the owner’s higher purpose, their true life’s vision. With this context, work stops being ‘work’ and becomes simply the way you want to spend your time,” David said.

According to David, this is what John Demartini talks about when he proposes making the “vacation your avocation”. Many successful entrepreneurs get great enjoyment from what they do and don’t view it as work, and this is the key to building a successful business. David urges Australian business women to bring balance and enjoyment back into their life and their business, so it doesn’t have to be ‘work’. www.quidditybusiness.com.au/

As published in Think and Grow Rich Magazine, Feb 2012 issue

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:11:00 +1000

As published in Think and Grow Rich Magazine, Feb 2012 issue

What will you be doing over Easter?

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:50:45 +1000

It’s nearly Easter and time to unwind a bit after a busy first quarter.

Will you be taking time off or taking advantage of the quiet time to get some creative work done?

Me? I’m going to schedule time for both (as if you couldn’t guess that).

Maybe you can watch some of those favorite TV shows or movies you’ve recorded but just never gotten to.

I’m quite happy to admit to being a Whovian - a Doctor Who fan. It may surprise you but the Doctor has been around for 47 years! No time to watch a marathon of Doctor Who over Easter, but if you have just 6 minutes you could go here:

http://youtu.be/szHO-wEmvio

Enjoy…

Men VS Women In Business

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:28:00 +1000

One of the inspiring things that women have brought to the world of business has been a much more overt examination of purpose and meaning. They will often start their businesses around their personal values, their families, their causes, their desired lifestyles, their passions and their natural gifts.

But many times I’ve seen women entrepreneurs forget that their business is a vehicle that allows them to make money so they can live the life they want and enjoy the work they do. It can certainly help you be your best you, but your business is not you. And by failing to draw a line between who we are and what we do, we can then have other significant challenges – especially as it’s hard to be objective about our own business.

For most men you can forget about higher purpose – its results that count! That’s the nature of the competitive business “game” that men created and enjoy playing. The commercial model is competitive – competing for customers, market share, share of wallet etc. This means win-lose at some level. Someone else – a competitor – must lose for us to win.

A “successful” business must deliver some level of financial return on investment. Whether this aligns with the business owner’s personal values and higher purpose is not that important in the male model. The argument goes “How can you fulfil a higher purpose when the business isn’t making money?”

Most conversation around the male-female difference above assumes the two are mutually exclusive. I don’t believe that.

Pursuit of the almighty dollar in isolation is soul-less. And we’ve seen the trend demanded by increasingly empowered and informed consumers for businesses with authenticity and a social conscious. There is no denying the influence that social media and the internet more generally has had on buying decisions.

And of course a business that doesn’t have a sound strategic model driving it, that doesn’t make some return, won’t be around very long.

There you go – a commercial reason for creating a Higher Purpose Business!

Laughter - The Best Medicine For Business

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:40:10 +1100

I am sure that some of you are familiar with Louis Armstrong. His song goes… .

“When you’re smilin’….when you’re smilin’

The whole world smiles with you

And when you’re laughin’….when you’re laughin’

The sun comes shinin’ through.

But when you’re cryin’…. you bring on the rain

So stop your sighin’….and be happy again

So keep on smilin’….keep on smilin’

The whole world smiles with you.”

A classic…. a very thought provoking song, I would say.

Come to think of it, studies show that it takes 17 (others say 26) muscles to smile and 43 (some says 62) muscles to frown. Whatever the figures are, the fact still remains that it takes fewer muscles to smile than frown. With those figures, it is suffice to say that frowning creates more wrinkles than smiling. Additionally, you age more when you frown than smile.

When you come to the office and start smiling at your staff, don’t you get a smile back? When you hear one laughing their heart out, don’t you pause and try to smile as well and wonder what’s making her laugh that way?

Truly, laughter is indeed the best medicine! Medicine for the numerous challenges you face with your business, with your personal life and practically anything under the sun. It does not necessarily mean you are happy when you laugh or smile but it simply means that you are feeling a multitude of other emotions. Paul Ekman, the father of facial expression research, reveal that there are over a dozen emotions expressed when one smiles or laugh. It takes in-depth studies, though, to determine whether those “laughters” and “smiles” are coming from a real happiness.

What are the benefits of laughter that may be used in running your business?

* Laughter keeps you relaxed and recharge and thus reduces your stress and increases your energy thus giving you focus and clarity of vision.

* Laughter eliminates your anger, anxiousness and sadness.

* Laughter shifts your perspective from overwhelming to realistic and less threatening.

So let’s make the world a better place to live in - not just through helping Mother Earth cope up - but through the contagious laughter and smile you share to other people.

Keep smiling!

Because Success Is Personal!

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:44:06 +1100

Do you recall when you got bitten by the entrepreneurial bug? Why did you go into business? Or why do you want to?

Like many people you might have “fallen” into business by accident. Or maybe someone said to you “You’re really good at this – you should go into business. You’ll make a fortune!” Or maybe you got sick of working for a boss who didn’t appreciate you. Or perhaps you saw business as your path to fame and fortune.

Whatever the reason you may well now be dealing with the typical business issues that keep entrepreneurs awake at night - cash flow, sales and staff issues just for starters. And if you go a bit deeper, issues like “Is it all worth it?” Or fear of failure. Or even fear of success.

Undoubtedly many people go into business to achieve some type of “work-life” balance, yet I find this rationale flawed. You see it all depends on your definition of “work”. For many people work is seen as hard and it tends to be an energy drainer. It is a constant battle to stay motivated. But when you are inspired by what you do, work becomes easy. In fact, when you are truly inspired your work will give you energy.

I realise that I’m generalising, but motivation tends to be for “have” goals, whereas inspiration tends to be for the “be” and “do” goals. There’s nothing wrong with motivation – it’s quite necessary in fact – but inspiration will get you up earlier and keep you going longer.

So what is the secret to being inspired by what you do?

Well, it’s personal. I believe it’s all about designing and building a “Higher Purpose Business”.

Can Your Business Run Itself? (Creating Systems That Work)

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:16:25 +1100

Do you want your life to be easier - with less stress, fewer working hours and greater outcomes? Then you may need to change the way your business operates - to systemise the way things are done so that you are not “reinventing the wheel” each time you do something.

You, like other business owners, may at some point recognise that you need to create a system for your business – fantastic news, and a step in the right direction. But then something happens. You suddenly realise that you don’t know where to start. After all, what is a “system”? And how do you create a system that works? Does this sound familiar?

Just the thought of creating a system conjures all sorts of images in some people’s minds – hard work, lots of analytical, boring and time-consuming work which is daunting, fearful, and perhaps impossible, and the list goes on. Finally, it usually gets put in the too hard basket, when the reality can be quite simple and effective, with minimal time and money, and will certainly help you achieve your goals of feeling better and less stressed.

So what is a system?

The Australian Collins English Dictionary describes a system as being “a group of things or parts working together or connected in some way so as to form a whole”. However, in the real world of your own business, a system is:

1) How we do it here.

2) How we recruit, hire and train people to do it here.

3) How we manage it here.

4) How we change it here.

A system sets out procedures for your business so that you and your staff have clarity about who is to do the work, what to do, how to do it, when to do it and why.

However, this is where many people get stuck! Because they suddenly realise that they may have to change the way they work and work according to a new system. Whereas before, they had a choice about how they worked and did it their way. Now they will have to fit in with a system of policies and procedures outlining how the business operates. Often it is this “unwillingness to change” by an individual, that prevents the system from working.

Creating a system that works ensures that activities can be replicated many times over by everyone. This frees up resources and makes operations run more smoothly, which ultimately enhances the professional image of your business and improves the effectiveness of operations.

“7 ‘Hard Knock’ Business Lessons Our Moms Never Taught Us” by Ali Brown

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 05:01:20 +1100

I work with women entrepreneurs who typically are spread too thin, overworked and feel like they are getting nowhere, so they end up frustrated and unsure of how to move their businesses forward. So when I found this blog by Ali Brown, I was pleased to see it coincides nicely with what my long time research and work with female clients has taught me —- that women in business are unique and should create their own business styles and not “do what men do” to succeed.

“7 ‘Hard Knock’ Business Lessons Our Moms Never Taught Us” summarises nicely what a lot of women entrepreneurs do not learn either in business school or the school of “doing it for real”. This is an insightful piece that every woman in business (or considering to go into business) should read.

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“Entrepreneur mentor Ali Brown teaches women around the world how to start and grow a profitable business that make a positive impact. Get her FREE CD “Top 10 Secrets for Entrepreneurial Women” at www.AliBrown.com“

As more women leaders step up in the world, as business owners, philanthropists, and community role models, it’s clear that as protectors of that feminine, “yin”, energy, we possess certain qualities that are not only effective but VITAL to our society’s well-being.

But when it comes time to run our businesses, it seems like this idea of our femininity gets lost in translation. I see many women entrepreneurs struggle to find their unique, feminine voices—and as a result, we fall back on old stereotypes and behave like we think we “should”.

It is possible however, to be a lady AND run a successful business. Read on for 7 tips on how to hold on to your unique YIN, and still get ‘er done. ;)

1. DON’T think that testosterone rules.

When many women start their own businesses, they fall into the trap of thinking that they need to behave like a man in order to succeed. But truly effective and successful leaders determine their own leadership style. When you are running a company, strength is required, but it should be consistent with your own personality. We should celebrate our uniqueness—the very things that distinguish us from men—and let our intuition, emotionalintelligence, and true natures shine.

2. DON’T be too nice.

To be effective you must get in the habit of not always worrying about what other people are thinking of you. If you are locked into a dispute with a supplier, don’t take it personally. If you have to bring up a difficult topic such as an employee’s poor performance, be firm and clear about what you want from them and point out how their actions are having a negative effect. When you are finished, allow them the opportunity to have their say. There’s a way to be assertive, not hard-nosed, in a way that maintains your role as the leader.

3. DON’T expect the world to come to you.

Don’t be shy about coming forward—not just to drive sales, but to become a permanent presence in the minds of your customers. There are loads of things you can do to get your business noticed. Blog about your area of expertise, get stories in the media, tell everyone about what you do, reward loyal customers, launch a new product, and promote events. If you don’t toot your own horn, no one else will!

4. DON’T give away the store.

Adding value to your services keeps customers coming back for more, but don’t let fear or insecurity drive your decisions. Discounts and bonuses are necessary sometimes, but think of ways of adding extra value that won’t cost a cent. Don’t compare yourself to the competition or try to match their giveaways. If you’re strong and confident in what you do, and you convey your value in a strong way, there’s no need to charge less or to continually look over your shoulder.

5. DON’T disguise statements as questions!

Women disguise statements as questions because they fear they will be seen as assertive or they’re worried about sounding foolish. However, questions sound weak. Statements are stronger. Get into the habit of making statements, and only ask questions when there is a need. Solicit opinions after setting out your proposals. It suggests that you are open to hearing other opinions while still maintaining control.

6. DON’T undervalue your time.

As a business owner, time is money. Don’t shortchange yourself by giving your time away for free, or wasting time on tedious tasks that don’t generate money for your business. Start thinking of ways you can delegate tasks, from grocery shopping to researching leads, so you can focus on the BIG fish, like landing that top-dollar client, planning your next big product, etc. The good news is you do NOT have to do it all!

7. DO play to WIN!

Are you worried about meeting targets, or whether the business will collapse? If so, you are playing not-to-lose when you should be playing to WIN. The best you can achieve here is not losing. And that mindset will not get you where you want to go. Don’t waste energy devising Plan B if things take a downturn. Ensure that you have the drive and tenacity to pursue your dreams. If you take the attitude of failure not being an option, you’ll be surprised how much you’ll achieve.

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In conclusion, I especially like the way Ali puts it:

“Hold on to your unique YIN, and still get ‘er done.”

Every person, whether female or male, brings a unique equation to the business table. As success is really very personal, let men be the Yang in business and yes, let your Yin shine and be part of your unique entrepreneurial style.

What Is Time Management?

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:15:00 +1100

Or perhaps more to the point, what isn’t it?

Is it poor time management or wasted time?

Is it poor time management or procrastination?

Is it poor time management or lack of productivity?

Is it poor time management or lack of achievement?

Is it poor time management or poor time choices?

“Time equals money.”

You’ve heard that expression a thousand times or more. So if it is true, what are you doing with yours? Are you spending it, or investing it? And how are your time investments working for you?

Are you frustrated because there are “not enough hours in the day”? I certainly am. Groucho Marx wanted a 36-hour day - that way he could work 24 hours, and still get a good night’s sleep. Great idea!

Spending time or investing time is a choice. Here are some examples:

SPENDING TIME

watching TV
drinking in a bar
reading a newspaper about the local news

INVESTING TIME

reading a book
writing or reviewing a business plan
talking to your kids

NOTE: Invested time spent with your family pays the best dividends i.e. love.

Is this time management? It’s fair to argue that this is time allocation. It’s how you choose to use your time right now. How are you spending or investing your 16-18 hours a day?

New pressures are being placed on the immediacy of your time - and for many people it is hours (not minutes) a day that are being consumed (whether you view it a spent or invested doesn’t matter – it is still consumed).

And there are plenty of other time demands that have crept into the fabric of work and daily life:

iPhone / Blackberry / smart phone - people are addicted. They can’t sit down without looking at it, and responding to it.
Email. How many a day? Ten? A hundred? More?
Texting. Instant and unavoidable.
Mobile phone. After emailing, searching and texting, then you start talking. How much time? Well just over 700 minutes a month is 12 hours. Most people spend much more. This isn’t necessarily spent time or wasted time, but do measure its value.
Add to the list social media such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr and Wikipedia.
Then add blogs, e-zines and websites.

Let’s be conservative and say that these things combined take up 2 hours a day. That is 700+ hours a year or 30 x 24 hour days.

So here is the big opportunity - in this allocation or re-allocation of time, it is critical to be sure you are addressing the really important goals, whatever they may be for you.

Family Businesses : Some Things To Think About

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:07:00 +1100

There are two rules about family businesses:

1) It’s absolutely essential to separate business and family; and

2) It’s totally impossible to do so.

Family businesses come in many shapes and sizes. Research shows that they have clearly defined business problems which frequently are repetitive and avoidable. Family businesses often do not achieve their full potential or fail due to their inability to handle the mixing of family and business issues. You actually can’t separate them and that’s where problems occur. It also depends on the family dynamics.

Why is a “family business” different from “non-family business”?

Family businesses generally have a number of key idiosyncratic issues facing them in addition to those faced by non-family businesses. These key issues are like potholes in a road. It is important to be able to recognise them, be able to avoid them, and if one cannot avoid them one must assist in damage minimisation.

The key business issues can be categorised into five main headings and they relate specifically to the nature of the family business itself. Naturally there will always be an overlap, but in general the headings are:

1. Conflict between business and family values

Families can be described as warm, socialistic and nurturing, whilst businesses as cold, ruthless and hard-nosed*. Thus when the two get together, which is what happens in a family business, there is a huge potential for conflict. An example is the owner who states it is good for their child to work in the business. However, a question the family should ask is whether the child is good for the business? In wealthier family businesses the business can afford to carry a poorly performing family member, but there is no such luxury in an unprofitable business.

*This is not always true of course. Please read my other writings on building a “Higher Purpose Business” and the Business DNA Strand on Mission, Vision & Values.

2. Funding lifestyle versus growth versus retirement

Where is the money going to come from for lifestyle, growth and retirement? Usually there is a conflict - take the money now or leave it for retirement? If it is left for later on, will there be enough to live an adequate lifestyle? An example of problems that may occur is whether the children will be able to afford to pay out the retiree(s), without leaving the business short of funds?

3. Governance issues

Most family businesses, when compared to non-family businesses, are weak in the area of governance, and this includes professional management. Surveys show that family businesses are lacking in many areas, including: functioning boards of directors (including lack of independent outside directors), formal meetings, long-term plans, management structure, performance appraisals on family members. The effect is that a business is not run as efficiently as it could have been. Whilst this may not be of great concern to the owners, that is the family, it may be of great importance to banks, possible buyers, and employee managers.

4. Leadership, management and ownership succession

Statistics show that a substantial number of business owners will be retiring in the next 10 years. They also show that few businesses have done any planning for a smooth transition apart from making a basic will. If the succession aspect is not considered (including leadership, management and ownership) it is clear that the transition will not be as smooth as it could have been. Problems that may occur include tax, sibling rivalry, interruption to the business, and litigation between relatives etc, being problems that may have been reduced or eliminated had they been attended to.

With regard to succession planning, choose one person to take over the business, even if you make enemies in the process. That’s the nettle that must be grasped. Use everybody’s talents to the best degree.

5. Relationship between family members

Rivalry between family members has existed from the dawn of humanity and will continue to do so. It is not different in family business, which is an extension of the family. Examples include the machinations as to who will be the next CEO, or the holder of a particular office?

The Art Of Work (Flow Part 2)

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:33:47 +1100

An American psychologist with an almost unpronounceable name - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Mee-high Chick-sent-me-high-ee) - describes the state of “flow”:

“It is what the sailor holding a tight course feels when the wind whips through her hair….It is what a painter feels when the colors on the canvas begin to set up a magnetic tension with each other, and a new thing, a living form, takes shape….”

Flow is a condition of heightened focus, productivity, and happiness that we all intuitively understand and hunger for. It is the mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energised focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity.

It is a single-minded immersion and when in flow, the emotions are not just contained and channelled, but positive, energised and aligned with the task at hand. The hallmark of flow is a feeling of spontaneous joy, even rapture, while performing a task.

Other expressions for the same or similar thing include “on the ball”, “in the moment”, “present”, “in the zone” and “in the groove”.

Yet although the quest for flow instinctively resonates with the sports, artistic and leisure worlds, the concept has never gained much traction in business. This may be because the concept of ecstasy and the workplace go together about as well as pickled onions and vanilla ice-cream. (If you like pickled onions and ice-cream send me an email – we need to speak!)

Csikszentmihalyi says that without flow, there is no creativity. And no one would argue that today creativity is a necessity in business, not an added extra.

As individuals our well-being and our happiness depend on the amount of time we can spend in flow. As businesses our competitive edge is our per-person creativity.

Have you noticed that people who appear to be in flow most of the time never miss a day of work? They never get sick. Their lives just work better. And they are happier.

Csikszentmihalyi discovered that the times when people were most happy and often most productive were not necessarily when they expected they would be. Passive leisure activities (such as TV-watching) consistently ranked low on measured scales of satisfaction — even though they were popular experiences. Instead, people reported the greatest sense of well-being while pursuing challenging activities, often while immersed in a hobby and sometimes even at work.

In the flow state, Csikszentmihalyi found that people engage so completely in what they are doing that they lose track of time. Hours pass in minutes. All sense of self recedes. At the same time, they push beyond their limits and develop new abilities. Indeed, the best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to capacity.

When in a state of flow, the experience becomes autotelic, meaning that the activity actually becomes its own reward - it is an end in itself and is engaged in for its own sake. This is very evident in some creative arts.

There can also be a dark side to flow, which comes while pursuing destructive activities - such as addictions or crimes. Csikszentmihalyi believes that flow is most powerful when achieved in service of a goal that will better society. “To improve life, one must improve the quality of experience.”

And here’s the thing – flow can also become a group dynamic. Have you ever seen a champion artistic troupe or sporting team performing at an exceptional level with apparent ease? You can be sure they are collectively in a state of flow.

Which leads me back nicely to the point about building a higher purpose business.

When you can engage your team in a compelling vision of the future around a set of shared values, you are well on your way to a successful business!

*Abstract from a short paper written by Einstein that appeared in the Journal of Exothermic Science and Technology (JEST, Vol. 1, No. 9; 1938).

**Csikszentmihalyi’s groundbreaking book is Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (Harper & Row Publishers Inc., 1990).

The Art of Work (Flow part I)

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:45:00 +1100

Have you ever experienced a time in your life when you’ve completely lost track of time?

Maybe it was at a sporting event, at a concert, reading a book, lying in the sun, meditating, walking through the bush, watching dolphins play, kicking a ball with your kids…or reading these newsletters?

I just adore reading and learning. Last weekend I sat at my computer to catch up on some newsletters in my inbox. Some 5½ hours later I got up from my desk to take a break – not because I needed one – I could have gone on for hours longer – but because I suddenly realised the passage of time and I wanted to see what was happening in the rest of the world.

In 1994 I had a similar experience when performing in a large scale production of Fiddler on the Roof. If you haven’t seen it, the show runs for 3 hours show and it is very emotionally intense. Every time - whether it be rehearsals or performances - time seemed to stand still for me. What was 3 hours seemed like no more than 30 minutes at most.

How does this happen? What is it?

One of my favourite Upstarts, Albert Einstein explains it like this: “When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute - and it’s longer than any hour. That’s relativity.”

In other words, our perception of the passage of time depends on the activity in which we are engaged.

Dr John Demartini encourages us to make our “vacation” our “avocation”. He says that when you love your work it actually gives you energy whilst you are doing it. In fact it stops being work - and becomes your life’s purpose. When you live your life according to your values you become inspired – no-one has to motivate you to get up and go do it.

Plenty of people will advise you to separate your work from your leisure, but I think they are missing the point. Why? Because when you are working on the things that nourish your soul, it isn’t work!

And this is what helps you to build a “higher purpose business”. My observations are that the best way to build your business successfully is to ensure it serves your higher purpose. This is about bringing soul to business (and business to soul).

Just imagine what would happen if the best moments of your life happened at the office?

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'…into the future

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:12:58 +1100

Recently I sent out an email asking people what their top business issues are. I got quite a variety of responses but one issue kept coming up consistently – How can I get more time to do all the things I need to do?

I wish I had the answer to that one!

Well actually I do…sort of.

At first I was tempted to start a discourse about the nature of time, reality, consciousness and “the matrix” – but although fascinating and worthy of discussion – it is a bit beyond the scope of this quick newsletter.

Instead I decided to give you some “instant pudding” - something that you can use straight away. It is the best (ever) tool I have found to focus your thinking and actions, so that you are getting the best results in line with your vision and with the time you have available.

I have searched for years and never found more than 168 hours in a week.

Time can’t be accumulated. You can’t turn it on or off. It can’t be replaced. It has to be spent at the rate of sixty seconds every minute.

Furthermore, in business today we are expected to produce more with less - better services, quicker response times, more products to market, increased sales, and better value for money. Managers and leaders in particular, are expected not just to plan and prioritise their own work but to be responsible for what their team do.

And then there is the Catch 22 –

“The harder (or more) I work, the more money I make.

And the more money I make, the less time I have to enjoy it.”

This is the world that we live in today. The only way out of this loop is to stop being busy and start being productive. And there is a lot that can be done in regard to how we handle the challenges of our time challenged life.

In about 1986 I read a book by Alan Lakein called How to Manage Your Time and Your Life. Why can I remember this so clearly? Because it was from this book that I learned the best time management / time allocation tool I had ever seen – bar none.

Lakein suggested that you should always ask yourself 2 questions:

What is the best use of my time right now?

Is this contributing to my progress?

This literally became my mantra and allowed me to always be working on my highest priorities. In fact, I had them written in every day of my diary (I used paper back then!) so I saw them possibly a hundred times a day. As a result I became incredibly productive and achieved a great deal.

Over time, as my vision has become broader and more holistic, I have added some key additional questions:

What is the one key thing I will complete today that will move my world forward?

If this is the ONLY thing I get done today, will that make me happy?

Is this serving my highest values?

Is this contributing to my higher purpose?

Am I doing what I want to do, or am I just being busy?

Am I avoiding what I know is important by creating new stuff to do?

These questions have taken me about 20 years to learn (I know, I know - I’m a slow learner!). But, now I use them all day, every day. They are programmed into my phone to remind me (hourly). They are printed out on a sign right above my computer screen.

As a result, I now focus on the things that are meaningful to me and uplift me, rather than responding to other people’s agendas. In other words, I am spending my time the way I want to.

I know this strategy sounds almost too simple, but why not try it for just one week and see how you go?

What would you rather be doing? Make a conscious choice now…

Dancing Across Your Own Work

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:27:00 +1100

Another wonderful blog from Joanna Maxwell (Work In Color).

A business lesson from the performing arts. Leaves us with the question : How do we develop mastery in whatever we do?

To read the article, check out the link : http://bit.ly/zK3l6g

Jump Into The Blue Ocean

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:07:00 +1100

One of the things I love most about a Cirque du Soleil production is that the curtain separating the artist from the audience has been removed.

In a traditional circus (or live show of any sort really), the artist can go past the curtain and drop his/her role. Cirque du Soleil shows create an environment where the artist has to remain in character for the full length of the production. In this way, both the audience and the artist feel part of a larger show.

This opens up endless performance possibilities – of all sorts.

Any Cirque du Soleil show is unconventional. Sure, there are tumblers, but they are bouncing on beds, not trampolines. There are trapeze artists, but they twirl in the centre of giant chandeliers, not between platforms. And what garden-variety circus is likely to begin with a death-bed scene starring a midget and a dying clown, with a band of acrobat angels hovering overhead? It could only be Cirque du Soleil!

This all reflects the attitude of Guy Laliberté (founder of Cirque du Soleil) who has been described as “an amazing entrepreneur…one who will always provoke people to go to their limits”.

The creative and business risks behind Cirque du Soleil have now brought performances to an audience of close to 100 million in 270 cities on 5 continents. What started as a small troupe of street performers has grown to a 4,800 person operation with an annual revenue approaching $1 billion.

Laliberté has a love for all things absurd and eccentric. He has created a high-wire act of smart risk-taking, innovating around the clock, and staying uncomfortable. The Cirque shuns the traditional use of animals and instead embraces acrobats, music and dance. The troupe hinges on Laliberté’s creativity and international vision. It wows it audiences with unique, highly skilled acrobats combined with over-the-top lighting, stage design, art, music and dance.

Each show is a synthesis of circus styles from around the world, with its own central theme and storyline. They draw the audience into the performance through continuous live music. They even have the performers changing the props (rather than stagehands).

For over 25 years Cirque du Soleil has used its creative energy and unique approach to create a new form of entertainment and bring it to the world.

Effectively they have no competition.

This is exactly what W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne wrote about in their 2005 bestseller Blue Ocean Strategy – How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant.

Instead of dividing up existing (and often shrinking) demand and competitors who benchmark your business, blue ocean strategy is about growing demand and breaking away from the competition.

What Cirque did was to stop trying to beat the competition. They reinvented the circus.

Blue oceans – unlike red oceans which are defined by competitors trying to outperform their rivals and grab a greater share of existing demand – are defined by untapped market space, demand creation, and the opportunity for highly profitable growth. In blue oceans, competition is irrelevant because the rules of the game are waiting to be set.

Blue ocean thinking implies a mindset of abundance as opposed to scarcity. Rather than say “How do we get a bigger piece of the pie?” the blue ocean entrepreneur says “How can I bake a totally new pie?”

Blue ocean examples are everywhere, perhaps to be discussed in another article. After all, we need blue ocean thinking now, more than ever.

However, the key message to take away is that every business, small or large, can adopt blue ocean thinking, and in this way create a unique positioning for themselves in their marketplace.

Some of you have heard me talk before about “Upstarts”. Steven Covey said “Management works in the system. Leadership works on the system.”

I believe that Upstarts create new systems.

An Upstart is an individual who challenges the status quo, is looking for new answers, has ideas that deserve to be nurtured to reveal their potential and benefit everyone. An Upstart is a person who defies an easy fit into traditional roles, categorisation or answers, and who is compelled to find a new answer for themselves.

This invariably includes elements of entrepreneurship. It also reflects blue ocean thinking.

Just as Cirque du Soleil did over 25 years ago .

Grab your swimming costume and let’s go…

Progress Over Perfection

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:15:00 +1100

Being a person with a tendency to get stuck in my own mind I have asked (and re-asked!) the What? Why? and How? questions endlessly.

How much I enjoyed that is the topic of another discussion but last year I decided that I needed to move from contemplation and cogitation to activation and initiation.

I now believe that one of the major reasons for my procrastination (of course I didn’t see it as such) has been my perfectionism trait.

So the new mantras over my computer are “Don’t be perfect - be prolific!” and “Progress over Perfection”.

It’s given me a new sense of urgency and a mechanism for course correction and opening up to serendipity.

So far it seems to be working well.

If You’re Not Unique, You’re Invisible!

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:42:12 +1100

Let’s start by looking at uniqueness…

Have you ever done a Google or a Facebook search on your own name? How many other people with the same name did you come up with? 5? 10? 20? Over 50? I mean, there are now over 500,000,000 people on just Facebook!

I used to think my name was pretty unique, but even pre-internet I found out about 7 other people called David Solomon living in Australia. I had never met any of them, but occasionally I’d meet someone and they’d ask me “Are you the David Solomon who………?” Nope, they weren’t me, so I quickly learned to differentiate myself. After all, I didn’t want to be held accountable for their actions and deeds – only my own.

When looking at uniqueness, I think it is hard to go past the 2003 groundbreaking book by Seth Godin - In Praise of the Purple Cow - making and marketing remarkable products.

Godin talks about driving through France with his family and how they were enchanted by the hundreds of storybook cows grazing in lovely pastures right next to the road. For kilometres, they all gazed out the window, marvelling at the beauty. Then, within a few more minutes, they started ignoring the cows.

Why? Well the new cows were just like the old cows, and what was once amazing was now common. Worse than common - it was boring. You see, cows - unless perhaps you’re a farmer or a butcher - after you’ve seen them for a while, are boring. They may be well-bred cows, Six Sigma cows, prancing cows, cows lit by a beautiful light - but they are still pretty boring.

But Godin thought “…a Purple Cow - now that would really stand out!”

The essence of the Purple Cow - the reason it would shine among a crowd of perfectly competent (even undeniably excellent cows) - is that it would be remarkable. Something remarkable is worth talking about, worth paying attention to. Boring stuff quickly becomes invisible.

Godin says that the world is full of boring stuff - brown cows - which is why so few people pay attention. And remarkable marketing is the art of building things worth noticing right into your product, service or brand. Not just slapping on the marketing function as a last-minute add-on, but also understanding from the outset that if your offering itself isn’t remarkable, then it’s invisible - no matter how much you spend on well-crafted advertising.

Today, the one sure way to fail is to be boring – and therefore invisible. Your best chance for success is to be remarkable.

Another reason the Purple Cow is so rare is because people are afraid of rejection. If you’re remarkable, then it’s likely that some people won’t like you. That’s part of the definition of remarkable. Nobody gets unanimous praise - ever. Criticism comes to those who stand out – it’s part of the territory.

Not standing out, playing it safe, following the rules - they may seem like the best ways to avoid failure. However, that pattern isn’t safe. In a crowded marketplace fitting in is failing. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible.

Seth Godin himself demonstrates himself to be a remarkable Purple Cow. (His blog is at http://sethgodin.typepad.com/ - it’s worth checking out.)

It’s been said that “If you don’t stand for something, you don’t stand for anything.” So does everyone need a Compelling Value Proposition? Not necessarily - but everyone does need a purpose, something to stand for – a higher purpose.

In previous blogs I’ve written about several examples of performing artists who have been very clear about who they are and what they stand for. These include Cirque du Soleil, Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga and The Grateful Dead. You can check them out here http://blog.quidditybusiness.com.au/

As a result, these artists have created very clear CVPs or Compelling Value Propositions.

What Has My Biggest Lesson Been?

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:08:14 +1100

When I first pondered this question I thought “How can I possibly choose just one lesson from the thousands of major mistakes from which I’ve learned?” But then the answer became very clear very quickly – there is one which stands above all the others. And interestingly, it is the same lesson for both my personal and business life.

Life today is all about speed and fast action. The rate of change continues to accelerate, so we have to think, move and act faster and faster. But there are some things I have found it is much more appropriate to slow down.

The biggest mistakes I have made have been when I have not taken enough time to establish a trusting relationship before making a further “investment”. And the times I have taken the time, I have gotten it right.

Often when we meet a person for the first time we can be inspired (business) or infatuated (personal) and this can lead us to rush into an over-commitment. The ultimate result is very often a fizzle and/or no productivity.

From my experience, when I have taken the time to develop trust and loyalty before going for the “payoff” i.e. by building a substantive relationship, this has provided a very solid foundation for the future. And the productivity in the relationship follows.

Think of it like a courtship or an engagement. Sometimes it can happen in 5 minutes and sometimes it takes years. But the key lesson is that building the relationship first is the most important – whether it be with a life partner or a business partner.

People do business with each other when they like and trust each other.

Women In Business

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:44:09 +1100

Every day, hundreds of women go out and start their own businesses - at twice the rate of men. And these businesses are growing revenue, profits and jobs faster than business as a whole. Women now own around 50% of private businesses, demonstrating just how tough, innovative and commercial women can be.

As I talk to female business owners, I hear three consistent themes:

1) It was hard to be taken seriously in the corporate world;

2) I wanted more control over my life; and

3) I want to make a contribution to society.

Women invariably work very hard, they just don’t necessarily want to work a rigid schedule. Many successful female business owners sustain double and triple-digit growth. Also, many of them also have families. What they have worked out is that it doesn’t really matter which 80 hours you work. And while they may work weird hours, they are highly productive. We now have all the technology we need to free people to work more flexibly.

In the business world we find many people whose true potential has not been allowed to bloom, perhaps because of age, experience, circumstance, education or even gender. But one thing is becoming more evident - women are taking a greater leadership role in business, and even in our societies. There are massive gains to be made by adopting a more rounded, holistic and balanced way of doing things. Women and their inherent creativity are uniquely positioned to do this.

Closely aligned to this is my observation that successful women in business are generally more enlightened, more in touch with their soul, spirit and emotions and are able to converse openly about them. As Emotional Intelligence is seen increasingly to be critical in a leadership role, women have a natural advantage.

I find that most business owners love what they do. They provide amazing services. But they don’t necessarily fully understand how to run their business and they think something must be wrong with them personally. Nothing’s wrong with them! It’s just that no one has ever taught them what to do! Women business almost always owners find it easier than men to ask for help and to seek out appropriate learning.

The old model of business is “work hard and get people to buy your stuff.”

The new model is Authenticity, Service and Wealth. This new model is typically easier for women. And when you learn to create your business in the new model, people thank you for being successful. They thank you for who you are and what you’ve created. (You get to thank them too!)

Finding Your Niche

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:29:46 +1100

It is vital to become attuned to the fact that the times call for focus. Mass customisation and a segmenting marketplace allow for the development of products and services of a “niche” nature. Very few of us have the time, money or energy to mount national marketing campaigns, so it is in our best interest to discover and concentrate on a niche that we can develop successfully.

Finding your niche will set you off from others who do something similar and draw the best possible attention to you and what you can offer.

Your best niche will always be the one that you’re most motivated to work hard at, learn as much as possible about for years to come, and evolve with as it matures and develops. It will be a reflection of your interests, values, personality and skills, and even where you are living. Ideally, your goal should be to define what you do by depth, not by breadth.

To give you some inspiration to uncover one niche you want your business to become known for, or to just bring clearer focus to the niche with which you already identify, ask yourself the following :

Which things do I/we do best?
Which activities do I/we enjoy most?
What do I/we do that people need and appreciate most?
In what areas do I/we have the greatest expertise and experience?
What am I/are we already best known for?
What do I/we have the best contacts to do?
What will people most readily pay me/us for?
What involves the least risk?
What fits best with my/our lifestyle and personal/group/business goals?
What comes most naturally to me/us?
What am I/are we most eager to promote?

Do you notice the same activity showing up as an answer over and over again?

Choosing a niche will open certain doors to you while closing others. But just as you’ll never get to see the world if you can’t decide which destination to head for first, so it is with committing to one focus for your business. The doors that will open to you once you fully commit to one endeavour will present new opportunities you may have never imagined.

Making sure your niche is profitable

Finding a niche means clearly identifying a group of people who need a particular product of service you are distinctively able to provide. Your niche needs to be small enough that you don’t have much competition and reach most of your potential customers within the limits of your time and budget, yet large enough to include ample customers that can support you and your business goals.

Here are some strategies for scoping out a profitable business niche :

1) Select a growth area. When a market is growing, there is more room for everybody. Therefore, your chances of winning are highest when you pick a market that is on the upswing.

2) Don’t automatically follow the crowd, and don’t necessarily pick the obvious. It’s always a good idea to select a market with as few competitors as possible. Do you want to be one of 400 companies competing for the same customers? Always look for opportunities that everyone else is overlooking.

3) Attempt to put a lock on a specific market niche. This is one of the most important competitive strategies. Select a market niche that is large enough to pay you well, one that you believe you can dominate. Then take charge of it. Meet all the important people, develop an excellent reputation, maintain the highest standards etc. whatever you need to do.

4) Be memorable. This is a stylistic version of items 2 and 3. If you want to go far in the music industry, you need to give others a reason to remember you. Whether you have a unique appearance, sound stage presence, packaging or whatever, you must stand out from the crowd. Apply your creativity in everything, from clothing to envelopes.

5) Be truly excellent at what you do. While technical skill and polish don’t guarantee your success, there is never penalty for being too good at what you do. And there are plenty of situations where the better player of the more confident performer wins.