PRODUCTIVITYGet Unstuck
If you’re procrastinating on a project, it’s often because you don’t know the next appropriate action. In such cases it can help to ask yourself: What is it I need to find out, decide, or do? “Usually the roadblock is one of those three things,” productivity coach Liz Sumner told INC.
NETWORKINGPress the Flesh
Dislike networking events? It’s probably costing you new business, says sales trainer Christopher Mee. “There are groups in my town that only allow one person per business type that have over 50 members and no vision pro. Find a large group of this type and join fast,” he recommends.
MANAGEMENTBuild a Better Suggestion Box
Lots of businesses have an idea or comment box. That’s great, but innovation consultant Bryan Mattimore, author of 21 Days To A Big Idea, suggests you take it to the next level. At his company, the Growth Engine, managers post an organizational challenge on a whiteboard and invite their co-workers to submit suggestions. “After a week’s time, the manager records (and then pursues) the best ideas/suggestions on the whiteboard. He or she then posts a new weekly challenge,” says Mattimore.
MARKETINGWelcome Them Well
If you’ve got an opt-in list for your email bulletins, don’t just start them off with a generic “thank you for signing up” message. Instead, give them a taste of what they’ll be getting — your most recent bulletin or a message filled with offers — something to act on while they’re thinking about you.
WORKSPACEHear the Beans
Want to know what white noise sounds like in 2023? Download Coffitivity, an app that creates the hum of a coffee shop to play as background music (choices include Morning Murmur, University Undertones, and Brazil Bistro ). According to the makers, “Coffitivity recreates the ambient sounds of a cafe to boost your creativity and help you work better, adding the benefits are “proven and peer reviewed.”
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INTERIOR DESIGNBeware Fluorescents
Your customer’s mental state is everything, so be wary, says design firm Grid/3 International, of using fluorescent lighting in your bathroom. It often makes customers look and feel awful. In that mood they are far less inclined to splash out on anything.
OPERATIONSDial In, Drop Out
Here’s a fun way to get out of a meeting or social engagement you fear will eat into your workday. Log on to popularitydialer.com beforehand and set a time for your cellphone to be called. The free service plays a tape that allows you to engage in a fake but serious-sounding conversation. You can choose the topic: cash-short relative, male/female admirer, work crisis and so on.
MANAGEMENTFeel Factor
Writes Raytheon CEO Bill Swanson in The CEO’s Secret Handbook: “You remember a third of what you read, a half of what people tell you, but 100% of what you feel.” When communicating with your staff, your goal is not to tell or teach people what to do, but to make them feel what they need to do.
