1 – YOUR BUSINESS TIP
How well do you communicate with your TEAM? (and if you think you don’t have one . . . read on).
It’s too easy to be so busy and wrapped up in our own thoughts and actions that we really don’t spend (or invest) much time on thinking about the impact of our behaviour on those around us. Especially our TEAM. (I put that in capitals because for us it’s an abbreviation of “Together Everyone Achieves More”.
Most people DO have a team but often forget to think of them as TEAM.
Who helps you do what you do in your business?
You may have team that you pay to work with you on a regular basis – employees, hired help, PAs, VAs, etc.
Then there’s the other teams . . .
The almost hidden team of professional advisers and contacts – how often do you communicate and engage with your accountant, bookkeeper, IFA, bank, solicitor, etc. Then there are coaches and mentors.
I see us – Mary & Andy – as part of YOUR TEAM. So how often do you engage with us and tell us whether you appreciate the ideas, downloads, tips, etc that we share? Do you join our free events? Do you read and take action?
You can start to see how so many people can feel ignored or not of value.
So the magic word CONSISTENCY comes up again. Yes, it IS one of our favourites.
Do you have a rhythm, a routine, a system for keeping in touch?
Do you say please and thank you or do you find you slip into being task focussed and forget the people side of things.
When people don’t feel valued it’s usually because the relationship is ‘transactional’ – ‘have you done that yet?’; ‘great, here’s the next thing to do!’.
Not the best way to get the best out of internal or external team.
*See bonus reminder tip in the next ‘Solution’ part!!
That’s how communication breaks down. We stop listening, asking . . we stop ‘engaging’.
- Are there people you think are ghosting you or fobbing you off, maybe even giving you the run around? Or maybe you’re the one leaving others feeling you’re doing that to them?
Of course there are some really simple ways to avoid this.
Solution:
Most of us like to feel valued and respected. One way communication leaves people feeling empty.
Team members like to feel that they are part of something and that they can add value to you and you can add value to them.
I’ll share a favourite example of my own . . .
As property investors we regularly receive statements from our managing agents who do the work we choose not to. They free up our time for a very small investment from our rental income. We appreciate this so much we often drop them a note back thanking them for what they do and just showing genuine appreciation.
You may already know that one of these agents wrote back to us saying that ‘out of all the property investors they work with’ – we were ‘the only ones who ever do this!’. And they told us how good it was to feel appreciated.
For us it’s just good manners . . . and why would we not want to practice having good manners?!
*Here’s the bonus reminder tip:
Remember your HOME team (family, partners, friends) also like to feel that they’re important to you. How often do they feature in your calendar/diary/to do list?
We recommend a balanced diary of work, rest AND play.
THIS PART IS FOR ACTION-TAKERS ONLY:
A few simple ideas to get more out of your relationships – personal and professional. ake the ones that will work for you, and feel good about the ones you’re already doing. Can you take them up a notch or two?
- Make a list of your TEAM – and specify which Team they are on – home, work, advisers, professionals, etc.
- Score yourself on how you think they feel valued by you. Not the value/importance YOU give to them. Think about what THEY would say. Consider the frequency or regularity of your communication with them.
If you’ve really brave – ask THEM to tell you what they think. Then ask what you can do to raise that score.
TIP: I remember Andy asking me (many years ago) ‘What would I have to do to keep you?’ and ‘What would I have to do to lose you?’ – two fantastic questions that set the tone for us for the last 20 years. Imagine how quickly you can get aligned and on the same page! - Start thinking about TEAM as ‘Together Everyone Achieves More’. We can’t do everything ourselves. The more we value others and let them know, the more we all work together and pull in the same direction. That makes life easier and more fun!
- And extra bonus points for those of you who have investigated your own ‘Behavioural Profile’ – but ONLY IF you understand it and use it.
Double points if you also use it to better understand what makes OTHER PEOPLE tick and you adapt your behaviour to communicate more effectively.
Just a few thoughts and ideas . . . I’d love to know what you think . . .
Mary
2 – YOUR MARKETING/LINKEDIN TIP
We all know that nobody builds something meaningful completely by themselves.
Any business or goal that you want to achieve requires a team of people supporting it.
And LinkedIn is a great place to show your appreciation for that support.
Appreciation for those that make your dreams possible.
Take a look at this example from Sanja Sremacki:
Tanja’s post is simple.
But it definitely transmits the love she has for her team.
For her team, it’s certainly a post they can be proud of.
And for her audience, it’s a great way of learning more about Tanja, what her values are and what she’s trying to accomplish.
Who has supported you in your career?
Who would you like to thank or give a shout-out to?
Take a moment today or this week to show your appreciation.
Kindness will always get you far.
Solution:
EG: One of our most difficult things when it comes to posting regularly on LinkedIn is coming up with consistent ideas for content and what content works best for your business.
We’ve created a 32-page E-Book full of our collective knowledge on LinkedIn. What works best and what strategies will get you more leads from LinkedIn.
Want a copy?
Click here: www.resources.90dayplanning.co.uk/Content-Secrets