I really love Fast Company. I started reading the magazine back in the early 2000s and now read their daily brief which is filled with great stories about people building business. Recently they have been launching a bunch of online initiatives that I feel are tremendously valuable in regards to managing email, meetings, and your schedule. Here is a recent one that makes a lot of sense about how to avoid ‘the busy trap’. I had a colleague that used to be so busy with things, but wouldn’t get anything accomplished. When I’d ask her what she’d be working on, she’d start listing off things, but none of them relevant to her business. Enjoy this video and see if you can catch yourself in any of the descriptions:

You may or may not be familiar with the term “cloud computing”. The basic definition is that you use software that is hosted online, rather than on your computer. Not only do you not have to drag a computer with you (any Internet connected computer will do), but you don’t have to worry about data loss like you would if you misplaced your computer. I’ve been using google docs for about two years. It had most of the features of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, but missing some of the user friendly features that make Office such a powerhouse. Leave it to Google to each Microsoft’s lunch. They have added real-time collaboration to their online offering, added the creature comfort pieces that were previously missing, oh….and it’s FREE. Check it out today. We run almost all the Ghost CEO back end off it. Here’s a video on the new offering. Make your tools work for you and learn to travel light with cloud computing.
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I came across this great video on FastCompany, one of my daily morning reads. It clearly states why most mission statements fail. Too MBA’ish, too corporate, not enough clarity and integrity. Have a watch.

It is possible that the cell phone has done more harm than good for business. It leads to bad manners, worse work product, and disruption in focus. I know people that spend hours on their cell phone each day, or typing out emails 20-30 times a day. This is a waste of time. Books like the Four Hour Workweek suggest checking messages/email 2 x a day. This makes sense to me. You control your technology, not the other way around. This week, I want you to track your calls/emails on your iPhone/Blackberry. On Friday, count how many total you had (voicemail/email). How many were necessary? How many disturbed work you were trying to accomplish. Unplug for a while each day and see your productivity grow. If you can’t turn off the phone, you have some serious dependency issues you need to address. I used to be that guy, but realized that being tied to technology didn’t serve me. Try something a bit different and next week (after you get your counts from this week), try to drop the number of calls/emails you take/respond to by 50%. You will likely see no drop in opportunity, but a huge return in productivity. Try it, you might like it.

Cheers,

C./

www.GhostCEO.com or if you are feeling brave: www.ChrisFlett.com (rated “R”)

People! It’s a new year. Come on! Stop with the overworking. If you can’t get your work done during the workday, you are in the wrong job, the wrong market, or the wrong model.

It is unreasonable to work 45/60/80 hours a week. I know you think you have to and part of you might think that others will revel in your commitment. News flash. It isn’t impressive. It’s sad. It shows that you don’t have the systems, support, or know how to get things done. You work hard, not smart and that’s nothing to aspire for. Let me guess. You like to churn your own butter, sew your own clothes, and do your own woodwork. It doesn’t have to be hard!

If you are tired through the day, you are dragging ass, operating at 50% which means things will take you 2x as long as they would take if you were rested, clear, and sharp. Take some time, look at what you are doing, and think, “Am I working smart or hard.” If it’s the latter, there needs to be a change. Things will correct, but if you aren’t in control, you’ll have to live with the consequences.

Listen to your friend, virtual coach, designated A-Hole… take a good look at what you are doing and make the necessary adjustments. I know this post is a bit gruff, but sometimes it takes a snap for you to get the point. As one of my mentors used to say, “If you want a friend, buy a dog; if you want a guarantee, but a toaster!”

Cheers,

Chris.

www.GhostCEO.com

This week’s tip is about getting out from underneath the expectations of other people. Women are quick to take on guilt for what they aren’t doing or what they aren’t doing well enough (in their own mind). More times then not, I see clients taking on superhuman responsibilities only to fail and blame themselves. Look at your to do list for the week (both personal and professional) and consider it it is reasonable for you to get everything done without driving yourself into the ground. You will not succeed in life or business if you take too much on. You’ll end up dropping balls, driving yourself into burn out, and missing out on opportunities. Find a mentor, coach, colleague, or someone else that isn’t directly influenced by your decisions and ask them to listen to the responsibilities you’ve taken on and ask them objectively if they are reasonable. My guess is no. Break things into 1)What you have to do 2)What you’d like to do 3) What you will do if you find the time. Taking on too much in 2010 to meet other’s expectations is the fast lane to failure. Take a breath, consider what to be involved in, and go forward in a measured tempo.

Best,

Chris.

www.GhostCEO.com

Some people are stronger at things than others. That’s what makes business so magical. Before you get into new collaborations, take some time to get to know your own personal SWOT. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

Strengths are things you are good at.

Weaknesses are things you suck at.

Opportunities are circumstances that make something possible

Threats are things that could cause person or professional damage

Make a list of characteristics you have for each area. Then look for people that don’t have the same profile as you do. Choosing those who are strong at your weaknesses and vice versa makes business grow under the partnership. If you have to people that love to sell and are horrible at details, unless you can find someone to do the details, you’ll just have bigger problems collectively. Have your partner do a SWOT analysis themselves and then compare with each other.

The mistake I see a lot of people make is that they try to get good at what they suck at. What they should do is just focus on what they are good at and find partners that are good at the other parts. For me, I’m a starter, not a finisher. I get my jump from building new business models, developing the cash flow process, and building out the systems, then I want a partner who can run the ball and keep me in the loop, but do what they do. If I find another starter, all we are going to do is start things and not finish them. Every good partnership has two sides that reflect one another, but have different skill sets. This is where collaboration gets very exciting. Birds of a feather, might flock together, but they rarely make money together.

Cheers,

Chris.

www.ghostceo.com

Whenever you feel like you are getting in your own way, take out a journal and start the following exercise. Try to come up with as many as you can for each question:

1. What are some of the recent situations when I’ve wanted to say something to someone, but bit my lip rather than speaking my mind?
2. Why did I choose not to engage?
3. How did I feel about not engaging? Empowered? Like a wimp? Frustrated? Resentful?
4. Do I feel like I have a voice in business, or do I curb my comments so as not to rock the boat with clients, staff, colleagues?
5. What is the downsize of being truthful? Is it better to lie to those I work with or be known as being honest?

I used to spend a lot of time considering my words carefully to those I worked with, but I’ve gotten past it because it is too much work. I’d rather losers piss off, then me gracefully tell them about their shortcomings. Some might say I’m too direct, too blunt, and maybe I don’t consider the feelings of others. I guess I’m not looking to work with people who want me to be Suzy Sunshine. I spent too many years tweaking my words only to find that when I spoke my mind, the right people came into my sphere and the wrong ones pissed off. This is a good thing. I’m not asking you to tell all your asshole clients they are assholes (but if you did, I’d be proud). Instead start writing down the things you are thinking but not saying. Getting your thoughts down on paper can have a powerful effect and who knows…maybe those words on paper will come to life one day. Remember, you are in control of how you engage with people. Give respect to those who respect you and don’t mince your words with losers. A rose by any other name is a rose and a loser by any other description is still a loser. Don’t let your thoughts hold you back. The truth will set you free.

I’ve been noticing lately, that many of the women I work with, are frustrated with situations that they have created for themselves. This isn’t to assign blame. Rather it is to state the fact that if you got yourself into shit, you can get yourself out. The nice thing about being a business owner is you can make changes without checking in with anyone. If you are feeling like you are ‘walking in glue’, have a look at your actions, your decisions, and your habits and ask yourself if you are doing things to strengthen your business or weaken it. A little Ghost CEO self-assessment in the questions below:

1. Are you surrounding yourself with winners or losers?
2. Are you spending time thinking about how not to lose, or how to win?
3. Are you making excuses for why you aren’t performing at your best (“that damn market!”)
4. Are you spending time in your day frustrated with situations rather than finding ways to avoid problems through systems?
5. Are you working with people who meet your standards or those that fail to meet your expectations?
6. Are you excited about your work or are you dreading the office?
7. Are you taking enough time to balance yourself out through walks, yoga, time with friends, vegging out with a book?

Look for the signs that you are doing things counterproductive to you succeeding. You are likely doing 80% of things that are only delivering 20% of the results. Look at what is working for you and what isn’t and…do more of the good stuff. You can have a pity party, but don’t invite me. I know you can do it if you get out of your own way….so…get the HELL OUT OF THE WAY! A week ago, I was trying to multi-task on shit I didn’t want to do. I ended up sticking my blackberry in a mailbox. Yes, I mailed my blackberry. Luckily a friend postman opened the box and got it out, but it reminded me that multi-tasking doesn’t serve me, so I’ve stopped. Now I do one thing at a time and am doing much better, but am having a challenge getting used to be focused on one thing at a time.

Best,

Chris.

I bitch and moan about technology sometimes because it seems the phone is always ringing and the Blackberry always has a new email or message. That being said, thank GOD for the Blackberry. It might be a leash, but at least you can go outside with it. I have travelled around the world and the blackberry has allowed me to manage the various companies I’m involved in. I spent 6 weeks in Barbados last year and my blackberry was my connection to the world. I was religious in the fact that I only checked it twice a day, but I could enjoy going to the beach or pool side all day and still feel like I was at the helm of the boat. The connectivity on the island is shitty so there would be days where I wouldn’t get any messages. I didn’t obsess about it. I just accepted it and went about my day. If not getting connection is ruining your time off, you need to get yourself in check. It’s just work people. It will be there when the signal comes back (shit, am I starting to sound like Heather White?!?)

Use technology to run your business AND have a great summer (or vacation). I’m a bit of a hypocrite in the fact that I really do love my work and so checking email isn’t as much of a chore as it might be for someone who hates what they do. One day my ‘office’ was at the horse track. One day on my parent’s deck. Most days on one of the various beaches. Below are some pictures of my ‘offices in Barbados’, courtesy of Blackberry being my tool of choice:

The beach where I did the most….ummm….work

Rum shack where I had a couple of…Banks Beers.

Crane Beach

Poolside at the Crane Hotel (isn’t this better than your stuffy old office?)

Where I worked on the next book and had frequent naps.

Life is short! Get in your bathing suit, grab your Blackberry (or iPHONE) and note pad, sunscreen, something cold, and revel of your empire in the making!

Cheers,

C/

www.GhostCEO.com