November 2017

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Being part of a group for personal and professional growth hinges on being part of a goal-oriented group. It’s not a new concept. It’s been proven time and again in lots of spaces. Weight Watchers and other weight loss companies incorporate peer group power. Parents of Murdered Children (pomc.org) and other groups who share a common heartbreak leverage goal-oriented groups for healing and support. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA.org) and other addiction maladies help individuals overcome and manage their affliction with the power of goal-oriented groups. From health and disease to recreational pursuits like running marathons, to overcoming grief caused by violent crime – people have long found participation in a goal-oriented group rewarding. Even life-saving. 

A goal-oriented group is not some random group of folks who assemble to kick the verbal ball around. The neighborhood book club might consist of men and women who love to read novels. Their goal may be as simple as reading the same book at the same time, then coming together each month to discuss the book. The members may find it enjoyable to share the experience – the same experience of reading the same book – with neighborhood friends. It’s a simple goal, but no less rewarding for the members. The Parents of Murdered Children have a shared experience, a strong tie that binds them together. They’ve all lost children to murder. They may come together to heal and deal successfully with the loss and pain. Their goal isn’t recreational, but mere survival (and helping each other move forward after a devastating loss). Even so, members find relief and energy to move forward. In both cases, these goal-oriented groups exist for a straightforward purpose. Their goals aren’t hard to see. 

Our first relationships are with the family. We learn how to interact with our parents and any siblings. Then we expand that to interact with other relatives. These people are in our life because of who they are. We didn’t intentionally surround ourselves with these people. We’re family so we have to figure out these relationships and personalities. When it goes well, we figure out that we’re loved by these people and we love them in return. Our family provides support and safety. They provide us the opportunity to learn and grow.

From there we encounter neighborhood friends and school friends. Now we’re able to make some selections for the first time. We gravitate to some people and we avoid others. Attraction may be based on what we like, what we hate, what we most enjoy and what we least enjoy. Our friends probably tend to be like us. If we love football, so do they. If we enjoy video games, they do, too. We laugh at the same stuff. There are connection points we establish with our friends because they’re most like us. We likely avoid the people who seem the least like us. 

Very little changes as we grow up. We like what we like. We hate what we hate. Our worldview likely gets established relatively early in life. It’s hard to leave that zone we establish – the zone where we’re surrounded by people similar to us. These aren’t goal-oriented groups necessarily, but fundamentally they are. The goal is simply to have people in our lives who are congruent with our point of view and how we see the world. 

If we find ourselves getting out of shape we may be willing to take action by getting professional help through an organization like Weight Watchers. Suddenly, perhaps for the first time, we’re in a group that isn’t assembled because we all share likes and dislikes. We’re not in this room because we laugh at the same jokes or watch the same TV programs. We’re here because we’re all overweight and trying to do something about it. The tie that binds has nothing to do with our worldview, but rather a goal we’re all trying to hit. And we didn’t form this group. Instead, we sought out a solution to our individual problem and in the process, we discovered the power of joining forces with others wanting to accomplish the same thing! Our skin color, religion, financial status, and all the other things we may emphasize in other circles — those don’t matter because a single goal unites us. That common ground is enough to help us leverage our collective power to encourage and support each other as we learn how to change our behavior and lose weight. 

We’re reluctant at first. We just want to lose weight. Being in a group and suffering embarrassment isn’t what we’re chasing. But we’re encouraged to participate. Convinced it’s not going to work for us, we give it a go. In short order, we discover we’re surrounded by other people who want to accomplish the exact same thing – weight loss. We find ourselves learning information about our eating habits and our bodies that we never knew before. That learning coupled with other people who are encouraging, supporting and holding us accountable makes the difference. We start losing weight. This feels good. And it feels like something that may last. We see our weight loss friends achieving success and it propels us toward our own success. The discouragement that afflicted us in previous attempts is overcome by friends who know and understand our struggle. All of it fuels us to do better. 

Who fuels you? Who do you have in your life right now who adds energy to you? Who challenges you to do better? Who holds you accountable?

Daily we’re surrounded by people who drain us. Walk into any workplace and you’re likely to more quickly find yourself in a conversation “let me tell me what I hate around here,” than “let me tell you what I love about this place.” Because of our familiarity we know all the warts of where we work. Or where we live. Many of us can more easily focus on the negatives than the positives. That’s why we tend to think in terms of “if only.” If only I could earn more money. If only I could work with better people. If only I could buy that bigger house. If only I could buy a newer car. Energy drains surround us. 

No wonder many of us aren’t achieving more. We’re foolishly draining energy more consistently than we’re increasing it. Mostly, it’s because we don’t know better. We’re not purposefully trying to sabotage our achievement. One foot in front of the other day after day. Not being nearly as intentional as we could be. Sometimes not owning our own performance, but rather choosing to look at others for our failures. Again, the “if only” philosophy typifies the lives of too many. But our lives are fully in our control. Meaning we can control what we do, what we think and how we feel. We can’t control others. We can’t control circumstances. But we can always control our reactions and choices based on the people and circumstances of our lives. 

People who surround us help us. Or they hurt us. It’s up to us to make the necessary changes there, too.

The investment is worth it.

Yes, it’s a big commitment to join a goal-oriented group. But if the goal is important to you it’s a great investment that increases over time. 

It starts with figuring out your starting point. I use Waze almost daily. Waze is a social-based GPS navigation app on my iPhone. I have to have the location services turned on in order for Waze to work. If the app has no idea where I’m at, then it can’t help me. So it goes with a goal-oriented group. Where are you right now?

Now, where do you want to go? 

That’s your goal. Here at The Peer Advantage, the goal-oriented group is focused on small to medium-sized business owners who want to grow their business and their lives. People – men or women – who run companies of any size who find themselves suffering too much loneliness in operating and running their enterprise. Business owners who right now lack the people around them to challenge them to be better and bigger. Business owners who right now don’t have enough fuel being added to their lives daily. Business owners who are currently dissatisfied with the current level of success because they know they can achieve more. Business owners who are convinced they have the ability to make it happen, but they know if they could surround themselves with other business owners who understand the same challenges and opportunities, then they could soar higher (and get there faster). 

Like any goal-oriented group, it begins with you owning your outcomes. No excuses!

It’s up to you. Nobody else. 

Other people can really add fuel to the fire and help you, but you have to make the choice. You have to take the action because you’re the one who is performing, taking the action. 

As the smart guide of The Peer Advantage, my objective is to put you in a room together with other business owners who want what you want – to achieve more. Owners who want to grow their business and their leadership (professionally and personally). It’s a goal-oriented group of just 7 business owners from around the United States who gather regularly to invest in themselves because they understand the power of information, learning, and energy for all the growth they seek. 

After the first of the year (2018) I’ll be conducting a few FREE meetings with selected business owners. These meetings will provide you with an abbreviated experience of The Peer Advantage. Within the next few weeks, I’ll be scheduling these meetings.

Click here to complete a no-obligation application for a FREE meeting. 

It’s a goal-oriented group taking specific aim at business, professional and personal growth exclusively for business owners!

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As Leo Bottary’s podcast (and upcoming book) declares, “Who you surround yourself with matters!”

Unfortunately, too many people mistakingly feel they can only learn from people as smart, or smarter than them. “Why would I want to hear anything from that guy?” may be an unspoken refrain. Or not. Sometimes people say it. Most often they’re referring to somebody who they feel is inferior to their lot in life. For instance, the CEO of a $2B company thinks the CEO of a $200M startup has nothing to offer her. The business owner with a Harvard MBA thinks the college dropout business owner can’t possibly teach them anything. That’s how people get stuck and stay stuck. They think they have to be the smartest person in every situation. And they feel they have to constantly be on the prowl for people who may (operative word here MAY) be smarter than them. Over time, their arrogance drives them to feel like they’re unicorn hunting because…well, nobody is smarter than them. And searching for such people can be exhausting when you’re so brilliant. 

Missing The Point

For starters, finding people as smart or smarter than you isn’t that hard. Seeing them, though, can be almost impossible when you’re not looking. Or seeing clearly. 

Your smartness does have a big part to play in all this. Let’s not discount your brilliance. It has served you well (let’s hope), and it can continue to serve you well. Just not in the ways you may think. At least, not exactly. 

Smart people – people like you – are able to distill information and gain from it what you will. That is, you can read things, hear things, see things and figure out some things based on all that input. That’s why you may read. And look at financials. Or listen to podcasts. And talk with your direct reports. You connect dots after you feel like you’re seeing the problem and the potential solutions. That’s where your smartness comes into play. 

Your smartness does NOT come into play when you isolate yourself, refusing to listen to people you deem as intellectually inferior. It’s not about that. It’s about have people in your life willing to not be fooled by your bravado, or intimidated by your credentials or success — people who are willing to serve you by sharing their experiences, which are bound to be very different from yours.

Have you ever had a conversation with a child? Or a person of the opposite sex? Or somebody younger? Or somebody older? Or somebody who has never lived where you do? 

Why did you do that? Those people can’t possibly teach you anything. They don’t share enough in common with you, right? And we’re not even talking about how smart they are compared to you. 

How smart are you? Well, I know you’re smart enough to hear the snarkiness and understand the point. People who are very different have quite a lot to offer us if we’ll just stop long enough to give them some respect, and to listen. 

My wife doesn’t have the business experience I do. She’s never run a company with employees or millions in sales and budgets. Like I have. But she doesn’t have the head trash that goes along with my years of experience either. Or the tendency to overthink things. So she sees some things quite obviously and clearly that I may not see at all because I’m just not looking at it correctly. Her perspective has value. It has value because it’s so different from my own! 

Different Points of View, Different Experiences

You see, finding people who can help you grow, improve and transform isn’t about finding people smarter than you. Some of us don’t find that quite as challenging as others. But thankfully, we don’t have to walk around giving folks an IQ test, or some other assessment, to find out if they’re smart enough to help us. We just need to find people willing to help us do the work of G.I.T. (growth, improvement, transformation). People who have a perspective that may be different from our own. People who haven’t lived exactly as we have. 

Variety is the spice of life, but it’s also the value of personal growth as a business owner or leader. 

Common Ground, Common Purpose

What binds us to people? Something in common. It could be that we’ve got kids who attend the same school. Or kids who play on the same sports team. Maybe it’s people who attended the same college we did. Or people who attend the same church. Something ties us to others. Something in common. Maybe it’s one thing. Maybe it’s many things. 

For business owners, it’s business ownership. Business owners can easily relate to other people who also own a business. It’s a universal bond where we intuitively know, “They understand.” Business owners of all shapes and sizes can relate to other business owners. It’s common ground.

Inside The Peer Advantage (a new virtual peer advisory board of business owners from around America) are going to be 7 business owners who can look around the room and see people occupying positions of responsibility similar to their own. Everybody is a business owner. But there has to be another element – a common purpose. A common reason why we’re together. 

To help and to be helped.

Sharing experiences is how we get G.I.T. (growth, improvement, transformation). Willingness to share experiences. Willingness to listen. Willingness to serve. Willingness to be served. These are the ties that bind when high performing business owners assemble with a purpose. Personal growth. Professional growth. Granted, it’s a tall purpose. But high achievers are attracted to big goals and big objectives. They are not drawn to surround themselves with people who want to impose on them, or tell them what to do. That’s why they own their own businesses. They want to follow their own dreams and make their own path. It doesn’t mean others can’t help them achieve more and make the path smoother. They can. 

Business owners just have to make a basic, but powerful shift in their thinking – it’s not about surrounding yourself with people smarter than you. It’s about surrounding yourself with people different from you, but people who share two powerful traits with you: a) they own their own business and b) they’re willing to help other business owners and they’re willing to be helped by other business owners! Visit ThePeerAdvantage.com to learn more.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:06 — 17.6MB)

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Today is November 1, 2017. We’ve got about 60 days left in the year to finish strong. Or not.

We’ve also got about 60 days left to plan a solid start to 2018. Or not.

CEOs and business owners started thinking about 2018 months ago. You likely were formulating plans for 2018 this past summer. That doesn’t mean you weren’t thinking about, or planning for 2018 last year, or earlier. Some businesses have really long cycles. Like manufacturing, or pharmaceuticals. Success – even failure – can take a long time. And like any plans, clarity arrives the closer we get. Mostly because we have to get clear as deadlines or important dates grow closer. 

Let’s start with the finish. For some companies there are about 60 days left in the fiscal year. For others, the end of December will wrap up the end of their Q3, with a year end wrapping up at the end of March 2018. No matter – we’ve got a limited time as we close out 2017. No matter how lackluster the start, every business wants to finish having hit the forecasted numbers, building sales momentum to launch into 2018 and pile on as much profit as possible. Sixty days left to improve your key measurements is important. 

Every Day Counts. Every Person Counts.

There are some things we can do as business leaders to make full use of limited time. Like now. First, we can make sure to spread the positive message of making every day matter. Whether it’s accounting projects that need to be completed, or sales that need to be made – every day matters. More when we’ve got limited time. Everything is compressed and pressurized when there are only two months remaining. 

Don’t burn today because you’re going to experience some days where your mileage won’t be very good. The holiday season provides distractions. Distractions that you can’t ignore. Instead, you’re better off embracing them depending on the culture that you’re building, or maintaining. I hope your culture is high performance based. And I hope your employees are fully engaged, loving their work and mostly doing the best work of their lives. But that’s often idealistic. And it just isn’t happening. 

These are the days where you can really impact your culture. If you want to lead in the most positive way – and surely you do – then these are the days to show employees how much you care about them. As people. Every single day treat them as humans. It’s tempting to live by the “mush, mush” motto, behaving as though you’re driving a team of dogs in the Iditarod race. You’ll be tempted to think it’s the right strategy for getting the most out of your people, but it’s the fastest way to ruin good culture, or prevent yourself from ever establishing great culture. And you’ll lose your team, if not literally, emotionally and mentally. Don’t do it. 

Instead, make every day count by getting your people to connect and collaborate. Don’t ignore the need for people to provide insights and contribute to solutions that can make 2017 end on the highest notes possible. 

Try gathering people in brief sessions where you refrain from holding forth, but where you ask them how the company can take full advantage of the next 60 days. Nothing formal. You don’t want to put people on guard, especially if you’ve not been doing this regularly (what’s your problem?). Just stand up huddles where you ask people to give their ideas on things you can do TODAY, and every day as you do your best to finish the year as successfully as possible. 

Listen. Ask questions to make sure you clearly understand. Summarize what you hear them saying. Thank them. Genuinely and sincerely thank them. Don’t walk away without praising them. Everybody appreciates affirming words of encouragement and praise. It can’t be contrived though. Make it sincere and heart felt. Say it the way you want, then let them get back to work. Employees hate it when the work piles up placing them under an even bigger burden. Be respectful of their time and work load.

Keep people informed. What’s our speed? How’s our oil pressure? Are there any warning light flashing on our dashboard? Few things demoralize people more than being clueless about how well they’re doing – or how well the company is doing. Keep your folks informed. It starts with establishing the standards, the goals and objectives. People have to know what they’re aiming at first. Then they have to know how close or how far away they came to hitting the target. It’s your job, as the leader, to let them know the score and how they can improve it. 

Daily performances add up to provide our year-end results. Don’t neglect or forget the people behind the performance though. It’s culture and it’s critical to your success, both as a leader and as an organization. 

Now. Make it personal. Make it individual. 

The people behind the performance are the fuel behind everything your organization accomplishes. Don’t loose sight that they’re people – real humans with real human emotions, feelings, thoughts, ideas, dreams and expectations. You can avoid “messing” with all this soft stuff, or you can embrace it and leverage it for everybody’s benefit. I clearly urge you to do the latter. 

I don’t care how many people you lead, make time for people. If you’re running a global billion dollar company with 10,000 employees then you’ll have to scale this in a way that best works for you. But most of us won’t have that problem. A few, a dozen or more, hundreds of employees can be engaged in personal, meaningful ways. Find a way. Because it’s important.

What does it look like? It looks like whatever you can make it look like and whatever people need. Don’t forget the “what people need” factor. 

Open your door and invite people in for 10 minutes, 5 minutes. This isn’t a “let me tell you how you can be better for me” talk. It’s you, the leader, showing genuine interest in THEM. It’s you wanting to know how they’re doing. It’s you wanting to find out where they want their career to go next year. It’s you finding out what’s working for them at work, and what isn’t — and why! 

You’ll need courage to do this, especially if you’ve not done it before. You’ll need to start doing it and expect yourself to be more skillful after some practice. Ask, then listen. This is an enormous opportunity for you to learn about the real people who work for you. Who are they? What do they most care about? What are their ambitions? What are their passions? 

You’ve got people working for you right now who have talents you’re not leveraging. People with interested and skills you’re not leveraging because you don’t know about them. They can reach new heights of happiness and productivity AND you and the company can benefit. You just have to mine the gold that already exists in your people. 

Sixty Days. Make them all count. Make every day and every person count. Let them know they matter and you’ll be amazed at how much you, and each of them, will grow. Together, you’ll grow your enterprise, too.

 

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If you have a chance, please leave me an honest rating and review on iTunes by clicking Review on iTunes. It’ll help the show rank better in iTunes.

Thank you!