Nicholas Bate

TTD (Things To Do): to build your brand

1. Recognise that you have a brand whether you want to or not: your brand is how people refer to you/talk about you when you are not present.
2. Calibrate your current brand by imagining colleagues (who know you well) are talking about you when you are not present. They are talking fairly and positively, but honestly. What are they saying?
3. Repeat the exercise. What would you like them to be saying?
4. What are three actions you could take over the next three months to close the gap between 2 and 3?
5. Review your CV every month. This document-for good or for bad-is a snap-shot of you. Does it represent you well?
6. How much of your 'worth' is due to the company that employs you, and how much is intrinsic to you? The greater the latter, the better.
7. Adopt the mindset that you run your own business. Protect your reputation.
8. But don't let 7 stop you from standing for something. All strong brands do. What do you stand for?
9. Start.

The A to Z of Excellence

P is Passion

"Whatever you do, do it with passion".

Carlos Castaneda

Or as soon as you can, pack it in.

The Weekly Tutorial: How To Get Fit

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From day 1 you know what you want, from day 2 you have a process, from day 3 you started the process. Today: create your longer-term schedule. Get out your diary or wall-chart and put in the dates you will be running/walking/swimming and have fun ticking them off as they are achieved. Also put in 1 or 2 milestones to re-calibrate: are you getting what you wanted? Be it more energy, looking better or managing stress?

Finally: head down to the book-shop and buy a good book that appeals on health and fitness and decide to make it PART of your Life, not an add-on. Then you will never, ever lose the habit again.

See you next Monday for next week's tutorial.

Shuffle

The iPod was on shuffle: Revolution came up by The Beatles (of course). And even more powerful a sound than usual because it was from the new Love DVD-Audio disk. Most seem to feel Giles (son of George) Martin has done a great job: after all you can't 'improve' on the originals; but he has allowed us to hear them with fresh ears.

A challenge for any leader/influencer is to get people to keep seeing the basics as if 'afresh'. Sometimes an individual attending one of my workshops will ask in a bewildered way: how can we have forgotten something as essential as this? As a leader-of an organisation, of a customer service team, of a start-up, decide what is important and constantly look for ways of re-freshing those basics. Yes, everyone knows they should 'value difference': but they have stopped doing it. How can you make it an essential again? Yes, everyone knows discounting erodes margin very rapidly but it has become the norm again.

Giles Martin has re-freshed something we have all grown up with so we can 'hear' it again and be amazed. Our challenges as leaders is to do the same with the essential ideas which protect the fabric of our businesses and for that matter our Lives.

Select Revolution. Play it loud. What essential messages need a re-fresh in your business?

The A to Z of Excellence

O is Organised

Whatever you want, you won't get it unless you are organised. Being organised requires attention to the 3 Ms: (1) Mindset i.e. to balance IN time (important and urgent) with ON time (important and investing) (2) Master List i.e. a complete list of everything you have to do and want to do in 1 place, portable and reviewed daily (3) Management i.e. every day break and date what is on your master list into time and brain attractive chunks.

The Weekly Tutorial: How To Get Fit

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From day 1, you know what you want and why. From day 2 you have established your process for getting fit.

Today is pattern-break day. No more procrastination: do it. Decide that you will not accept any single pathetic excuse which your inner voice comes up with about 'tomorrow would be a better day', or 'I can't find my trainers'. Every inner voice excuse which comes to mind: squash it and

Get on with it!

See you tomorrow.

Something to Think About

Great Principles starting with the letter P

Peter Principle
Employees are promoted to their level of incompetence.
(Peter & Hull)

Pareto Principle
80% of result is initiated from 20% of cause.
(Vilfredo Pareto)

Parkinson's Principle
Work expands to fill the time available.
(Cecil Parkinson)

Small is Beautiful

Chordiem are a great event management company. John and Nev are always willing to help/advise, even when it doesn't immediately lead to business. They know their business is highly dependent upon producing a powerful experience for the client and that powerful experience starts from the very first phone-call.

More and more customers are seeking that 'Small is Beautiful' experience. I personally really dislike dealing with my business bank because it is so detached, so robotic. So, why don't I switch? No real alternative as far as I can see. The opportunity is there. Anyone of the Big Banks could pull away from the others: but they need to be serious about the relationship. Stop talking about it and make it happen. Get the processes sorted and self-running. Then put energy into making the customer feel loved. That's high tech + high touch.

Oh and if you are serious about your next event, contact Nev or John at Chordiem.

Something to Think About

"Follow your Bliss"

Joseph Campbell

The A to Z of Excellence

N is Niche

Identify your niche, your own bit of the Universe. Your niche is your specialist area, your area of expertise, your passion. Because it is your passion, you tend to enjoy working in that area. Because you enjoy working in that area you tend to be good at it. Because you are good at it, you tend to be well paid for it.

Hey presto! Success!