Sunday, May 16, 2010

In the moment


There is a lot of emphasis on business to be planning, or doing strategy days, working ‘on the business rather than in it’. But wow! let’s celebrate the great days we all have being in the business.

Sharon and I have a partnership together with associates, and we have had the privilege of being with eleven businesses these last two weeks, in addition to working with two of our Hereford director forums in that time as well.

On Wednesday morning we were writing up a Bull’s Eye day report for an engineering business – I translate my writing off the flipchart, Sharon formats. Before lunch we were putting together a business plan from data supplied by the three partners of a vetinary practice. Quick lunch and then a ten mile drive through the beautiful Herefordshire countryside, in two cars, to work with the ten person management team of a superb local food company with five outlets.

Sharon did the first hour on management development topics and I then chaired their management meeting. Sharon meanwhile motored back home to prepare supper for Dave, Managing Director of a cider making company. The superb pork in cider meal was made from ingredients supplied by both clients.

I got back at six, had a one to one with Dave for a couple of hours, then the three of us ate before walking down to the finest pub in the county, which happens to be another client.

At ten o’clock you can look back on a wonderful day like that and think “Yes! This is what I am supposed to be doing on this planet!"

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Saturday, May 01, 2010

The happiest leaders...


The happiest leaders we know are those where their business Bull's Eye is in alignment with their personal Bull's Eye.

Many of us can see how easy it is to spend time and energy on the business; and if something needs sorting, as it invariably does, then we are the ones to do it. After all, that's our job isn't it?

What actually goes out the window is the time and energy we spend on the other areas of our life. We don't show up for the parents evening; the round of golf on Sunday gets cancelled and the meal out we scheduled with our partner will just have to be postponed. Again.And as this pattern repeats itself time after time after time, we vaguely look for the light at the end of the tunnel. We promise that it will get better, but the reality is we have no idea exactly how that will happen.

This is why we are doing more and more Bull's Eye sessions for business leaders with other key family members present, like partners for example. And these may be partners who don't even work in the business.

The truth is that you can never put a Bull's Eye for your business together, designed to develop and sustain competitive advantage, without incorporating the main aspects of your personal life as well.

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