Chris Cooper's Blog, page 143

The Lineage of Mentorship

I just got a new business mentor. I’ll tell you about her in a moment, but I want you to know where I’m coming from first.

 

My first real mentor was an operational expert. Denis had already turned around several huge industrial companies. He was on the team featured in “Good to Great” (the Kimberly-Clark story). Then he led an employee buyout of a huge lumber producer. Then he turned around our local steel mill. Then he decided to leave a legacy by mentoring five local entrepreneurs before he retired. I was one.

 

In 2008, I thought I needed more marketing. What I really needed was to turn my project into a profitable business. Denis did that, I wrote a book about it, and life’s been better because of it. The changes I made with Denis’ mentorship are what make my lifestyle possible today, ten full years later.

 

My second mentor was growth-focused. Dan helped me take TwoBrain from infancy to a multi-million-dollar worldwide movement. We have powerful mentors on three continents, and nearly 500 clients. We’re attracting entrepreneurs outside the gym industry. Our processes aren’t perfect (yet) but they create a LOT of joy for our clients, and most say we change their lives.

 

Now, with a huge team of big thinkers, I know I need to grow as a leader. So I sought the mentorship of Marcy Swenson, and the team is already seeing the benefits.

 

I met Marcy in San Francisco a few months ago. She was the mentor for my own mentor at the time, and I immediately recognized the reason: she’s very different from Dan (and very, very different from me.) I’ll share her lessons soon.

 

Each builds on the one before. Marcy’s lessons, in 2008, wouldn’t have saved my gym. But they’re exactly what I need NOW.

 

What’s really important here is that every mentor I have–or have ever had–has had a mentor.

 

In fact, every successful person in any field has a mentor. Usually a formal, paid mentor.

 

You can read “Why Millionaires Have Mentors” here, if you want more on that topic. And here’s another take: “Every Millionaire Has A Mentor“. Don’t take my word for it, either: read “5 Reasons Even Billionaires Seek Out Mentors” on Inc.com.

 

All of the mentors at TwoBrain have mentors. Some of the more senior mentors at TwoBrain have more than one. Some of us pay more than $50,000 per year to outside mentorship programs. We learn what we can, and we bring it back to the TwoBrain family. We ratchet up our curriculum, our skill as mentors, and our client experience all the time. We can do that, because we have mentors.

 

Mentorship is the umbrella.  Under that umbrella are courses, workshops, and masterminds. Ideas, tactics, mindset: all fall under the umbrella of mentorship. Books, videos, facebook groups, ideas…they can all be part of the plan you build with your mentor.

 

If you’re in business, you need a mentor. The only question should be, “Which one is best for me right now?”

 

We do hundreds of calls every year with entrepreneurs seeking a mentor. We invite around 30% of them into our program (with over 20 TwoBrain mentors now, it’s easier to find perfect matches). If you’re seeking a mentor, here are the top ten questions you should ask:

 

Who is YOUR mentor?

Because if they’re selling mentorship and don’t have a mentor…that’s kinda like lying.
Who have you helped?
Who do you work best with?
Who do you typically turn down?
How much contact should I expect?
What will I do between calls?
How will you help me sort my ideas and build a plan?
What’s the first thing I need to do right NOW?
How can I learn more about your ideas and style?
What have you screwed up?

 

If you can only ask two, take the first and the last. Nothing says “false prophet” like a mentor without a lineage or history of mistakes.

 

Powerful mentorship comes from a lineage. When one successful person distills their knowledge and passes it along, its value multiples. When the next in line adds their own expensive knowledge and mistakes, the value of their mentorship compounds again. And again and again, down the line. That’s exponentially powerful. I’m thrilled to have a long lineage of mentorship behind our team, and we choose future mentors from within the TwoBrain family for the same reason.

 

Ready to start with a TwoBrain-certified mentor? Click here to book a free call.

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How To Manage A Business Partner

by Anastasia Bennett, TwoBrain Mentor (NZ)

Many of us have been there, right? You have a great idea that you share with your friend one night over a couple of drinks. They have an idea that’s even better and suddenly you find yourselves talking about creating a business together.  It’s exciting, but what does it take to become a good business partner? We all know the old adage “Two brains are better than one”, but no one talks about two personalities, two sets of needs, or the relationship you need to have to get into the business bed with someone. So, how do you manage a business partner? Short answer: you don’t. But here’s what you can do.

 

Vision

First, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself. Do you complement each other? In other words, does your business partner have your weaknesses as their strengths? If you are both terrible at finishing tasks then they might not be the right partner for you.

Do you get along well? It’s important that you connect on a few different levels so that you’re able to communicate effectively with each other. 

What will each of you bring to the table? Do your offerings balance and align with what your partner is offering? Do you share the same vision for your business? Similar values? If you’re not both invested in the same idea and direction it might be time to pause and think about whether you really want to be in business with each other. Don’t worry – it’s not all bad news!

 

Communication

As mentioned before, communicating with your partner is essential to the successful running of your business.  What makes the difference is your approach. You need to make sure that you communicate well with each other and are open about your expectations without being scared to express your needs and opinions.

 

Roles and Responsibilities

Before you finalise everything and create the business and draw up an agreement, it’s important to discuss roles and responsibilities. These may change over time, but having a plan to start with is always a good idea.

Identify your strengths and weaknesses and what you would like to be doing within the business. Discuss it with your partner – do they agree? Do you agree with their ideas? Brainstorm potential issues and try to come up with solutions in advance. This will make everything run more smoothly.

Decide who is going to be responsible for operations, finance, creative, or any other roles that might come with your business place. Again, it’s important that you each agree on who will take those roles. Remember to listen and consider each other’s opinions, suggestions, and decisions.

By identifying roles, you will see gaps (or weaknesses) in your business plan and this is a great opportunity for you to fill that gap with someone who can help grow your business according to your vision.

Once you’ve agreed on roles and responsibilities you can work on a shareholder or partnership agreement. Make sure you get legal advice. Sometimes things don’t work out the way we planned; it’s ok to walk away on good terms, so make sure you have a buy-out plan ready for óne day’ when either of you wants to part ways.

 

Get a mentor

It’s always a great idea to get someone else’s perspective on your ideas and your business. My husband and I were trying to navigate roles in our marriage and business. We were both trying to be in charge which just didn’t work and it was causing stress in our marriage so we reached out to a business mentor to help us. Newsflash: business partnerships are like a(nother) marriage!

A mentor can stop you from blaming each other if something doesn’t work out. They will hold you accountable to your actions and can give you honest advice without the burden of having an emotional connection to your business. More news: your business will be your favorite (and least favorite) child.

I have had several partnerships. Some of them worked perfectly, and others didn’t work at all. I learned lessons from each of them.

Partnership is not for everyone, but if you approach it logically and seek help, advice, and mentorship, you can save yourself from making mistakes early on and create a successful and fulfilling business.

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”- Andrew Carnegie

 

The post How To Manage A Business Partner appeared first on Two Brain.

Episode 145: Greg Strauch Interviews Chris Cooper

On this episode, we sit down with Chris Cooper, the founder of Two-Brain Business.

Nearly ten years ago, Chris ran into trouble with his first business–a CrossFit gym–and hired a mentor. He began feverishly writing down all the lessons he was learning and blogging them along his journey to help others. Hundreds of blog posts later, Chris launched his first book, Two Brain Business, which is now the bestselling fitness business book of all time! In 2016, he launched TwoBrainBusiness.com and began mentoring other gyms so they could experience the same success he had!

Today, TwoBrain spans the globe with a mentoring team of 21, over 480 gyms in the TwoBrain family, and a growing group of entrepreneurs who don’t own gyms.

Join us today as we go over how Chris started Two Brain Business, the next steps for Two Brain, and the future of the Two Brain Radio podcast!

 

Links:

https://twobrainbusiness.com/

https://www.facebook.com/twobrainbusiness/

https://twitter.com/twobraincoach

 

Timeline:

0:44 – The founding of Two Brain Business

6:32 – Growing Two Brain Business from this point forward

10:45 – How Two Brain is helping businesses outside of CrossFit

13:52 – Where are CrossFit Gyms ahead and where are they behind?

19:21 – How can business owners get a leg up within their business?

23:50 – Long-term planning of Two Brain Business

27:59 – Leveling up the Two Brain Content

32:51 – Two Brain Stories with Josh Crill

 

Find out what stage of entrepreneurship you are in by taking the exclusive Two Brain test here: https://twobrain.com/test/or schedule your free mentoring call by clicking here!

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Case Study: The Lifer

“I can’t retire.”

Tom is a dentist. He has a busy practice. It took him decades to accumulate his client list, build his staff, and outfit his office. Some of his clients have been with him for over 20 years. Tom makes a great living; takes Fridays off; and throws amazing staff parties.

But he can’t stop. Ever.

“If I want to take the summer off, there’s no money coming in. My staff has to take the summer off too, and they can’t afford it. And if I’m not available to my clients, they’ll switch to another dentist. Then I won’t have the cash flow to pay the staff anyway. I’m close to sixty, and my business owns me. What can I do?”

Many entrepreneurs don’t build a business; they just buy themselves a job.

Maybe they’re a specialist, like a chiropractor or dentist or veterinarian. Maybe their business is built around them. Maybe they really are irreplaceable. And maybe, in some cases, that’s even okay.

Until it’s not.

Until they need to retire, and realize they don’t have a way to “cash out”. They can’t sell their business, because it’s all built around themselves as a specialist. They can’t sell their client list, because they have no predictable revenues. They can’t sell their building, because they don’t own it. And maybe worst of all: if they DO retire, their staff will be out of a job. It’s like working for a Pharaoh: a great job to have, until he goes underground…then you’re going with him!

Tom needs to sell the business. But what is he selling, exactly?

The equipment is the easy part.

The client list has some value, but none of his clients are really tied to his practice. They could all simply go elsewhere at any time. And if Tom starts cutting back his availability, his clients definitely WILL go elsewhere.

What Tom is really selling is the trust he’s built with his clients. Thanks to his years of caring service, he has one opportunity to pass them to another dentist. This turnover has to happen with the utmost care.

First, Tom needs to build a business that’s salable. He must record all of his operations and processes down to the finest detail. Whether Tom takes a temporary partner or makes an outright sale, the client experience must stay consistent to maximize value to the buyer.

Second, Tom needs to ask himself what kind of retirement he wants. Is he ready to be finished forever? Would he rather stay on part-time for a few years? Would he like to work ONLY with a few very long-term clients?

Finding a buyer comes third, and there’s a long process involved. One dentist might simply take over Tom’s clients, or they might be split between several dentists. In those cases, Tom can deliver a much higher value if he makes a personal recommendation to the client:

“Mary, I’m retiring in June. I’d like you to make your next appointment with Dr. Smith. I chose Dr. Smith for your care because she’s an expert on denture care, and I know you have a lot of concern about your dentures. I’ve fully briefed Dr. Smith on your history and she’s made a time for you in her schedule. Let’s call her office together now.” That smooth handoff is a win for Tom, a win for Dr. Smith, and a win for the client. It’s frictionless and stress-free.

For the sake of this article, though, let’s walk through the wholesale buyout of Tom’s practice, from its fixtures to its client list.

The fourth step in the sale is the transition period. The real value to the buyer is the clients who stay with the practice when Tom retires. So Tom must:

Stay on at the practice for at least a year, taking care to introduce the new dentist to his clients;
Build up the new dentist as an expert and local authority;
Insist that all clients book their next appointments with the new dentist;
NOT keep “some clients” for himself, but remove himself from delivery for everyone equally;
Be available to cover vacations, but not tell clients when he’ll be in the office.

What should Tom charge for his practice?

The basic calculation is a three-year discounted cash flow model.

Tom would total his income from the last three years of his practice (personal take, including all benefits received from the business) plus the value of his assets.

Then he’d subtract any outstanding loans or bad debt to come up with the book value.

The buyer would also likely have to assume the balance of Tom’s mortgage, staff costs, and ongoing fixed costs. These numbers could be intimidating to a new dentist, making Tom’s transition plan even more critical.

In some cases, the final purchase price is flexible, depending on client retention.

For example, if Tom agreed to sell his practice for $500,000, he might be paid in quarterly installments over the next year. And those installments would be based on retention. I’ve been involved in sales where this model was used, and really like it. For example, Tom might receive $100,000 on the first day of the sale, and then a multiple of the remainder after 3 months and 6 months, depending on client retention.

If, after 3 months, the practice has 90% retention, then Tom receives 90% of $200,000 (the payment owed after 3 months).

If, after 6 months, the practice has 70% retention, then Tom receives 70% of the final $200,000 payment.

The math would look like this:

$100,000 up front

$180,000 ($200,000 second payment x 90% retention rate)

$140,000 ($200,000 third payment x 70% retention rate)

$420,000 final value of the practice.

 

The nice thing about this model is that Tom is compelled to ensure the smoothest possible transition to the new dentist. After the six-month mark, Tom could be hired part-time to cover vacations, etc. if he still wants to work a little. I’d still recommend a six-month period where Tom sees NO clients to prevent schedule cherrypicking.

 

There are many ways to negotiate the sale of an owner-operator business in the service industry. But the first steps are always the same: the business must be built to sell. Operations must be completely turnkey so the buyer can focus on client relationships instead of figuring out how to run a practice.

 

 

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Episode 144: LinkedIn Ads, with AJ Wilcox

Episode 144– The LinkedIn Expert – AJ Wilcox

 

I’ve always been puzzled by LinkedIn.

On one hand, all of my ideal clients seem to be on there. LinkedIn is the social media for professionals, where you can identify high earners and find local entrepreneurs. And I think entrepreneurs are great CrossFit clients: they can afford it; they have a more open schedule; and they understand my rates and my hours.

On the other hand, LinkedIn doesn’t make it easy to advertise to these people. The news feed is a slow trickle, compared to Facebook’s torrent of cat pics and presidential memes.

 

AJ Wilcox has spent over $100M on LinkedIn Ads. His team manages the largest and most sophisticated accounts on LinkedIn worldwide. He says we have two choices: spend a minimum of $5000 per month on LinkedIn, OR spend nothing. In this episode, he shares the best practices for both strategies to get leads from the platform. 

 

AJ Wilcox has been an online marketer since 2007 and managed hundreds of Google Adwords, Facebook and LinkedIn campaigns. In 2014 he decided to venture out on his own and started B2Linkedin an effort to spread the success he was experiencing on LinkedIn while advertising to other companies. Today AJ is a certified LinkedIn Ads Partner.

 

Join us today as we dive into how you can apply LinkedIn advertising to your CrossFit gym or business. According to AJ, a solid campaign should following the following steps:

 

A – Audience – You’ve got to be able to target your audience efficiently

M – Message – Figure Out what you want to say to your audience

O – Offer  – What are you going to say to get someone’s attention

 

Checkout AJ’s FREE eight point LinkedIn marketing checklist here: https://b2linked.com/checklist/

 

Links:

https://b2linked.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilcoxaj/

 

 

Timeline:

1:30 – Introduction to the LinkedIn Expert AJ Wilcox

3:28 – What is the difference between Facebook and LinkedIn Ads?

4:37 – Does LinkedIn contain the target audience for your gym?

5:33 – Spending over $100 Million Dollars on LinkedIn

6:47 – Getting started with LinkedIn Ads

9:32 – Why LinkedIn is more expensive than Facebook and other platforms?

11:09 – What can you do on LinkedIn with a small budget and just starting out?

14:36 – Obtaining new CrossFit clients using LinkedIn

16:28 – Small versus large audience targeting on LinkedIn

17:19 – Strategies for getting started on LinkedIn

18:30 – The biggest mistakes people make on LinkedIn

21:49 – How to approach business to consumer on LinkedIn

22:58 – Content that performs well on LinkedIn

25:21 – Will LinkedIn continue to grow in the future?

27:30 – How important is social proof on LinkedIn compared to other platforms

29:09 – One big success story from using LinkedIn

31:50 – TwoBrain stories with Brain Zimmerman

 

 

The post Episode 144: LinkedIn Ads, with AJ Wilcox appeared first on Two Brain.

Your Media Company

No matter what your service, you own a media company.

Thirty years ago, Proctor & Gamble owned one of the biggest media machines on earth.

Today, you have a larger media machine in your pocket.

Ten years ago, gatekeepers controlled who got to see your message. You had to buy time on TV, get interviewed on the radio, pay for column inches in the newspaper, buy the biggest ad in the Yellow Pages, beg editors to approve stories about you…

Today, none of that. There are NO gatekeepers. You own the media!

You can publish your own newspaper. You can record your own radio show. You can go live on camera any time you want. You don’t just own the means of production–the distribution is FREE!

Why aren’t you using it?

Usually, the answer is: “I don’t know how to get started.”

Or, “I don’t know what to SAY.”

Here’s what to do TODAY to get your media machine rolling:

(If you don’t know what phase of entrepreneurship you’re in, click here to take the test.)

Founder Phase

Goal: Make Yourself Famous

Tactic: Put yourself on stage. Use videos to answer questions and establish authority in your niche.

Tools: Facebook Live, YouTube.

Topics: What are the most common questions asked by your clients and future clients? Answer those.

Farmer Phase

Goal: Make Your Team Famous

Tactic: Put your staff on stage. Use videos or podcasts to establish their authority in your niche.

Tools: Live videos, recorded videos, Apple podcasts, blog posts with video

Topics: Answer the FAQ that pop up in your business. Interview your staff monthly.

Tinker Phase

Goal: Make Your Clients Famous

Tactic: During Goal Reviews or client check-ins, ask your clients to share their story to inspire others. Share on social media, YouTube. Add your client’s origin story. Brag them up.

Tools: Live videos, recorded videos, social media, podcasts

Topics: “Tell me your story.”

Thief Phase

Goal: Make Your Cause Famous

Tactic: inspirational blog posts, downloadable white papers, recorded talks, podcasts, Journals, books, audiobooks, webinars, courses.

Tools: TEDx, Audible, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, courseware

Topics: Mentor others to do what you’ve done.

 

At TwoBrain, we publish every day. We write blog posts, send love letters, produce YouTube videos and podcasts. We educate and inspire. But we’re far from perfect. With media, as with everything in your business, consistency is more important than anything else. Hit Publish!

 

After the Incubator, our mentoring team can help you set up your YouTube channel, blog, RSS feed, podcast, social media…even publish a book! Click here to book a free call to talk about it.

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Turning Pro

Writer’s block isn’t a real thing. Real writers write.

 

Plumbers don’t get “plumber’s block”. Orthopedic surgeons don’t say, “I’m just not feeling it today.”

 

Professionals show up and do the work.

Stephen King wrote, ““Don’t wait for the muse. As I’ve said, he’s a hardheaded guy who’s not susceptible to a lot of creative fluttering. This isn’t the Ouija board or the spirit-world we’re talking about here, but just another job like laying pipe or driving long-haul trucks. Your job is to make sure the muse knows where you’re going to be every day from nine ’til noon. or seven ’til three. If he does know, I assure you that sooner or later he’ll start showing up.”

 

Professionals aren’t too good for the basics.

 

Greg Glassman said: “Stick to the basics and when you feel you’ve mastered them it’s time to start all over again, begin anew – again with the basics – this time paying closer attention.”

 

Steven Pressfield wrote “The Legend of Baggar Vance” and “The War of Art”. He also wrote “Turning Pro”, a book about developing habits and committing to a higher level in life. Steven is ALSO a professional exerciser, even though it’s not his career or even his passion. He’s a pro because he turns up to meet his trainer at the gym every day, even when he doesn’t feel like it.

 

He learned to be a pro exerciser by being a pro writer. He doesn’t always feel like writing, but he does anyway. And on an interview this morning, he said:

“The defining feature of a professional is the willingness to go back to basics over and over again.”

 

Professionals have coaches.

Tom Brady has a throwing coach. After every season, he starts from scratch with his coach: learning the forward pass, just like he did as a six-year-old.

When you open a business, you get to call yourself an owner.

That doesn’t mean you’re a professional owner. Not yet.

You have a lifetime of learning ahead of you–you’ll go back to the basics all the time–but you get to wear the same badge as me. Thank you for reshaping our world.

I used to think that being a “pro” meant showing up every day and trying really hard. But I don’t think that anymore. As I look over the results of the best entrepreneurs in the TwoBrain family, I see other things in common: the willingness to revisit the basics, no matter how successful; the wisdom to seek a coach; and the humility to consider that their way–while good–might not be optimal.

 

Professionals behave like professionals when they don’t have to.

Guys like Gary Vaynerchuk have made entrepreneurship cool.

This new breed wears snapbacks onstage. They wear designer jeans and have cameras following them around, just in case they say something extra special.

But they’re never unclean. They don’t yawn on camera. Pros never complain, criticize or condemn.

They get away with some stuff–using f-bombs, for example–BECAUSE they have a solid foundation of professionalism. One bad habit is the exception to their rule; it’s not the rule.

A podcast doesn’t mean someone’s successful. A real pro lays their personal style on top of their expertise. The standards of a pro don’t dip to meet the amateurs or copycats. Being a pro means you can’t turn it off.

 

No one turns pro quickly.

No one turns pro easily.

No one turns pro without sacrificing the habits of amateurs.

 

If you’re ready to turn pro, you can book a free call with one of TwoBrain’s business mentors here.

 

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Two Types of Problems

“My staff never cleans up before they go home.”

 

“Our front office is a pigsty!”

 

“No one returns phone calls or emails quickly.”

“NO ONE cares except for ME!”

 

If you struggle to get consistent action from your staff, there are two possible causes.

 

The first probable cause is your process. The second probable cause is your people.

 

If anyone on my staff is failing to perform at their highest level, I first assume it’s my fault: the process isn’t clear enough to them. I ask myself:

 

“Have I told them exactly what to do, and how to do it?”

 

As founders, we frequently assume that everyone knows what we do, or that our knowledge is “common sense.” But of course that’s not the case: no one knows how to write a compelling quote for a client until we tell them. Often, our instructions are too complex, or contain gaps that our own brains skip right over.

 

I once had a cleaner named Sean. His checklist said “Mop the floors”. So he did, but didn’t use any soap, because I didn’t write “Pour a cup of soap into the hot water”. The dirty floors were my fault: Sean was just following my poor directions.

 

If I’ve told the staff person clearly how to do a job and they’re not meeting expectations, the next question I ask myself is:

 

“Have I shown them what “perfect” means?”

 

My definition of “clean” is different from your definition. To my kids, “clean” means “tidy”. To my wife, “clean” means the involvement of bleach and rubber gloves.

 

To me, “on time” means fifteen minutes early–at minimum. But to a teenager, “on time” might mean two minutes after nine. If my front desk staff arrives at two minutes after nine on the weekend, and I’ve only told them to be “on time”, I’m allowing a subjective consideration into my process.

 

Clearly spell out the gold standard in all work. If possible, take a picture: “Here’s what a clean office looks like.” No one can live up to an imaginary standard.

 

If they know the gold standard, and they’re failing to meet it, I ask myself the third question:

 

“Have I reviewed their performance with them?”

 

This is usually my weakest link. But if I haven’t told the staffer that their work is sub-par, they probably think it’s just fine. Over 80% of drivers claim to be better than average, because our egos won’t ever let us believe we’re bad at anything. Your staff is the same way: if you don’t rate their performance, their assumption will be that it’s good enough. Schedule quarterly reviews for all staff. Do it in advance. And give them the scorecard (your evaluation form) on the day of their hire.

 

Finally, if I’m sticking to an evaluation schedule and they’re still failing, I ask myself a fourth question:

 

“Do they have an emotional reason to succeed?”

 

You can tell a staff person to take out the garbage because it’s their job. You can impose your authority and threaten punishment. But we’re all human, and driven by irrational desires. At 9pm, when your cleaner is tired and wants to make it home in time to watch Shark Tank, they might skip the garbage takeout. It might not even be a conscious decision.

 

But if they know that the President is visiting tomorrow, they won’t forget. Our job is to make them see the consequence of their failure through the eyes of others: if they don’t empty the garbage tonight, sweet Mary will have to do it in the morning. She’ll be finishing their job for them. Just as your mom used to guilt you into doing work by doing it FOR you while you watched, we need to give our staff an emotional reason to succeed.

 

Ask them, “How will this affect the other staff if your work isn’t done?” or “What impression will our clients have if the floor isn’t clean?” or “What will the buyer think if you spell his name incorrectly on the invoice?”

 

If the four questions above don’t solve the issue, you don’t have a process problem: you have a people problem.

 

The wrong person is doing the wrong job.

 

If you have a great person, they could be doing a job that doesn’t optimally challenge them.

 

First, ask:

 

“Do they have a clear view of their future in the company?”

 

In other words, do they see how their progress in this role will affect their opportunities later? Do they believe they’re stuck cleaning the kitchen for life, or do they know it’s a short-term step before being promoted to assistant manager?

Set up regular goal-review meetings for your staff.

 

The second question is:

 

“Does their future position depend on success in this position?”

 

Meaning: am I judging their worthiness to be a great coach on their ability to sweep the floors?

No one is perfect at everything–not me, not you and our staff. The person could simply be in the wrong seat on the bus. I am NOT a great cleaner, but I’m a good motivator. Placing me in a cleaning role won’t make me happy–unless I see the big picture and my place in it, with a timeline for advancement.

 

The last question is:

 

“Will this person be part of the team that takes us to the next level?”

 

The people who got you here might not be the same people who get you THERE. It’s true of your staff, and true of you: while you’re busy developing your entrepreneurial skills with your mentor, your staff might not be doing the same. And that’s okay: they might want to vacuum forever. Some people do.

 

But when you move to the huge warehouse without carpets, you’ll need a new skillset. And if the staffer isn’t ready to acquire the necessary skills, you have a new people problem; you should chart their career path–or their exit–again. One of the greatest questions I’ve ever learned to ask is:

 

“Do you still want to do this?”

 

Surprisingly, the answer is sometimes “no”–and that’s much better than “maybe”, because it allows both the founder and their staff to move forward, even if it’s not together.

 

When your staff isn’t living up to your expectations, first assume you have a process problem. But if you’ve satisfied all of the four questions above, you have a people problem. That’s tougher, but still solvable.

 

Most of the time, the first question you should ask is, “Am I the problem?” And if you are, create the process that gets what you want, and then get out of the way. The greatest gift you can give your staff is the opportunity to succeed.

 

 

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Why (And How) To Evaluate Your Staff

By Anastasia Bennett, TwoBrain Mentor

 

Why should you evaluate your staff?

 

“The goal needs to be to get the team right, get them moving in the right direction, and get them to see where they are making mistakes and where they are succeeding.”

― Daniel Coyle, The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups

 

Regular evaluations during the year will help your staff have a clear understanding of how they measure up against their targets and standards.

 

The purpose of evaluating your staff is to give them an opportunity to grow.

 

Evaluation and constructive feedback is a gateway for improvement. Don’t wait until your staff do something wrong. Conduct your evaluations every 3-6 months, and schedule them in advance.

 

We teach consistency and evaluating your staff should be part of it. If you are consistent with your evaluations, there won’t be any surprises for your team. If you wait until they’ve done something wrong, that’s unfair to everyone. Be proactive, rather than reactive.

 

Evaluation sessions are a great way to acknowledge performance achievements as well. It will help your staff to feel safe and secure, It will build a stronger culture within your workplace.

 

“Group performance depends on behavior that communicates one powerful overarching idea: We are safe and connected.”

― Daniel Coyle, The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups

 

It is very important to keep your feedback informative, positive and constructive. Coyle recommended using this line in your delivery:

 

“I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them.”

 

Celebrate great performances in public: praise a staff person in front of your team. Give them visible rewards and tangible experiences. make sure everyone receives praise for their specific actions, instead of general “good job team!” posts. Team posts are the bare minimum; individual praise for specific traits or actions is much more powerful. Brag them up!

 

As a leader you should learn to have positive conversations and achieve good outcomes: active listening, creative thinking, asking critical questions, exploring concerns and interests, and constructive conversations.

 

Evaluations are a great tool for you to become a better leader, designer and successful business owner.

 

Here is a free sample of a Coach Evaluation for you to download. Amend it for your service business!

 

The post Why (And How) To Evaluate Your Staff appeared first on Two Brain.

The Flow State, and How To Get It

What do entrepreneurs and surfers have in common?

 

They’re at their best when they’re in “flow state”.

 

The “flow State” is like “runner’s high” for creative people. When you’re in the flow state, you’re entirely focused and creative; you feel productive and successful.

 

The flow state is created when the work you’re performing is challenging enough to demand your full attention, but not so challenging that you can’t complete it.

 

Entrepreneurs, surfers and painters do their best work in a state of flow. That mental state is fleeting, but proper training can help anyone enter the flow state more quickly; stay in the flow state longer; and regain the flow state when it’s interrupted.

 

A primary principle of training for flow state is “thinking body, dancing mind.” When we perform a repetitive physical task, our bodies are busy but require little conscious attention from our brains. In other words, we perform on autopilot. This is why we often have our best ideas while showering, or driving, or mowing the lawn: our bodies are busy, but we don’t have to devote any focus to what we’re doing. Our movements are automatic. It’s also why walking meditation is easier than seated meditation: when you sit for hours on end, you can easily be distracted by the aches and pains of tightening muscles. Yoga was created as preparation for long periods of physical stillness. I believe we can achieve the same meditative results by performing repetitive physical motions, which will keep instinctive areas of the brain occupied but leave the neocortex free to “dance”.

 

Achieving flow state requires an elevated heart rate. But the level of physical challenge can’t be too great, or it will require all of your attention. Longtime surfers can enter a state of flow while surfing; novice surfers can’t, because they have to expend too much attention trying to stay upright. The easier a skill to learn, the easier it is to master, and physical mastery is required to enter a state of mental focus. Running is simple to a runner, allowing them to achieve runner’s high; running is painfully complex to a non-runner, so they must maintain focus on their stumbling gait, ragged breathing and sore muscles.

 

Go Long, Not Hard

 

Surfing is a complex task to master. But walking isn’t. Cycling isn’t. As soon as a base level of fitness has been achieved in either, flow state can be triggered. Newcomers to exercise will require more time to enter a state of flow, but a person who cycles every day will be able to focus within minutes on the bike.

 

This doesn’t mean that training for the Tour de France is necessary. To the contrary: when a cyclist rides on flat terrain for an hour, they can stay in flow state for most of the ride. But when they approach a tough climb, all of their attention must be refocused on the effort required to get up the hill.

 

A Learned Skill

 

The more often you practice meditation, the faster you can enter a meditative state. Call it “mindfulness” or call it “flow state”, but practice makes you better. Most first-time meditators fall asleep, or stop after a short period because they cramp up. As their physical fitness improves, they can spend longer periods in stillness. And as their cognitive fitness improves, they can “go deep” much faster, optimizing the time they have.

 

Long-term practitioners of mental training can enter the flow state within five minutes. If they lose focus due to fatigue or boredom, they can re-enter the flow state quickly (just a walk around the block, or a few minutes’ worth of pushups and squats. Novices take longer.

 

Peaks and Valleys

 

Of course, many people require a big eraser to clear their slate. They must perform a physical activity that requires their full attention to block out distractions and reset their focus. This is where CrossFit training (going hard, not long) can help. Exercise with a heavy load, or requiring high-level technique, has a “blocking” effect. Snatches require all-encompassing focus, leaving no room for distraction. This can clear the board mentally for a short period.

 

For example, a CrossFit athlete might do a very hard “WOD” (workout of the day) in which they fight to keep moving for 12 minutes at a time. All of their attention is required to do the next squat, or take the next breath, or to avoid falling off a high box, or to fight through one more pull-up. The distractions from work are temporarily forgotten. After the workout is completed, the distractions will slowly re-enter the athlete’s consciousness, but not all at once. And the hormonal response to a tough CrossFit workout will also leave the athlete in a better frame of mind to deal with the distractions.

 

During a normal workweek, 3-4 CrossFit workouts are an excellent strategy for maintaining focus and managing stress. Long-term, CrossFit can prepare the brain for maximal cognitive power. But during an abnormally high period of work or stress, CrossFit workouts might be too much; in those cases, opt for less intensity and more cyclical duration.

 

The Value of Manual Labor

 

Remember the scene from Karate Kid when the old man asks Daniel-san to wax his classic cars? That’s where the phrase “Wax on, wax off”–one of the most famous movie lines of all times–comes from. The movie explained the need for the movement as “strengthening Daniel-san’s muscles” or “building discipline”. But what Daniel-san was really building was his ability to focus. It’s a classic thinking-body-dancing-mind exercise. At first, Daniel is pretty bad at waxing cars. But as his skill improves, he’s able to “zone out” and focus on other things. Many would report the same benefits to tai chi or yoga. But we can achieve the same value without special clothing by performing repetitive manual tasks.

 

For example, washing the dishes. Or piling wood, or shoveling snow, or cutting the grass. Each ticks all of the boxes necessary to achieve flow state:

 

An elevated heart rate

Physical engagement

No high-level attention required

Repetitive movement

No decision-making

 

The value of working in your “Flow State” is tremendous. It’s easy to fill a day being busy; it’s hard to fill a few hours with actually being productive. There are countless self-help books on the topic, but there’s ONE easy-to-follow PLAN. And you can get it FREE.

Click here to get your free 8-Week Flow State Workbook!

 

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