Breathe In, Breathe Out, Now Move On…….

February 28 2011

Breathe In, Breathe Out, Now Move On…….

This was the mantra Larry recently gave to me on the beach in Salchi, our small community in Huatulco, Mexico.  With the terrific, fun loving bunch of neighbours we have there, it is easy to live by that mantra.  Once back home in our hurried business lives, we can become wired to over-analyze, worry too much, and die emotionally from the monotony of the grind, the issues and problems.  Yet when we are on vacation and actually slow down, we are more capable of taking in what is really going on in nature and with people, and more inclined to see a bigger picture.  We realize that life and people have patterns of ups and downs and things are what they are.  Most of the time, everything works out.  Life isn’t good or bad…. It just is.  It is our attitude and perspective that makes it so.

When they are there my neighbours at Salchi, George, Rizwan, Stu, Wendy, Ellie, Trish, Terry, Rick, Larry, Teresa, Gail, Dennis, Brian, Max, Anne, and many others, are blessed to see the ocean, the whales, the birds, the hills, the mountains.  They become more appreciative of life.  Anita, whose home is on top of the hill, loves her gardens, pool, fruit trees, and most of all her friends.  She has such an enthusiasm for life.  She brings that to everything she does.  How do we emulate this state of mind to simplify our business life? 

One way is to be enthusiastic about everything you do.  You could complain about the work to be done, daunting challenges, and the bad news that spreads like wild fire OR, you could be grateful for what you are building and creating.   Let your face, your walk, and your talk reflect your enthusiasm and commitment.

In Salchi I am reminded of another principle.  We all need to slow down and be more appreciative of the people around us including customers, employees, and associates with all their uniqueness and differences.  Then we’ll find they will be more interested in us, our vision, our services, our products.  How simple.  Appreciate what is there.  Get interested in others.  Don’t try to manipulate, force or push your perspectives on others and life and business becomes easier and enjoyable.

Here are three simple, but important actions you could take:

ACTION #1

1. Genuinely care for your people.  Totally engage others in direction meetings.  Ask “Where are we going and how are we going to get there?”

2. Ask them about their future aspirations and how they want to learn and grow.

3. Structure and pay for learning, teamwork and skills development.

4. Only bring in people who complement your learning culture.  A good rule of thumb, “hire for attitude”- skill can be taught.  Bring on board people who can help you live the vision, your values and strategic direction.

ACTION #2:

Recreate your core reason for being in business and brand it by living up to every customer promise.  Exploit what you have and what got you there.  You need to understand the trends and behaviours of your markets.  You need to adapt your offering and make what you have work better than anyone else can, while keeping your eye on profits.  You will not only survive, you will win!

ACTION #3:

Focus on creating value, rather than just getting sales, especially where you lose money by competing on price alone.  Regardless of the economy or size of your company, customers come to you because of what they value.  Low value and low prices cause customers to leave.  Know your customers, know what they value, stand tall and sell.

Which of these simple actions will you take this week to build your business and make the ride more enjoyable?  Jimmy Buffet sings “A crazy man sold me a watch and the only time it tells is…. Now.”   Things are often that simple. If this isn’t true for you, then listen to Margarita Ville with a pop in your hand and sing along.   Places like Salchi or wherever you vacation, is a state of mind and we all need a little more of it.

Have a great week.