Learning to SEE

In my consulting business I see missed focus and missed opportunity all the time. The chaos of day-to-day survival in the corporate world makes remaining focused really, really hard. People who have been introduced to lean are pumped about implementing tools. They come back from a conference or training wanting to change the world - make a difference - let's get going! The missing ingredient is “learning to see”. Not everything is a hammer or a nail. Just because you have a tool does not mean you have to use it all the time. Take the time to "See" where to start the journey. "See" what’s really going on, not what’s supposed to happen. "Listening" to ideas from the people doing the work. "See" what’s adding value to the customer. "See" what can leadership can do and say to move the process forward today.

I’m tempted to fall into this chaos trap myself. When visiting a business, I’ll often spot an opportunity to apply something I’ve learned while running the restaurant, or from the world of manufacturing. It's really tempting to stop and spew my "great" ideas. It’s totally painful not to point these ideas out to business leaders right then and there - on the spot. While it may be a great thought or idea, it’s essential as a consultant or coach to remember implementing change is like feeding the birds

Christian Mickelsen pointed out these 3 insights from watching people feed the birds;

#1) When you chase anyone, their instinctive reaction is to run away. Even when you chase them with something they want!

#2) When you toss out a few tasty bits, you start attracting to the point of having them eating out of the palm of your hand.

#3) When overwhelmed they moved on, even though there is “all you can eat” right in front of them!

So the strategy for implementing change in your business is the same as attracting customers to your business. Feed them a little bit at a time until you have established yourself as the trusted go-to person for what they are looking for.


Norm www.normbain.com

Leaving LeadPages ... Here's Why You Should Too

They want you to pay a monthly fee for "hosting" while constantly asking you to upgrade, upgrade, upgrade just to get ANY of the features and functions that you REALLY need to build robust and high converting sales pages.

And yet, this EXACT scheme that most "point & click" page building companies are running can be hosted on your own site.

Here's how ... with web builder tricks http://namron.ca/page/WebTools/

The Road To Independence

Six weeks after closing the Restaurant and I’m still wide awake at 4am each morning. I guess those years of 18 hour work days have developed early rising into a habit. No alarm required. Watching the sun come up has given me the time to reflect on this next phase of life’s game plan Click to continue reading ...


Norm www.normanbain.com

Are you working on branding?

A few years ago some advertising people came to visit me. I was promoting my restaurant and working hard to bring in new customers. They saw that as an opportunity to talk about branding. To them, it seemed, my advertising should focus on presenting my unique selling proposition - we entered a lengthy discussion about what differentiates us from our competition.

To me, building your brand goes way beyond that. Your brand is the experience your company provides to customers throughout their relationship with you. Every customer touchpoint is a brand moment. Those promoting branding say that a solid brand is the foundation upon which your corporate culture and future growth is built. To me, that is putting the cart before the horse. Your brand is how people react to how well you live and breathe your values and your vision. It’s not how your company wants to be perceived in the marketplace, but how it actually is perceived by customers. When there’s a misalignment between these perceptions, your brand is broken.

So when you set out to work on your brand, focus on 3 things http://toughbusiness.ca/page/Branding/


Norm www.normanbain.com

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There are ONLY 7 ways to make money

Some thoughts to share on how to earn an income, doing what you love.

I’m not an artist, or a musician. Perhaps that’s a good thing because there are plenty of starving artists and musicians looking for a job to pay the bills.

The hardest thing for most people is figuring out how they are going to earn a living. When it comes down to it, it’s not really that hard. When you boil it down to its simplest form, there are only 7 ways to make money, be it on line or off line;

Continue reading at http://normbain.com/page/7-Ways-To-Make-Money/


Norm www.normanbain.com

Help: Inventory 101

Here is a quick overview of inventory basics and terms used in managing inventory. This information will give you a foundation in how to set up your inventory system.

Click Here To Read More

Norm www.normbain.com