GoHuman Blog

A coach helps others improve their performance. When I say improve performance, I don’t merely mean that coaching can and will improve a person’s working life; it will also boost their productivity, the enjoyment and fulfillment they have at home and in other aspects of their lives. It’s about drawing out the untapped potential in others, to allow them to discover the things they don’t see within themselves. A coach recognizes their strengths and shows them how to leverage those strengths and use them to their advantage.

The travesty is that most people don’t get proactive when it comes to boosting their own performance. Many people do quite the opposite. They look for ways to get away with the minimum possible amount of work. Unfortunately, this type of attitude holds back many talented individuals.

Most of us know someone who’s failed their high school/college exams, miserably. There are; however, countless examples of such people who for one reason or another, went back to school/college and passed their exams with flying colors, the second time round. What changed? The answer is simple; their attitude changed. It is attitude which separates the good from the great. Given the choice of somebody to work with, I’d rather take someone with an outstanding, highly driven and determined attitude, who is hell bent on succeeding, then a person with a weaker attitude but notably, more ability.

Disciplining ourselves to do what we know we need to do to be the best in our chosen field is perhaps the most difficult, and at the same time, easiest request we could ask of ourselves. Self discipline is defined as this: “Self discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.”

It’s always easy to do something when we feel like doing it. It’s when we don’t feel like it and force ourselves to do it anyway, that are we able to transition our personal/professional lives onto the fast track.

So how do you get started? By asking what decisions need to be made today, in order to start moving up the success ladder. Regardless of what they may be, either get in or get out, make a decision today and get started. This one act itself, can change the entire course of your life.

-The first action step to take is deciding what you want in every part of your life. Be specific, rather than generalizing.

-Next, document it, detail for detail. A goal that’s not in writing isn’t a goal at all. Having a goal in writing puts it out there and makes it real. It’s no longer just a thought swimming around with the other 5,000 thoughts you have throughout any given day.

-Set a deadline for your goal. A deadline allows you to have a targeted completion date to work towards. A deadline motivates you to do what’s necessary to make your goal a reality

-Make a list of everything you can think of that will have to be done, in order to achieve your goal. As new tasks come to mind or occur that you might not have thought of before, add them to your list until it’s complete.

-Organize your list by priority. Determine what tasks or project items are more/less important. Begin with the most important item and work your way down to the least important, until complete.

-Take action! Regardless of how large/small the action step taken is, do something every day that will move you one step closer to achieving your goal. A plan is only as good as the paper it’s on, until it’s fully executed.

One of the greatest lies we tell ourselves is that to be successful, we have to know “how-to” achieve the level of success we’re looking for. Fact of the matter is to be successful in anything we do in life, requires us to have the “want-to” and then ask “why do I want this to succeed?” Once we’ve asked ourselves what the intention is for us to succeed, we work towards strengthening our want-to, in order to know how-to.

If the want-to is strong enough, we’ll always find the how-to. Having a weak want-to on the inside, allows all the power to go to the outside, which leaves us feeling powerless. A weak internal want-to creates an exaggerated fear of the external forces, i.e. competition, economic conditions, lack of cash, employee conflict issues, etc…A behavioral change without action is utterly useless, because neither one is any good without the other.

When the desire or passion is absent, no system, regardless of how brilliant it may be, will work. Find the deep passion within you to want-to do something badly enough, and the how-to will always come.

Whether willing to admit to it or not, most of us have experienced (and most likely participated in) some sort of dysfunction, within the workplace. Depending upon to what extreme or level of hierarchy the dysfunction occurs, if not addressed & resolved, it can be toxic, with the potential to cause irrefutable damage, throughout an entire organization. So, what happens when there’s dysfunction within a team, how does one deal with it and how much, if any of it, can be controlled?

Trust is the heartbeat of a functioning, cohesive team and without it, teamwork is impossible. Unfortunately, we use the word “trust” about as often as we misuse it. In reference to team building, trust is the confidence among team members, who have good intentions and no reason to be cautious about what they say/do around one another. Teams that lack trust, waste exorbitant amounts of time, energy and ultimately money, managing their behaviors and interactions with one another. All of which will result in reduced employee morale and increased employee turnover.

In Patrick Lencioni’s “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” he writes about how the most important action a leader must take to encourage the building of trust on a team is to demonstrate vulnerability first. This requires them to risk losing face in front of the team, to ensure others will take the same risks themselves. He continues to say the leader/s must create an environment that doesn’t reprimand vulnerability. Even unintentionally, leaders can discourage trust by scolding others for weaknesses or failure. Finally, when displaying these acts of vulnerability, it’s critical that the leader/s be genuine and not fake. One of the best and fastest ways to lose trust on a team is to fake it, in order to manipulate other people’s emotions. A leader who displays regular acts of  being inauthentic, will most assuredly, be left with no one to lead.

Having a vision is the single most important quality a leader possesses. It gives him/her the guidance necessary to achieve success. Vision motivates a leader to inspire others and share in that vision. A leader without a vision, is like a traveler who has no idea where they’re going.

To develop a vision requires us to look within ourselves, because it starts from the inside. It’s not something that just appears overnight, it grows from a leader’s past experiences, mistakes, lessons learned and the people around them.  A leader draws from their own strengths & talents, dreams and greatest passions, when creating their vision.

The greater the vision a leader has, the stronger of a team he/she will need to support and help accomplish the goals. It’s equally as important that a leader have someone who they can turn to for guidance, whether that be a mentor, coach, superior; someone with more experience than they have and who can keep them in alignment with the results they want to achieve.

Lastly, a vision should be greater than any past memories, mistakes or accomplishments. If the vision is clear, the journey begins by taking one step at a time. Discouragement and frustration aren’t caused by not practicing, but rather by not having clarity about the journey itself and where it begins.

Did you know 80% of businesses started by experienced businesspeople succeed? That’s an incredibly high statistic, but did you notice how I said “experienced” businesspeople are the ones who succeed?

Experienced entrepreneurs who’ve “been there, done that,” have a good understanding of what works and what doesn’t work in business.  Those who are fully committed to knowing what to do, when to do it, & know how to purchase and market the products/services offered, can and will survive in any economy. They know how to negotiate with their suppliers, they know how to raise money, they know how to sell & market and they know how to add continuous value to those they serve. “Experience” is the key.

Most businesses started by inexperienced people fail. Ninety-nine percent of businesses started by those who lack business experience, fail within the first two or three years. Why? Because they haven’t the slightest idea how to make it successful. They may have an idea for a product or service, but don’t have the experience to know what the key requirements are for building, sustaining or growing a successful business.

Coach’s Corner #1

To err is Human, but to repeat mistakes is tragic.  Leaders are confident, visionary, often right, and have a hard time seeing themselves. A Business Coach can make the difference between success and failure.

Have you noticed our “Make it Right” button? GoHuman.com was failing to market itself successfully, hurting us and our customers.  As CEO, I needed a Coach to help me fix what I was contributing to.   A good Coach is selective, so I was relieved to learn the one I wanted feels I am “coachable.”

Are you coachable? For your business to grow and expand, you have to be. It can be daunting, if not insurmountable, to be successful in all needed areas. A good Business Coach can help you consistently bring your A-Game.

Not everyone can afford a personal coach, but if you are coachable, GoHuman.com can help.  We’re proud to announce that Carrie Nicolini, a top-notch certified Business Coach, will provide a powerful, weekly blog for the small business owner.  Visit Coach’s Corner, starting Friday.

Check out Carrie’s credentials and friend her on facebook.  Speaking of facebook, here’s a college photo of me and my swimming coach

Reason #1; Reason #2; Reason #3; Reason #4; Reason #5; Reason #6; Reason #7; Reason #8; Reason #9; Reason #10;

Why GoHuman.com?  Reason #11 is Carrie Nicolini

Reason #12

The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) concept of “People, Planet, Profit“ demands that a company’s responsibility be to the people who are influenced in any way by the actions of the firm rather than the people who own it.

TBL is typically discussed in a big business context for two reasons: One, big businesses are by nature the farthest out of human touch with sustainability. Two, if you have to choose one business to make sustainable, a bigger business will have a bigger impact.

But what if we could create an integrated network of small local businesses and independent professionals with an eye on the ecological, economic, and social concepts expressed by the Triple Bottom Line related to their communities?

What if people all over the planet quietly frustrated with the status quo could find the voices of power they’ve lost in the wake of unprecedented corporate growth over the past century?

GoHuman’s vision is a world where these ideals are not afterthoughts, but rather integral and essential elements connecting every community and every business within those communities. We cannot afford for these to be abstract thoughts or luxuries. They are a necessary part of the emerging global consciousness and we need to integrate them into our personal and professional lives by igniting our tribal instincts.

In the United States and other parts of the world, the motivation to adopt this sustainable lifestyle is neither handed down by the government nor encouraged by our existing capitalist economic model. An intricate web of subsidies and loopholes has all but extinguished the basic humanity enjoyed in simpler times in favor of the almighty profit margin.

It’s not all doom and gloom. There is hope. We believe in a better way. It’s the passion that fuels GoHuman and the real people behind it — people just like you with the vision and gumption to do something about it.

It starts simply. It starts with an equitable marketplace that promotes balance amongst the people who use it by rewarding those who provide value with something equitable in return.

It starts with you.

James Wood, of Abbotsford, B.C., Canada just earned one of the coveted Founding Member positions at GoHuman. James is responsible for bringing 200 new members into the GoHuman community. We reward people for contributing value to our community and are pleased to give James this well-deserved award.

James said, “Since being a part of GoHuman.com, it’s changed my life. I’ve met so many small business owners that have enriched the world I live in. They have inspired my own growth, they have rekindled my artistic flame within me, they have dared me to be not good..but great in what I do, each and every day.

”GoHuman.com is not a passing fad. It truly is a family of like minded individuals concerned with the communities they live in, bringing out the best in all, and realizing that we are ONE!”

James, you are truly one of a kind. Thanks for everything you’ve done to support GoHuman over the past year!

If you are interested in becoming a Founding Member of GoHuman.com by joining our grassroots marketing team, just email us.

James is a local business consultant. Call him today for help finding new business opportunities!

Launching a business requires knowing the cost and expenses associated with startup operations. Business owners planning to expand an existing business usually need additional financing. Being undercapitalized is one of the most common mistakes business owners make. Attempting to work on a financial shoe string is not only stressful but can impede the growth of the business for years.

The first step most companies take when seeking private capital is the creation of an executive summary and/or a business plan. Executive summaries and business plans typically provide general information about the company, its business model, goals, etc. While this information is important to investors, it does not provide a basis or structure for accepting capital investments, especially from multiple investors. Business plans are important, especially for start-up companies, but should not be relied upon as investment documents.

Here is the “Best Kept Secret in Funding.” The Regulation D series of funding allows you to efficiently raise the funds necessary for your business, in legal compliance with Security & Exchange Commissions laws. Whether it’s $50,000 or millions, there is a Reg D to answer your requirements.

Offering equity in a privately held company, such as a corporation or limited liability company, without proper exemption from the Securities & Exchange Commission, is in violation of offering securities. The Reg D series of private placement offerings are the exemptions. A Reg D 504 Private Placement Offering is ideal for raising $1 million or less. It’s cost effective, has few restrictions, and is easy to comply with.

Ken Hollowell, CEO/President of Profran Consultants, Inc., is sponsoring this issue by offering a free Reg D 504, a $10,000 value. To apply, provide a one or two paragraph description of your business with the amount you wish to raise, up to $1M. Ken will select the business he feels is the best candidate to generate investor interest, from among the first 20 responses. The other 19 candidates will receive a personal counseling session on how to improve their pitch. GoHuman.com will also upgrade your subscription to our $9 Enhanced Subscription Level for 6 months, free of charge.

You owe it to yourself to learn about methods of raising funds for literally any type of business. Respond today to increase your understanding of funding options to chart your path toward business growth and expansion.