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What does R&R mean to you?

Do it regularly, don’t wait until it’s urgent  

R&R is originally a military term referring to soldiers taking time for Rest & Recovery. You may have your own version to describe taking time to get away from it all; my preference is taking time off to Reflect & Renew.

There are lots of other choices to consider for using your time-out:

  • Relax & Recharge
  • Rewind & Restart
  • Review & Re-think
  • Repair & Rebuild
  • Regret & Reconcile
  • Remember & Recover
  • R________ & R________ ?

It may take a while to get used to ignoring the constant buzz of devices demanding your attention, or measuring your progress and performance every day, but it’s healthy to learn how to turn off all those habits for a short period of R&R.

I recently tried it myself during a long-overdue winter break with an intended two-week period of R&R on the beaches of Los Cabos, Mexico. Unfortunately it was suddenly shortened due to a medical emergency at home, but I still learned that in spite of all the new stresses of air travel, and the annoyances of Covid testing, extended documentation requirements and smart phone apps that don’t work on short notice, it is still worthwhile to take a few days away from the daily routine to Reflect and Renew, or whatever you intend for your own R&R.

It’s necessary and important. Don’t wait until it’s also urgent.

Be better. Do better. 

Del Chatterson, your Uncle Ralph

Learn more about Enlightened Entrepreneurship at: LearningEntrepreneurship.com Read more of Uncle Ralph's advice for Entrepreneurs in Don't Do It the Hard Way & The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans - 2020 Editions.

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performance
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Warming up or procrastinating?

It’s your choice

Rock starsLike for the rock-stars, a warm up act can be good. A good warm up act gets the main act and the audience in the mood for a great performance.

If you’re working on your own big performance it’s a good idea to warm up, a little stretching or a quick jog around the track.  Or a few Blog posts and Tweets to warm up before working on the serious article or a new book. (This is me, doing that.)

BUT, be careful you’re not procrastinating. Stalling until you feel like you’re “in the mood” for it. Maybe it’s better to just “Do it!”

Warm up by getting started. Set a time to get going, when the bell rings or the puck drops.

Remember, the vacuuming and the laundry are not urgent! Re-organizing your files and cleaning up your junk mail, that’s procrastinating. They need to be done and done right, but not RIGHT NOW!

Make a distinction, are you warming up for the main act or postponing the important stuff with very poor excuses?

Be better. Do better.

Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson

Visit LearningEntrepreneurship.com for more Blog posts and articles.

Join our mailing listfor regular e-mails with ideas, information and inspiration for entrepreneurs.

Check out Uncle Ralph’s books:"Don't Do It the Hard Way" and "The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans" Both are available online or at your favourite bookstore in hard cover, paperback or e-book. 

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attitude, performance
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Deadlines can be deadly

Don’t overdo it

mistakesMost of us agree that deadlines are necessary. They help us to scope the work and make a plan.  Awareness of the deadline helps us to focus and get the work done on time.

But, the stated deadline may be entirely arbitrary or self-imposed and it may actually not be very important. Seldom is it absolutely necessary to be on time or don’t show up at all. (Except maybe to catch a flight, make a tee-time or deliver a keynote presentation.)

Deadlines can be helpful until they become an obsession. Then they become a distraction from focusing on the work quality and content. Time is running out and you’re not yet finished? You’re not yet proud of the work you've done? Re-negotiate the deadline.

Don’t obsess over deadlines. Make sure they’re real, not arbitrary or imaginary.

Be better. Do better.

Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson 

 

 

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management, performance
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Under Promise & Over Deliver

But don’t Under Sell

Fast deliveryIt’s a popular mantra: Under Promise & Over Deliver

And it’s good advice to achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction. Promise delivery in the next 3-5 days, then deliver tomorrow. Wow!

Customers love it. Except those customers who did not order it, because they needed it in two days.

Cautious promises may be good for customer service but not good for sales to get the order in the first place.

Maybe the mantra should be: Promise to be better than the competition, then deliver what you promise.

Be better. Do better.

Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson

 

 

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Enlightened Entrepreneurship, performance
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Culture of creativity

Encourage feedback

survey-listDo you have a suggestion box? Have you done a survey lately?

It is important to get new input and ideas to change your perspective and consider creative and innovative approaches to challenging issues. You cannot possibly have all the answers or even know all the issues that need to be addressed, unless you get adequate feedback from employees and customers.

It is not enough to casually visit, observing, listening, and asking questions. The process needs to be both more formal and more open-ended. Solicit input from those most in the know: employees on the job, customers using the product and those suppliers and service providers with high expectations for you. Ask about processes and performance, relationships and communications, product innovation and quality, customer service and sales support, social and environmental initiatives. Give them the option of anonymous response, in case they think you cannot handle the truth.

Try not to take it personally, unless it is.

Take it all in, use what is useful and be prepared to ignore what is not, but avoid simply confirming your preconceived notions.

Be better. Do better.

Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson

Visit LearningEntrepreneurship.com or contact DirectTech Solutions at www.DirectTech.ca for assistance on your strategic business issues, growth and profit improvement plans or your exit strategies.

Join our mailing list at LearningEntrepreneurship.com for ideas, information and inspiration for entrepreneurs.

Read more articles at:Learning Entrepreneurship Blogs. 

Click Here to check out Uncle Ralph’s books, "Don't Do It the Hard Way" and "The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans" Both are available online or at your favourite bookstore in hard cover, paperback or e-book.

 

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continuous improvement, performance
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Constructive, not criticism

Please, no useless commentary.

thumbs-down“Whoa, that didn’t work out as planned.”

Thanks, but I already knew that.

If you are going to comment on my performance, please take the time to suggest something helpful. Don’t just pile on with more useless criticism. All that does is kill the enthusiasm to try again.

Every performance review will be more constructive if it starts with the positive. “The packaging looks good.” “The price is very competitive.” “Well, at least nobody died.”

Followed by, “and it would be even better, if….”

Not followed by, “but you really screwed up with….”

Decide before you speak: Is this a complaint, a useless observation, or a constructive suggestion?

If you do it yourself, then you can expect the same from your critics. If they still don’t get it, I find it helpful to conclude with, “Thank you for your input, please don’t take it personally if I choose to ignore it.”

Be better. Do better.

Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson

Visit LearningEntrepreneurship.com or contact DirectTech Solutions at www.DirectTech.ca for assistance on your strategic business issues, growth and profit improvement plans or your exit strategies.

Join our mailing list at LearningEntrepreneurship.com for ideas, information and inspiration for entrepreneurs.

Read more articles at:Learning Entrepreneurship Blogs. 

 

Click Here to check out Uncle Ralph’s books, "Don't Do It the Hard Way" and "The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans" Both are available online or at your favourite bookstore in hard cover, paperback or e-book.

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mistakes, performance
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Necessary, but not sufficient

You’re not there yet.

Golf swing“Keep your head down, focus, stay calm.”

All good advice, but never sufficient to get you to the finish line with a higher level of performance. Remember there are usually a few more steps in the process of improvement.

The first step is necessary, but never sufficient to initiate real change or start seeing better results. In golf or business.

Be better. Do better.

Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson

Visit LearningEntrepreneurship.com or contact DirectTech Solutions at www.DirectTech.ca for assistance on your strategic business issues, growth and profit improvement plans or your exit strategies.

Join our mailing list at LearningEntrepreneurship.com for ideas, information and inspiration for entrepreneurs.

Read more articles at:Learning Entrepreneurship Blogs. 

 

Click Here to check out Uncle Ralph’s books, "Don't Do It the Hard Way" and "The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans" Both are available online or at your favourite bookstore in hard cover, paperback or e-book.

 

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performance, Uncategorized
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Make work fun

A simple principle for good management

Make work fun. It really is that simple. Don’t make it more complicated.

I know, it is more complicated, but let’s try to simplify good management down to one guiding principle.

Your job as a manager is to ensure that your employees are working effectively to meet the department’s and the company’s objectives. It requires that individual objectives be in line with the objectives of the business.

happy winnerHaving fun is one objective that we can all agree on. Especially if we accept that making money is fun! For both the employee and the business.

Don't make it more complicated. Take a look at what you have to change or fix, so that work is more fun. Provide leadership, remove obstacles, give recognition. Everything else will take care of itself. They will get the job done and meet their objectives. And you will meet yours.

All the while, everybody is having fun. See, it really is that simple.

Be better. Do better.

Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson

Visit LearningEntrepreneurship.com or contact DirectTech Solutions at www.DirectTech.ca for assistance on your strategic business issues, growth and profit improvement plans or your exit strategies.

Join our mailing list at LearningEntrepreneurship.com for ideas, information and inspiration for entrepreneurs.

Read more articles at:Learning Entrepreneurship Blogs. 

Click Here to check out Uncle Ralph’s books, "Don't Do It the Hard Way" and "The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans" Both are available online or at your favourite bookstore in hard cover, paperback or e-book.

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management, performance
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Annoying disturbances

To Prevent, Avoid or Ignore

mosquitos- (2)A pleasant walk in the sunshine this morning was interrupted first by the dive-bombing red-winged blackbirds along the riverside, then by the swarms of annoying mosquitoes in the woods.

Back at the office it may continue. The noisy air-conditioning, the neighbour listening to the ranting on talk radio, or the constant interruptions by telemarketers. You only have three choices in dealing with annoying disturbances: Prevent. Avoid. Ignore.

They may not all be available. They easiest and most obvious reaction may not be the best long term solution. Cursing and swatting at the blackbirds and mosquitoes didn't seem to help.

But if your productivity, performance or enjoyment are being adversely affected, it's worth recognizing that ignoring the annoying disturbance is not working. Try the prevent or avoid solution.

Be better. Do better.

Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson

Visit LearningEntrepreneurship.com or contact DirectTech Solutions at www.DirectTech.ca for assistance on your strategic business issues, growth and profit improvement plans or your exit strategies.

Join our mailing list at LearningEntrepreneurship.com for ideas, information and inspiration for entrepreneurs.

Read more articles at: Learning Entrepreneurship Blogs. 

Click Here to check out Uncle Ralph’s books, "Don't Do It the Hard Way" and "The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans" Both are available online or at your favourite bookstore in hard cover, paperback or e-book.

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performance
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Performing past the obstacles

Dustin Johnson keeps calm and gets the job done

DJ in MexicoDustin Johnson won again last weekend at the World Golf Championship event in Mexico City. He held off the challengers on Sunday and finished first, in spite of losing one ball in a tree, hitting into the water and stumbling on a couple of holes to suddenly fall from four ahead to one behind as rookie Jon Rahm had an eagle and two consecutive birdies.

But Johnson kept his calm, playing solid golf to the end including a difficult long bunker shot on the 18th that found the centre of the green for two putts to win by one stroke.

Johnson always appears to be one of the most relaxed, loose, emotion-less players on the PGA tour, even though he admits to nerves and in the past has blown some likely wins with mistakes on the last holes. But his recent successes and the resulting rise to World No. 1 are proof that he now keeps his cool and can recover from costly errors, rule anomalies and bad luck to focus on meeting the next challenge and making the shot.

That attitude and approach are important to you and your business too. Consistency and strong performance are hard to maintain and disappointments can happen. Mistakes will be made, the competition will surprise you and conditions may add to the level of difficulty, but keep your focus on the goals and play to your strengths.

Don’t let the obstacles distract you from your game and a high level of performance.

Your Uncle Ralph, Del Chatterson

Read more articles like this one at: Business is Like Golf Blog

Visit LearningEntrepreneurship.comand join our mailing list for more ideas, information and inspiration for entrepreneurs.

Check outUncle Ralph’s books, Don’t Do It the Hard Way and The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans. Available online or at your favourite bookstore in hard cover, paperback or e-book.

 

 

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business and golf, performance
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