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In The hero's journey  I outlined a few beginning steps, one of which prompted you to "know your quest."

Clearly define the vision you have for this business. Don’t start the business planning just yet, but rather get a picture of the destination. What will your life be like at the end of the journey? What is your goal? What is your business? What do you want to be doing all day?

 It is important to know what future you want to create or build. It is what will...

Piñata Inbox

Have you noticed an upswing in activity on your calendar this fall? It started with back to school and the final quarter before year end and now we are gearing up for the holiday season. Lots of activities and demands. With those increased activities come increased communications: invitations, appointments, request, informational copies and on and on.

Your email inbox is a full piñata and with just the right swing it could burst into bits and pieces on the floor - but those bits and pieces aren't sweet treats - they are pieces of your life that are now scattered in chaos.

So how do you keep that piñata from bursting?

A deeper look at the Small Business Hero's Journey

Thinking of leaving your corporate job to go out on your own? There are many things to consider. Here's an overview of some of those things in A Hero's Journey: Starting A Small Business.

Let's take a deeper look at the journey. The first question I would ask if you were my client:

Or…how to get out of your funk and into action

I will NOT ask you to recite positive affirmations while looking into the mirror. I'm too existential. But what I can do is share with you a few unconventional methods to move beyond your funk and get into action.

Milk - does a body good. Remember The Milk does your productivity good.

If you are productivity focused, you have a to-do list. I've had one for decades, but have been using Remember The Milk for over 4 years. I love my cow (the iconic logo), but sometimes she becomes bloated with overdue items. Recently I looked more closely at the causes and possible remedies for her uncomfortable condition.

2 paths on the road from office working to home working. 

The first is a 'cut and paste' of the daily routine. You get up at the same time as when you went to the office. You shower, get dressed in work clothes, and walk to your home office. You don't allow yourself to leave the office (except for coffee, bio breaks, and lunch) until your workday ends. In effect you work the 8 to 5 sitting in your home office chair. Exhausting.

If the first path is 'cut and paste,' the second is a fresh page. A page that takes it's form from the location - home. Home is more relaxed and so is this path's schedule. Bursts of productivity are intermixed with bursts of fun and relaxation. Working from home offers benefits the first path does not utilize. The benefit is not only healthy, it may even make you more productive. What is it? Napping.

I see stakeholders everywhere.

Often they don't know they are stakeholders.

More often, YOU don't know they are stakeholders.

That could be a problem.

The Coach's Recommendation: Before any change, you MUST identify your stakeholders; analyze the impact of your change; and manage your stakeholders' expectations. Result: increased chance of success; reduced chance of being blind-sided or sabotaged.

Bring innovation and creativity to the boardroom table - and ignite your career!

Do you wish you could spend your days learning new things? Keeping up on all of the new technology? Assessing the latest management trends? Interpreting the latest research in human behavior?

Are you laughing right now because you barely have time to answer your email inbox, let alone do research and critical analysis?

Enter the New Mastermind Group

Flow

It's GREAT to experience FLOW when working. You have the right atmosphere, the right amount of challenge, and the right purpose or motivation. You loose track of time because you are engaged and immersed.

But what happens when it's not a fun, meaningful, or challenging task?

Productivity Constipation

Every professional has a few of those not so fun tasks on their list. Maybe it's balancing your business accounts; or creating a presentation; or updating your website. Whatever the task, you still need to get it done. But somehow you just can't get going - or keep going. It's like productivity constipation.

Team Success is Everyone's Job

Recently I participated in a virtual team kick-off meeting. It was a wonderful event for those who attended. But as we look at the project going forward, I wonder how we will build a sense of team and a high functioning team in this virtual space.

I started to list my concerns and the possible actions I (and the team) could take to set ourselves up for success.

Here are 5 tips....

Are You Forgotten?

What's the number one complaint from anywhere workers and leaders? Being forgotten.

• -not being included on that meeting invite
• -not being added to the list of potential promotions
• -not being informed of the changes to the compensation program

Co-located workers have the luxury of staying in the top of mind of others by just showing up to work. Unfortunately, the anywhere worker must work hard to stay on the same level of visibility. Because you want to be….

Be curious, not judgmental. ~Walk Whitman

We Are All Judges

We all want to be considered accepting and non-judgmental as leaders. But is that really possible?

When we meet someone for the first time, or someone walks into the room, we form an opinion or evaluation of them by comparing their existence (how they look and behave) to our existing experiences and principles - we judge.

How many books do you read in a year?

Did you know that your answer could impact your creativity, your paycheck, and your health?

The Stats are Astounding

• 49% of adults don't read a book after graduating
• Many adults spend 3 or 4 hours a day watching TV and only 20 minutes reading
• Employers rank reading and writing as top deficiencies in new hires

Oh yes, there is a common thread through The Queen's Diamond Jubile and executive coaching. It's not obvious, it's about - connecting. Connecting one person to another in a relationship that has far reaching impact.

This weekend I stopped to watch with millions of others as Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Diamond Jubilee. There is something about such an event that makes us stop and take note of how time passes.

Beyond the brilliance and ceremony, I was struck by Queen Elizabeth II the person, and her relationships - specifically her relationships with the British prime ministers past and present.

Here in front of me was a great example of an executive coaching relationship. An example I could share with others to help them better understand the role and importance of coaching.

Self awareness is the foundation of any powerful / successful leader. We are not often given the time nor opportunity to increase our self awareness.

In this world of action and results - who has time for reflection?

You do! That is, if you want to improve your leadership skills. You can not change that which you are not aware.

That is what Brian discovered after the reviewing the results of his recent 360 feedback survey. It wasn't just one thing that needed to change, it was a lot of little things. What surprised Brian the most, was that he wasn't even aware of his behaviors, let alone their impact.

Read more to learn what simple tool we used to start making change happen!

Leaders In The Weeds: It's A Problem

Lucy has recently been promoted to Senior Director of her global team. She is a strong action oriented worker, but she often finds herself spending time overseeing meetings and processes and checking the data analysis of her staff. Not only is she having difficulty keeping up with her workload, her staff was starting to complain that she was running the show and not valuing their contributions to the work.

When Lucy came to me, she recognized she needed help to break her habit of managing the processes and data and get into more of a leadership mindset. So we started by identifying what leadership meant to her in her new role.

Read more about the solution and action plan.

Having trouble getting work done? Having trouble connecting to others? Have you lost your motivation?

Look a little closer at your WHY

Over the past several weeks I've noticed a theme forming in many of my interactions with people. As we discussed concerns, issues, or obstacles they are facing I found myself continuously asking the question 'Why?' And that one word, that one question began a conversation and exploration that helped to remove the obstacles.

That small word holds a big punch when you don't know the answer.

About The Skill Building Series

The anywhere worker is designing, building, and leading the future of anywhere work. There are many skills needed to be successful as an anywhere leader. In this serious, we will meet several virtual / anywhere leaders who have sought coaching. In each session we look at the presenting problem, the desired outcome, and an action plan. Not surprising is the need for these skills in any leader - anywhere.

Clashing Comfort Zones and Time Zones: It's a problem

June is the most organized and efficient project coordinator that I've ever met. So when she came to me with a feeling of overwhelm and frustration that something was impacting her ability to do her work, I knew something had changed. A recent reorganization placed June on a new work team.

Read more about the solution and action plan.

About The Skill Building Series

The anywhere worker is designing, building, and leading the future of anywhere work. There are many skills needed to be successful as an anywhere leader. In this serious, we will meet several virtual / anywhere leaders who have sought coaching. In each session we look at the presenting problem, the desired outcome, and an action plan. Not surprising is the need for these skills in any leader - anywhere.

Are You a Stick In the Mud? It's A Problem

Gerald has been successful in his position as a regional sales manager, but in the past few years he's been having trouble keeping up with coworkers. As one of the more tenured employees, newer managers often come to him to get the history of the business. But when they recommend a new way of doing things, his philosophy is 'if it's not broken, don't fix it.' Once the man with the answers, now he is starting to become known as a 'stick in the mud.'

Read more about the solution and action plan.

Free Virtual Hugs

I challenge you to pay it forward. What is 'it?' Many things: appreciation, respect, recommendations, praise, thank you - all of that - and more.

Why? To Make A Difference

Many small business owners are struggling to keep the lights on and muscle through these rough times and into the blue skys ahead. They, as well as many of you, devote hours to creating great content - for free! Whether it's a blog like this one, a newsletter, photos, or videos - a great deal of the internet is free.

Your personal note or message will make a difference and possibly keep that favorite blogger of yours inspired and creatively productive.