Tools

My wife, Janel, decided that “we” were going to carve a pumpkin this year for Halloween. I knew that “we” meant that I was going to have a major role in the activity. She bought a large pumpkin, researched designs on the Internet and showed me some YouTube videos to help me get started.

One of the experts showed how to tape the design to the pumpkin, and then he spent two hours pushing a pin carefully through the lines of the pattern so that when the paper was pulled away, the small holes could be faintly seen. The next seven hours were spent cutting and scooping pieces of the pumpkin with an x-acto knife to reveal an intricate design.

The pumpkin sat for several days because I knew I didn’t have nine spare hours to spend carving a pumpkin. Finally the Friday night before Halloween, I decided to work smart by employing tools that we had in the house. Rather than spend two hours pushing a pin through a paper, I used an old pounce wheel I had purchased when I was in high school. It has a handle with a small wheel at the end that looks like a cowboy’s spur. It’s used by sign painters to make a series of small holes in a paper pattern so that a bag of charcoal could be pounced on the holes to leave a faint pattern when the paper is removed. That took about 20 minutes to complete instead of two hours.

I used some wood carving tools, instead of an x-acto knife to quickly scoop large pieces of the pumpkin to reveal a tiger’s head. That took only about an hour to complete. Another 20 minutes was spent cutting out the top and cleaning the inside. I was more excited that I shaved seven hours off the time, than what the final product revealed.

With the right tools, you can accomplish something in much less time, or with greater ease and higher quality. I’m very frugal, but when it comes to purchasing tools for my profession, I am willing to pay for the best because I know that it will pay for itself over and over again. When I was studying art, I learned that the cheap brushes cost less initially, but they quickly wore out or did not produce the desired result. A brush that cost twice as much would often last four times as long and create an effect that was not possible with the cheaper brushes.

Having the right tools in business is essential if you are serious about your work. This can be the specific equipment you need for your particular profession, the right phone system to take messages and provide quality reception, or the proper vehicles that can improve your productivity.

Technology is constantly evolving to improve the productivity and performance of entrepreneurs. The Internet and social media sites have allowed a business to expand its influence beyond what was possible on a limited budget only a decade ago. In fact, a small company in Winnemucca, Nevada can now be a global business competing with larger corporations, if it has the right tools.

I recently made an inventory of some inexpensive tools available on the Internet that can save a businessperson many hours. They won’t carve a pumpkin, but they can sure make you more productive. Here they are:

Enounce.com has a tool that can speed videos and audio recordings up to three times as fast, without it sounding like Alvin and the Chipmunks. I use it all the time to listen to material at 1.5 times faster than normal, and if I pay careful attention, I’ll kick it up to twice the speed without sacrificing clarity.

BaseCampHQ.com allows a business to easily keep track of all projects within a company, or assignments given to clients. I’ve used project management software, but it can sometimes be complicated. This site has simplified the process so it can be used with 95 percent of the projects a company tackles. Another tool at Teamly.com allows you to list the top five things to accomplish each day, week, and month.

One of my favorite tools is Snagit, which can be found at Techsmith.com. This allows me to not only do screen captures of an entire website, or just a small portion, but to also edit them and easily export them to Word or PowerPoint.

I’m sure you have your own “bag” of tools that allows you to save time and produce better results. Owning the right tool is an investment and not an expense over time. It separates the professionals from the hobbyists, and the right tools can make you look good in record time. Next Halloween I’ll be ready for whatever Janel decides “we” are going to carve.

The Walking Dead

Point One: As reported in last Saturday’s issue of the Saipan Tribune, only 7 percent of voters turned out for the survey on casino gambling on Saipan. Current issues instructor, Sam McPhetres, said it's “frustrating” that “a lot of people are not paying attention. They are the ones who need to decide the pros and cons on this issue. They have been spoon-fed for so long.”

Point Two: The job fair drew a good number of individuals to meet with prospective employers. One of the businesses talked to over 300 people and gave applications, but said that most don’t seem motivated about getting a job.

Point Three: I offered to do a training session for businesses on how to create a strategic plan that could help a company get focused and see better results in the coming year. I requested people to email me to determine their interest. There was no response.

Point Four: I was talking to an associate who attended a meeting about the retirement program’s performance. He stated that with all the issues surrounding the eventual demise of the program, there should have been a large group of interested people, but instead only a handful of people attended.

These are just a few points from many others I’ve observed over the past few years that indicate the general public has basically “thrown in the towel.” There appears to be a stupor that keeps people from caring about the many issues we’re facing. I’m sure there’s some psychiatric term that can describe this situation, but my unscientific explanation is that we are “zombified” by the malaise that permeates this small community. Rather than deal with the issues and take advantage of the numerous job opportunities that are available, take a stand against the bullying of some politicians to push casinos, or take action to create a plan, many have become part of the walking dead who accept the status quo and continue to embrace an entitlement mentality.

They haven’t lost all hope, because they still believe that the federal or local government will come to the rescue at the last moment and take care of them. This is based mostly on past experience. Even when it’s apparent that things are going down the drain fast, they still believe something or someone will provide a solution, instead of accepting full responsibility and taking action.

What’s the remedy for this apathetic state? One solution is to believe that you as an individual can make a difference. The old saying “if it is to be, it is up to me” applies here. When combined with the thoughts and will of enough people who are willing to step up to the plate, it can become a force for action to take back their lives and be in charge of their future.

It requires enough people who are fed up with their current situation, and who are willing to take full responsibility to make things better. These are individuals who wake up from a deep sleep and choose to join with the living. They are motivated, study the issues to become informed, make plans, and then take focused action to make it happen.

To get this movement going, however, requires a vision that is so compelling that it awakens the zombified populace from their deep trance, and enlists them in a cause for the greater good. In other words, it requires a type of leadership that does not currently exist. It can start with only one person with one great idea to bring people together as one.

These leaders will have to overcome the current way of doing things, the stalled mindset that has kept things as they are, and the general apathy that causes people to lose hope on themselves and the community. We have had some in the past who were willing to go against cultural norms and speak up for the right thing to do, but the incessant browbeating from the prevailing powers that be achieved their goal to squelch any opposition.

There are numerous examples of companies and countries that have, like the phoenix, restored themselves from the ashes of despair, to revive and transform themselves. Will the story of the CNMI include such a transformation? Are there enough people who care deeply enough and are motivated enough to make a difference? Or will it continue on its downward spiral into insolvency and dependency on others? Time will tell.

Can You Afford Another Year Like This Year?

We’re already into the last two months of the year, and individuals will soon be evaluating what they have and have not accomplished, and what they hope to accomplish next year? There’s still time to get everything done that you promised yourself at the start of the year. Ninety percent of things tend to be accomplished in the last 10 percent of the time remaining.

The big problem why most people don’t get much done is because they don’t have definite goals or a specific plan to achieve those goals. By not having a definite aim in life, a person or business ends up becoming part of the goals and plans of others. If those plans and aspirations are good, then that person becomes the beneficiaries of that goodness; however, if the plan is self-serving and aimed to benefit a small, inner circle of people, then an individual becomes collateral damage or a victim of those plans.

We’re seeing a lot of the collateral damage from the poor planning and follow-through with the retirement program. Government employees are the victims of basing their hopes on the goals and plans of other people they trusted to take care of them, rather than taking charge and working on a plan that they have more control over.

As a business owner, there is no reason why you shouldn’t have a specific plan to take charge of your situation to create a better year next year than what you experienced this year. Yet, few businesses actually plan. In a survey I conducted in June 2009, I asked 21 business owners to list their three greatest internal business frustrations or obstacles that if they were able to resolve, would allow them to grow and prosper. Many frustrations were listed, but only one responded with “lack of a plan to follow.”

I then asked all of the respondents: “Do you have a written plan or strategy that you and your staff are successfully following to resolve any or all of the frustrations you mentioned, within the next 6 to 12 months?”

Only two said “yes” and 19 responded that they did not have a written plan. In other words, nine out of ten businesses did not have a plan to help them overcome their biggest frustrations or obstacles. Most of them have probably thought about how to improve their situation, but without writing it down and consistently communicating it to staff, there is a slim chance that it will be accomplished. The typical demands on time and the turbulence occurring in the external environment are causing many to be at the mercy of the economic winds of change.

Your plan does not have to be complex, and in fact, it should follow the KISS formula to Keep It Short & Simple so that it is easily understood by everyone and readily implemented. One of the problems with planning is that it is too complex or elaborate to easily follow. Most large companies have a planning process, but one estimate is that only about 10 percent of them are followed through to completion. In academics, the estimate is higher at about 30 percent. That means a vast majority of plans lay lifeless on someone’s shelf.

A plan allows you to look forward while others tend to focus backward. When your business has a plan, you are better able to deal with disruptive situations and can focus the energies of your people in a more productive manner. If things don’t go as planned (which is often the case) you will have a basis to evaluate why there was a deviation, and then regroup to get quickly back on course. This is because you know your final destination, and can then take the necessary actions to get your business back on track. Without a plan, there is nothing to use as a basis for evaluation, and therefore less of a chance that you will recover from a setback.

If you would like to learn a simple method to create a strategic plan for your organization, I am thinking about offering a short training session, but it will be based on if enough people plan to attend. If you would like to join the ranks of those individuals who are in control of their business, regardless of what is happening with the economy or the dubious plans of others, then email me.

The question that is the title of this article is a good one to end with. Can you afford another year like this year? If the answer is no, then you definitely need to create a plan that will propel you toward your goals and the vision you have for your organization. Even if you are an employee, this question is a good one to ask yourself. If life isn’t turning out like you hoped it would, then it’s time you made a plan to get better results in your various dimensions, such your physical, emotional, intellectual, financial, or spiritual self.

Make next year your best year, and start early by making a plan that will take you there. Remember to email me at RikVillegas@gmail.com if you’re interested in attending a planning session to help you get focused.

Rules of Engagement

When I started my first semester of college, I was fortunate to have Calvin as my roommate. He was the valedictorian graduate at his high school and knew not only what it took to get good grades, but how to succeed in other areas of life. After a date, I noticed he would grab a sheet of paper with a list of all the qualities he was looking for in a future wife, and he would rate the girl he just took out. There were about 10 qualities and the last one was “Zing!” This represented the non-quantifiable qualities that caused his heart to race, and made the relationship exciting.

I borrowed from Cal’s list and added a dozen more qualities over time. Whenever I considered getting serious with a gal, I would pull out my “rules of engagement” to rate her. Needless to say, it was nearly impossible to find someone that could meet all the qualities on my list – including me – but it didn’t stop me from trying.

I was recently looking at a website of Greg Habstritt, and he had a set of rules he shares with people who want to work with him as a partner or in a joint venture. Looking over the list reminded me of Cal’s list, except this one was for a long-term business relationship. Most people don’t have written criteria to rate someone they want to have an ongoing business relationship with, but almost everyone has some general idea of the type of people they would like to work with or for.

It made perfect sense to me to have a list of rules to determine who to establish a long-term business relationship, and also to have rules to evaluate what projects to work on. The opposite is to just “go with the flow” and possibly get burned, find yourself in a compromising situation, or waste a lot of time doing something with someone you wish you would have never even started.

As a college instructor, I have a semester-long relationship with my students. On the first day of the semester in each of the business classes I teach, I review a list of rules with my students to let them know my expectations up front. They also learn what will happen in case some of the expectations are not met; for instance, if someone cheats on a test. I also go over the schedule, share the student learning outcomes, and the major purpose and outcome they can expect by the end of the semester. This helps set the tone for our semester-long relationship, lets the students know exactly what I expect from them, and how they can get a good grade in my class.

Would it be beneficial to have written rules of engagement that possible joint venture partners could review to determine if they are suitable to work with you and your company? These could be very specific, or they might be some generalized factors that act as guidelines to establish a working relationship. Here are some of what Greg refers to as the factors he uses to determine whether he’ll get involved with a business project with someone: A solid reputation, alignment with his current clients and their needs, economic benefit to everyone involved, and a focus on developing greater lifetime value for all the partners.

He also lists his core values and a set of three rules to help prospective partners determine if they are a good fit with his company. Reviewing the values and rules saves time for both him and anyone who doesn’t measure up to his values and rules.
You could come up with your own list of criteria or rules to determine who you will engage with on a business project. The least it will do is to save you a lot of time by screening the undesirable individuals or projects that you should avoid. Your rules of engagement will allow you to evaluate the “cream of the crop” and make better long-term decisions. They could reduce the stress you might currently face because of poorly chosen relationships or less-than-ethical partners.

Now, fast forward eight years from the time I started using Cal’s list and I’m still having difficulty finding the “perfect” companion. The Air Force sent me to Abilene, Texas and I met a young southern belle who had a lot of Zing! When I pulled my worn list out to rate her, I was disappointed to find that she couldn’t meet all the qualities so I uncharacteristically threw out the list, went with the Zing, and 26 years later I can look back and say it was the best decision I ever made to marry Janel.

So what’s the lesson? It’s important to have a list of criteria and set of rules to follow, but be flexible to go with your gut feeling sometimes when the right opportunity comes along. The critical thing to remember is to always stay aligned with your core values and work with people who have similar values.