..."Daffodils" (1804)....

OK...let's face it...2009 was a shitty year and we don't need to revisit it again...record unemployment, stock market crashes, swine flu...damn.

Spring is here. It's God's way of saying there is hope that things will 'renew' again. New leaves, new grass...and the season favorite..new daffodils. Count on them! They say in one 'bright hello' that we have hope again. Perhaps if you look deep into the daffodil...most of the pain of such a crazy year seems to drop-off a little. Maybe ...just maybe things are getting better.

The Dow is up, the sun is shining, Dilly is feeling better and more importantly we have all had the time to heal from last year. Let's focus on what the daffodil has to offer...a fresh 'new beginning.' Take the time to enjoy....and let's move into the future...but first, let's visit the past. Let's go back to 1804: Territory of Orleans organizes in Louisiana Purchase. Lewis and Clark set out from St. Louis for Pacific Coast. Senate and Tribune declare Napolean leader of France. Haiti gains independence from France. New Jersey becomes last northern state to abolish slavery. Congress orders removal of Indians east of Mississippi to Louisiana...and the daffodil started that spring...like this one.

"Daffodils" (1804)
I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

Was I the odd man out?

Every business organization has a unique set of challenges and problems. The small family business is no different. Many of these problems exist in corporate business environments, but can be exaggerated in a family business. Family businesses go through various stages of growth and development over time. Many of these challenges will be found once the second and subsequent generations enter the business.

A famous saying about family owned business in Mexico is “Father, founder of the company, son rich, and grandson poor.” The founder works and builds a business, the son takes it over and is poorly prepared to manage and make it grow but enjoys the wealth, and the grandson inherits a dead business and empty bank account.

Here is why I hate the challenges of a tiny family business.......

Emotions. Family problems will affect the business. Divorce, separations, health or financial problems also create difficult political situations for the family members (money will be siphoned from the profits...any excuse will do). Informality. Absence of clear policies and business norms for family versus non-family members (they are NEVER the same for family members...they just want you to think so). Tunnel vision. Lack of outside opinions and diversity on how to operate the business cause a stale environment. Lack of written strategy. No documented plan or long-term planning (outside of selling the business to family members). Compensation problems for family members. Dividends, salaries, benefits and compensation for non-participating family members are not clearly defined and justified (like paying a 'part-time' family member a HUGE salary for a few days of work).

Role confusion. Roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined (family members get special treatment....be honest...you know they do). Lack of talent. Hiring family members who are not qualified or lack the skills and abilities for the organization and the inability to fire them when it is clear they are not working out. High turnover of non-family members. When employees feel that the family “mafia” will always advance over outsiders and when employees realize that management is incompetent and "paralyzed" to change it....Succession Planning. Most family organizations do not have a plan for handing the power to the next generation, leading to great political conflicts and divisions (and what about the non-family members who got you there?)

Retirement and estate planning. Long-term planning to cover the necessities and realities of older members when they leave the company (if the company stays in business that long). Training. There should be a specific training program when you integrate family members into the company. This should provide specific information that related to the goals, expectations and obligations of the position (why not? All non-family members do this…). Paternalistic. Control is centralized and influenced by tradition instead of good management practices (oh my...don't get me started). Overly Conservative. Older family members try to preserve the status quo and resist change. Especially resistance to ideas and change proposed by the younger generation.

Communication problems. Provoked by role confusion, emotions (envy, fear, anger), political divisions or other relationship problems. Systematic thinking. Decisions are made day-to-day in response to problems. No long-term planning or strategic planning (knee-jerk reactions….). Exit strategy. No clear plan on how to sell, close or walk away from the business (only tunnel-vision of making sure the family takes over the business). Business valuation. No knowledge of the worth of the business, and the factors that make (or MADE) it valuable or decrease its value (just that "this is my retirement plan....when I sell it to my children)

Growth. Problems due to lack of capital and new investment or resistance to re-investment in the business (because the “family members” need to be taken care of financially…new cars, weddings, college....right now!). Vision. Each family member has a different vision of the business and different goals (this is enough to drive ANY non-family member out-the-door. Control of operations. Difficult to control all members of the family from lack of participation in the day-to-day work and supervision required (but let’s face it….how hard can this possibly be?...if you can serve coffee….you can sell office furniture…right?)...

comments anyone?

It's over!! End of the road....

I don’t know about your experience, but I’m hearing so much economic doom and gloom that I think it must be time for me to give up and quit.

The newspapers and television networks have convinced me (and almost everyone else) that we’re in a hopeless situation. I really wanted my business to prosper and grow in 2009, but I must be an idiot for believing there is any chance for success. I guess it’s time to turn off the lights, lock the doors and wait patiently for the economy to improve.

Or is it? Maybe business development professionals everywhere need to answer these four questions (honestly) before tossing in the towel.

#1. How does this “recession” actually affect you? (No, really?)...How does this “recession” actually affect you? The National Bureau of Economic Research defines a recession as three quarters of falling real gross domestic product. This might be fascinating stuff to some people, but I can’t directly correlate “real gross domestic product” to my sales effectiveness. Can you? Even during a recession companies still have to buy goods and services. They may buy different, they may buy less, but they still have to buy. If you can’t convince prospects that what you’re offering is a solid investment with meaningful return, then maybe the problem lies closer to home.

#2. Do you really believe you’re on your customer’s speed dial? Are you 'the man?' (No, really?)...Do you think they do not buy from others? Customers are nervous just like everyone else; they’re reading the same headlines that you are. Sitting in the office waiting for them to call you isn’t going to help you meet your goals. Reach out and contact everyone you’ve ever done business with. Show up with valuable ideas, offer help, look for referrals and ask for their business. This isn’t open season to “call and check-in” but it’s a great time to re-connect and nourish all of your existing relationships. This may sound like a lot of work because it is.

Very few people ever drift into greatness; it requires action. What are you waiting for?

#3. Are you as good as you could be? (No, really?)...Are you the best?...not what you tell yourself "barista boy"...but are you the best?  Many sales people think that once they’ve taken a professional selling course or had a little success at sales, they’re essentially done with learning. That may be OK if someday your closing question becomes: "Will that be paper or plastic?" or "Would you like fries with that?" Success as a sales professional requires skill, knowledge, attitude and purpose. If you’re not consistently developing yourself in these areas then you’re going backwards. There is no status quo....and sometimes...'daddy can't find the sales for you!' Being the "low-bidder" on a bid is not the definition of sales....anyone can give the product away.

There are more development tools available for today’s sales professional than ever before. Books, podcasts, tele-seminars, live training programs, webinars, personal coaches, downloads, sales portals and much more. You can’t wait for your boss or organization to take responsibility for your success. It’s up to YOU! It takes courage to admit you can be better and confidence to believe you can change. It takes nothing at all to create excuses. "It's the economy...yea, that's it...that's why I totally suck!"..."When my boss was GIVING me leads...I could close them regularly...what happened?"

#4. How much energy are you wasting on things you can’t control? (No, really?)...Do you worry about others, the world, the auto industry....don't....WORRY about whether you are part of the problem...or part of the solution.  The world surrounds us with headlines about inflation, bailouts, credit crisis, mortgage fiasco, recession, debt, jobless claims and on and on. Are you concerned? I know that I am. But I don’t have much control over what is happening in the headlines, so why get tied up in knots? And running your sales business isn’t much different.

----Monday, I start as the new Business Development Director for the largest moving, storage, and office furniture company in the state. Everyone is looking for a "leader" to help them in this economy. I am that person. It started when I was a little boy...playing baseball. In one game, our team was losing and with 2 outs....in the last inning...and our batter had 2 strikes against him....I listened as my team member (who was on deck to bat next) said, "oh my, I hope he actually strikes-out....I am afraid to be the last out."

As fate would have it he received a base-on-balls...and my timid team member walked slowly to the batter’s box....only to be hit in the leg by the next pitch. With both teammates now on base....it was my turn to 'win or lose' the game....all eyes were on me....a total 'hush' of anticipation. Can I make a difference?

That is exactly what motivates me in the morning....

A good offense...wins!

What if you could change destiny? Would you really want to?

Along our journey we will be confronted with many situations, some will be filled with joy, and some will be filled with heartache. How we react to what we are faced will determine what kind of outcome the rest of our journey through life will be like.

When things don't always go your way, you have two choices in dealing with the situations. You can focus on the fact that things didn't go how you had hoped they would and let life pass you by or we can make the best of the situation and know that these are only temporary setbacks and "study" the lessons that are to be learned.

Time stops for no one, and if we allow ourselves to focus on the negative we might miss out on some really amazing things that life has to offer. You can't go back to the past, you can only take the lessons learned and the experiences gained from it and move on. It is because of the heartaches, as well as the hardships, that in the end help to make you a stronger person.

The people that we meet on our journey, are people that we are destined to meet. Everybody comes into our lives for some reason or another and we don't always know their purpose, until sometimes, it is too late. They all play some kind of role. Some may stay for a lifetime; others may only stay for a short while. Several years ago, at an awards banquet an employee of mine was being honored in front of all 17 offices nationwide. My wife and I were absolutely 'stunned' when he accepted the award...and said without reservation..."I would like to thank Tracy Hall for hiring me."

As you can imagine I was shocked...but the words that came from my wife were true..."you never know how you will impact someone's life."

It is often the people who stay for only a short time that ends up making a lasting impression not only in our lives, but in our hearts as well. Although we may not realize it at the time, they will make a difference and change our lives in a way we never could imagine. To think that (any) one person can have such a profound effect on your life forever is truly a blessing. It is because of these encounters that we learn some of life's best lessons and sometimes we even learn a little bit about ourselves.

People will come and go into our lives quickly, but sometimes we are lucky to meet that one or two very special people that will stay in our hearts forever no matter what. The lessons that we have learned from them and the experiences that we have gained from meeting certain people, will stay with us forever.

It is often said that what doesn't kill you will make you stronger. It all depends on how one defines the word "strong." It can have different meanings to different people. In this sense, "stronger" means looking back at the person you were and comparing it to the person you have become today.

It also means looking deep into your soul and realizing that the person you are today couldn't exist if it weren't for the things that have happened in the past or for the people that you have met. Everything that happens in our life happens for a reason and sometimes that means we must face heartaches in order to experience joy.

It is “you” that decides if you are winning in life….or not. You decide if you want to make a difference in someone's life.

How work invades your personal life

There was a time when employees showed up for work Monday through Friday and worked eight- to nine-hour days (not to mention the time preparing for work …and the commute). The boundaries between work and home were fairly clear then. But the world has changed and, unfortunately, the boundaries have blurred for many workers. Here's why:

Global economy: As more skilled workers enter the global labor market and companies outsource or move more jobs to reduce labor costs, people feel pressured to work longer and produce more just to protect their jobs. Eight- to nine-hour days easily become ten....and your boss "loves it." This economy has actually shown the "weakness" in the American leadership....especially in little 'family-owned' companies....most employers think they have you by the balls (where will they go in this poor economy?)

Advanced communication technology: Many people now have the ability to work anywhere — from their home, from their car and even on vacation. And some managers expect this. This is why "instant email" is so popular....when can you actually get away?

Longer hours: Employers commonly ask employees to work longer hours than they're scheduled. Often, overtime is mandatory. If you hope to move up the career ladder, you may find yourself regularly working more than 40 hours a week to achieve and exceed expectations. This is especially true since so many employees “pick-up the additional work” from the employees recently laid-off.

Changes in family roles: Today's married worker is typically part of a dual-career couple, which makes it difficult to find time to meet commitments to family, friends and community.

Balance doesn't mean doing everything. Examine your priorities and set boundaries. Be firm in what you can and cannot do. Only you can restore harmony to your lifestyle. I did! Get your hands dirty.