January 2014 Newsletter - When Your Team Gets Sick

Letter from the Editor

Last night I found myself literally lost in my own bedroom. Yes, it sounds crazy, but it’s true. It was dark, and yesterday Susan and I decided we were going to switch the side of bed we each normally sleep on. Now, mind you. We’ve been married for 30 years, and we’ve never switched sides. So, you can probably see where this is going!I got up in the middle of the night, and all but still asleep, I fumbled my way to the sink for a drink of water. As I made my way back to bed, I found myself headed toward my previously “normal” spot, only to realize my normal spot was no longer my normal, and I stopped cold in my tracks. I was in effect, LOST! (And, in my own defense, it was dark!!)Why am I sharing this with you? Because, my being lost in my own bedroom because of change, isn’t so unlike the lost you might feel when a change happens in your world. Most often, those types of changes--the ones that take us out of our comfort zones, the ones that we habit-forming creatures have a hard time dealing with, the changes that happen through no fault of our own--stop us in our tracks. They cause us to stumble along and sometimes we might even feel a bit of fear. So, what is the very first thing you should do if you find yourself stuck and stymied by change? Ask for help!! (That’s what I did! :))When you are out in the world making things happen (running your business, helping out at your child’s school, living an outrageous and exceptional life) you are going to be constantly faced with change. You will forever be challenged by things that you weren’t expecting, and the best and quickest way to figure your way over or through those changes is to ask for help! Remember: You can’t get to where you are going with out help. If you could, you would be there already! So, ask for what you want... ask for what you need! When you do, you’ll find yourself with fewer stubbed toes.Warm regards,

Clay S. Nelson

When Your Team Gets Sick

The cold and flu season is tough not only on the people who come down with a bug, but also on the companies that employ them, as well as those that work with them. The “tough” is two-fold.

1. When workers are out sick, especially in a small business, other employees have to take up the slack. The company simply can’t afford to have that person’s job duties go idle for a day, let alone several days.
2. When workers come to work sick, especially in a small office, their germs are going to spread. So as you can see, it is a bit of a Catch 22.

Small businesses can’t afford to have workers gone, but if they come to work sick, they are risking infecting the rest of the office. If others in the business get sick, the problem just multiplies! So to help keep your team healthy during the cold and flu season:

1. Keep your staff present to the need for good hygiene – post signs and even mention it during your staff meetings. Remind people to wash their hands frequently and use their own personal coffee cup.
2. If a worker shows up sick to work, you have to gauge how sick they are. If they are feverish, sick to their stomach, and generally flu-ish, common sense dictates that they should be sent home.
3. If a worker has a common-cold whose symptoms are controlled with over the counter medications and they are present to the need to be especially cautious about germ spreading, let them stay. If we allowed a common cold to keep everyone home for its duration, we’d have people gone all the time!

Being sick is no fun for anyone, and missing days of work often compounds the issue. But, when a member of your team is sick and only half at work mentally, what good does their being there really do? So, whenever possible encourage your team to give their bodies the rest they need when the cold and flu strike. Doing so will allow them to get over their illness, and return to work 100%, sooner rather than later! 

Business Planning Mistakes - How to Fix and Even Avoid Them Altogether

You have heard it said time and time again. If you want to get to where to say you are going, you must have a written plan, and nowhere is that more true than in your business. Now, given that we have entered the beginning of a brand new year, one has to ask the questions: Did you write your plan for the new year? Are you following your plan? Are you feeling stuck or unsure about the direction you are headed?If you feel the “Uh-Ohs” creeping in, in response to those questions, don’t panic! While many people make mistakes when it comes to their plans, they are easy to fix and can even be avoided altogether!

Business Plan Mistake #1:

Not having a written plan! It isn’t uncommon for businesses both large and small to operate without a written plan, and they say, “Well, I have a plan.” But that plan is in their head! Without a written plan they have nothing to keep them on track when circumstances and life take them over; they have nothing that shows their team what they need to do and why they are doing what they do; they are missing a key accountability tool! Don’t be left navigating your market without a plan!

Business Plan Mistake #2:

Working from a plan that is more than one year old. We live in a world of great change and if you are operating from a plan that was written or revised more than 12 months ago, you haven’t likely made the changes necessary to adapt to the change that affects your business, your team, and your customers.

Business Plan Mistake #3:

Not following the plan you write. More business plans than I care to think about end up serving as a doorstop. Seriously, I consult with companies all over the country and I’ve walked into offices where the business plan is literally on the floor or on the corner of their desk covered in dust! Why do they write a plan and then not follow it? Many times the author of the plan doesn’t want their staff to know the plan is in existence because they are afraid of being held accountable for getting to where the plan says they are going. Do what you say you are going to do!

Business Plan Mistake #4:

Not being specific enough. A business plan needs to be very clear in terms of what specific measurable results (SMRs) will be produced and the date by-when they will be produced, especially in stating the company objectives, sales goals, and margins. Without these specifics: a) it is nearly impossible to hold anyone accountable for reaching the objective; b) you leave too much room for assumptions and misinterpretation; and c) without specifics, you don’t know when you have reached your goal and are actually done! Don’t leave room for others to “interpret” your plan! Be specific in your objectives and the steps you are going to take in order to meet those objectives.

Business Plan Mistake #5:

Making unrealistic assumptions. In every business plan there is a certain number of assumptions that have to be made. However, in making those assumptions you have to be as realistic as possible. For instance, if you assume in your plan that your potential market will expand by 10% and it realistically will only expand by approximately 5%, your entire plan is based upon bogus numbers. What good is a plan if that plan is nothing but a fantasy? Make sure your plan is well researched and thought out! Know your market. Know your competitors. Know what is reasonable, but don’t use that as an excuse to not think big enough!

Business Plan Mistake #6:

Not understanding what the financials are telling you (and your investors). There is a reason why companies have financial officers to keep the company’s financial affairs in order. It simply takes a person with a head for financials to do them well. However, that doesn’t mean that the entire executive team doesn’t need to understand what the financial data is ultimately telling you and your investors! If you have to, ask for the financial information in terms that make sense to you. Don’t ever accept a financial analysis that you can’t explain to someone else!As you can see, not one of these common business plan mistakes is insurmountable. Just be aware of their dangers and use these tips to avoid them. What’s next for you is just waiting for you to claim. So, have fun and go for it!