Total Experience Design

Ep 259- What is Your Identity?

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“The problem with self-identity is not just a problem for the young. It is a problem all the time. Perhaps the problem. It should haunt old age, and when it no longer does it should tell you that you are dead.” ~ Norman Maclean

Is there a more difficult thing for human beings than the process of discovering who you are?  The only thing more difficult than that is embracing who you are and being it once you figure out who you are.  Now take that same process and apply it to your business.  This process is not for the faint of heart.  Today’s question is, what is your identity?

My own coaching process with my coach has forced me to do some further introspection. I had to call people and ask them about how I show up.  The process evoked some fear but what came out of that was a list of five traits that come into a room when I do.  Those traits are: Connection, Brilliance, Wit, Integrity and Stand.  I am not sure I would have guessed all of those so I found the exercise to be incredibly helpful.

Getting clearer on my personal identity has helped me to shape my businesses’ identity.  The most unique thing about my business is the guy who owns it.  I would suspect that this is true about you as well.

Check out this week’s episode by clicking the player above.  Subscribe in iTunes and make sure you rate the show!

 

Ep 258- Everybody Delivers an Experience

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The first principle that we discussed with Total Experience Design, TXD, is that “Everyone Delivers an Experience Whether They Know it or Not.”  When somebody lets you down, it’s easy to make assumptions about people and their intentions.  What if people want to do a good job, why don’t they?

Hanlon’s Razor states: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity or simple oversight.”

You screw up. I screw up.  We all do.  The key is to create awareness for team members on how their behavior impacts other people.  This may seem really simple to you but society has created a buffer that separates human beings from consequences.  Because of that, leadership is required to create awareness of the big picture. Communicating the experience and how everyone plays a role in that can be a powerful experience for a team’s understanding around how they all fit together.

I dive a little deeper in this week’s podcast and give you three ways to lead this concept for your teams.  You can listen to the episode by clicking the player above or you can boost my street cred with Apple by subscribing in iTunes. Also, if you like the show, rate it and share it.  Thank you.  You’re the best.

 

 

Ep 250- The #1 Rule for Influence

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Creating influence as a leader

Creating influence with your team is simpler than you think.  There is a lot of information out there on how to lead and manage better.  Your primary key to influence already exists and is easy to do. The problem is it’s also easy not to do.

At the heart of Total Experience Design is intention.  A while back I talked to you about how I try and run my day, with intention and integrity. If you get this right then you can be the kind of leader who follows through. This is the kind of leader your team wants to work for.  Someone they can trust and someone who is moving things forward.

In today’s podcast, I will cover:

  1. The power of doing what you say you are going to do.
  2. How to avoid creating a habit of failure.
  3. What to do to ensure that you will execute at a high level.

Enjoy this week’s show.  If you aren’t subscribed in iTunes yet, you can do so here.  If you enjoy the podcast, rate and share the podcast as well.

Ep 247- Context. How Many Of Us Use It?

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One of the most damaging communication techniques in a relationship is using assumptions.  Assuming what people know. What they think. What they will or won’t do.  When you don’t help people understand or help them fill in the blanks, people will come to their own conclusions.  Those conclusions tend not to be too positive either.  Context can be a powerful tool for giving a well rounded set of information about the organization and the leadership of the organization.  The question is, are you using it.

In the Total Experience Design methodology, we talk about leadership being a key component to creating a high level experience.  Experience starts inside the organization.  Communication is the tool that leaders use to organize, inspire and move the people in the organization. If you miss setting context, you are missing your ability to communicate powerfully.

Click the player above to listen to this week’s podcast.  If you haven’t subscribed and rated the show in iTunes, go do it now.

Ep 243- Walking Through Your Day With Intention and Integrity

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As a business owner, you have plenty on your plate.  What separates the business owners who thrive versus the ones who survive is that they make a commitment to their purpose.  They do this by walking in their purpose daily with intention and integrity.

Does your day tend to get away from you?

Do you work a lot of nights and weekends, retail hours but you don’t work retail?

Do you tend to not get important things done due to overwhelm?

This is not an uncommon productivity issue in the entrepreneur lifestyle.

If you found yourself saying yes to some of the above questions, don’t worry.  There is hope.

This week’s podcast talks about what it means for you to walk through each and every day with intention and integrity to ensure that you are committed to your purpose, your family and to value creation for your market.

Check out the show by clicking the player above or check us out and subscribe in iTunes.

PS.  I mentioned the High Level Execution Blueprint tool.  You can get access by clicking this link.

A Revolutionary Idea to Working on Your Business

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Working on the businessWhat if you spent as much time improving the systems of your business as you did on the delivery of your service?  A couple of months ago, Jason Fried wrote a column in Inc. Magazine that would revolutionize small businesses if they took it to heart.  In fact, it’s along the lines of a principle that I discussed in my book, Total Experience Design.  The concept is treating your team and your business as a whole as if it was one of your products.

Think about it.  How often do you shrug off working on your business when you set aside the time?  When was the last time you rescheduled a training session with a team member because you didn’t feel like doing it? No matter how disciplined a business owner you are, you probably do this at some level.

When we shrug off working on the business activities, the thought is that it’s not that important or that you can always do it later.  Would you approach it differently if instead of it being about working on the business, it was about solving an issue that a customer had with your product or service?  What if that employee training session was a client meeting, would you blow it off then?

My Total Experience Design manifesto says that the internal culture is the caretaker of the external experience.  Treating your business like it’s one of your products/services is a great way to ensure that your business delivers an experience to your customers that is inline with your vision and mission and separates what you do from the other businesses that operate a similar business in your market.

2017 is here.  If your like me, you want to make this year great and deliver a lot of value to your customers.  How could focusing on your business like a product/service help you achieve your goals?

PS…If you are looking for the next level in designing your ideal client experience, take our free assessment to see what’s missing in your business.

Ep 185- Don’t Forget About Emotions

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don't forget about emotionsWhen I first started coaching, I was all head and no heart.  People hired me for my knowledge and expertise but I learned quickly that clients wanted their information brought to them in a more appealing way.  You can be the best in the world at what you do but if you fail to connect with the people that you work with on an emotional level, your customers won’t stick around. It’s to get into nuts and bolts when it comes to your business but don’t forget about emotions.

My wife will attest that I am not an emotional guy which makes it an area that I have to intentionally connect with.  You may find that the emotional side of things come really natural to you.  In business, it’s easy to overlook the fact that even if you get someone great results, how that person feels about your process is important.

This week’s New Work Revolution Podcast is about how to connect people to the emotional side of your business.  I doubt this is all of the ways that you can do that so I would love to hear your ideas.  If you haven’t subscribed to the show and rated it, please do so in iTunes and Stitcher.

 

Your Business Is A Show

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Your business is a show.

If your business was a broadway play that had to be performed every day, how would that change the way you ran your business.  If you think about your business is a show.

When your customers come in they are expecting great things to happen. That means you have to be on point, your systems need to be effortless and your team needs to be prepared.

What does work on the business mean?  It means preparing for the show.  Imagine a basketball team that didn’t practice and juts showed up for games.  No plays. No communication. No strategy. You can’t imagine it because it doesn’t happen.

This type of things happens frequently with businesses.  No time for planning.  No time for training. No time for anything but “the work”.  These business owners struggle to grow and typically burn out.

Are you taking time to prepare?  This is what this week’s podcast is all about.  If you are wondering what working on the business looks like and how to take it to the next level, check out the free video course here.

Have you subscribed in iTunes?  Check that out here.

 

 

Are You A Doer or A Caretaker For Your Business?

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Who is your business for?  Is it primarily for you or is it primarily for your clients/customers?  Upon first glance of this question, the answer seems obvious.  Most of you would say your business exists to create value for the public.

If we look a little more closely at this question, you might find that some of your actions are inconsistent with your initial conclusion.

Read moreAre You A Doer or A Caretaker For Your Business?