This is a long one, but it should provide you with brain food for the current health care reform debate.
Those of you who know me know that I am direct, straight-forward and try to cut through the fluff and get to the point. That’s why I have moved on from corporate America where the politics and bureaucracy stifles momentum. When I read about health care “reform” and see the maneuvering, it makes my blood boil.
A few weeks ago, I was reading Newsweek and came across an article about health care reform. The graphic introduction summarized what to expect:
▪ You will be required to buy health insurance
▪ Exchanges will provide affordable plans
▪ You cannot be denied coverage based on a pre-existing condition
▪ “Cadillac” plans may be eliminated
▪ Your kids can stay on your insurance longer
▪ Costs will be capped
▪ The government may help you pay your premiums
▪ Medical drug benefits will improve
▪ Riskier customers cannot be charged astronomical premiums
▪ Medicaid will service more people
Well, it sure sounds like a little something for everyone. It’s a program all right. There is what I will call a “consumers bill of health care rights” but, there is nothing really about reform. And, reform in my books includes accountability. Accountability by the vendors, providers AND patients.
I spent some time in the benefits area of health care and still get Employee Benefits News, a publication that does a good job of presenting various issues and a range of views. I found the following article in the December 2009 edition. Health care reform in six steps – well, not maybe steps, but definitely what needs to be fixed and the stakeholders of accountability.
What does this have to do with SMART business? Hmmmm….you tell me.
A fix in six – Six steps to achieve cost-effective health care reform
By Christy Yaccarino
From the December 2, 2009 issue of Employee Benefit News located at
Much has been said about how best to reform the U.S. health care system. Yet, for all the opinions and proposals, I haven’t seen one that truly makes sense.
There are pieces of each proposal that are great ideas, but we have to take those pieces and put them together to formulate a plan that makes sense. Most politicians don’t fully understand the health care system and the staggering costs that employers face year after year as they cover their employees.
Yet most employees, and most Americans overall, are happy with their health care – they just want it to cost less. It’s possible to control costs while keeping the employer based health insurance model in place by following my six steps to health care reform – six steps that don’t total anywhere near the $1 trillion pricetag of current proposals….
If you’re like I am, there are a myriad of demands competing for your attention. The tug of war between clients, employees, and prospects often leaves me feeling that there isn’t nearly enough time in my day to get through my to-do list.
If you want to increase your chances of success, treat every interaction as a chance to demonstrate your professionalism. If you say you’re going to do something, do it. Competition is fierce, and successful businesses cannot afford to be known for their unreliability.
If your client or vendor cannot rely on you to keep your word, chances are they will seek someone else who will. Would you continue to patronize a business or service that doesn’t seem to have time for you? Doesn’t return your calls? Doesn’t do what they say they will do for you when they say they’re going to do it?
Whenever possible, give yourself leeway within your deadlines, making sure that you deliver promptly and ahead of schedule. If your deadlines become unmanageable, adjust expectations—it’s much better to tell a client that something will be late than to leave them guessing.
For those businesses that work SMART, courtesy is a key factor in client retention and growth.
Habit forming. We all know that phrase. But, did you know that for adults to acquire a new habit, it has to be a conscious activity for 21 days? Then, on the 22nd day, it becomes habit. If you are like me, I go through my day doing so many things unconsciously; I have to consciously check that I got them done. With all of these unconscious activities, there is little room for new ones. That’s why the gazillion New Year’s resolutions that we plan on doing often fall by the wayside within a month.
Try this:Try one new habit at a time. If you take the 52 weeks in a year and divide by 3 weeks (21 day period) you find that you can develop 17 new habits each year. Think about it – that’s a LOT.
My first resolution is to get my emails under control. I have started to schedule when I check my email inbox – 4 times a day. Wouldn’t life be grand with email under control? It’s vital to communications, but it can be a big time-drain. So, it’s my top SMART business priority.
If you are trying to steer a new course, be sure your seasoned veterans and new recruits are on board!
It Takes Many Hands to Move a Ship
Maybe you have heard from, or commiserated with, other owners and managers who have been trying to “turn the ship” and feel that it is a solitary endeavor. Steering a new course is always challenging, but if you agree with the premise that it is easier to steer a ship when all hands set the rigging toward your intended heading, then it makes sense to bring your “crew” up to speed with your plans and not to consider them as adversaries. If you see yourself as solely responsible for bringing about change, your employees will probably wonder where, if at all, they fit into your plans. When they know “something”—but not “what”—is going on, they may fear that any action might hinder rather than assist your change, or they may take incorrect action. This can take the “wind out of their sails” and cause them to step back and avoid any actions that you may potentially welcome.
Keep an Open Mind
If you are coming into a new situation, keep an open mind about an individual employee’s performance. Most people perform differently under various circumstances. Evaluate any information given to you by previous management in light of your own observations. Communicate and interact with employees to learn more about their strengths and weaknesses and how they interact and work with others. You may be able to inspire a disgruntled or underutilized employee to step up and meet new challenges. Going into a new endeavor with a “clean house” approach usually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and can cripple your business, leaving it short on valuable experience. Better to go with a “clean slate” approach.
Address Employee Fears
Employee resistance to change is largely based on fear of change. If your employees appear to be resisting change, ask questions to find out why. They may fear that the company will not survive a change or that they will lose their job. Change may bring specific challenges to them that they feel ill-equipped to meet. Communicate your reasons for bringing change to the company and the negative consequences of not taking action. Listen to and acknowledge your employees’ thoughts. Try to minimize the hardships of change for employees. If job responsibilities are changed, offer an opportunity for training. If an employee wants to take this opportunity to try something different, see if this can fit with, or even facilitate, your plans. If you need to cut staff in some areas, retained staff will judge how you handle it. You might shuffle staff in different groups; give ample notice; or provide outplacement assistance, severance, or re-training.
Is your information and your business at risk? Theft, natural disasters, fires, broken water pipes, computer failure, viruses, and errors can torpedo your computer data and leave you scrambling to access critical information. The Small Business Administration noted that 85% of small businesses that lose their data close their doors within 18 months.
How many times have you called people only to hear that they can’t access their information because their computer “crashed”? Or, their system had a “melt down”? To me, that raises red flags: small thinking, lack of vision and safeguards, and questions about viability of their product or services.
With today’s technology, protecting your data IS protecting your business. And, with all of the options out there – there is no excuse. Be sure to backup your computer data frequently, and store that data in secure locations on- and off-site. There are so many ways to back up your data – DVDs, CDs, external hard drives, memory sticks, and external servers are a few.
If you haven’t done a backup, stop now! Assess your computer system and files and back up your data, documents, financial information, applications, contact list, and database – the information you take for granted will always be at your fingertips. Then, create and keep a backup schedule and continue with daily, weekly, and yearly backups.
The next time I hear “My computer crashed and I lost my data,” is the time I change vendors. Reliable vendors and partners all fit into a winning mix, When SMARTBusiness Matters.
It costs more money to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an existing customer; if you want to increase sales, start with your address book. Are there more services or goods you could be selling to current customers, or have you come up with any ideas on how to offer them creative solutions to reach their business goals? Can they refer you to any other businesses or individuals who may need your services? Set aside a half-hour a day to check in with lapsed customers. Are there new products or services you can offer them? Are you now in a better position to offer better prices, services, or quality than your competitors?
And, when you reach the end of your Rolodex, try tapping a good client. When was the last time you called a good (reference-able) client and said: “Mark, this is Kathy. Will you do me a favor? Can you go through your Rolodex and give me 10 names and numbers of people you recommend that I call to introduce my services?” How can they say “no”? You will find that most people want to help.
When SMARTBusiness Matters, all you need to do is: Just Ask
Communications priorities sure have changed as email tries to take over our professional and personal lives. We are all inundated with emails. It’s overwhelming. We need to be selective – we understand all of that and do our best. Yet, it doesn’t stop with emails. There are those which I call the email permutations: texts, tweets, IMs, Facebooking, Pings, etc. And as if that’s not enough, there are the pre-recorded phone calls, cluttering the way for the poor sales person who does attempt to make cold phone calls (I still have a soft spot for them). Then, there is snail mail. And, between all of those, there are the many phones and voice mails we seemed to be chained to – for whatever reason.
The dilemma is: how to respond?
Let’s put them in perspective or – dare we say – priority with a corresponding responsibility when you are on the receiving end.
The personal phone call (or voice mail) – When I want to speak with someone, I pick up the phone and call them. It still has the most professional impact, and personal interaction goes a lot farther than any other means of communications. Yes, I know the college kids today mostly communicate via text message, but that should change in the workplace. At least I hope it does!
Responsibility: Call me old fashioned, but if someone takes the time to call me personally, I return the call. I may not be able to do it immediately, but I do respond. It’s professional courtesy. And, people don’t forget.
The personal email – Amidst all of the email clutter, there are emails from people who just feel more comfortable sending an email. Or, maybe it’s the best way they can communicate. I’m a perfect example. While I would rather pick up the phone to communicate, sometimes I run out of hours in the business day. Being a business owner, my day doesn’t stop at 5pm. As a night owl who is productive when the phone stops ringing, I can crank out a lot of responses and outreaches via email.
Responsibility: If someone takes the time to send me a personal email, I either respond via email or phone. It may take me a while to either get to it or find the time to craft an appropriate response, but I usually respond. I say ‘usually’ because with the number of emails (400 or so a day), some can get inadvertently lost in the ever-growing inbox or deleted in the semi-weekly purge.
The rest – And then there is the rest of the story. Depending on your chosen method (or generation) of communication, you brand yourself by your outreach and by your response.
Responsibility: No matter what your choice of communication, your response brands you. It demonstrates your image, professionalism, and respect for clients, colleagues, and business associates.
Your Professional Business Courtesy makes the difference When SMARTBusiness Matters.
Could this be a period of disruptive innovation by small business owners?
I marvel at the talent, innovation and speed of the entrepreneur. After spending many years in corporate America, I find the entrepreneur refreshing and challenging. Always keeping me on my toes! But, it’s that innovation and do it now movement that is setting the pace for this economic recovery. The entrepreneur doesn’t have time to lick wounds or trim fat – they run lean operations and are always on the lookout. And, they are willing to take risk and move quickly.
Call it: Disruptive Innovation.
Disruptive innovation is an innovation that improves products or services in unexpected ways, affecting existing markets. These innovative products and services are often offered at a lower price than similar existing products and services or to a different set of consumers. Tough economic times often bring out the best from small business professionals and can foster a period of creativity. That’s why Professor Clayton Christensen at Harvard Business School feels like this economy will have a positive effect on innovation. Small business owners have the ability to change quickly and shake things up. They can also benefit by partnering with larger businesses that may be too big or cumbersome to change quickly and may be in need of a swift change-up in technology, services, and products that small businesses can provide.
Small business employs upwards of 50% of Americans. Disruptive Innovation has my support – When SMARTBusiness Matters.
In my nearly 20 years of experience in corporate America, I’ve seen a lot. But what’s really stuck with me are the consequences of poorly thought-out strategy and ill-informed decision making. I’ve watched teams become demoralized because they’re not heard, because management isn’t willing to make much-needed changes, and because they know they’ll be the ones who end up paying for it in the end. It’s no wonder that stress levels are so high.
Plain and simple, people panic. A tough decision has to be made quickly and management doesn’t take the time to really think through the ramifications––let alone make sure they have the right people on the bus. They just want the problem solved––now––so that they can get back to the business of running the business. Or worse, they recognize that the problem is bigger than a breadbox and they don’t want to take the time to really tackle the challenge.
Unfortunately, in these tough economic times, those short-sighted decisions are costing more than anyone realizes. Businesses can’t afford to waste time traveling the wrong path. One of the first places that I’m seeing businesses cut corners is in strategy. I’m amazed time and again when business owners want to shortcut to the end game without taking the time to develop the plan. How can you realize your vision when you’ve got blinders on? Strategy can be a scary concept to some, but you need to realize that it’s simply figuring out what you want to accomplish and developing the plan to get you there. Before you ask your teams to travel yet another road, make sure you know the right direction to lead them.
We’re all running crazy trying to keep up with our ever-growing to-do lists (my short list runs about 2 feet these days), but that doesn’t mean that you can’t work SMART. We at KMA specialize in strategy and business development and even we fall prey to the challenges of balancing client demands with taking time to focus on our business development. Kathy and I make time to update our strategy and goals on a quarterly basis, and we check in at least once a month on our progress. Even if some things have to temporarily go on the backburner, we know they’re there, and we keep an eye on all of the piece-parts that will impact our development.
Quite simply, we took the time to make a plan, and it’s been worth it. We see our future, and it’s bright.
On the field, courts, or in the office, successful “coaches” are getting more notice and may very well be their institutions’ “most valuable players.”
In the small to mid-size business, that means the entrepreneur or general manager takes the role of coach. And, it is the most important role you have within the organization. You lead the charge by setting the example.
Winning Ways
As a manager or owner, it is important that you coach your team to success. Coaches may take different approaches to assembling, motivating, and running a team, but they also share certain habits. They have the ability to create a strategy and set short- and long-term goals and energize the team to strive to accomplish them. Coaches assess, communicate with, and recognize their employees. A successful coach can be the edge a team needs and the difference between winning and losing—whether in sports or in business. To infuse winning ways in your team, put on your coach’s hat, and fire them up to help them make the most of their skills.
Strategize for Success
A good coach has a solid game plan—one that has been well thought out and detailed but not so rigid that it is never altered to meet unexpected problems and changes in the marketplace. The competition is always shifting, and—to a degree—your plan should track the shifts. As coach of your team, it is vital that you share with your employees your vision for your business and your action plan. Be sure everyone understands the goal and that you and your team remain focused on it.
Assess Individual Strengths
Assess the strengths of each of your employees and give them roles they can accomplish and that will also provide professional growth. Consider each employee’s demonstrated and transferable skills as well as skills requiring improvement. Don’t discount an employee’s enthusiasm and willingness to take on a new challenge. Also, learn the individual goals of each employee. The more you know about your employees, the better you will be able to fit them into your game plan.
Encourage Professional Development
Providing employees with proper training to learn new skills and improve on their abilities is important. For entry-level employees, that may mean showing them how you want them to perform crucial tasks. For management, focus on expected results and negotiable and non-negotiable actions. Cross-training employees for various roles can be a win-win: a well-rounded employee becomes more of an asset to your business, and new experiences allow an experienced employee to stretch her comfort level, cultivate new proficiencies, and feel better about her work.
Recognize Positive Behaviors and Actions
Managers are often so focused on catching the negative that they forget to reinforce the positive. As coach of your team, it is important that you recognize achievements and efforts when an employee exhibits positive behaviors or performs a task well. This encourages those actions to continue in the future and provides a blueprint for further success.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Good coaches communicate well on a number of levels. Their expectations and directions are clear and tailored to each individual. They often alter their coaching style to get the best out of each employee. Their ability to individualize communications often fosters a greater rapport and understanding between coach and player. Effective communication should not be limited to meeting time. To begin to build that rapport, provide immediate feedback regarding problems or successes, pass along your knowledge where appropriate, and solicit ideas and opinions. Be sincere in your actions and encouraging in your words.
In these days of challenging business dynamics, your team needs to be on top of their game. It takes a good coach to get the best out of each individual and to assimilate their talents so that the strength of the team is unparalleled.
Call it: Disruptive Innovation. 
On the field, courts, or in the office, successful “coaches” are getting more notice and may very well be their institutions’ “most valuable players.”