Category Archives: Management

Your customers can feel if your workplace is unhealthy

August 2, 2015 by 123outsource
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There are many reasons why a workplace could be “unhealthy.” An unhealthy workplace have too many people cramped in a small space. There might not be enough windows. The windows in offices generally don’t open which is why I don’t work in that type of environment. You might have argumentative people, or mean bosses. There could be office politics, overly long work days or other things to create an unhealthy environment.

Customers pick up on your office environment.
Customers enjoy working with pleasant businesses who get the job done with a smile. Most companies out there do not do their work correctly, have managers running around like chickens with their heads cut off, and workers who are either incompetent or don’t care — or both. Add stress and vindictive office relationships to the mix, and you’ve got a really unhealthy office environment.

Your Vision
The solution to this problem all starts with a vision. There have been cool companies in America that had a cool vision. Cliffbar has upbeat staff creating healthy food products. Starbucks created a pleasant environment with happy staff that the public can’t stay away from. Google creates workplaces that are customized for innovative collaboration. But, most other companies just don’t even start to think about optimizing their environment. Do you want to create a wonderful work environment, or do you prefer to take the easy way out and keep things the same? Maybe it’s easier if you can’t stand your environment, but are forced to stay and work in it. Then, you would have to change it or risk going insane.

Solutions to an unhealthy work place
Changing around the office space or getting a new office that is more appealing might be a good start. Aspiring to create a company culture of upbeat people would help a lot. Getting rid of sour employees who ruin everyone else’s day could be a life saver. Hiring a few people with bubbly personalities might add joy to the other people’s lives even if the bubbly folks were not good workers themselves. Having plants in your office might create some oxygen and lower stress. But, what about animals? I have seen offices in Hollywood allow people to bring their dogs and cats to work. It was a little unusual, but since their dogs were quiet, it worked out.

You might also like:

Compilation of posts about offices
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/03/16/compilation-of-posts-about-offices/

Making your workplace feel like home

July 26, 2015 by 123outsource
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Do workers work better or worse if they feel they are at home? I personally work better, but others might get lazy. Some people do nothing productive at home, while others thrive in this environment. It might be best to study the productivity habits of all of your workers and customize their environment to suit them ideally. If one works better with trees, put them out in a forest. If another works best in a cubicle, then do the obvious. If another works better at home, but you need them at the office, then continue reading this blog…

Making your office like home
There are coffee houses and bars that strive to feel like someone’s living room. These types of business put effort into their ambiance otherwise they will have an empty house. But, how many offices do the same? Imagine how much easier it would be to attract nice workers if you created an environment they actually liked being in! If you have windows that look like home, dogs, cats, and pets in the office, shelves filled with books, and other home-type stuff, people might feel more like home. You might add a sofa and coffee table just in case people want to do some collaborative thinking. But, would people collaborate, or just socialize and waste time? That is for your analytics department (which you probably don’t have) to find out. In the mean time while you ponder having an analytics department, do the analytics yourself!

Happy workers
Whether or not a homey environment is good for productivity, it seems obvious to me that most workers would prefer to be in that type of environment, and your attrition rate would go down. Worker satisfaction would most likely go up. There are many factors to think about when choosing an environment and short term productivity is only one of them!

You might also like:

Compilation of posts about offices

Compilation of posts about offices

Wouldn’t it be nice to have your office in the Himalayas?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2011/04/27/wouldnt-it-be-nice-to-have-your-office-in-the-himalayas/

Envisioning the long-term growth of your company in addition to the short-term

July 4, 2015 by 123outsource
Categories: Management | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I always get stuck on this. I study analytics, I figure out my next move, I take action and measure the results. I’m good at this and I like it. I do well with my business because I am analytical and enjoy analytics. I do well because I work hard and have vision, plan and take action. But, in my quest for growth, I tend to lose track of the long-term picture. The long-term baffles me. As a child, I had grandiose long-term strategies about how I would become a multi-billionaire like Warren Buffet, dominate industry, and be world famous. It didn’t quite work out like that although I am famous in my tiny industry. I am loved by some and despised by others because I implement policies for advertising that affect other people’s lives! But, I un an advertising site, so that is my prerogative!

As a realistic adult, it is harder to look at the long run. As a child, we think that life will go the way we plan it to go. We reject the idea that things beyond our control will happen. We don’t understand that relationships can ruin our lives, or that illness can cripple us. We are oblivious to the fact that an uncontrollable turn in the market can reduce our income to pennies overnight. As an adult, my problem is that I know to much, and have been through too much. I have lost my ability to be unrealistically optimistic. But, I need to look to the long term future. I need to envision some realistic ways that my business could grow and blossom into something bigger. Growth is the goal of any business (or Twitter account) and I want mine to grow.

Since I run directories, the only way to grow is to start new directories which is relentlessly time consuming and expensive. Dealing with programmers is nearly impossible these days as they are all overloaded and completely irresponsible. To get ahead these days you need good social media, and I am already spending half of my time on blogs and social media. If I try to hire others to help me with these tasks, their performance is usually so dismal that they get fired right away. Going into the unknown to grow is the problem.

I decided upon a solution for long-term growth of my outsourcing directory. I decided to go from writing 15 blog articles a month to 80. I meditated on this business problem while at the beach, and of all of the various solutions to the growth problem that I pondered, this was the one that would have the greatest results in the next year. I have never written so many blog articles before. This is going out on a limb into a new work strategy. Will the new help I hire do a good job? Should I use my existing people? Will I even have time to do half this amount of writing? I guess this little experiment will unfold. I’ll become almost a full-time blog writer. Wish me well.

Do you have a long-term strategy for your business’ growth over the next ten years. I think that both of us should meditate on this reality!

Jeremy’s 11 tips for better business decision making

June 29, 2015 by 123outsource
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If you read my blog, chances are you are involved in a business of some sort. Unfortunately, most business people get caught up in the daily grind of overworking and have not enough time to make really good decisions. Warren Buffet is much wiser than this and works only 2 hours a day. That way he has plenty of time for last minute meetings, emergencies, and engaging in deeper thought about the decisions that really matter. But, enough about Warren, let’s talk about you. What techniques can you use to make amazing decisions?

Also see:
Bathe & meditate before making business decisions!

(1) Work Less
Most people work too much. As a business person, you make more if you produce more of value. But, a lot of the tasks you engage in are what I call “busy-work.” Many experts recommend finding a way to outsource your busy work to a younger employee or to someone else. That way your time will be freed up for more important tasks and decision making. As a manager or executive, your primary function is as a decision maker or a lead at important meetings and not to do menial tasks.

(2) Sleep More
What? This blog is crazy. What type if idiot is telling me to work less and sleep more? Me! If you are stressed out all the time running around like a rat on a rotary, you will be in a crazy state of mind. If you want to make good decisions you need to be well rested and in good physical shape.

(3) Eat Healthy Food; Diet Matters More Than You Think.
I recommend a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables (I bet you’ve heard that before) and regular exercise. Fruits nourish the body with lots of fiber and vitamins that you need for keeping calm and energetic. Additionally, they don’t have the same level of toxins that meats and processed foods have. Fruits are easy to digest too and easy on the liver and kidneys. Too much meat can make you feel heavy and sluggish! Your carbohydrates are best gotten from brown rice and oats which have many health benefits you can read about on the internet! Vegetables have fiber and minerals which your body desperately needs. Additionally, fresh or open-net salmon is high in omegas which is essential for your eyes and your circulation among other benefits. The details of your diet are up to you, but in most countries, the national diet is very unhealthy!

(4) Brainstorm Before Analyzing
Most bad decisions are made in a hurry. Other times, bad decisions are made with insufficient data. If you are new to making particular types of decisions, you won’t know how much information is necessary to make a good decision, and you will undoubtedly make a bad decision. If you are making a hiring decision, you need to compare dozens of qualified applicants before making up your mind. If you compare only three and pick from them, your pick is not likely to be optimal, and then when they quit you will be high and dry.

(5) Analyze Yourself & Then With Another Business Person
I prefer to think up multiple methods and variations for methods of solving a business problem. After I think of all of those methods, I think them over for myself, taking notes on the benefits and downfalls of each system. I will often talk each idea over with several people who are good business thinkers as well. These talks can take over an hour at times, so be disciplined about this painstaking but critical process. A business process may involve multiple steps. Getting those steps in the correct order may not be easy. You need to figure out what can go wrong if a particular step is in a particular order for example.

(6) Create a Board of Mentors
It is difficult to schedule time with others to compare business ideas. However, the input of others could be quite valuable. If you are making a business decision that could be worth $50,000 in long term extra income, how much time should you put into that decision? In my opinion, a decision of that caliber could take months of refinement and perhaps more than 20 hours. Plan on spending that type of time with your board of handpicked advisors or consultants.

(7) Enjoy Nature
Go hiking, relax at the beach, and enjoy nature in all types of places. Nature is the best place to get your body balanced, get in shape, and reduce your stress. People who are stressed out cannot focus on deeper decision making activities. They will overlook critical factors and impatiently jump to conclusions. In fact, you might be better off having your most serious meetings at the beach after sunset — I kid you not!

(8) Refine your Decisions
In my experience, my best decisions were not made on the first attempt. It took me years to figure out what made my business tick, and even more years to implement optimal policies. Your first big decision on a particular business matter such as hiring, pricing, business process optimization, etc. will most likely be wrong. But, don’t cry! Decision making is hard, and requires refinement. As you gain more information and experience, refinements in your processes, pricing, interviewing and hiring analytics and processes will ensue! Whatever business decision you make, make it with the intention that more brainstorming, more analysis, and more discussions will need to happen on a regular basis until you have gotten things to the point where they don’t seem to be able to get any better!

(9)Use Alcohol With Care
Too much alcohol will dull your thinking. If you are going to make critical decisions, you need a clear head. On the other hand, a glass of red wine every day will relax you, and is considered to be healthy for your heart, reduces stress, and can help you live longer according to some researchers. The right amount and the right type of alcohol makes the difference.

(10) Think Outside the “Box-fice” & Bump Into People More
Most people cannot think outside the box. Your office is like a box and is good for cranking out routine work. However, if you need to think strategically, your office might not be the best place. Many people have their best thoughts while dropping in on a friend, bumping into someone at lunch, or driving on a road near the beach. Google understands this and they engineer their buildings to have more common spaces where people will bump into each other and have stimulating conversations about innovations and other topics. You need to mold your life to integrate this Google concept of bumping into people. Try to have more unpredictable activities, do unusual things, and talk to a wider circle of people about business issues. If you limit the people you talk with to a narrow circle of people, your thoughts and decision making will reflect that narrowness. But, if you expose yourself to new people (preferably thoughtful people,) as well as reading books by great thinkers, your thinking will evolve.

(11) Evolve Your Mind Over Time
Your current mental state might be fine, but to make even better business decisions next year or next week, you need to widen and refine the way you think. Reading books about great business people, widening your social circle, and thinking more deeply and intricately about business decisions will help your brain to become more adept at handling complicated issues. If you make it your life mission to become refined at making great decisions, you will evolve into that state. But, if you are constantly bogged down with busy work, stress, eat improperly and don’t go to the beach enough — you will just be another scatterbrain!

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Do you see yourself as an Entrepreneur, or CEO?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/05/15/do-you-see-yourself-as-an-entrepreneur-or-ceo/

A coffee house guy hired by corporate America
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/04/29/a-coffee-house-guy-hired-by-corporate-america/

How to create a company culture like Google’s
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/03/14/how-to-create-a-company-culture-like-googles-have-fun-while-doing-it/

What is an hour of your time worth?

June 28, 2015 by 123outsource
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If you knew what an hour of your time was worth, you probably wouldn’t be wasting it reading this stupid article. Or maybe you would spend an hour per day reading my brilliant articles. Hmm.

Many of us work for an hourly wage, and others work for their own business where they can calculate their income and divide it by the number of hours they have invested in their income. However, the real value of an hour of your work is more complicated than the immediate result. There are several factors you must consider when making this valuation.

Learning
If you are doing some type of work, are you learning from it? Are you learning skills that will affect the long term success and growth of your career? Or, are you just doing mindless tasks over and over the entire hour? If you are paid $15 per hour, but are learning, then the value of your time would be in excess of $15 per hour. Although it is hard to evaluate the exact long term value of the educational benefit, consider how much extra money you will be making twenty years ago if you continue learning and rise in the ranks vs. if you don’t. You might find that the value of your time might be worth more like $40 per hour when learning is factored in. Although the benefit from the learning might roll in slowly over time, the benefit could be worth hundreds of thousands if you continue learning. You can compare that value to what your money would do in the stock market if you took a higher paying job that didn’t include any learning.

Stress
I feel that my work time is worth $70 per hour based on what I am making now. Of course if I can learn to be a little more sophisticated, my time might become worth $400 per hour very quickly. I keep telling myself that in order to feel better along with multiple pats on the back. However, if I am doing something that involves stress, it really drains me and affects my mood for days to come. For stressful work, I would not want to do it unless it was worth more like $200 or more per hour as it is so distressing!

Long Term Benefits
If you are building a business and cementing ties with mentors, customers, or building a good system, you might not get paid big bucks right away. But, if you pour your love into that business, and keep it going, eventually your hard work might pay off. It is analogous to planting a tree. You might work for years growing the tree before the fruit comes, but when the fruit comes, your revenue will be generous. Base your hourly value on the harvest which might not come right away. Making this type of valuation has to be adjusted for opportunity costs, risks, and other factors. It is not easy to make long term assessments. However, the mark of a capable business person is exactly his ability to do exactly this!

Multiple Tasks Multiple Values
I do all types of things every day. I try to calculate the value of each task. I learned that each task I do has a vastly different value which is why I cut down on doing certain tasks and increased my time investments in the more valuable tasks. Of course, since I run a business, sometimes the payoff doesn’t come right away, but when it comes, it can be a landslide (which is a good thing unless you live in Malibu.)

Are you patient with yourself?

June 26, 2015 by 123outsource
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Many of us go through life either slacking off, or being impatient with ourselves. I know people who are supreme slackers half the time and the other half of the time are beating themselves up. There are people who yell in traffic, and scream at their computer. They are never satisfied with how they are doing either. If you run a business, you need a clear head. Sure, you should aim for the sky, but being impatient all the time will just make you a nervous wreck.

The practice of meditation is a great way to become more patient. The results of meditation do not come overnight, so you will have to be patient. Thoughts come into your mind during meditation. Be patient with those thoughts. If you are impatient with yourself, perhaps you are impatient in general. But, it is odd that some people are super patient with some people and extremely impatient with others? Why is this? Ask them and find out!

Being reflective and introspective is another way to get a clear picture of what is going on within yourself. Additionally, you need to take time off regularly to get a mental break. Your brain cannot be on full drive twenty-four hours a day. You will come back with a new perspective if you take breaks of varying lengths. You might need a day off sometimes, or a weekend at the beach to recharge. From time to time a two week break far away will be in order to keep your perspective three dimensional!

To do well in business you need to be patient, calm and calculating. Hard work and skills will help a lot too!

What’s the relationship between workers and their boss?

June 25, 2015 by 123outsource
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Every work relationship is different. But, certain ways of managing relationships work better than others.

I noticed that people in business go out to dinner with each other frequently. This actually improves their business relationship and productivity. It is a proven fact that people who are chummy with each other will treat each other much better in a business relationship.

Office Distance
However, employees tend to be more distant, especially the ones I have dealt with. They rarely want to go out to dinner, especially not with you. They want your money, not your dinner! They don’t want to be your friend. So, how do you handle them?

If you are too distant, they will not do good work for you. They will know you are not watching, and know their work doesn’t matter. If you are overbearing the employees will resent you. If you show favoritism for one person the others will get jealous. So, what do you do?

Office Friendships
If you are friends with your employees, that can turn against you as they will be more able to manipulate you. You will be tempted to talk about private personal things with them that you probably shouldn’t as that can get turned on you as well. The worst situation you can create at work is a romance between people of different levels. Those relationships are usually a powerful older man with a younger beautiful woman. Don’t do this! It can lead to a lot of complications and trouble.

Being in a position to fire someone
You need to always be in a position to fire someone on the spot. People tend to not do very good work these days. If you lack replacements for someone, you are stuck with them long after their work has gone down hill. If you are emotionally attached to someone, if their work goes down hill, you won’t want to fire them which is another handicap. The boss always needs to keep the upper hand, so don’t put any bindings on your hand that will inhibit your power!

Mentoring
As a boss, you need to be there to answer questions, mentor, and encourage. You need to set limits, and be an authority too. Being a nice authority who is caring, but firm seems to me to be the ideal characteristic of a boss if you want to be liked and also get things done. Too nice and the work will suffer, and too mean and you drive people away emotionally. Instead of spending time socializing, spend time mentoring, and teaching people new skills that will give them a future. Many people want a work future, and if they think you can give it to them, they will be more loyal to you which in turn gives you more power! You gain power from helping others and keeping efficiency, not by being people’s friends or being too mean!

Remember
The way you keep your relationships with those you do business with is different. If you are on the same level as a supplier, or contractor, you can be friends. In real life, that can work. Just remember that your assessment of their work is business, and friendship is friendship. Don’t let the friendship interfere with your standards for their work. But, you shouldn’t be friends with those in a lower position in your company or in other people’s companies as that tends not to work well. They resent the fact that you are above them, and workers by nature tend to be unfriendly towards management. It is a sad rule of life. But, remember, that life is like a National Geographic documentary. There are rules to the jungle, and you need to obey those rules. By the way, I have to go because a lion is chasing me. I need to remember not to run as that would identify me as prey. Hmmm. I’ll let her sniff my finger instead of running. Bye!

A good organization has people who take charge without being overbearing

June 19, 2015 by 123outsource
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There are different management styles out there. Some managers are very pushy. Others are more moderate. While some are slackers and aren’t really paying attention. There are manager who pretend to be paying attention, and others who make their rounds to show people they are being watched. There are really many aspects to being a manager. Figuring out how to allocate scarce resources, time, space, and deciding who will do what, and when. Figuring out marketing strategies, and financial strategies are part of the deal as well.

Be a friend
What managers need to know is that managing people involves many components. You have to be their friend, but not be too friendly. If you are too friendly, and you develop too many ties that make it complicated to control them. If you are not friendly enough you have distance, and people will not do their best work if they don’t feel close to them. If you are too close, you might talk about personal things which could develop later on into conflicts or complications in your relationship not to mention office politics, jealousy, and other trouble.

Be a mentor
You need to help people at work too. If you are always helping people, especially the new people, you will be appreciated and valued. People might look up to you for your skills as well. When you are helpful, but not too critical, that is wonderful. People will feel more comfortable working for you if they know that support is around every corner.

Be appreciative
Remember that a good manager needs to criticize from time to time. But, criticism is not normally well received unless there is a relationship of support, trust and appreciation. If an employee is so horrible that you can’t appreciate them, fire them. But, for the others, there needs to be at least five meaningful good things you say to them for every criticism. If an employee feels appreciation, they will do better work for you, take criticism better, and stick with your company longer too.

Be watchful
Employees tend to do more when they are being regularly watched. I like to call people who work remotely once a week to let them know I am watching. When I call it is very casual and we just do reviews about what they have been doing, or I ask them a few quick questions. If your employees work in the same building, make your rounds and pay attention to what they are doing. If they know that you know what they are up to, their efforts will be more genuine! The minute someone doesn’t want to be in communciation with you or evades you in any way, that is a sign that you should end that work relationship. The work will go downhill the minute they start evading you. I have seen this happen around ten times in my career. The problem is that you need a replacement before they start evading you so that you can fire them on the spot.

Be allocative (allocate work)
Figure out who is going to do what. See how well everyone does each task and have lots of people trained on each task you need done. Whomever does a particular task best is someone you should consider giving the most of a particular task. But, you always need backups in case that star employee is needed on some other more pressing work, or in case they quit!

Be authoritative
People need to know that you have deadlines in writing and enforce those deadlines. People need to know you have standards too. The minute you cut people slack, 90% of them will take advantage. If you work with people who possess a solid work ethic, you will be okay being lax, but for the rest of the human population, you need to show some authority! You can’t just fire someone for missing a deadline, or making a few small mistakes. But, they should get points every time they do something wrong. If you get too many points in a particular quarter, then it is time to get demoted or fired!

Be underbearing
Bosses who are overbearing might think they are taking control and gaining respect. This is not how it works. Respect is gained through many means. People might respect you because you are nice, rich, or have it all together. They might respect you because you dress impeccably, or take charge. But, you can be very in charge without raising your voice. Many bosses with smooth ships are always very polite and nice. They make it clear that you do what they say, but they are nice how they say it. There might be times in your career when you need to be overbearing. And there might be particular individuals who are stubborn who only respond to this type of behavior. Personally, I don’t like it and many others feel the same way. On the other hand, my attitude is cultural, and in other countries like India, bosses yell at their employees, treat them like servants — and the employees respond well to this. In India, adapting to more gentle ways of management might be difficult, and might not even work well. It is hard to say. But, as a manager in India, you can at least try to do more in the departments of being watchful without over doing it, being appreciative without being fake, being friendly, and being a good mentor.

A company has a board of directors, so why shouldn’t you?

June 18, 2015 by 123outsource
Categories: Management | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Some of us run large companies and others run micro-companies. My friend claimed that I was a CEO of a tech company. I argued that I was an Entrepreneur with one full-time person helping me and a few freelancers. I see my company as more of a marketing company that is based on a website which is technical by definition. So, perhaps my business is marketing / tech combined. But, putting aside whether I am a small enterprise or a huge corporation, the idea of a board of directors is an interesting one to ponder, so let me pontificate!

Issues with a board
Putting aside whether having a board of directors is a good idea for an entrepreneur, it makes a great topic for a blog article. You could even write multiple blogs on the topic as your experience with a board develops — you can’t get bored with the concept of a board! The main issues is that very few people will understand the technology, analytics, or daily procedures and issues that my business faces. However, if I talk a smart person through my issues, they might be able to offer valuable ideas.

Others do not understand the technology my business uses – but, they might understand people
I know my business inside out. I don’t understand programming, but I outsource people to help me with that. The issue I have with programmers is finding people who will be reliable and not cheat which is almost impossible. So, the issue I have is not technical, and remains constant with the ever-changing technology as human beings are generally unreliable! I don’t need a mentor or board member to understand the technology I use, but to understand how to deal with people.

Others don’t understand the analytics I use, but they need to understand strategy
I don’t need others to understand the marketing analytics of my business as I already have a handle on that. I need them to understand strategy. If they can think of or assess ideas regarding long term business strategy, that could change the course of my business. Or they might think of something that I would never think of that could be the magic idea that could change my life forever.

Getting multiple people together is impossible
I cannot afford to pay people big bucks to attend meetings. Any meeting I would have would be one on one and possibly over the phone. I like the idea of having four or six people be on my board. I could be the tie-breaker or the swing vote. That way we would have a diversity of ideas, and an evenhanded way of originating, discussing, evaluating and choosing ideas. It might be complicated doing this entire process one by one, but you never know.

The Solution
Don’t laugh. I’m going to do this tomorrow. I work with a psychic who is strong in a variety of uncommon but useful skills. He understands past life regression, channeling, and spirit communication. The problem is that the people who I want to channel are living, so we can’t talk to their departed spirit. My psychic says that he can tap into the consciousness of a living person and get answers to questions in a reliable way. We are going to channel some of the best business minds and management teams in human history like Warren Buffet, Toyota, Google, Coca Cola, Wells Fargo, and more. It sounds far out, but I have been working with this guy for almost a decade and he is really helpful. Part two of this article will be about what we found out!

Are you trying to do too many things and is that good?

June 7, 2015 by 123outsource
Categories: Management | Tagged | Leave a comment

I am trying to do too many things. I try to prioritize them so that the less essential things I do will be done last if at all. But, it is hard to juggle all of my tasks, and I tend to let important things slide as well. The main point to emphasize is that you need to be very organized and disciplined about what you do first.

I keep a check list of monthly tasks to do and keep a routine of what to do daily. However, I find that I tire myself out doing particular tasks, and that can make it hard for me to focus on more important tasks. Another thing that helped me manage my work is to make all tasks part of a monthly schedule. That way they don’t add up and overwhelm you. By doing a particular task monthly, you also get better at finding ways to make that task more efficient.

Dividing one task into multiple pieces can be good too. That way you can outsource parts of the task to the Philippines and get it done at a very low labor rate. Dividing complicated tasks into simple pieces is one of the most important business skills a manager can have. Some of the simple pieces are less critical or require a lower skill level, and those tasks are the best to outsource. The final review or thought intensive tasks are better not outsourced.

The moral of the story is — systemize your tasks, prioritize them and discipline yourself to keep your work in order of priorities daily. Divide tasks into pieces and outsource the less consequential pieces to relieve your tough schedule. Additionally, try out some new people to help do part of your work for you. If you don’t try new people, you’ll never know how good they are (or how good you are in comparison!)

Does your downtime make you a better business person?

May 25, 2015 by 123outsource
Categories: Management | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Does your time taking a walk, or sitting by the beach making you a better business person?
Does your daily Zen-out time meditating make you a better thinker or more centered?
How about your refreshing road trip experiences, or your time chatting with friends?

Many business bloggers seem to think it does.

Imagine how you would be if you never had any fun and you just glued yourself to your computer. Your eyes would start having flashes, your health would go to hell, and you would go crazy. Man was not designed to just work, work, and more work. And man cannot live on bread alone! Studies have shown that people who work too much or sleep not enough have lowered efficiency at work, and make worse decisions. But, people who apply themselves at work, and then refresh themselves regularly will make better use of the hours that they do spend working.

Putting refreshment aside, how about inspiration? Sometimes inspiration comes while you are taking a walk. Or you’ll talk to someone and in the middle of that chat you’ll have an ah-ha moment where your next huge business idea comes from. Meditating can clear your brain so the next big business idea will have room to come in. A long road trip will leave you coming back in a completely new state of mind ready for new thoughts as well. Reading what other people are saying can be a huge source of inspiration in business as well, although they probably write in a way that is more targeted to a general audience rather than to your specific needs.

As entrepreneurs and CEO’s we are responsible not only to work, but to come up with new ideas. We need to solve serious problems. We need to think quality thoughts. The difference between a business person who makes $100,000 per hear and 10 million per year is not the hours they put in. It is the quality of their decisions and their inspiration that make the difference. The higher quality business person makes decisions so good that they revolutionize entire industries — or in Steve Jobs case — entire species!

So, work hard, and then take that trip, talk that talk, walk your walk, and Zen your um… what rhymes with Zen? Hmm. Okay, and Zen your universal entrepreneur consciousness! These things will make you a better business person. Sometimes it is good to think about business when you are on a long trip. Since you will be in a different environment, the thoughts will be different which could be critical to finding the right ideas. Or sometimes it is better not to think about business, but to think about other things. When you come back to the office, you will have a fresh slate to work with.

On a final note, sleep is not properly understood by human beings. Your mind does amazing things filing your thoughts while you are sleeping. You might come up with your best idea ever while asleep. It could come in a dream. Or your guardian angel might transmit an amazing thought to you while you are snoozing. It has happened to me more than once!

Do you see yourself as an Entrepreneur, or CEO?

May 15, 2015 by 123outsource
Categories: Management | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

I was talking to my friend the other day. Some of the most meaningful conversations I have ever had happen when I just drop by to someone’s office, or just feel the urge to talk with someone who I haven’t talked to for a long time. Well, my friend told me that I was a CEO of a technology company — like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. I don’t feel that way about myself. I feel that I am nowhere as smart as either of those two guys. Additionally, I only have a programmer and a few assistants. I don’t manager dozens, hundreds or thousands of workers. When you are in that league it is a different ballgame.

So, basically, I see myself as an entrepreneur who has moved up the ladder to the point where he has a few people working for him. I am not in a huge hurry to grow because I like stable growth based on stable clients, stable markets, and stable skills. But, maybe I am a CEO in a small scale type of a way. Or perhaps I should think of myself as one. The main real difference between me and a CEO is that they can snap their fingers and have labor resources on a particular task. I can’t do that. I have to find people myself, test them out, etc. I can’t do my tasks if I am busy hiring others. So, I am at a difficult stage in business where growth actually does hurt.

But, maybe I should gradually shift my consciousness to CEO consciousness, or start thinking more like one today. If I am going to grow, I need to start thinking like someone who is already bigger than I am. It is common sense and the law of the cyberverse. So, how can I be more like a real CEO? Well, for starts, I can put down my subscription to Entrepreneur, and start reading CEO. Next, I can find intelligent ways to delegate a higher portion of my tasks, even if it is little by little And last, I can have a weekly meeting with myself to take notes on business decisions and the conditions of the week. Top level people have reports, and keep track of their business more in writing, while I keep it mostly in my head. I guess it’s all in my head!

Maybe this is the type of question to ask my cat.

ME: Mrs. Meao, do you see me as being more of an entrepreneur or a CEO?
CAT: (sniff sniff sniff) Meao!!! (with puzzled expression on her furry face)

Putting reason aside, the topic of today’s blog entry is mind expanding. Your entire existance can be changed by contemplating this topic. Anyway, I gotta go meditate. The universe is calling me!