215 ways to be effective and profitable

SPECIAL 215 Ways To Be
ACTION
REPORT Effective And Profitable
Here's a list of tips, tricks, hints and suggestions which will help to make you
more effective (and profitable) in the years ahead.
A complimentary report
provided by an
independent BBG… They don't come in any particular order … so read them all … each one of
them is a powerful "suggestion" founded on ideas that work!
Business Development
Specialist
Why not grab 15 "interrupt free" minutes, find a comfortable chair … and read
Our purpose: the report with pencil and paper at the ready. Mark those points which you
To provide practical intend to put into action and then transfer them to an action sheet for further
business information discussion and implementation.
that works…
Guaranteed! You may even uncover matters which clearly relate to your business
In particular how to: associates and workmates. Mark the items and give it to them for
consideration.
Increase Sales
Reduce Costs
Improve Productivity

Better Business Attitude And Self-Development
Group Ltd

Serving Australian and 1. Will this be the year you don't participate in the frustrating Aussie
New Zealand Business. mentality of "she'll be right"? In business this attitude manifests itself in
BBG Australia
any number of different ways:
- not adhering to promises.
U5, 51 Perry Street
Bundaberg, Qld 4670 - making promises that can't be kept
Phone: 1300 711 743
Phone: +61 412 667 559 - a casual and "half hearted" approach.
Fax : +617 3036 6174 2. Adopt a mentality of keeping your word or promise and really work
Email: towards meeting deadlines.
bbgau@betterbusinessgroup.biz
3. If meeting a deadline becomes impossible, give as much prior notice as is
BBG New Zealand
possible.
1329 Akatarawa Road 4. Better still; don't make rash promises that you can't keep … this means
Upper Hutt 5372.
New Zealand planning your approach to the job before you give a qualified time
Phone: +64 4 5266880 framework.
Fax: +64 4 5264024
5. Make it a habit to learn from your mistakes. Analyse them in a non-
Email:
bbgnz@betterbusinessgroup.biz judgmental way so that the lessons can be understood for the future.
Presented By: 6. Learn from those people who get more done than you do. What are they
doing that is different? Why not ask them?

Page 1 of 13 Copyright © Fred Steensma

215 Ways To Be Effective And Profitable

7. Pre-plan, at least to a minimum, everything that you undertake. Think it through and then do
it. As George Washington said, "If I had 9 hours to chop down the tree, I would spend 5
hours sharpening the axe".
8. Challenge yourself to do things differently than you have in the past. It provides new ideas
and keeps you interested.
9. Occasionally sit quietly and do a self assessment of your skills and strengths.
10. Frequently ask yourself, "Is what I am doing right now moving me toward my goal?"
11. Never think (or talk) of yourself as having a weakness. There is no such thing. You are only
referring to a presently undeveloped skill or part of yourself, that if you choose, you can
change. You do not have any weaknesses – only untapped potential.
12. Live effectiveness in everything you do rather than sporadically applying time management
techniques.
13. Practise "Stick-to-it-iveness".
14. Avoid worry. The majority of things that you worry about, never occur.
15. Practice being punctual until it becomes second nature. Not only is it courteous and
professional, it will also give you an "edge" over those who aren't.
16. Before commencing any job task, get your mental attitude "right". Say to yourself, "I'm
going to tackle this job in a positive and enthusiastic manner".
17. Plan for the future but remember to live in the present.
18. Do it right the first time. And you do not have to take time later to fix it.
19. Make a list of your accomplishments as you go through the day.
20. Get over thinking you must do everything yourself.
21. When you have an important thought that is not directly related to that on which you are
working, write it down. In this way, you won't forget it and you will also no longer be
distracted by it.
22. Remember, if you think you can or if you think cannot, you are right. Use the self-fulfilling
prophesy on yourself. Expect yourself to succeed and you will.
23. Accept the personal responsibility of managing your own growth. No-one can do it for you.
24. What you do today will determine your readiness for tomorrow.
25. What you think about tonight will determine your approach.
26. Ensure you stay up to date in your chosen field. In an ever changing world "obsolescence"
can occur almost over night. So remember, even if you are on the right track, if you just sit
there, you will get run over.
27. Join, develop or start up a "master mind" group of say, 4 or 5 like minded people with
whom you can openly discuss ideas, problems etc. Don't ever pass up the opportunity to
"network".

Page 2 of 13 Better Business Group Ltd Copyright © Fred Steensma
Australia- U5, Perry St, Bundaberg, Qld 4670 - +61 412-667 559 or 1300 711 743– Email: bbgau@betterbusinessgroup.biz
New Zealand- 1329 Akatarawa Rd, Upper Hutt 5372, NZ - +64 4 5266 880 - Email: bbgnz@betterbusinessgroup.biz


Organisation

28. Before leaving the office, factory or shop each night … pause for a few minutes and ponder
on these questions:
- What went right today and why?
- What went wrong today and why?
- What could I have done better?
- Did we set goals this morning and did we achieve them?
- What achievements (by myself or staff) should be noted for future reward?
- What incidents (by myself or staff) indicate a need for correction or training?
- Did we work efficiently today? If not, what were the examples of inefficiency?
- Did we honestly serve our customers or clients properly?
- Are there any "fence mending" exercises which need to be undertaken in the future?
Better still, why not get an exercise book and faithfully record the answers to these
questions on a daily basis. They make for an excellent record of your managerial
improvement.
29. The last function before leaving each night should be to tidy up your work space and ensure
that the first job to be "tackled" the next morning is ready and waiting.
30. Organise your day around a "call/see/do" list and prioritise these functions:
- Who must you call or see as a matter of routine?
- Who could you call or see to foster further business?
- What functions must be done?
31. Prioritise on an urgency scale as follows:
- A = Must do
- B = Should do
- C = Could Do
- D = Delegate to somebody else
32. Organise your personal and business life around a diary in which all matters are kept. Don't
fall into the trap of having some of the information on the wall planner, some of it in the
office diary, some of it in your head, some of it in the head of your assistant etc. A good
diary system religiously adhered to will guarantee you several extra hours of time a day.
33. Avoid over organising your day. Allow flexibility in the daily program. From experience,
you will use it ten times out of ten.
34. When organising your day don't forget about "you" and your biological clock. Build
interesting diversions into your day; schedule plenty of rest breaks etc.
35. Get into the mental habit of double checking that all materials are "at hand" before you
commence a task. Say to yourself, "Do I have all the things I will need to complete this
task?" If not, complete your pre-job organisation before you start.



36. When giving or receiving information, don't hurry, take the time needed to truly understand.
It prevents future problems and misunderstandings.
37. Wrap your job functions around the traditional New Zealand/Australian "workclock".
38. Good organisers often arrange to be absent at those times when the business environment is
not conducive to quality work. They prefer to trade days – for example, work on Saturday
when it is quiet and take a half day off mid week.
39. Get into the habit of regularly asking yourself these three questions during the course of the
day:
- "Am I making the best use of my time, right now?"
- "Am I still working towards the overall goal?"
- "Can I do this present function more efficiently?"
40. When working on a project that you don't like, tackle it in "chunks". Do it for a period of
time, then take a break or do something else. Come back to it when you're ready. Keep
taking these bite sized pieces until it is completely done.

Decision Making

41. Don't make decisions which aren't yours to make. It wastes time and makes for antagonism
within the business.
42. When making a decision you are simply choosing from the alternatives. To make the best
decision you must be aware of all the alternatives.
43. Avoid snap decisions. Move fast on the reversible ones and slowly on the non-reversible.
44. Choosing the right alternative at the wrong time is not any better than the wrong alternative
at the right time. So make the decision.
45. Do your decision making on paper. Make notes and keep your ideas visible so you consider
all the relevant information in making this decision. Write down the pros and cons of a line
of action. It clarifies your thinking and makes for a better decision.
46. Recognise that you cannot know with 100% certainty that your decision is correct because
the actions to implement it are to take place in the future. So make it and don't worry about
it.
47. Use the "OAR" approach in decision making:
- O = Objectives you are seeking to attain.
- A = the alternatives you sense are available to you.
- R = consider the risks of the alternatives you are considering implementing.
48. As high as 80% of the decisions you make during the course of the day are unimportant.
Maybe somebody else can make them for you, thus freeing up your time.
49. Remember that not making a decision is making a decision not to take action.



Delegation And Procrastination

Make this the year in which you will delegate those unnecessary asks which can be performed by
assistants … that is, provided they are trained properly. Use the following processes:

50. Create a desire in the assistants to want to take on the responsibility. Express your
confidence in their abilities and explain how taking on the functions will benefit them and
the business in general.
51. Demonstrate the job or function by doing it yourself.
52. Explain in minute detail each step of the operation and its necessity. To aid comprehension
and later review, consider using a tape recorder or video camera. At the very least, make
sure that somebody is taking notes which can be referred to later.
53. Get the assistant to perform the task under your guidance.
54. As they are performing the various functions, get them to give a running commentary of
what they are doing and why.
55. Allow the assistant to perform the tasks on their own.
56. However, be handy for the first few times to review and correct if necessary.
57. Remember to offer encouraging remarks and reward if necessary.
58. Insist on yourself and your employees never raising a problem without having first thought
about a solution.
59. To encourage employees to share this view, your first question to any problem an employee
raises should be "what solution do you propose to solve the problem?"
60. The employees of a good delegator say, "I have this particular problem and my suggested
solution is X, can you please clarify for me"
61. The employees of a poor delegator say "I have a problem" ... knowing full well that the poor
delegator will say ... "leave it with me".
62. Good secretaries (or assistants) will double your effectiveness.
63. Poor ones will halve it.
64. Make your assistant/s part of the team. Give them background information so that they can
understand how you make decisions, what information you draw on, how you anticipate
problems, generate ideas, treat people etc. In short, good assistants know precisely how
their boss thinks and acts.
65. The effectiveness of your assistant can be developed over time … or by a specially
convened meeting at which all matters are explained in detail. At this meeting, ask for their
input and help … for after all, it's a team effort.
66. Accept personal responsibility for the fact that you are procrastinating. It is not something
that someone else is doing to you.
67. Identify the causes of your personal procrastination so you will know what needs to be
changed.
68. If you determine that habit patterns are causing you to procrastinate, change them.


69. The balance sheet approach to overcoming procrastination starts with taking a sheet of paper
and drawing a line down the middle. On the left side, list all the reasons why you are
procrastinating on this item. On the right side list all the benefits and pay-offs you will
receive when the project is done.
70. Operate in a “do it now” manner. It helps you prevent procrastination in the first place.
71. Clarify your goals and focus your attention on the pay-offs you will get after you go ahead
and do the thing you are putting off.
72. Finally, we can always view procrastination as just one more thing that can be put off.

Managing Others

73. Catch people doing things right and congratulate them.
74. Giving people recognition generates energy within them which they will then direct toward
increased productivity.
75. Have regular "focused" meetings regarding the project for which you are responsible.
76. Provide adequate instructions. Time is lost if it is not done correctly.
77. Train others to do the job. You cannot do them all, nor can others do them if they have not
been trained.
78. Expect others to succeed. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy when you believe others are
loyal, dedicated and doing a good job.
79. Help others see how they will benefit from doing a job. It aids the motivation process
immensely.
80. Don't procrastinate in talking to a poor performer. It hurts them, the business and yourself if
the situation is not dealt with.
81. Don't "over-control". It's frustrating for them and time consuming for you.
82. Focus on results, not on activities or personalities.
83. Reward people for the results they produce.
84. Manage by "walking" around. Your staff will appreciate your accessibility and nothing, but
nothing, beats being on the spot.
85. Get into the habit of writing a person's name – it will help you to remember it.
86. See what people are doing and listen to what they have to say.
87. Make quality an obsession, especially on smaller items. Get your team members to share
your views on it as well.
88. Provide workers with open, direct and immediate feedback on their actual performance as
compared to expected performance … and they tend to correct their own deficiencies.
89. When things are going well, leave them alone, when a problem occurs – then help.
90. Tardiness and absenteeism account for much lost production and effectiveness in
organisations. Have a firm policy (in writing) and make sure all people are aware of it.


91. Never ignore the concerns of your people. Whilst they may seem trivial to you, to them
they could be insurmountable.
92. Give employees an opportunity to speak their opinions and suggestions without fear of
ridicule or reprisal.
93. When change is necessary, get those who will be affected involved in the planning and
decision making process. This will increase their commitment to make the changes work.
94. Employees are the only resource that can, with training and persistence, appreciate in value.
All other resources, depreciate.
95. Make it a habit to speak to others as you would wish them to speak to you. Asking "Will
you please do this for me?" is guaranteed to get a better response than simply by telling
them.
96. Politeness … it's a habit worth cultivating.
97. A basic employee handbook can answer a lot of questions people have without interrupting
you.
98. A warm smile and strong handshake break barriers. Smile, it will help you feel better and it
is contagious. The whole organisation shudders when the boss is frowning. Likewise ... it
smiles when the boss does.
99. Create standard operating procedures for specific jobs. It will eliminate repetitious
questions.
100. Apart from getting people to know "how" to do a job, the manager's next function is to
explain "why" they are doing the job.
101. When "how" and "why" are explained the effectiveness is improved.
102. Get others to commit to deadlines by asking, "When can you have that for me?" Of course,
write down their response.
103. Nail down commitment by asking an individual "Do I have your word that you will have
that for me then?"
104. Set the stage for co-operation from others by:
- introducing the idea
- continual stimulation by talking about it
- get others to make an investment by having them participate in the planning.
105. If you are unable to reach agreement or get a commitment from another person in a meeting,
agree to disagree but summarise your understanding in a confirming memo.
106. When you appreciate what someone has done – let them know in writing. You can bet the
letter will be passed around … which is good PR for you as well.
107. Encourage your people to come up with new ideas and ways to do things. Give them credit
and recognition for these ideas.
108. If a new idea won't work at least praise the efforts of the individual so they will continue to
come up with new ideas.
109. Once a month meet with each staff member to catch any problems or concerns the person
may have before they become a crisis.


110. Remember it is results that count – not activities. Generally speaking, getting something
done perfectly is not as important as getting it done. Perfection has a high cost and may not
be worth it.
111. Never criticise an employee in front of others. Have all discussions of a corrective nature in
private.

Communication And Teamwork

112. Get into the habit of sending "thank you" notes and memos. They are appreciated.
113. Answer routine memos and correspondence by writing on the original sent to you.
Photocopy it for your files and return the original to the sender.
114. Use window envelopes so you will not have to write the name and address more than once.
115. Avoid excessive memo writing – pick up the phone and get an answer right now.
116. Write it down! The shortest pencil is better than the longest memory.
117. In communicating with others, identify with whom you want to do what, by when, at what
cost and who else will need to know about it.
118. Practise the KISS approach to communication – "KEEP IT SHORT AND SIMPLE".
119. Take notes whilst you are listening to another individual. In a conference you will find you
are able to recall information better if you have taken notes.
120. Concentrate 100% of your attention on an individual when you are talking with them.
121. Practise what you will be saying in a meeting by talking to your tape recorder whilst
driving. Listen to it and then practise again.
122. Meet often with your team to assign functions and responsibilities. Use daily "to do" lists to
establish priorities. Regularly review performance during the course of the assignment as
"re-direction" is often necessary.
123. Use visuals, charts, graphs etc. to "focus" the team on the mission, to communicate progress
and to monitor performance.
124. In any team situation always make sure that the team has a crystal clear understanding of
their purpose and the objective in mind. Re-enforcement of this message will be required
regularly.
125. Ask questions, "Why are we doing these functions?" "What is our purpose in ...?"
126. Encourage a spirit of "we can do it together", rather than individual brilliance from just a
few. Encourage participation from all team members. At meetings, strive to seek out the
comments of the more timid team members. Ask questions like, "Dave, have you any
thoughts on this issue?"



Planning

127. Force yourself to plan your business, social and family "lives". If you fail to plan you are,
by default, planning to fail.
128. Schedule uninterrupted time each day to do your planning.
129. Plan for tomorrow, tonight. Your "subconscious" will help organise whilst you sleep.
130. Commit your plans to paper in order to capture all of your ideas and to be sure that none of
them get lost.
131. Keep accurate records of how long it takes to do an activity. You can use this information
in future planning. The front of your diary is an ideal place to store this information.
132. Plan your day as you shower and dress in the morning.
133. Keep a pad and pencil nearby to jot down ideas that you may have.
134. Carry a card with your goals written upon it and review your goals at least three times a day.

Time Management

135. Keep a time log once every six months to determine exactly where your time is going.
136. Have something with you at all times to work on. For example, plan your day. Work on a
report. Read a page from your book.
137. Practise doing only one thing at a time and by making sure it is the right thing to be working
on at that particular point in time.
138. Get out of bed half hour earlier than you currently do. Use the extra time to plan your
approach to the day.
139. Think of your time as money. Are you getting a good return on the way you invest or spend
it?
140. Schedule several short vacations or long weekends. This creates positive deadlines by when
you must have projects done.
141. Tell your staff about the things they do which causes your time to be wasted. At the same
time, ask them to give you an appraisal of the things you do which waste their time.
142. Eliminate one "time-waster" a week from your life.
143. Avoid "writers vacuum" when composing a report, letter, memo etc. by putting down the
skeleton on a rough sheet of paper. Simply write whatever comes into your head. Later on
you can begin to rearrange the ideas into a logical sequence.
144. Think about the basics: who do you want to address? … What conclusion do you want them
to arrive at? … What evidence must you give in order to arrive at conclusions? … What
order should you present the information? … How should it be presented so that it is
visually attractive?
145. Selectively ignore trivial requests and memos. Give all trivial items an aging period. Many
will pass peacefully away with no-one asking for them again.



Reading

146. If the reading material does not specifically apply to you achieving your goals, throw it
away.
147. Underline and highlight the important parts of what you are reading for future reference.
148. Buy books/magazines that you want to read and be ruthless with the contents. Cut out the
pages you want to read and file them in a ring binder. Throw the rest away.
149. Read the index of a magazine or book first.
150. If possible have your reading material pre-read by someone else so only the relevant
material gets to you.
151. Skim read with a pencil or "highlighter".
152. There is a time to stop reading and start doing. Avoid the situation of being over-read and
under-done.
153. If you're reading more than one daily newspaper as well as watching the news on television,
chances are that you're wasting valuable time.

Meetings

154. Before calling a meeting ask yourself, "Do we have to?"
155. Another important pre-meeting question is: "What is the purpose of this meeting and could
it be accomplished any other way?"
156. Always send an advance agenda to individuals who will be present at the meeting … but use
the agenda to elicit thoughts and comments. Likewise, insist on receiving a meeting agenda
for any meetings you have been invited to attend.
157. Put your agenda in question form. This way, people will have to answer the questions
before they attend the meeting. Example: "Is it worthwhile persisting with the XYZ
account?"
158. Be punctual with meeting starting times. If you're not, you reward attendees who are late
and penalise those who arrive on time.
159. Use visuals during the meeting. Surveys reveal that visuals are perceived as being more
professional, more prepared and more persuasive.
160. If the meeting begins to ramble, ask the question: "What is the purpose of this meeting?"
161. Brief meetings may be better conducted by standing up. It implies a sense of urgency and
people get to the point quicker.
162. Use teleconferencing.
163. Calculate the cost of your meetings to keep them in perspective. Like any investment of
resources, you expect a good return. Compare the cost of your meetings to this return.
164. Have a specific objective for every meeting you attend or call.
165. Have the right people in the meeting, otherwise do not hold it. You cannot make decisions
when the decision makers are not there.

166. Follow the agenda, it is like a contract you have made with other people in the meeting, be
sure to stick to the promised items.
167. Confirm meetings in advance – you might find out that a change has been made in a
location or the timing.
168. Consider attending only that part of a meeting that applies to you.
169. Let others leave your meeting when their contribution is finished.
170. Take personal notes whilst you are in meetings on those things that are relevant to you.
171. Meet with vendors or suppliers in the reception area and stay standing. They will get to the
point much more quickly.
172. Schedule meetings to start just before lunch or before the end of the working day. It is extra
incentive to be sure that the meeting ends on time.

Crises And Interruptions

173. Keep your cool in a crisis. Avoid losing your temper. Problems will not be solved during
emotional battles. Avoid reacting in a situation. Take a thinking break, calmly think things
through, plan what you intend to do and then take action.
174. Learn from each crisis in which you are involved. Make notes on how you are handling it
and what lessons were learned. Should it reoccur in the future you will be prepared.
175. After a crisis ask yourself three questions:
a. Why did it happen?
b. How can we prevent it from happening again in the future?
c. If it does happen again, how will we handle it?
176. When interrupted by another, stand up immediately. They will not sit down.
177. When somebody interrupts you, request a verbal agenda by asking: "What is it you want to
talk about?"
178. Close your door periodically. If somebody needs you they can knock.
179. Arrange your room to avoid distractions as other people walk past.
180. Consider arriving at the office before anyone else to gain uninterrupted time for planning
and top priority tasks.
181. Set up an "availability" time for staff and associates.
182. Let them know you are very accessible between certain hours. Also let them know the
hours you have set aside for "interrupt free" work.
183. To get an "interrupter" to leave, stand up and begin walking towards the door. They will
follow.
184. Have a highly visible clock in your office.
185. Tell an "interrupter" that you can only give them five minutes and then set a timer for the
meeting.


186. Schedule a time during the day when you will accept no interruptions either by phone or by
visitors. Have an answering machine that can answer your phone whilst you get some
important work done.
187. If you chose to keep a visitor's chair in your office keep it as far from your desk as possible.
188. When wanting to discourage people from just "dropping in", stack a pile of books in the
visitors’ chairs.
189. Meet people in their office. In this way you control the time-clock. You can leave at your
leisure.

Health

190. Be aware of your biological "clock" and match your workloads with it. Schedule meetings
and complex matters when you are operating at optimum performance.
191. Regular exercise, particularly walking, will expand the length of time you can operate at
optimum performance.
192. Alcoholic beverages do depress the physical and mental functioning of an individual. You
will be less effective after drinking them. Eat a nutritionally balanced diet to keep yourself
in peak condition
193. Take periodic rest periods. Just a few minutes "nodding off" at lunch time will refresh you
for the rest of the afternoon and improve your effectiveness.
194. Stress is not only detrimental to effectiveness; it's also a "killer". Recognise the tell tale
bodily signs when you're getting over stressed and back off to recuperate.
195. Take vacations when they're due … you will return refreshed and more effective.
196. Always find the time to relax, rest, meditate or simply play. It helps to clear and open your
mind.
197. If you are a "worry wart", keep a list of your concerns for a week so that you can monitor
them. When you look back you will see how seldom they eventuate … so why worry … it
only "burns" up energy and time. It also distracts you from concentrating on the important
things.
198. In stressful situations avoid caffeine, sugar and alcohol. "Chemically" they don't help at all.
199. Don't let irksome "things" go until you reach frustration overload … catch them as early as
possible and make the corrective changes.



Travel

200. Before travelling, ask the golden question: "Is there any way this could be done besides my
having to travel?"
201. Consider the alternatives to travel: E.g.: telephone, mail, fax, e-mail, teleconferencing or
maybe somebody could go in my place.
202. Confirm meetings before travelling to them. Ensure they are as originally planned and there
are no misunderstandings.
203. Before you leave for the appointment, leave instructions on where you are going and how
you can be contacted.
204. Use travelling time effectively. Listen to CD’s whilst driving in the car. Carry calculators,
dictaphones, pens, notebooks etc. so you can be productive en route. Keep a pad of paper
and biro in your car for jotting down ideas
205. Keep a manila folder for each place you will visit on a trip in which all related information
can be stored.
206. Carry a notepad in which to record details of all expenses. Receipts and other supporting
information can be stored in an envelope.

Family And Home

207. Before going to sleep each night, review your goals and any challenges facing you. Your
subconscious will work on these projects for you whilst you sleep.
208. Have a pen and pad by your bedside to record those inspirational ideas.
209. Get up fifteen minutes before others to first relax and plan your day.
210. Keep your spouse informed of your work schedule.
211. Determine at night what you will be wearing next morning and set it out that night.
212. Use a family calendar to keep track of all family events, commitments, birthdays etc. Keep
it in a prominent position so that everyone can make notes as to who needs to be where and
when.
213. Arrange a centralised message point that everyone utilises.
214. Make job lists for each family member. Have a “Home To-Do" list of things that need to be
done around the home.
215. Plan TV watching a week ahead to be more selective in the types of programmes viewed.
Better still, don't turn on the television at all, use the time to communicate with your family.


215 ways to be effective and profitable

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215 ways to be effective and profitable