So many options!

Recently, I had a conversation about information overload with a local community college instructor named Don. He and I were discussing the various ways I could attack my biggest project – the renaming of my company from “Mattson Business Services, Inc.” to something a bit more exciting, easier to spell, and more descriptive of what my company does today.

As we kicked around ideas, he encouraged me to use Google as I searched for word combinations, phrases, and definitions.  He also gave me two great pieces of advice:

1. He encouraged me to give myself time to dive into the re-naming project – but to not give myself too much time.

His next piece of advice made me laugh out loud…

2. He told me not to become a digital squirrel.

I immediately imagined myself searching the web for phrases, words, ideas, and images and stuffing them into my cheeks for later use. After I’d stuffed myself with those things, I imagined myself running around my office and putting sticky notes everywhere so I wouldn’t forget what I’d found.

And this led me to realize: We are ALL in danger of becoming digital squirrels. Our “virtual” cheeks are about to explode!!!

Think about it! How many times do you go and research a subject and (a) end up with a four inch stack of articles you printed out; (b) end up with 56 new browser tabs opened of information to read; or (c) you ran out of room in your physical files because you are an obsessed (prolific?) newspaper article clipper or magazine page tearer?

Or better yet, are you addicted to using Evernote, the online service that literally lets you “capture anything – save your ideas, things you like, things you hear, and things you see.”

Gads! If I tried to save all my ideas, all the things I like that I read, see, or hear, I think my virtual cheeks would explode and I’d crash the servers at Evernote.

I wonder, though, how many of you reading right now are looking sheepishly at your computer. Yes, the one in front of you that is covered with real sticky notes? How about those virtual sticky note apps – yep, you own a virtual sticky note factory right there in front of you. You’ve stuffed your physical and virtual cheeks with things to remember, things to not forget, things to do, things to buy, thing to put on your To Do list for later. Whew! Enough already!

And oh, the worst might be the digital squirrels who stuff themselves with email! And are those inboxes STUFFED! Whether unable to keep up with the sheer volume of email received (some people get upwards of 250 messages a day) or you’re playing “CYA” and decide to keep everything – just in case.  Whether you don’t know how to use your delete key or are perhaps simply too busy (or distracted) to file messages away, you become an email hoarder.

To all of these people acting like digital squirrels in order to stay on top of this flood of information, I say: STOP!

Here are my Top Ten Rules to Stop Acting Like a Digital Squirrel:

1. Be discerning. Have nothing in your inbox that doesn’t add immediate and lasting value.
2. Use discretion. You can’t read it all, no matter how much you try.
3. Have some faith. When you need the information later, you can find it again.
4. Prioritize. What matters? Focus on that.
5. Be exclusive. Only the best gets your attention.
6. Raise the bar. There’s a lot of mediocre information out there. Don’t consume junk.
7. Be ruthless. You can’t keep it all, nor should you want to. Delete. Shred. Recycle. Toss.
8. Stop procrastinating. Lots of time is wasted clicking through…
9. Unsubscribe. This includes everything that doesn’t serve you (newspapers, magazines, blogs, e-zines, memberships you’re not using…)
10. Let go. Give yourself permission to not know it all, have it all, do it all, keep it all, or worry about it all.

That last one should probably be #1 – it’s the hardest to admit and is even harder to practice. So, right now I give you permission to let go.

Notice that big sigh you just took?

It’s called relief. Your cheeks will thank you for it!

If you find yourself struggling with the “why” or see yourself (or a team member) in many of these examples, give MBS, Inc. a call. From weekly accountability calls to hands-on organizing, we can help you tame the clutter beast, manage time, or create orderly systems and processes for increased efficiency. angie@mattsonbusiness.com or (704) 553-8082.

It isn’t a big secret, but it does cost her time, money, and sometimes extreme frustration.

In January, she called me in and asked me to help her “get organized.”  It’s the most common reason people call me.

However, “getting organized” means something vastly different to each person.

I walked into Linda’s office on a rainy Tuesday morning and encountered a very tidy space, a very put together woman, and big giant secret.

Linda’s secret? Under that put together exterior was chaos.

Her computer files – chaos.

Business card management – chaos.

Files drawers, desk drawers, purse, briefcase – chaos.

Even how she managed her time and energy – chaos!

How she was so successful on the outside with such chaos going happening on the inside is something that is becoming more common each year.

Many people are holding on by their fingernails, reacting frantically to each new phone call, email, and task or project being added to an already too-long To Do list. The volume of it all has created real chaos for people and now they feel like they are drowning in it.

I often hear, “I’d love to get some help with this, but I’m already working 80 hours a week just to keep my head above water.”

Or, “I’d love to manage my To-Do lists and email more effectively, but I simply do not have the time.”

So, back to Linda.  I asked her a bunch of questions to get to the root of the chaos:

• How is she currently using her time?
• What are her biggest frustrations and tolerations?
• Were any triggers in the recent or distant past that caused the chaos to start and snowball?
• Is she paying attention to her energy?
• Is her email use reactive or responsive (in other words, is she controlling her use of email or is it controlling her?

And of course I got ask my favorite question: what are you going to actually DO with all those business cards, scraps of paper, and outdated files? The point of holding onto them is…?

Because Linda stopped everything and took three hours to work with me that rainy Tuesday morning, she started on a new path – one that helped her feel more in control and much less chaotic. We didn’t solve all the problems or eliminate the chaos completely, but at least she was now heading in the right direction!  It’s a process – one step at a time.

How about you? Can you stop for three hours in order to take back some control? Are you walking the chaos path, tripping over your stuff, out of balance and needing change?

Give MBS, Inc. a call today – we CAN help. (704) 553-8082 or angie@mattsonbusiness.com

Unfortunately, Carolyn hasn’t ever sat down to prioritize her client list.

I know, I know – “My clients are all equally important,” you say.

And in a sense, that’s true.  But let’s also look at your client list differently.  If you’ve been around me much, you’ve probably heard me talk about Pareto’s Principle – otherwise known as the 80/20 rule. Broadly speaking this rule states that 80% of your revenues come from 20% of your clients. And 80% of your headaches from 20% of your clients (but hopefully from a different 20% than those revenue generators).

When you think in these terms, it becomes easier to prioritize which clients should get your time and attention first.

So, it’s time to pull out those financials you so diligently keep month after month. (You do keep track of your financials, right?)

Run some reports that show revenue by client. If you can, do a three year analysis. Rank those clients #1 – #12 (we’ll use 12 for illustration purposes) strictly by revenue. Those are hard numbers. Next, rank your clients according to “goodwill” (i.e. how ideal a client they are, how much you and your staff like working with them) and perhaps by referral potential (i.e. some clients constantly refer other great clients to you). While these things aren’t directly tied to a client’s revenue number, those added benefits do matter to the bottom line.

Re-order your client using these three criteria. You’ll soon have a very clear picture of who comes out #1 (your highest revenue, highest goodwill, and highest referrers), #2, #3, and so on.

Now, review how you and your staff spend time – is the majority of your client time being spend helping those clients with the #1, 2, and 3 rankings?

No?

Hmmm, it’s time to re-prioritize where you’re putting your energy and time (and that of your staff)!

So many businesses spend day after day reacting to what’s coming at them rather than responding in an organized fashion. Sure, emergencies happen – go ahead and react as needed. But the other 95% of your time should be scheduled and organized to allow you to respond. And your time should definitely be spent responding and serving those high priority clients.

If you’re not currently working this way, how much is it costing you in terms of revenue, aggravation, and potential referrals?

Interestingly, despite his new hire, John is still feeling very overworked. He’s tired and still juggling a lot of tasks.  Perhaps most frustrating of all, his administrative assistant doesn’t seem very engaged.

She’s good enough at her job. She can type, file, and has a pleasant demeanor when answering the phone.  But something is still missing.

John wants her to take initiative. To make suggestions. To get excited about her job.

But here’s Jane’s perspective: I come to work, do my job and go home. My boss is nice enough, but doesn’t seem to notice me, really.  We meet, he gives me a pile of work, I do it and I go home. There’s no creativity and I have very little real responsibility. But at least it’s a paycheck.

Yikes.

How many of you are scratching your heads, thinking, “Hey, I wonder if MY administrative assistant feels this way?”

Or do you even care?

I’ve been reading a lot of books by Seth Godin recently – Linchpin, Tribes, and Free Prize Inside – just to name a few.  And one theme keeps popping up over and over as I read these books.

That one thing centers around personal responsibility and leadership.  And frankly, I think these things are missing in the solo and small business world when we talk about teams.

Here’s the typical scenario: a solo or small business needs someone to answer the phones.  Doesn’t seem like a hard job and no major skills are required beyond a pleasant demeanor and ability to multi-task a little.  So, the business runs an ad, and hires a younger or older woman (99% of the time it’s a woman) and pays her $18,000 or $25,000 a year. Sometimes they hire someone to work onsite; other times they hire a virtual assistant.

In most small businesses, the phones aren’t ringing all the time, so they throw on a few other tasks – typing, printing invoices, stuffing and stamping letters.

And here’s the thing – none of that engages a person’s intellect, stimulates their curiosity, or helps them feel like part of your team.

If you’re frustrated and feel your administrative team isn’t engaged, ask yourself:

• What am I doing to engage them?
• Am I including them in team meetings?
• Do I give them special assignments?
• Do they know what a crucial role they play in the business?
• Can I give them a certain title (Director of First Impressions) to help emphasize the importance of their role?
• Do I solicit their feedback and ideas regularly?

Remember our business owner, John?  He can’t seem to muster the energy to engage this administrative assistant.  Over the course of a year, he hires and fires two more. Finally, he gives up. Tired and frustrated, he continues to try and do it all because it’s easier than trying to (1) find and hire a go-getter or (2) figure out how to get an administrative assistant excited about her job.

Want some help engaging your administrative team? Need to figure out how they can be more effective and efficient team players? Let MBS, Inc. complete an external audit of your administrative team and provide recommendations for increasing their commitment, initiative, and buy-in as a valued team member.

Angie Mattson, (704) 553-8082 or angie@mattsonbusiness.com

And it’s true – they are overwhelmed. Buried in papers, files, mail (e- and snail), cords, computer parts, books, newspapers, magazines, and more.

And each person wants to launch into “getting organized” by grabbing a trash bag, walking around the room, and randomly grabbing stuff to throw away.

The futility of it kinda makes me laugh.

“Getting Organized” is such an empty statement. It seems like the holy grail of productive things to do, but winds up a half-done and forgotten job.

What is the essential thing about getting organized that everyone seems to keep missing?

Are they not scheduling the time? Not reading and following the right system? Not using the newest, latest, greatest, whiz-bang software?

Actually, it’s none of those things.

The real problem is people aren’t first taking a step back to look at all their CRAP.

Why spend money on books, magazines, and newspapers if all you’re going to do is pile them three feet high in the corner?  You know the recycle guys will NOT thank you that one weekend in February that you haul 50 lbs of unread periodicals out to your curbside bin for them to take away.

Why subscribe to 82 e-zines when all you really have time to read is five? They clog up your Inbox, cause that subtle but insidious  “overload” stress, and make those 82 e-zine authors think they have more fans than they really do.

And really, why spend the time wrapping up 43 electrical cords for various cameras, scanners, and printers when you don’t even know which electronic device they go to? Why?  It is a gigantic wast of time to neatly wrap each cord and then twist tie or stuff them into the toilet paper tubes you saved. Labeling it “printer cord” doesn’t make it useful or relevant.

Snail-mail overwhelm. Honest to god, just throw that crap away!!! Why do you save those credit card offers?  Have you actually ever responded to one? Or really sat down to read the “fine print.” If you did, you’d be making paper airplanes out of those crap offers and aiming for the trash bin. (Editor’s Note: to avoid identity theft, please shred these offers.)

Computer peripherals are my favorite. Seriously, why have four extra keyboards? And mice – if you didn’t like it before you sure won’t when your new one kicks it and dies. You’ll walk right out the door and buy the fanciest trackball they have at BestBuy. Admit it. You know it’s true.  And why, oh, why does everyone keep the old printer that died? And why keep it in the middle of  the floor of the office – you have to walk over that crap every single day.  Take it to Goodwill – let them recycle it for you!

Please don’t get me started on floppy disks, stress balls, cassette tapes, and various half-used reams of paper. Crap, crap, crap! It’s all CRAP.

It’s stuff that you tolerate hanging around, cluttering up your space because it’s become part of the background of your office. You don’t even SEE it anymore, but it doesn’t make it any less crap-tacular.

And the tragedy of it all? Unless you really take a good look around, grabbing that big trashbag and throwing random crap away will be a huge exercise in futility. And one you’ll repeat like an endlessly self-defeating mantra:

“I have got to get organized!”

“I have got to get organized!”

“I have got to get organized!”

If you’re ready to break that cycle and finally get it together and eliminate the crap forever, call me. I can help!

Angie Mattson, Mattson Business Services, Inc. (704) 553-8082 or angie@mattsonbusiness.com

As Jean recovered from illness over the last two years, she made radical changes in her life. She moved into her dream home in Southern California – a beautiful ranch with high ceilings and lots of windows to let light in. The backyard was lushly landscaped and there was a sparkling blue pool that made Jean feel calm every time she looked at it.

To support her health, Jean was careful about setting the mood in her living space – flowers, colors that calmed her, scents that soothed her. And visually, she was diligent about keeping her space clutter-free.

So, I was interested to learn from her how chaotic and disorganized she felt in her business – specifically in her office space in her tranquil home.  As we talked on the phone she revealed to me that she just couldn’t seem to conquer the mess that was her office.

Jean gave me a virtual tour of her workspace by sending pictures via email. It was indeed cluttered, but not overwhelmingly so (to me, at least).  But as Jean talked about the space, I could *feel* her voice get higher as her exasperation rose.  Describing piles, she kept saying, “And I just don’t know what to do with all this shit.”

And it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Jean had put enormous effort into her personal living space to make it feel, smell, and look just right. It was deeply important to her that her home support her health for a long time to come.

Realizing this, I asked Jean, “How emotionally connected are you to having an office space that supports your health?”

The silence on the phone spoke volumes.

About a week later, Jean wrote to me to express her gratitude and to give me an update.  The clutter in her office was being moved out with speed. Separate boxes were set up for donation, shredding, and trash and she was quickly moving from chaos to calm.

Jean finally realized that what had worked about keeping her home environment clutter-free could work in her home office, too. She just needed to get emotionally involved with the idea.

My question for you this lovely February day: how much do YOU love your office space? Does it support your health in ways that are very important to you? Have you taken time to think about the color of the walls, the chair you sit in, or even how the space makes you feel?  And what about the clutter? How much of your energy is it draining?

If you’re ready to do something about it – to get emotionally involved in LOVING your office space – give MBS, Inc. a call at (704) 553-8082. We can help you LOVE where you work.

I started my business in 2003 because I very tired of the 9-to-5 grind. I was tired of the kind of jobs I found myself in, working in offices with horrible florescent lighting, doing the same thing day after day. I jumped jobs often to relieve the boredom, to get a pay raise, and to see if the next  job might be “the one.”

And then one day I realized it wasn’t working. The job hopping was getting old. The jobs weren’t more challenging. And I was just getting more cranky by the day.

So, I got a mentor. Karen spent a few hours over a few months having coffee with me. And one day she looked at me and said, “You, my friend, need to be self-employed.”  A little more conversation, an injection of “you CAN do this” from Karen, and *poof* I started my business.

Those first three years were great. Challenging, satisfying, and fun.

And then, damn it, the restlessness came back again! The desire for more. The desire for change. The desire for a new challenge.

It’s been a long and bumpy road. But the change, the challenge, and the *more* have come together.

And beautifully, a book about the journey has been published! Of course, author Seth Godin did not write his book, Linchpin, about me or my journey.  But I so identify with his thought process and his observations that Linchpin surely could be about me and all that I’ve learned in nearly seven years of self-employment.

I’ve already tweeted many times quotes that really resonated with me. I’ve marked up my copy of the book to a point that loaning it out would be like giving my diary away for someone else to read.

Linchpin is a profound book – for me and for anyone else who really wants to make a life that is different, unique and very much their own.  It’s about thinking differently, acting differently, giving a shit about your life and about how you interact and influence others (using your powers for good, not evil).

My favorite parts of the book are where Seth discusses the “art” inside each of us. How we are all meant to contribute something unique and powerful for the benefit of ourselves – and most importantly – for other people. He delves into fear of failure (we need to fail a lot and get comfortable with it), fear of success (using our art, being seen), and fear of “shipping” (you’ll have to read the book to find out more about this).

And I like very much that he doesn’t harp on self-employment as the only way to tap into and create our “art.” He’s just as much in favor of maximizing opportunities in a job-job as he is in taking the leap and being your own boss.

“It’s a new world out there, people!” is something that Mr. Godin practically shouts from each page.  Even if you have a job-job, you can go from being a faceless, replaceable cog in the wheel of business to becoming a linchpin – someone irreplaceable that provides something unique, recognizable, and critical to a partnership, a team, or a whole company.

This book is about creating value in anything you do. That value is your ART.  It’s your gift, your reason for being. Your unique and special way to make an impact on the world.

Oh, and it took me forever to realize that art isn’t paint on a canvas, clay on a wheel, or a beautiful voice. Art is whatever you think it is, Mr. Engineer. Ms. Organizer. Mr. Project Manager.

Don’t know what your art is?  Keep looking, searching, testing and trying. You’ll find it, and when you do, life becomes so much sweeter (notice I didn’t say easier, necessarily). You find your “flow,” create that value and share your art.

For me? I found my art. I’m finding the “flow” more and more each day. And thank heavens for it.  I’m much less cranky these days!

I explained to her the greatest time-saving software programs won’t help a bit if they aren’t used properly. And continuing to add more and more of them only serves to increase frustration, confusion, and inefficiency.

This woman would do well to go slow now so she can go fast later.

By “going slow” she should spend time figuring out how to systematically communicate with those potential customers who send her email inquiries, regardless of the system she uses. She should do online advertising that is simple, repeatable, and effective to bring in more customers. And by taking the time to find the right database program, she’ll eliminate repetitive manual data entry and having to personalize email responses over and over.

Unfortunately, I think this woman won’t be willing to go slow first. She’s frustrated, overwhelmed, and feels if she slows down for even a few hours, her business will fall to pieces. She wants a quick fix – but there simply isn’t one.

I encouraged her to begin getting clear on her priorities as they relate to business: customers, activities that drive company profit, obvious money makers. She is spending too much time trying to discover the latest and greatest way to “get organized” when in reality she should be focusing the essence of what makes her business work – providing products and service for customers. For instance:

How do we stay in business (i.e. generate revenue)?
What actions create excellent customer service?
What actions drive new product creation?
Who are the key people in my organization?
Who are my key clients, suppliers, or customers?
How do I stay in touch with them regularly?
What information sources do I need to review regularly?

Break that down and the organization of it all will become apparent.

“Going slow” allows us to stop and think through the answers to the questions above. It opens up space for us to ask, “Why?” and “then what happens?” Those two questions are crucial for breaking down your business operations into manageable pieces. From there you chart processes, systems and repeatable steps.

It’s true – systems aren’t sexy. Some are simple as a checklist on a piece of paper. But once you create them, tweak them, and get them working, they sure are effective. And much more effective than trying 20 different “productivity-promising” software programs, don’t you think?

That being said, I’d LOVE to hear the productivity and time-saving programs that either worked marvelously for you – or were a bigger waste of time than you ever imagined. Do share!

A consultant named George called me recently and admitted that he was really frustrated with his administrative team. He kept saying they couldn’t seem to get him the information he needed. That they weren’t engaged in their work, and that most of all, they had no urgency around his business – especially his VIP clients.

“I want to hire you to manage my administrative assistants,” he said.

After I gently explained to him that that wasn’t quite what I do, I asked him to tell me more about his staff issue.

He sighed and gave me a dozen examples of fires he had to put out, details he had to chase, and tasks he ended up doing that he thought his administrative staff should be able to handle.

As I asked more questions, we reviewed his office procedures, what he needed, and what was working (or not). He gave me a tour of the office and right away I noticed the clutter that blanketed his floor, desk, chair, and credenza – it occupied every flat surface, spilled out into the hall, and into another vacant office.

Next, I interviewed his assistants. They felt like George wasn’t sharing enough information with them. They didn’t understand who the VIP clients were. And they felt like George didn’t trust them to do their jobs – when they asked him a question, rather than answering it, he just took the task away from them and did it himself.

Ah, communication! Sometimes we have it – and sometimes we don’t!

After asking George to clearly define what a successfully working team would look like, I gathered George and his team, we picked the top three income streams for his office, prioritized them, and dug into the details.

I created procedure manuals, charts, checklists, and delegation assignments. We invited his staff to give their input, fill in any missing information, and make suggestions for improvement.

In the process, George realized each of his assistants had been missing pieces of information crucial to getting their jobs done.

By digging into the details, filling in the gaps, and documenting the steps, I created assignments and noted the “can’t miss” deadlines and milestones. We listed and prioritized the VIP clients. And through this process, I was able to get everyone working toward the same goal with focus and with urgency. George was no longer involved in the details of managing those income streams and income was being generated faster.

And George’s VIP clients? They are now being treated with the attention they deserve.