Terry Schaefer

  • Home
  • Services
    • Profitable Family Business
      • Struggle is Not an Option
    • Focusing on Individuals
    • Assessments of personal talents, unique skills, and observable bahavior
  • Clarity is Power
  • Existing Clients
  • About Terry
  • Contact

August 8, 2016 by Terry Schaefer

Sixty Second Hour

ClarityisPower CompleteOn a recent cruise, as the ship was crossing into another time zone, I noticed the clock was automatically moving forward one hour in the timeframe of only 61 seconds.  I instantly wondered, how does this really affect us?

I believe most of us tend to take time for granted and don’t put a lot of intentional focus on how to really use it well.  We understand exactly how much time we have, 60 seconds to every minute, 60 minutes to every hour, 24 hours to every day, and so on, and that when it is used, it is gone, never to be recaptured and used again.  But how often do we consider how we can use time to our advantage?
As I watched the clock automatically move forward, one click at a time, it struck me and I had to ask myself, “Do I use my time wisely?”  I could instantly cite examples that might prove I do not, such as if I used my time wisely, then I would not be up at 12:30am checking emails on my vacation. In continuing the exploration, I could cite examples of how I use my time on distractions that keep me from doing what I want to do, or need to do, or have to do.  (There’s that word “distraction” again. It’s a creeper that lies in wait with the intention of pulling us out of focus and away from what we want..)
While there is no owner’s manual which defines how to use time well, a basic approach would be to consciously put our time toward where we want our focus. In terms of my vacation, keeping rest and relaxation as the purpose of the experience and at the forefront of my mind would make me far less likely to make email such a priority that I needed to use my time doing it in the middle of the night. In contrast, in my business environment, pointing my focus to the things I desire to accomplish (whether short term or long term) helps me manage my time to that success and keep the distractions to a minimum.
To watch that clock advance ahead one hour in 61 seconds reminded me that I take time for granted.  What about you?

How can you use time to your best advantage?


COMPLIMENTARY EXPLORATION

Terry Schaefer offers a complimentary 30 minute call where you can explore how to grow your business past your own expectations.

Schedule Your Call!

Filed Under: General Business

July 27, 2016 by Terry Schaefer

Quitting Before You Start

ClarityisPower CompleteI was recently involved in a program and found myself not fully engaged. I was exploring this with my coach and mentioned I was considering quitting the program.  His reply was brilliant and very thought provoking. He asked, “How can you quit something you never really started?”  His question was ‘spot on’ and got me thinking.  I was very committed to this program when I signed on. I gave a lot of thought to what I wanted to accomplish and how I wanted to be present and active in learning. So how did I get to this place of simply giving it up?

As my coach and I explored more closely, it became clear that I had allowed distraction to come between me and what I wanted to accomplish.  Actually I had invited distraction right in the door by not staying focused and intentional. With this revelation, I was able to ask a broader question, “What do I give focus to that does not contribute to or further me in achieving what I truly want?”

That simple question provided the catalyst to explore what was pulling me away. It gave me the energy and focus to understand past conditioning that had set me on a course where I would easily quit on something I desired.

With this revelation, I now remind myself that I am the creator of my own path and whether I allow short term distractions to sidetrack me or I stay committed to what I want in the longer term is my choice.  I am continuing my quest to resolve some of my old conditioning. And I am finding that examining my intentions is essential prior to taking action.

Action Without a Clear Intent is an Illusion


COMPLIMENTARY EXPLORATION

Terry Schaefer offers a complimentary 30 minute call where you can explore how to grow your business past your own expectations.

Schedule Your Call!

Filed Under: General Business

July 12, 2016 by Terry Schaefer

Operational Themes Help Keep Everyone Aligned

ClarityisPower CompleteUsing easy to understand Operational Themes to guide your company is a great way to keep your vision at the forefront. Concise words or phrases can be used to help employees work both independently and interactively and can be empowering and unifying.

In a recent client conversation, the business owner remarked that they had laid out three themes for everyone in his 100+ person firm. They then identified these themes with three words that fully encapsulated the firm’s values and involved everyone.

As our discussion broadened, I kept on coming back to those three words this owner had placed in everyone’s focus, and how they used them as a foundation to ensure everyone was working to the same goals.  In following this concept, the ultimate intent of the words was to serve as a reminder of what the owner had laid out as important and priority. What this did not do was lay out a word for word, step by step road map of “this is exactly how we do it.” Instead, it laid out what was expected and how the business desired to be perceived, and left much of the process and creativity on how to achieve in the hands of the employee, with only minimal direct interaction required by the owner.    For the teams and for individual employees, this felt empowering and inclusive and kept them concentrating on doing the right things right — consistently. For the owner, this allowed him to build trust with his staff and allowed more time to focus on the future.

Operational Themes don’t have to be lengthy.  Just repeatable, simple, and easy to understand without misinterpretation.

What are three words or phrases that could create a lasting impact in your organization?


COMPLIMENTARY EXPLORATION

Terry Schaefer offers a complimentary 30 minute call where you can explore how to grow your business past your own expectations.

Schedule Your Call!

Filed Under: General Business

July 5, 2016 by Terry Schaefer

Ask a Simple Question and See Where It Takes You

ClarityisPower CompleteI was referred to a family business that was having difficulty communicating without feeling personally attacked.  Each of the family members was working in the business . The mother of the owner had requested the meeting.  My first hour with them was spent observing the way they interacted with one another. In some moments the interaction was pretty volatile.

After spending time listening, it was time to move forward. Situations like these can feel overwhelming and stifling to members of the family, I have found that starting with a simple question can move the group into a more open posture where progress can begin.

In this situation, the question I started with was, “On a scale of 1 to 10, ten being the greatest, how much do you like your work?”  No one gave an answer greater than 5, most were 3 or 4.  They had lost their passion for the business, and the family was suffering from it.  It was both comforting and validating for family members to understand that others had similar feelings to theirs and this helped put everyone into a better position for listening and sharing.

As we explored, what we found missing was a solid CORE, defined and owned by everyone.  Several of the siblings were doing a ‘job’.  There was no continuity of talents to promote healthy personal interaction.  It seemed like every statement was an attack on one another.  It was obvious there wasn’t any alignment between a CORE operating process (not well defined) and the talents running the company.  The Owner told me that the company was not growing at all. As a matter of fact, their revenues had been dropping by 10% for the previous two years.

What became evident was that what had gotten the business to this point in its development would not propel it forward. Several essential elements in growing a company are largely dependent on aligning the talents appropriately with the CORE of the business.  Without a defined CORE (the keel to keep the ship in balance) the business will become rudderless and have no clear direction.  With our expanded understanding of the current circumstance, and a commitment to creating a strong CORE that starts with valuing human capital and empowering them appropriately, our work began in earnest and yielded amazing results. 

“How much do you like your work?”
If you asked your team that question, how would they answer?


COMPLIMENTARY EXPLORATION

Terry Schaefer offers a complimentary 30 minute call where you can explore how to grow your business past your own expectations.

Schedule Your Call!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

June 27, 2016 by Terry Schaefer

The Right People in the Right Places

Where is the best place to look when ClarityisPower Completesomething is going wrong in an organization?  My intuitive sense is to look at the talents and skills that the people in the organization possess. Until we explore that concept deeply, we will not know what we really have. 

I’m an advocate of using various assessment tools and resources to look closely at how well a team is aligned around the CORE vision, values and needs of the organization. These tools also help determine whether the skill sets of the human resources are fully supporting those core elements. In simple terms, are the right people in the right positions doing the right things – RIGHT. 

Often in family businesses, this concept may be neglected because a family member needs a job and is given a position without looking entirely at their skill sets, innate talents and interests.  We all know what it is like to hire the wrong person.  It causes all types of havoc, let alone establishes an unfair precedence in leading and managing a staff. And what does the wrong hire cost you when it occurs?

I’m not stating that you should not hire family as part of your corporate team. Family is what your business is largely about. But, you want to make sure the right talents and skill sets are appropriate for the position. The key in hiring family is to take the steps to understanding each member’s innate talents and put them in a position that yields the best possible success for them and for the company. This also includes a learning / education / improvement program that ensures continual growth and development for all the members of the management team (both family and non-family members).  Having the right skill sets to get the job done is as important (and possibly more so) as the tools to accomplish the tasks well and in a timely manner. This is true in all businesses, not just family owned businesses.

Focused COREs with healthy skill sets and talents promote vigorous growth, personally, professionally and financially and allows the operating platform to take on new endeavors without a sense of struggle. Some of the family businesses I work with have made it look effortless when they did the work up front to assemble their human capital to be the construct to their success. They consistently calibrate their organizational structure to their needs for the future.

What are you doing to promote healthy development of your human capital?  


COMPLIMENTARY EXPLORATION

Terry Schaefer offers a complimentary 30 minute call where you can explore how to grow your business past your own expectations.

Schedule Your Call!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • Next Page »

Clarity is Power

This form needs Javascript to display, which your browser doesn't support. Sign up here instead

Recent Posts

  • Vacation Can Be a Game Changer
  • Critical Time
  • Are You Committed to Your Own Performance Development Plan?
  • Building Your Future by Regular Educational Programs
  • Coaching as a Method to Increase Innovation in Employee Engagement

Meet Terry

About Terry

Life includes many lessons in learning.  Each event is an exercise and passage to a new way of being present.  When we utilize our innate … More about Terry ...

Connect with Terry

  • Email
  • LinkedIn

Recent Posts

  • Vacation Can Be a Game Changer
  • Critical Time
  • Are You Committed to Your Own Performance Development Plan?
  • Building Your Future by Regular Educational Programs
  • Coaching as a Method to Increase Innovation in Employee Engagement

Schedule with Terry

30-Minute Exploration Call
Click to Schedule an Appointment
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

© 2021 · Terry Schaefer, All Rights Reserved.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy