As a Business Coach and life strategist, people usually, of course, ask me how they can make more money in their careers. But then they become so focused on their career, they forget to also consider their personal lives. After all, your business life should be separate from your personal life, right? Wrong!
Everything you do effects how you make decisions, treat others, and most importantly, view your outlook. I’ve worked in the entertainment industry for more than twenty years and I’ve had almost every job from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the heap. But it was for one boss for whom I worked, when I was first starting out, who taught me about business and how who you are reflects the business you will create.
This boss (I won’t mention his name) was feared by everyone — he was rumored to have once thrown a typewriter at his assistant for misspelling a name on his call-in sheet. One day I misplaced a file that he needed. I didn’t want to bother trying to cover up my mistake so I walked over to him and told him that I made a mistake and apologized saying it would not happen again. He immediately ordered me into his office and slammed the door shut … I was sure he would fire me, or yell or what, but I was numb because I was tired of anticipating someone else’s bad mood.
He did neither — in fact, once the door shut, he turned around and yelled “Congratulations!” I was bewildered. I had never seen him like this … He told me that if only all his employees would just admit what they did and move on, he would never be so angry all the time. Apparently I was one of the rare assistants who did so. And for this, he sat with me for more than two hours teaching me about the principles of business. I will share the first six with you today.
Rule #1 — Always tell the truth: This is always important: You’ll never have to remember the little white lie you told anyone and people appreciate someone who tells it like it is. It saves a lot of time and hassle in the long run.
Rule #2 — Create a clear vision of the business you want to build: Map out what it is you want to do, who you want to serve, what benefits your business will bring to consumers, and why they should choose your product. Who is your ideal customer? Where are they from? What is their age range? What is their average income? These are all questions that you need to identify so you can target your ideal clients/customers and target that market.
Rule #3 — Focus on your goal and only your goal: Just as you would get a map for a long cross country trip, do the same for your journey towards your goal. What are the things that you have to do every day that will help you reach your goal? Don’t get sidetracked with other people’s agendas. This is something that you must put time into, thought into and most of all you must take action. Every little step will become leaps in the weeks and months to come.
Rule #4 — Always do your best: Strive to do your best whether it’s answering a telephone or leading a presentation. You only get one bite out of the apple and sometimes your actions are judged when you think no one is watching.
Rule #5 — Business is always personal: What is happening in your life is always going to spill over to your business, profession, and how you communicate with people. Take care of yourself, leave enough time in your day for you, eat well, exercise your body as well as your brain (read a book, newspaper, or play the crossword puzzles), get enough sleep and don’t get caught up in drowning your emotions in food, alcohol, or drugs (everyone will know what you’re doing and rehab is not fun).
Rule #6 — Believe in your own success: Don’t wait for someone to give you the compliment or tell you they believe in you. Know that you have the power to have the business of your dreams. If you believe in yourself it becomes contagious … people will in turn believe in you.
My time with this boss was invaluable in so many ways — he empowered me and took me under his wing and coached me on the basics of business in the corporate world but most of all he believed enough in a young impressionable woman and paid it forward, something I appreciate and have made sure I have done the same.
P.S. He also gave me the critical steps to creating success in the boardroom as well as the living room … I’ll tell you all about that next time!
Alisa Weinstein is a certified coach, business executive, and entrepreneur. As owner of Coaching Element, she supports other entrepreneurs to create businesses starting with focus, vision and action. She serves clients through individual and group coaching, seminars, and public speaking. For more information, please visit www.CoachingElement.com.