Why Your Business Rocks

Great People Skills Can Make The Difference 


If you missed the begining of this lesson go Here to start

We all have met people with great people skills and others with terrible people skills. What specific characteristics are you looking for in a person with great people skills? __________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ List on the lines below five top characteristics identified above. Rate yourself in each skill.                               
 poor! !                                average          Excellent ________      |----------------------| ----------------------| _________________________________        |----------------------| ----------------------| _________________________________        |----------------------| ----------------------| _________________________________        |----------------------| ----------------------| _________________________________        |----------------------| ----------------------|

 
How effective are your listening skills? 

Below are some helpful tips for improving your listening skills. 
1.Give the speaker undivided attention. Repeat his or her words in your head as you hear them. 

2.Allow your nonverbal behavior to communicate that you are listening. Nod in agreement, smile, say, “yes” or “good point.” 

3.Provide immediate feedback. Recognize that your personal opinions or perceptions can cloud the words others speak. Say, “What I heard you say was…” or summarize what you heard. 

4.Delay judgment. Don’t interrupt. Wait until the speaker is finished before expressing any disagreement or concerns. Give the same grace you expect to receive.

 5.Respond with kindness, even if you disagree. Express your opinion without using condescending language. Which of the suggestions above do you need to incorporate into your listening skills? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
 

You May Be A Team Of One

 In a start-up business, you will have many people that I call “must hires.” You hire them because you need them to perform certain tasks. There is no guarantee that you will ever have a personal relationship with them. You shouldn’t expect to, in fact. Your business might be one you can operate alone. However, you might need to hire people to perform specific tasks. Almost every business manual written warns about the dangers of making the wrong hire. These most often include family members or friends. Why is it unwise to hire family members or friends to work in your business? ____________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________


Excel At The Right Business 

Success in one area does not necessarily produce success in other areas. Though some business principles are transferrable, some leadership skills are not. Take a close look at your personality type. Why do you think you are qualified to lead this business?  _________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ How can your prior success help you be successful in this business? __________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ The hard truth is that your personal experience can only take your idea so far. Just because I am a successful business owner doesn’t mean I can be successful at owning any type of business. Whether you think you know the industry or you already have a plan, you may have overestimated the demand or profitability for your good or service. We sometimes forget that billionaire Donald Trump now the President of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA once tried his hand at owning an airline.

The hard truth is that your personal experience can only take your idea so far. 



Characteristics Of Those With High Probability Of Failure 

We don’t like to talk about failure, but it is a realistic possibility for anyone who attempts something new. Thomas Edison was unsuccessful in his first 99 attempts to invent the light bulb. You and I should be grateful he didn’t give up! Failure doesn’t mean you’ll never be successful. Great lessons can be learned through the things we try that don’t work. Most businesses fail because of one or two weaknesses within the business owner. Below is a list of some of the personal characteristics that can lead to business failure. Mark the ones that are a concern to you. Lack of clarity and focus Lack of ambition Lack of persistence Negativity Lack of knowledge Lack of spending control/poor money management Lack of enthusiasm Lack of flexibility Does not work well with others Lack of self-discipline Lack of leadership Dishonesty Lack of planning Indecisiveness Lack of capital Ego What is your plan for addressing these personal weaknesses? ________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

Define Your Own Success Standard 

What would success look like to you personally? This is not the same as your vision statement that defines what success looks like for the company. Before you start this start-up journey, define success for you personally. It is hard to know when you have reached the finish line if you do not know where it is. What is your definition of success?  _______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ How will you measure success in your business? ___________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Earlier, you identified your estimated earnings for the first year of business. Other than money, what are you looking for in this business? ___________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Some people say that a business will be successful to the degree that it finds ways to give back to its community or meaningful causes. What are some partnerships you can develop so you can give back? How will this make you successful? ___________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

Before you start this startup journey, define success for you personally. It is hard to know when you have reached the finish line if you do not know where it is.
What do you expect a workweek to be like? When will you have down time and time for your family and other responsibilities? _____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 

“Never Give Up” 

Nothing will bring you to the point of giving up like starting up a business. You can expect to experience loneliness, confusion, and fear. The best way to combat those inevitable emotions is through determination. Those who persevere through trials will succeed. Complete the following statement: I will never give up because  _______________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
Describe a time when you quit something. It might have been an athletic team, school play, or a job. What caused you to quit? What emotions were you experiencing?  ________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Someone said, “Never give up on something you can’t stop thinking about.” If you can stop thinking about your business idea, it’s not really a passion. If you can’t stop thinking about it, you can never give up. Which statement best describes you: My business idea is good, but I don’t think about it all the time. Even though I’m scared, I think about my business idea all the time.

“Never give up on something you can’t stop thinking about.”
If you marked the first box, revisit your business idea. If you marked the second box, you are ready to proceed. Turn the page and let’s take a look at the second unbreakable rule. I like this quote by gold medalist sprinter Jesse Owens: “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, selfdiscipline, and effort.”

"We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, selfdiscipline, and effort." --------Jesse Owens