Less Doing February Newsletter
Feb 03, 2021 6:24 pm
!
This past month has been absolutely jam-packed and very exciting on a number of different fronts, so here's a recap and some things for the future.
New Website
Isn't it awesome looking? It took 8 months and I couldn't be happier, I hope you like it too.
Coaching Insights
My private, 1-to-1 coaching continues to fuel my fire and get great results for the people I'm working with. Selfishly, one of the best parts of coaching for me is the ideas I get from interacting with interesting, energetic business people from all walks of life. These are the most recent revelations:
Sometimes the best way to ensure a process is activated and completed is to tie together the current instance of the process with the previous or following one. So for example, when I work with one of the volunteer ambulance companies, we have to fill out a sheet in order to end our shift which states any supplies that were used and not replaced, issues with the ambulance, etc... that sheet goes on top of the sheet for the next crew so they have to review that and sign off on it before filling out the checklist for their shift. It could be something as simple as requiring confirmation that the previous process was completed before moving on. Bigger picture, don't think of individual runs of a process as isolated instance but rather a link in an overall chain representing that processes effectiveness.
We can always become more efficient. We can take advantage of new technologies and outsource to providers who can integrate into those platforms. So perfecting those processes is a long journey, and quite honestly, there is no destination. Technological advances are making sure of it. Many people think that this type of efficiency is unnecessary and dehumanizing. They believe they simply need to train people better. I call BS on that. Training isn’t going to make bad processes, good. You need to make better processes because the better the process, the less training you need. I had a client with a 182 step process that no one thought could be replicated or mastered by someone without any training. They were wrong. Now of course, you must train people in soft skills, like how to greet a customer, but for SOPs and processes, they should be able to follow a checklist and learn the process. There's a difference between learning and training. I’m a fan of learning. I think training is somewhat antiquated.
This is probably the one I'm most excited about currently, The Inflatable Business. I've been a big proponent of automation for a long time now and my favorite platform is Zapier. We can automate so many processes, simple and complex and Zapier now enables you to share your "Zaps" so with one click you too can have my process for Automating Content Curation, Getting Free Press, Prospecting Leads with Machine Learning, or completely Automating your Hiring Process.
Well, what if I could completely eliminate the operational uncertainty and overwhelm that starting and growing a business can cause. I can build and share a series of automation that you can set up in your business in an hour, and then you just need to add talent (for a service business) or a product (for a retail/e-commerce business). I'm talking about your customer journey, customer service, logistics, hiring, firing, marketing...all on autopilot, from day one, completely scalable. This is very real and very possible, and you should be salivating at this point. I am incredibly excited about what this could mean for entrepreneurs with great ideas, life-changing, global impact having ideas, that never go anywhere because they drown in the operations. Keep following me to see how this development unfolds in the coming weeks.
Here are a couple of nice things people have said about my programs recently:
Ultimate KPI
About 2 years ago I developed a concept I called The Ultimate KPI which was meant to be a way for anyone, in any position, at any company to track their progress along the OAO journey. I've always been a fan of Kaizen, the Japanese concept of continual improvement but it's always been difficult to measure. Additionally, I've coached and consulted people and companies in every industry imaginable from Medspas to Dog Trainers, Mortgage Banks to Tech Startups, companies with zero revenue to companies with over $500m, and thus I could never point to an all-encompassing result I offered. I could never say that I get businesses to their first million, or I cut overhead by 50%, or I multiply revenue. I've helped various entities achieve all of those results and more but I never had an objective measure. Now I do, and it's called the Ultimate KPI. I talked about it in-depth in this podcast episode. Now, I'm getting ready to release a physical journal that walks you through the process, helps you stick to it, and make becoming replaceable you're new standard. This achievement could not have been possible without Joanna Strange. Here's a sneak peek of what it looks like:
If you're interested in picking one up for yourself, or your entire team, reply to this email with the word "KPI" and I'll add you to the list.
On Productivity
All I had to do was record audio messages to an incredibly talented writer named Amy, and she Rumpelstiltskinned it into a 22,000 word first draft of the manuscript for my final book on productivity...On Productivity. Let me know if you want to be among the first people to read it, just reply to this email with the word "BOOK".
Tech Talk Today
As I discover the newest and coolest tech tools I have been posting them to my Instagram with the hashtag #techtalktoday. Here's what I've posted over the past month:
1) Space Ice Cream 2021 Version
3) The Holodeck from Star Trek
4) TCBY at home
7) Home Insurance in 8 minutes
8) Free home phone service, really
Lastly, my oldest son recently started streaming on Twitch, it's mostly Fortnite right now but it's the beginning of him taking an interest in video editing and becoming an amateur "Youtuber" Take a minute and follow him on Twitch, it'll make his day.
Make it an effective day!
P.S. Whenever you are ready...here are 3 ways I can help you grow your business:
- Join my FREE Facebook Group - The Replaceable Founder
- Enroll in one of my courses, Overwhelmology or The Replaceable Founder
- Work with me privately