Get Your A.C.T. Together…
(NOT THE SOFTWARE!)
By Dean R. DeLisle
When we do our Power Plan workshops and sessions we typically start with some core fundamentals. In these newsletter segments we like to keep things short and simple since this is what we promise.
We are going to start with 3 fundamentals, which literally cost us productivity – DAILY in our work and our lives. If we can get these down, the rest is handled with Power Planning and you begin to get anything you want done!
A – Awareness
C – ChoiceDecide
T – Take Action!
#1 Awareness – The business SIXTH SENSE! a·ware (uh–wair)
–adjective
This is the point when we are aware that we need to make a change.
This can come in the form of a client or customer needing a service or product. Or this can be an awareness to change a sales process. It is the first fundamental that allows us to see and feel what direction we need to head so that we can achieve an outcome.
Unfortunately most of us wait until the “pressure cooker” effect takes place. We ignore suggestions, signals, comments, complaints and just about all other warning signs until things are ready to explode. We all do it…we react!
Whatever the course, when we can develop a clear sense of awareness and establish that a change is required to better our situation, that is when we begin our path to efficiency and will consistently make progress with much less effort. Typically once we know that have a process to get things out of our way we feel more comfortable getting to the next step.
#2 Choice – To Decide!
(chois)
– noun.
Why do we take so long to decide?
Once you are “Aware”, this is where we all stall. We know and have enough information, yet we take too long to decide! Why is this? In most cases we know the pain will be greater and the problem won’t go away or we know it can be better, yet we just hang on.
I just had this conversation with one of our clients last week about a sales person who we knew was not performing, not engaged and not connected with the rest of the team. Yet they held on hoping that person would develop to the pitch provided in the interview. For the extra 12 weeks that person worked, we calculated a loss of about $28,000. Bottom line is once you have the facts and know enough to know your gain or loss, pull the trigger and take the next step!
#3 Take Action!
ac·tion
[ak-shuh n]
–noun
Once you have decided don’t wait!
You now have the facts, you have made your decision, don’t wait. Take out a sheet of paper, plot out your moves, and take a step. Many issues and actions might not even take a full plan, however the more you actually plot out the better chance of outcome because you can play through the motions and see many of the pitfalls well before they happen.
What are you NOT doing right now that you have awareness on, have made a choice to do, but just have not taken action!
A.C.T Responsibly!