Six Sanity-Saving Scenarios to Turn a Massive Breakdown into a Powerful Business Breakthrough

By Melanie Benson Strick

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There I was. Depressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Despite my best efforts to have a smooth running ship and organize my event, I realized I had a significant breakdown in my process. I admit, it wasn’t the end of the world, but come on, I teach this stuff! It was one week before we went live on our new program, we were preparing the workbooks for production, and I realized, no one ordered the right tabs! Yikes!

It got me thinking how a client of mine had shared a great story about their direct mail marketing campaign. A lot of money had been invested in buying a list of qualified candidates. But every step of the way there was breakdown in the process – the guy who formatted the list didn’t set it up right, the assistant didn’t have the proper envelopes, and they had no postage when they needed it. My client laughed as he told me this, but I knew he was frustrated!

Well, I’ve learned over the years that a breakdown means that something very valuable is happening – I have new insight into how I can improve my process, my attitude, or my belief so that problem never happens again.

Let’s look at a few examples of how breakdowns can occur in our business or life.

• A business partnership goes from the honeymoon phase to the divorce phase, all from a simple miscommunication around “who is doing what” with the budget.
• After training your new team for six months, you realize a key person continues to not follow through on your requests in a timely manner. You are worried you may have to let them go, even though they seemed like a perfect fit at the interview.
• Many late nights and nose-to-the-grind-stone days later, you realize that your big speaking debut will not be flawless because your brochures and products did not get shipped by the supplier.
• A wonderful new client suddenly becomes a nightmare when they keep adding new deliverables to the project agreement – but don’t want to pay you any additional money.

These are typical scenarios that many of my clients and associates have experienced. What I have noticed is there can be a difference in how people handle these types of breakdowns. Some people might freak out, scream and yell, and blame everyone else for the breakdown. That tends to be the “victim-mentality” type who struggle in life. The “success-oriented” type is the one who says, “OK, how can I make my process better?” Here are Six Sanity-Saving Scenarios that can turn that breakdown into a breakthrough.

1. Strengthen Communication.
   When you have a miscommunication with someone, it is usually a sign that someone “assumed” something along the way. Make sure that you use the “listen first, speak second, confirm your message last” method to make sure everyone is on the same page.
2. Delegate Effectively.
   There are 3 key elements for effective delegation to your virtual assistant: what you want, when it is due, and how to communicate completion. If you miss one of these steps, you will most likely have problems with the tasks you delegate. In the Virtual Team Building Telebootcamp, we spend quite a bit of time on this subject as it seems to be a big area for breakdowns!
3. Improve Skills.
   Often times, when something is not done properly, it is because the person doesn’t know how to do it. Find out what skills, education or training they need so they can complete the job properly.
4. Improve Your System.
   If the skills are there, then most likely the system (or the process to complete it) is broken. Identify in writing using a checklist, flow chart or written request what exactly needs to be done. Make sure that every element that can impact the quality of the end result is included.
5. Slow Down.
   Ever heard the saying that someone is like a “bull in a china shop?” That means they are racing forward breaking everything in their path. Often people move so fast they leave a massive path of carnage – including their teams, their clients and their families – in the wake. Even in the Fast-Track Mastermind where we focus on speed implementation, the key is remembering Rome was not built in a day.
6. Be a Leader.
   If you feel like mutiny on the bounty, perhaps your virtual team doesn’t understand the vision anymore. Being a leader is inspiring others to support and follow your vision. If they aren’t following, you are not leading. Revitalize the vision – it will work wonders.

The bottom line is that life happens and breakdowns will occur. We have all heard the saying, “breakdown, breakthrough.” Well it is true. I have experienced enough adversity in my life to fill an ocean liner. It is up to us to choose to respond to these situations with a positive attitude to make them work for us – not against us. So take those challenging situations and look for the opportunity to strengthen your personal mindset and your business systems.

Now, it’s your turn. How will you take a breakdown in your life and turn it into a breakthrough? I encourage you to take note of where the problems occur and brainstorm with your team, your family, or your friends to come up with possible “breakthroughs!”

About the Coach:

Melanie Benson Strick, The Million Dollar Lifestyle Business Coach, teaches entrepreneurs how to stop feeling overwhelmed so they can create more money, more freedom and more prestige.

Want to discover faster, easier ways to achieve more with less effort? Get our free report 101 Ways to Triple Your Income by Outsourcing Your High Payoff Activities at http://www.successconnections.com/101ways.

What Billionaires Know About Getting Things Done Fast!

By Melanie Benson Strick | Million Dollar Lifestyle Business Coach & Virtual Team Building Expert

What do Donald Trump, Oprah, Richard Branson and I have in common? Well I may not quite be at the billionaire level yet but what we do all have in common is we are all entrepreneurs who get things done in record time.

Consider this: Over 80% of the entrepreneurs I mentor have great ideas with less than stellar results. Many struggle to get to the six figure mark simply due to a perceived lack of time, resources or energy to get the right strategies in place to grow their results.

So what is it that the “billionaires” know about getting things done fast that you might be missing?

First of all, we all share a “speed implementation” mindset.

There is a way of seeing the world that is just different. We share an attitude of “just get it done NOW,” even if it’s not perfect. This speed mindset results in a certain way of being. We stay in a state of perpetual forward momentum because that’s just who we are.

This state of mind causes us to develop an internal filter that only lets in the stuff that needs our attention so we quickly delegate or delete the rest.

From your state of mind, certain habits, behaviors and actions come naturally. When you have a “speed implementation” mindset it causes you to do the things necessary to get things done quickly.

We just make better choices for how we use our time. Kind of like riding a bike. Once we discover the right combination of actions that move the bike forward, we do it over and over again, getting faster and faster, as we tweak and refine our system.

I’ve noticed some definite similarities in the types of activities we engage in to achieve results with speed. For instance:

·         We outsource anything and everything that doesn’t absolutely require us to do it personally. We know what our high payoff activities are and we are disciplined about getting everything else off our plate. (I even found myself delegating converting my handwritten notes to a Word document.)

·         We say no – a lot. When you realize that everything you say yes to means saying no to something else, you start saying no to anything that won’t directly result in your guaranteed success.

·         We make decisions quickly rather than spending months trying to figure out how to make it happen. Just decide you will do it, when you want it done, then figure out the how.

·         We have something really important at stake. And not getting it just isn’t acceptable. We are willing to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get things done. We are willing to invest more time, money and energy in the right tactics to move forward quickly.

·         We are resourceful. “Sorry, not possible” is not an answer that we accept. We constantly scan for, “What would have to happen to have this in my life?” There are no obstacles that can’t be overcome, just opportunities to explore other options.

Getting things done fast is about possessing a certain attitude that causes you to take consistent action on your highest payoff activities.

If you find that you don’t yet possess a speed implementer’s mindset and habits, then it’s time to get some help. The truth is you probably won’t be able to change this without some mentoring or coaching. So find someone who is embodying the success you desire and hire them to mentor you! I’ll also suggest checking out the Fast-Track to a 6 & 7 Figure Lifestyle Business mastermind for coaching and accountability on getting things done quickly!

About the Coach:

Melanie Benson Strick, The Million Dollar Lifestyle Business Coach, teaches entrepreneurs how to stop feeling overwhelmed so they can create more money, more freedom and more prestige.

Do you have the ultimate lifestyle business? Find out now by taking our quick lifestyle business quiz at http://www.successconnections.com/quiz.

Many people emailed and called me last minute to say they wanted to be on the call I hosted with Melanie Benson Strick from Success Connections, but because the bridge line was full, they couldn’t access it. (Read more about it here and here.)

Never fear.  I decided to post the recording here so you can learn more about building your own virtual team to grow your business.

The call is more than an hour, so I suggest downloading it and saving it for a time when you can concentrate on all the great tips Melanie shared. But listen soon, because the exclusive offers she is sharing will expire in 48 hours!  To access the special gift, go to http:/www.virtualteambuildingtelebootcamp.com/shannon.

Last summer, I was at a crossroads in my business.

Frankly, I was overwhelmed. I had just fired another VA who couldn’t handle the assignments I gave her. My accounts were a mess. I was behind on projects. This was become a lot more work than a ‘regular’ 9 to 5 job.

My family life was suffering. I was gaining a weight, just as I was getting it down. I wasn’t making the money I should have been. I even considered going back to the ‘real’ corporate PR world. I was drowning.

But a friend of mine threw me a life saver. Melanie Benson Strick of Success Connections took me under her wing to teach me the same secrets that changed her from being overworked and overwhelmed to a seven-figure income entrepreneur coach.

What’s her secret weapon? Building a team.

I know, I know. You’re thinking you can’t afford to hire staff. I said so, too. With the lessons she taught me, not only did I realize I could afford it, but I actually get more than a dozen interns every year that work for me for free. That’s right. I get free help!

I’ve invited Melanie to share her secrets on building a virtual team on February 5 at 8:00 PM EST (5:00 PM PST). This is a completely free teleseminar, which I set up just for you – even the phone call is free. To register, please send an email to teleseminar at cherrycommunications dot com.

On this exclusive call with Melanie, you will learn:

• What the three easy to follow steps are to free up your time and get more money in your bank account
• The million dollar question you MUST ask yourself to find out if you are ready to build a team
• The common roadblocks to building a team and simple solutions to overcome those roadblocks to fast-track your team success

Yes, I will be recording the call, but it will only be sent to those who have registered. Lock in your spot now with a quick email to teleseminar@cherrycommunications.com.