Often people complain about the lack of time, even though we all get the same amount of time in a given day…..there are the same 24 hours in a day and 60 minutes in an hour for everyone.

Do you ever wonder why some people are always rushed, stressed, anxious and constantly running while others have the time to think, plan,  and balance work and play?  The constant demands of everyday life can seem overwhelming and stalemate  our ability to get things done.  It is not really our lack of time but actually it is our lack of how to effectively use that time. So what can we do about it?

Here are some helpful thoughts and steps to free up more of your time.

• Deal with your “reality” about time.  Many of our time management issues are actually related to our own behavior.  So the first step to freeing up more time is to understand yourself and your limiting behavior.

• Prioritize tasks.  All too often everything is treated with the same level of     importance.  Prioritize work based on importance instead of size of project. Think     about important and urgent vs. important but not urgent. Over time, shift your list     so that you are being proactive about your tasks.

• Track your time.  Analyze how you spend your time.  Take a week and record  everything you do and the time you spend on each task.  Map this out so you can  visually see how you spend your day.

• One at a time.  Try to complete projects by working on each project individually. Let the computers multi-task.  Have only one project at a time on your desk.

• Delegate tasks you should not do.  Many people hang on to tasks that should be     delegated to someone else.  Determine what it is costing you by doing these tasks then find/train someone else to do them for you.

• Learn to say “No”.  Many people overload themselves with work.  You can become     overwhelmed and others cannot count on you to meet deadlines.

• Schedule your work.  Create time to work on projects by scheduling them as you would a meeting.

• Always ask why.  Things change and sometimes we continue doing things one way when a better way is available.  Always question yourself.

• Make time for yourself.  We all need down time.  It will allow you to recharge the  batteries so you can be more productive when you go back to work. A simple walk around the parking lot can re-energize you.

• Create your own system.  Whether it’s Outlook, a day planner, or a notepad, you need to create your way to manage your time.

• Plan your success.  Set goals, create an action plan, and track your performance. Always follow-up and measure where you are so you stay on track with your goals. Understand how setting goals will impact what you do.

What will you change now that will help you accomplish more by paying attention to time robbers?

To your continued success,
Coach Nancy

So many people work harder not smarter in their business or at their job. How do you focus on what is really important? You first must determine WHAT is important to you and then what is important to managing your business. Aligning your personal motives with the profit motives of your business is critical to your success.

1. Clearly design and define the two to three key measures of success and failure in your business. Can’t hit a target you can’t see. What does it look like when you are successful? By defining success in your terms you will really know when you actually hit it.

2. Develop and review daily and weekly reports that bring you meaningful information (the measurables). These ACCURATE reports will keep your progress in focus by giving you early warning of trends in progress – both those that you need to correct and those that you will use to a greater advantage. A leader is a visionary. See the big picture and how these measurables really affect your business. Do not use these reports as “hammers” for your people. Use them as tools to detect trends, both positive and negative. React like a leader!

3. Spend one hour a week with your best customers — listening, collaborating, suggesting, and understanding. You will learn exactly what your customers are thinking and this will be a powerful and pleasant way to build customer loyalty. Think of this from the internal customer perspective as well. When was the last time you sat with one of your employees and observed what they did?

4. Spend two hours periodically (a week, a month, etc.) answering the phones — from customers, prospective customers, the public, etc. Imagine using what you learn from these calls as a way to increase customer loyalty. You are hearing first hand what they think and need.

5. Have regular (monthly- quarterly) meetings with your competitors and a mastermind group, discussing the trends within your industry/profession and ways to cooperate. Look for new opportunities to expand into and get your name into the community in a positive way.

6. Have at least a dozen people in every aspect of your business who will tell you the truth. Listen to them carefully and with an open mind to improve.

7. Ask people (employees, customers, suppliers, etc.) for their opinions, i.e. what are the things hampering the way we do business, what do they like, how can it be better, are you providing what people need. Keeping an open mind will bring unprecedented results to those who listen actively.

8. Develop action plans with dates and people for the major areas and major functions within your business. Distribute it to your key people. Review it regularly to keep your business on track to reach your goals on time.

These ideas not only come from me but from Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Leonard, Dale Carnegie, Andrew Carnegie and other very successful people. Many business owners have implemented them into the daily routines of their companies and have reported great success.

Here are some quick questions for you to think about:

Are you using tools like this now?  If yes, how can you improve them? If no, why not start today?

How will you use these ideas to grow your business profitably while having more fun?

To your continued success,
Coach Nancy

One of the best decisions upper management can make in healthcare or small business is to promote from within when hiring  managers. Nursing managers, administration managers, operations managers, finance managers – you name it – finding a person within your organization who is suited for management is no easy task.  But promoting from within saves enormous time when trying to acclimate someone to an organization’s culture.

It also is an incredible motivator to those seeking more in their career.

Here are 5 Tips for Choosing the Right Person for Management
* Have a very clearly defined set of expectations for yourself and them before choosing a manager.

What is it you REALLY want them to do? (help make money  is a key component)

Write down those roles and responsibilities well in advance of choosing a manager so the candidate fits the job, not visa versa.

Make sure these roles and responsibilities align with your mission.

* Management is a people job. Look for a people person first and foremost. They  should have  that positive attitude necessary to lead others.

Identify those  folks with good people and organizational skills, and with the ability to see the big picture.

Identify those with a positive outlook and a good sense of humor who demonstrate a “can do” spirit. They will need these traits when things get tough.

Look for people who seek out the best in others.

* Determine who may be interested in accepting more responsibility and taking on a leadership role by asking.

Tenure, loyalty and friendship are not reasons for putting someone in management positions. As a matter of  fact, those are the three worst reasons to promote someone.

Leave no stone unturned. The quietest person may be just the one. It’s just no one ever asked them.

Who are those people who are self starters and take personal responsibility for all their actions?

* Seek out people who challenge you and the status quo -  you don’t want a “mini me”.

“Yes people” are followers – not leaders.

Find the person who understands where you are going and why and wants to be a part of making that happen.

* Develop a management preparedness program so the right people are ready when the opportunity presents itself.

Have a written training plan for those interested in becoming a manager so they earn the right to be considered. This is a natural weed out process.

Begin delegating people and project responsibilities to those you are grooming with a follow-up process to measure their progress.

Remember taking the extra time to choose the right person on the front end will save countless hours of wasted time for you in the future.

Hiring the right person to help you manage your practice or business is but the first step toward success. The next critical yet often overlooked step is using a qualified management coach to develop those necessary habits, attitudes and behaviors of an exemplary leader once you have made your decision.

To your continued success,

Coach Nancy

No subject seems to pervade our lives as much as finance. Whether it is wresting with the family budget or seeing if your company qualifies for a bank loan, finance looms larger than any other technical subject on a daily basis. Managers are expected to scale down medical supply inventories or set up budgets for departments or projects, yet it has been my experience working as a business coach with in the healthcare industry that most management is sorely lacking in their basic understanding of finance. Why even some C – level employees depend too heavily on the CFO to tell them WHAT to do in regards to smart financial decision making.

All organizations preach to their managers to think like owners and consider all sorts of ideas and options before making a decision. We drill home the virtues of thinking costs savings and value added to our managers, yet how many businesses or healthcare organizations, large or small, train their management in the specifics of business finance? I would suggest few to none. But what business does not need ample cash flow and sustained profitability from every department in order to be successful?

If managers are expected to take ownership and share the responsibilities of running the business, they must be held to the same standards as owners or executive level management when it comes to financial understanding and accountability.

The key is to start training people immediately. We spend so much time training or hiring for technical expertise but very little to the financial understanding that is so basic for the achievement of corporate financial goals. Before promoting from within, ensure candidates have met certain basic criteria for leading people and understanding the financial risks of all aspects of their leadership. Before hiring from the outside, consider interview questions that specifically elicit a person’s financial comprehension.

So many executives simply hand over periodic financial reports to managers and assume they know what the heck they are looking at. Most reports end up in the bottom drawer somewhere. Many managers don’t take company financials seriously until they are required to – by that time it may be too late.

Managers today should know how to effectively utilize the basic tools such as reading, understanding and utilizing a balance sheet, statement of cash flows, and a profit and loss statement when making decisions. Teach managers at all levels how to create a functional budget so there are accurate financial metrics by which to measure a manager’s performance. Every manager’s performance should be tied directly to company financial goals. If not, don’t give them the title of manager. The need to make quick financial decisions is vital at every level to succeed in business today.

How would you rate your management’s actual understanding and accurate use of financial information?

Now is the time to take action to ensure your managers have every tool available to them to make proper decisions and take appropriate actions as leaders- especially those critical financial tools.

To your continued success,

Coach Nancy

Welcome to Coach Nancy’s blog.  If you’ve ever wondered what your boss is thinking, if you’ve ever felt your employees just don’t listen, if you want to become the best leader and managers you can be…

This is the leadership blog for you.