Heather Eldred » business success

Are you sacrificing today’s happiness for the “success” of tomorrow?

Heather — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 23:51:34 +0000

We’ve all heard the warnings are out there that getting rich won’t make you happy and highly successful business people die at a young age of heart attacks or sacrifice their families, hobbies and other dreams for the sake of success. Yet, many of us are still driven to this place. The allure of money, success and power has become (at least in the US) a draw like a siren that tempts you with her (or his) pleasures and treasures only to see you crashing on the rocks when you finally have all that you dreamed of. I personally never had any great aspirations to run a company or make a ton of money or to be a leader. Really I never had these aspirations because I was raised to be “ordinary”, which really none of us are. I did however grow up with great intellectual curiosity and an overwhelming desire to work hard and do a good job. I’ve always wanted my actions to matter. I always wanted to look back at the end of the day and say, “ok, there was some value I brought”. Only when I started being successful (through no grand design, just hard work and intuition), did I start to understand that there were perils at the top that no one really tells you about. Even those at the top don’t really admit it or maybe even know because once you are at the top; you have to try so damn hard to stay there. You oftentimes lose your purpose and why or what got you there to begin with. Maybe when we are young we think: I want to get rich so I don’t have to work anymore and I can spend every day fishing or skiing. Yet, what happens when we get successful or rich, we just work harder because we are so afraid of not being at the top or we spend so much money on vacations and self-medication (shopping, gambling, alcohol, food, etc.) in order to deal with the stresses of this lifestyle that we just have to keep making more money. Having aspirations to be CEO or make six or seven figures are worthy goals. However, I do suggest being very diligent in staying in the present moment as you are making the climb to the top. Also, if you aren’t enjoying what you are doing most of the time, then I’d suggest some self-reflection. Is this really what you are passionate about? Can you see yourself doing it for the next 30 years? Or is it just a means to an end? Will you look back and regret that you missed so many of your kids games or let your marriage fall apart or didn’t have enough “you” time? Rarely (or arguably ever) should the happiness of today be sacrificed for the “success” of tomorrow. Just my two cents.

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4 ways to get more done each day

Heather — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 16:45:04 +0000

Let’s face it, no matter how much we get done each day, burning the candle at both ends, the longer our to-do list gets. I personally run to the side of overly ambitious in all the things that I want to pursue and accomplish. In any given day, I might decide to get a lot of work done for a client, work out an hour or two, make a great meal, clean my house, write some pages in my book-in-progress and spend quality time with my kidos. Some days I accomplish all of this and some days not so much. Because I’m always trying to do so much, I’ve had to find effective and simple strategies to get more done- without killing myself. The key? Quit trying to do so much! Here are four tips to help you get more of the right stuff done each day. 1) Prioritize – what do you really want to do and what really has to get done? Once a week (and usually every day), I make a list of the FEW things that absolutely must get done this week. For me, mowing the lawn isn’t on the MUST do list while cleaning the clothes is, folding them isn’t. Paying the utility bill that is past due so the electricity doesn’t get turned off is. At work, I really focus on the 80/20 – the 20% of things that have the ability to move the needle. So the few things might be meeting with my staff to develop next quarter’s strategic plan (helping them find their 80/20) but not cleaning out my inbox. For a busy executive – this list might only be 3-5 items long. 2) Quit multi-tasking – believe it or not multi-tasking is the worst thing that you can do. It used to come with bragging rights but now I think most people realize this is not the way to get more done. You end up working on a lot of things but getting nothing done well. Don’t believe me? Try it for a week. Only work on one thing at a time. You’ll get more done, you’ll feel less stressed and what you do get done will be done well. 3) Make your Mornings Count – Do the most important (and hardest) tasks when your brain is at its peak. For most of us, that is first thing in the morning. I realized a long time ago, that if I don’t get the hard stuff done by 11, I’m pretty much screwed for the day. And what we do the first thing in the morning sets the tone. If you start your day saturating your brain with email or worse yet last night’s Facebook posts, you’ll set yourself up for a very unproductive day. So don’t use those precious fertile moments to read email or pay bills! That time is precious and should be used for things that require great creativity and or great thought. If you are working on a new business idea, writing a book or […]

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Learn to say “no” to achieve your dreams

Heather — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 15:59:13 +0000

I had a great conversation with a friend yesterday that inspired me to share her story and great tips. Barbara (all names have been changed to protect the innocent) is a young professional that would like to get involved in management and be a leader in her company. She’s felt frustrated in the past because while her co-workers genuinely value her “get it done attitude”, teamwork and appreciate that she’ll jump in and help with anything – she doesn’t think they see her as a leader. At first she was upset that no one really took her seriously, but now she has taken her career growth into her own hands. One of the hardest (and maybe not intuitive) things she had to do was to quit saying “yes” all the time. In my experience most of us are either “yes” or “no” people. By this I mean our first impulse when asked to do something is to either say yes or no. This instant answer (regardless of if you are the yes guy or the no guy) should be tempered. If you generally say “no” (particularly if it “isn’t my job”) to requests, you will rarely have an opportunity to try new things, grow or work with new people. You won’t have the opportunity to discover some of your own hidden talents and passions. And from your peer’s and supervisor’s perspective, at a minimum you’ll get pigeon holed – people won’t even consider you for new assignments. But even worse, they’ll feel you aren’t a team player. You aren’t someone they can depend on. I think most of us understand the pitfalls in being the “no” guy. And probably if you are a “no” guy, you already recognize it and are working on it. But I bet most of us don’t get and maybe some of you won’t even buy into the fact that being the “yes” guy can have pitfalls as well. Barbara realized that while she was well liked and everyone wanted her on their team, she wasn’t standing out as a leader or a real expert. But instead of blaming others for not giving her opportunities, she took it on herself to develop the skills and experience that is needed to become a leader – and this started with knowing when to say NO. Barbara knew that she needed to work hard to become a leader – she needed to gain skills but also needed opportunities where her co-workers could see her in a leadership role. But she knows that just adding more hours in her workday wasn’t the answer either. Barbara has already seen the benefits of work-life balance. She needed to find ways to spend more of her time on the tasks that will get her to her goals without adding hours to her day. These are the tips she shared with me: 1) Track and review where you spend your time. If you don’t know what you are spending time on now, you can’t make […]

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Flexibility = key to success

Heather — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 08:35:00 +0000

One of the most important things I’ve learned in my career (and life) is that you have to be able to bend. In our modern, stressed out, balls to the wall corporate culture, things get heated, people have differing opinions and motives can oftentimes be at odds. This is the case even if folks have the best of intentions and are just trying to do what they think is right. It makes it even harder when there are people that have less than the best of intentions and are so focused on getting to the top that they don’t mind crushing a few bystanders on the way. When I was in my 20s, I had an opinion about everything and I argued about everything. And of course I was always right (just ask me). I still think I’m right most of the time, but I’ve learned that life is too short to be constantly at battle and frankly, when you have a fight that you need to take on, you don’t want to be too diluted or too damn worn out to take it on. Bottom line: Pick your battles. Here are areas that I apply this to: 1) My teenager.. let as much roll off as possible long hair, the occasional smart ass remark, wants to have to do his chores when he wants, not when I want. the friends he picks – unless they are real trouble makers Battles to pick: no swearing online or around girls, be respectful, kind & a gentleman; especially to Mom, Grandma and Girlfriend, follow through with commitments You’ll notice no texting while driving, drugs, alcohol and unprotected sex aren’t even on the list. Those aren’t negotiable and are not up for battle – he just knows he’ll have the wrath of Mom. And we talk about them… A LOT. You can imagine his joy :-). 2) My subordinates.. again, let as much roll as possible flexible work hours, the way projects get accomplished as long as time frames, scope and a high level project plan are established, how they manage their staff as long as they are respectful and fair, time off as long as it doesn’t interfere with something very important – even just a mental health day should be encouraged). Battles to pick: being respectful, kind and professional Effective communication including establishing understanding of expectations, timelines, resources and what will need to prioritized in order to get the job done follow through with commitments – communicating with effected parties as challenges arise, bringing forth possible solutions, ramifications and risk mitigation. Effective, measurable movement toward goals Bottom line – don’t be a control freak. Pick the battles that matter. Focus on the 80/20 whether at work or at home. Empower and trust those around you. You will get more done and you will inspire your employees and children to take charge and be the best versions of their selves.

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Do Less To Achieve More

Heather — Sat, 08 Feb 2014 23:48:36 +0000

I found this great article in Forbes from a couple of years ago. It really illustrates the 80/20 principal in very practical business terms. The advice here is sound – for all areas of life. Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. Only do the few things that actually make the biggest difference. In my life, I take all my must haves, want to do’s and should do’s and sort them into A, B & C lists. The first thing I do is throw the B & C lists away. I then take the A list and sort by the top 3 most important things that will make the biggest impact. These are what I work on. I try and use this lens for everything I do. This allows me to maintain work-life balance and leaves a little space for spontaneity and grabbing onto innovative or creative moments and ideas. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ronashkenas/2012/03/12/do-less-to-achieve-more/

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Surround Yourself By People Smarter Than You

Heather — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 01:56:28 +0000

I recall when Ross Perot ran for President in 1992. I was 18 years old and fresh with optimism and a little scared that I didn’t have a clue what I was doing or where I was heading. I remember hearing that he attributed much of his success to surrounding himself by people that were smarter than him. The guy’s net worth was close to $3.5 billion and he was running for president so that was likely enough of a reason to heed his advice. But more than anything, it resonated with me. I’ve applied this advice in my career over and over and the more I do, the more I believe. None of us are perfect so the way to get closer to perfect is to compliment yourself with people that have skills that you don’t. I’m a very high level strategic thinker but I don’t like getting mired down in the details. I have always have staff that work for me that are great with the details. I come up with the high level direction, they make it happen. And keep me out of the weeds. And out of trouble! My staff meetings closely resemble a spirited high school debate as opposed to a bunch of folks sitting around telling me what I want to hear. We are respectful, but there isn’t one person that won’t tell me I’m wrong. I highly value my own opinion, (who doesn’t?), but I don’t need a bunch of folks that share my opinion. I need the devil’s advocate. I need the conservative, glass half-empty and “what if” people. I need the “what if we tried it this way?” I need help remembering that if we go this route, “we might piss some people off”. Now that’s collaboration that creates great results. How to achieve this in your work place? 1) As in most things in business, it starts at the top. The management team really needs to believe that every person has value and brings some unique skill to the table. The culture needs to value diversity, frankness and kindness. 2) The second element required is that there has to be a solid level of trust. It must be a safe environment. That means that folks are loyal to each other and the group or organization. I just read a great article that Deepak wrote, “How to Win Loyalty From Other People” (https://www.deepakchopra.com/blog/view/1405/how_to_win_loyalty_from_other_people). He says, “Although money is often seen as a prime motivator, ultimately the bonds that hold an enterprise together are psychological. Important data gathered indicates that loyalty is one of the top three things that make workers feel satisfied.” To promote loyalty, Deepak recommends: 1) getting rid of gossip, 2) be sympathetic and open to people you work with, 3) competition with co-workers is healthy, but rivalry is counterproductive. Remind folks that we are all on the same team, 4) get to know your co-workers on a personal level, 5) share your success, 6) don’t keep secrets and 7) remind yourself that there is no […]

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I deserve to be the boss! Try running your own race..

Heather — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 20:47:47 +0000

“I am in competition with no one. I run my own race. I have no desire to play the game of being better than anyone, in any way, shape or form. I just aim to improve, to be better than I was before. That’s me and I am free.” ~ Jenny G. Perry One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen people make in trying to get ahead in business is to have this attitude. Because I have a MBA, 20 years’ experience, my Dad owns the company, etc., I should already be running the place. This attitude won’t get you anywhere. First of all, actions speak louder than words and I don’t care how impressive your resume is, you have to prove yourself. Second, you are robbing yourself of your life because you are preoccupied with the future and what you “should” be getting. Finally, when you have this attitude, you project negativity, arrogance and do not endear yourself to those around you – which is a needed ingredient to long term success in any organization. From my experience, I certainly never had any plan to “climb the corporate ladder”. I don’t have any fancy degrees and my Dad definitely did not own the company. What I did was give everything to the current project at hand. I sought out and volunteered for opportunities that I found challenging and could be passionate about (not because I thought they’d get me ahead). I helped out and ask for help of folks in all levels of the organization that had an equal degree of passion in the project. And I did keep escalating, getting many promotions but more importantly, many more opportunities to stretch my wings and find my passions. The side effects were nice sounding titles and increasingly good salaries. So if you feel you are deserving of something that you haven’t achieved yet, try out these tips (give it a solid six months). Trust me they work. 1) First of all, get over yourself. Believe it or not, you are not the smartest person alive and God’s gift to the world. Yes, you really have been sounding that way. Every single person has a gift to share, right down to the lady answering the phone and the guy taking out the trash. More times than not, these are the folks that saved my ass. When you have a thought or feelings of superiority over anyone – in any situation – observe in yourself that your EGO induced that thought, do not judge, just watch it and let it go. There is no need to beat yourself up, instead, take a look at the person or the circumstance and try and find value in it. Not what they can do for you, just value in general. By not focusing on yourself all the time, you’ll have your eyes open for the value in others and you’ll also be looking up when an opportunity presents itself. 2) Next, start doing, quit talking. […]

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Think Like a High Achiever – More on the 80/20 principal

Heather — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 00:11:22 +0000

Guys, check out this great article by Britton Brown. It has some great tips on how to apply the 80/20 principal to your life. Here are a few of the highlights: 1) Treat each day at work like you are going on vacation. Only do the things that absolutely have to get done. I do this and it works! 2) As I’ve said before, he discusses focussing on the most important tasks (he calls them big rocks) and to get these out of the way early on in the day. I always have the first hour of my day blocked to work on my “big rocks”. Or else I might never get to them again! http://brittonbrown.com/category/think-like-a-high-achiever-series/page/3/

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Shit Rolls Down Hill

Heather — Sat, 21 Sep 2013 17:52:08 +0000

This topic seems quite apt for this week. It simply was the week of “shit rolling down shill”. And frankly that can never be a good thing. I’ve seen stressed out managers bringing wrath down to their staff. I’ve had high level managers send a nasty emails to entry-level gals in accounting. I myself have started a whole rash of “shit rolling” when I tried to impart a sense of urgency to one of my staff on a big project we are working on. He apparently construed this as “an ultimatum” and conveyed to his staff just that. And that apparently it wasn’t an ultimatum for just him, but for all of them. We all have (probably daily) examples of this at work and at home. Then, I’m reading Oprah’s magazine this morning and the first article that I flip to is about this very topic! It must be a sign. Here I found some helpful advice that I can apply to my workplace which seems to have an increase lately in “shit rolling downhill”. Unfortunately, I suspect that the shit doesn’t just stop at work, those people that had it dumped on their heads took it home and shared it with their families. Then you wonder why your kid goes to school and gets in a fight. Hmm. Apparently this is a phenomenon called “displaced aggression”. The “shit rolling downhill” part stemmed from the military apparently, gotta love how those guys cut to the chase. According to the article, “The cause of stress-rolling, is always the same: You experience a situation in which you feel too overwhelmed, confused, or scared to express your true feelings. You’re fighting for your life and you’re losing.” The true problem could be anything (and sometimes nothing at all) but whatever the problem, “if it seems too big to solve, you may believe that you have no choice but to internalize your fear and anger. Unfortunately, feelings don’t want to stay hidden. Our hidden feelings seep or burst out when we’re with people we trust or who aren’t in a position to resist us.” The bottom line is that we need to identify it in others and stop ourselves from doing it. Who wants to be responsible for putting a chain reaction of stress and shit into the world? Even if you do well at work and maintain professionalism, chances are you probably at least do it at home. I do from time to time, for sure. My kids have been the brunt of many stressful days. I held it in all day, treated my staff and peers with respect. Then that monumentally stressful day came bursting full out on my kids as soon as I walk in the door and the house is a mess and they’ve been playing X-Box all afternoon. Here is some advice from the article and my own observations: 1) You first need to recognize it in yourself. Observing others in this behavior (disproportionality intense behavior) and then look for it […]

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