Intentional Work, LLC

Sustainable success starts with a community gathered together to learn.

• Do you love reading business books?
• Do you love talking about the books you've read?
• Do you love to share what you know with others?

Then join us in Seattle, next Tuesday (2/9) at 6pm at the It's-Not-Just-Business Bookclub!

Check out all the details and join us for some fun learning!

"Books can be dangerous.  The best ones should be labeled "This could change your life."  ~Helen Exley

I can hardly believe its December and the new year (2010?!) is almost upon us. And I also feel like things are shifting, the energy, the attitudes and the ideas of so many people on the planet. My ideas about who I am, the work I do and the work I want to do to make a bigger, better impact on the world - all shifting... 

My clients are like that too. That makes me smile. Big. My intention and hope is to get more people to smile and make intention and service a part of what they do everyday. It's not a muscle that many of us are used to moving (or maybe we don't even know how to get started).

Well, these guys have found a way - a very inspiring way. It's called Smove, or rather Smile & Move. It's a movement. It's something we can all learn to do, in 9 simple ways, to create more ways to inspire intentional actionfor us, for our teams, for our families and friends. Check out this video - and SMOVE your way into the new year!

The 9 simple ways to smile & move:

1. Wake-up - engage with care and attention
2. Be thankful - the opportunity to serve is a gift.
3. Be approachable - we're at each other's service.
4. Complain less - being positive is more fun.
5. Smile. Really- it's where pleasantness begins.
6. Start early and go long - get lost in your service to others.
7. Exceed expectations - expect more from yourself.
8. Have a sense of urgency - everyone's time is valuable.
9. Be resourceful and resilient - results are what we're all after.

You can find more information about this inspirational work on their website.

Visionary companies may appear strait-laced to outsiders, but they're not afraid to make bold commitments to Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs).

Like climbing Mt. Everest, going to the moon, putting a computer on every desk (sound familiar?), a BHAG can sound daunting, risky and maybe even dangerous...

... but the adventure, excitement, and challenge of it grabs people in the gut, gets their juices flowing and creates immense forward momentum. - Dan Zadra

2010 is the year to think big.After the last two years of status quo and major shifts in some paradigms, its time. And I believe it's high time to go BIG.

I'm inspiring my friends, family and clients (and myself!) to dream big, think big and then start taking baby steps, one small intentional action at a time, to make those things happen. I'm coaching people to get them inspired and wired to make things happen.

You can do it too. Your friends, family, clients, co-workers. Some ways to get you started.

1. Get clear about what you want. Crystal clear. Make a list of all that you want. Be specific.
2. Make sure it pertains to you. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Make sure what you want is something you can effect.
3. Believe you can have it. Trust that it will arrive and know that it might not look like what you think it should.
4. Be grateful for what you already have. Say thank you. Over and over. Smile.
5. Build your community. Share your goal, your inspiration, your requests, your success. The universe does it all the time. What you put out, comes back to you (at least I think so). We help make that happen by sharing with others and that means giving and receiving.

Where do you want to go? What BIG things do you want? Share them!

'Tis the season and all that. And there's never a better time to start than now.

Because you're already here.

What to dive into 2010 with all your ducks in a row? What to jump start your BHAGs and get started now? Join me in January get to going full speed ahead!

I don't believe in coincidence. You have to be open to the opportunity if you're going to see it arriving. And if you see it arriving, it's not a coincidence. I prefer kismet, synergy, and connection.

So when I was asking myself what I could really do to serve my customers, and when I say customers, I mean the folks I coach who are in leadership positions - I realized we were essentially asking ourselves the same thing this week.

How can we better engage with our customers for more sustainable success?

What arrived in an email was the answer, from Jim Champy, a fellow consultant and best-selling author. He layed out his 9 steps (or keys) to a more customer-centric organization and what it takes to keep people engaged (and that goes for employees too).

1. Relationships reign.  The top companies spend face time with their clients (and leaders with their people). No shortcuts here.
2. Perspective prevails.  Zipcar doesn’t see themselves in the automobile rental business.  They are in the shared ownership business.  This gives them an entirely new frame of reference (and opportunities) than Enterprise, Hertz, Alamo, or Avis.
3. Customers are king.  Unless you are proud of running a top-down, bureaucratic company, you must engage your customers in every aspect of your planning and marketing activity. Because they are already there.
4. Calm empowers.  People will reward you handsomely for grace under pressure. Just look at Colin Powell. Cool, calm and collected.
5. Innovation opens opportunity.  What activities are you hosting to open creative channels and reward better ways of doing business? In these tough  times, we’ll get more out of expansive thinking, instead of constant fire-fighting.
6. Know your values. If you’re confused between delivering high quality and who your customer is, you might choose to spend in the wrong places and invest in the wrong direction.  Don’t let poor decision became urban legend.
7. Everyone plays.  You are no longer in charge of your brand or your marketing plan. Your entire community contributes to it. Just ask United Airlines after the “United Breaks Guitars” video reached all corners of the universe (thank you YouTube).
8. Authenticity is essential.  Your clients and employees define who you are, and what you stand for, in every community. Protecting your client feedback as confidential information will be trumped by vehicles such as Yelp.

What are you doing to engage your customers/employees for more success?

Listening is a good start...

And being open to opportunity is another.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor:

9 out of 10 people say they are more productive around positive people.

So why are there still some managers that insist on ruling by fear?