humility

Humility Makes For a Great Networkerstring(36) "Humility Makes For a Great Networker"

March 9, 2020
, , Behavioral Style, Entrepreneur, Networking 3

Humble people don’t think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less.  Some of the best networkers I know are humble.  In fact, many of the most successful people I’ve ever met have been remarkably humble.  Humility and being successful don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

In my late teens, I remember going to a political function.  I had decided that I wanted to pour myself into a campaign for a particular individual whose platform I appreciated.  Then… I met him and was introduced to him by someone high up in his campaign.  As soon as he learned that I was a lowly college student, I almost immediately lost his attention.  His eyes were darting across the room looking for someone more successful than me.  He ended up being very dismissive and came across as incredibly arrogant.  After that encounter, I decided not to help in his campaign.  Instead, I picked someone running for a different office.  This person was engaging and friendly.  He was respectful of people that didn’t “appear” to have much to offer.  Speaking with everyone, rich or poor, educated or uneducated.  He welcomed my involvement in his campaign.  Within six months, I ended up running his entire regional campaign office.  I put in hundreds of hours in that campaign and helped this person win office.  This experience taught me a lot about the kind of leader I wanted to be as I became more successful in life.

Humility costs nothing but yields amazing returns.  Being humble sounds simple enough, but what does that actually look like?  There are many things that can help someone show their humility.  Here is a list of a few traits of being humble that I think are important.

Humility Traits:

  1. First and foremost, their ego does not enter the room before they do.
  2. They are approachable, meaning that they are friendly and easy to talk to.
  3. A humble person listens and asks questions during a conversation.
  4. Maintain eye contact in a conversation and stay engaged in the discussion. This shows genuine interest.
  5. They are comfortable making people feel at ease and thanking people when appropriate.
  6. Humble individuals tend to have an “abundance mentality” and they tend to focus on solutions rather than simply rail about problems.
  7. Be situationally aware and have strong emotional intelligence.
  8. They are not self-absorbed. They know their strengths and are comfortable with who they are, but they don’t behave as though the world revolves around them.
  9. Most importantly, they practice what I call “Givers Gain®.” They approach life with a certain amount of altruism and strive to make a difference for others.

As we become more successful in life, it’s critical to maintain one’s humility.  We’ve all met people whose ego enters the room before they do.  They behave in a pompous manner and generally expect to be the center of attention most of the time.  In the long run, I don’t believe this serves people well.

No one is perfect with this all the time.  The process is a journey, not a destination.  It is something we must always strive for.  At large networking events, I know that I’ve had a good day when people share with me that they are surprised at how easy I was to talk to or that they felt that I came across like a regular person.  I believe that there is a “regular person” in all of us.  Showing that person to others is part of being humble.

If you achieve success in business, strive to shatter people’s expectations and demonstrate real humility.  Be someone who is engaging and caring, as well as knowledgeable and successful. Above all, remember that humble people don’t think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less.

garage to global

Garage to Global ® – Another Four Lessonsstring(48) "Garage to Global ® – Another Four Lessons"

January 27, 2020
, , , Culture, Garage to Global, vision

I literally built my business from operating out of my garage to a global enterprise with over 9400 BNI chapters in more than 70 countries all around the world. Overall, I have twelve lessons for you that I’ve learned from taking my business literally garage to global. I’ve covered eight so far in previous blogs.

Here are the final four lessons on how I took BNI literally from my garage to global organization

Culture eats strategy for breakfast.

I think culture is the secret sauce to a successful organization. Your organizational culture is critical to your success. If you are part of a company that has a horrible culture and an amazing strategy, you’re not going to do well. However, if you are part of a company with an amazing culture and a really good strategy, you are going to be the industry leader.

Know your mission.

Get really clear about what your mission is. The mission of BNI is to help members increase their business through a structured, positive and professional referral program that enables them to develop long-term, meaningful relationships and referrals

Work in your flame, not in your wax.

Do the things you’re passionate about, and hire people to the stuff you hate doing. When you’re in your flame you’re doing things you love to do. When you’re working in your wax it’s taking all your energy away. There are times we may have to work in your wax. However, as soon as possible, you will want to hire somebody who your wax is their flame and they’re excited to do that.

Share a vision that everyone is striving towards.

BNI has dominated its industry in almost every market for decades because of a shared vision and a shared implementation of that vision. Vision is where you want to go and your mission is how you want to get there. BNI’s vision is “Changing the Way the World Does Business”.

So, these are the final four of my twelve lessons on how I took BNI literally from my garage to global organization. If you missed them, here are the links to the first blog and the second blog in this series.

garage to global

Garage to Global ® – The Next Four Lessonsstring(49) "Garage to Global ® – The Next Four Lessons"

January 23, 2020
, , , Garage to Global, Who's in Your Room 2

35 years ago, I started BNI literally in my garage and in a small room above my garage. I am truly an example of taking a business from a garage to global company. I am sharing this month twelve lessons that I’ve learned from scaling my company and making it grow globally. These are things that I did not necessarily learn in college to take my business literally from my garage to a global enterprise.

Here are another four lessons on how to scale your business.

Know your numbers to go from Garage to Global.

You must get really good with your numbers and you got to have those kinds of numbers. I’d recommend weekly reports that you want to make sure to generate so that you can eyeball how you’re doing. You cannot hit a future goal if you do not know how you’re doing today. The key numbers that will determine whether you’re going in the right direction or in the wrong direction.

Do six things a thousand times, not a thousand things six times.

If you want to be successful in business, focus on doing six things 1000 times. In BNI, it’s what we call “three plus one.” It is adding members, adding chapters, filling chapters and telling stories. Those are the key performance indicators for chapters. New BNI members should work on their networking education by reading books, watching YouTube videos, and having 121 meetings with people you really trust. Be a dog with a bone because persistence is a superpower.

Surround yourself with great people.

Look for the people who have values that are congruent with the values that you have. I’d recommend my book, “Who’s in Your Room?” It’s all about understanding your values and surrounding yourself in your room with the right people. If you have someone working for you who is not the right fit for you and your business, you’ve got to be able to let them go quickly.

Ignorance on fire is better than knowledge on ice.

As a new business, hire people with a great attitude and teach them. I prefer to hire somebody who is coachable and excited to be working for me. It’s okay to find ignorance on fire and coach them on how to do their job. When you do that, they will become very loyal to you because you’ve spent the time, mentoring and coaching them.

So these are another four lessons in how to take your business from “Garage to Global”. If you missed it, here is the link to the first blog in this series. This is all part of the garage the global material from a recent BNIpodcast that I’m working on right now for a future book. There’s more to come next week.

Garage to Global

Garage to Global ®string(19) "Garage to Global ®"

January 20, 2020
Garage to Global

I am introducing today a concept I am calling garage to global. I literally built my business from operating out of my garage to a global enterprise with over 9400 BNI chapters in more than 70 countries all around the world. How did I do that? Well, first and foremost, I created a plan that I applied over the past 35 years of consecutive growth in the organization.

I want to share twelve lessons with you that I’ve learned from scaling my company and making it grow globally. These are things that I did not necessarily learn in college to take my business literally from my garage to a global enterprise.

Here are the first four lessons I learned to go Garage to Global in this video:

Learn to work on your business, not just in your business.

You have to learn how to work on your business, not just in your business. The difference is when you are “working on the business”, you are managing it strategically. When you are “working in the business”, you are doing all the work yourself. You have to learn how to be an entrepreneur. I was there, “working in the business” for a long time, but the quicker you get to be “working on the business”, the more successful you are going to be. Please read “The E-Myth” by Michael Gerber if you’re not familiar with this concept.

Create systems and write them down.

One of the secrets, I believe, to the success of my company was creating systems. You have to create systems processes, and then you have to write these systems down. Finally, you have to teach others what you have written down. Because learning is a leaky bucket process, stuff leaks out, unless it’s written down and done consistently.

Reverse-engineer your goals.

First, you need to set goals. You cannot hit a target you are not aiming at. I set my goals at three different levels. It’s a great technique to use when creating goals. I think goals are extremely important. But what we are often not taught in school is the importance of reverse engineering your goals. If you have a goal for the end of the year, where do you need to be at the end of each month between January and December?  Finally, you should review your monthly goals at the end of every month. This comparison will tell you right away, how are you doing? Are you “on track” or “way off.” And that’s way too late. And so the reverse engineering your goals is a critical element of scaling your business.

Delegate both responsibility and authority.

You have to learn how to delegate effectively. We tend to only delegate responsibility but we don’t delegate authority. That means someone who is responsible, but they also have the authority to make the decisions. Everyone you delegate should have 95% authority in that position. Don’t worry if people make a mistake. They will. It’s inevitable. You just need to be prepared to coach and guide them when that happens.

And so that’s a very short lesson on how I took BNI literally from my garage to a global organization. This is all part of the “Garage to Global” material from a recent BNIpodcast that I’m working on for a future book. There’s more to come. I will be posting the second and third blogs of this three-part series later in the month.

Secrets to Getting Referrals

Secrets to Getting Referralsstring(28) "Secrets to Getting Referrals"

January 9, 2020
, , , , , , Entrepreneur, Referrals, Sales 2

Networking groups can definitely help businesses generate referrals.  When attending referral-related networking groups, remember that your efforts should not focus on trying to “close a sale. If you want to get business from the fellow members of your networking group, educate these people about some of the specifics of your business and what to look for in order to refer you effectively. Here are some secrets to getting referrals to consider for educating people in your networking groups:

Train your Sales Force

Do not generalize

I have heard hundreds of thousands of introductions at business networking events in my 20 years of running a business referral organization. Many people, when outlining what type of referrals they want, use the words “anyone,” “someone” or “everyone.” I don’t recommend it. It is also important to remember that if you are in a group that meets weekly, your presentation should focus on something different each time in order to continue the educational process.

Bring support materials

Have something visual for members to view or leave with. Your chances of staying in their minds long after the day’s meeting are increased. A flier about a product sale or a newsletter from your company are good items to bring. You might also bring samples of an item you carry in your store or place of business.

Break your business down into keywords

When introducing yourself, break your business down into keywords. Each week you focus on simply one aspect of your business. In other words, break your business down into very small pieces. What are the words others will use as search terms about your industry? These are your keywords. You may be tempted to use broad approach-listing all the areas your business covers. Instead, consider that your fellow networkers will learn more about you if you explain one aspect of your business weekly at each meeting.

If you want to get referrals from your networking efforts, remember to train your sales force and provide them the support material they will need to find others searching for you based on your keywords. Chances are, you’ll see a noticeable difference in your results.

Getting Along

The Importance of Getting Along With Othersstring(43) "The Importance of Getting Along With Others"

November 7, 2019
Entrepreneur 4

When I was very young, my mother gave me a paperweight that said, “Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your way.” She went on to say, “Honey, I love you but you are a bull in a china shop; you just run people over. You have to learn how to work with people.” This advice was a major influence on me for the rest of my life. Think back to your elementary school report card and how it graded you on your ability to play well with others. Well, things haven’t changed. I believe your success in business, and particularly your success at networking, means that you need to learn how to collaborate — or in other words, getting along with others.

You can’t always choose who comes to the playground, and you won’t always get a say in who you’re working with. Why do you have to be friends with everybody? You don’t even have to like everybody. It’s also important to recognize that different personalities add different perspectives and that, when managed well, can actually make a group more productive.

Do not allow other people to control your actions. This begins with some tolerance, a frequently invoked word that’s under-used in practice. Remember, keep your eye on the ball and try not to be too sensitive about those difficult people. Here are some techniques that will help you with this process.

Here are 5 things to consider when you’re talking to a difficult person

  • Listen without arguing.
  • Ask questions. Not argumentative questions, but questions that will give you more insight into their point of view.
  • Show interest in their point of view. You don’t have to agree with it to show interest. Trust me on this one.
  • If you can, get them to focus on the solutions to the issue and not just the problem. If all we do is focus on the problem, we become an expert on problems. Say to them: I get it, I see the issue. Now, the real question: What’s a realistic solution. If they offer a lousy solution, then say, “OK, that’s one possibility. What’s another realistic solution?” Coach them toward calmness.
  • Clear, open, honest and direct communication is the best way to deal with difficult people or other people who are dealing with them. Every time I’ve had big challenges with people, one side or the other held back in their communication. That doesn’t mean unload on people. It means to talk to them professionally.

Six suggestions to be aware of when there is a difficult person in your group

  • Make yourself invaluable to people by focusing on solutions.
  • Stay clear of drama and rise above fray by checking your emotions and focusing on results.
  • Don’t complain. Be positive. Complaining is not an Olympic sport.
  • Stay aware of your emotions, and don’t let others limit your success.
  • Use your support system. Talk to others about the solution.
  • Be a leader, not a leaver.

Don’t let their craziness drive you in a direction you don’t want to go. As Lisa Earle McLeod says in her book, The Triangle of Truth, “I discovered that what actually puts us over the edge towards craziness ourselves is not other people’s dysfunctions; it’s their denial of their dysfunctions. You know, how they go out acting all normal, and even self-righteous as if we’re the ones who are loopy.”

Don’t let others control your success. Leaving an opportunity (or a network) because someone is being difficult gives them leverage over you and it gives them free rein to lord over others. Don’t give away that power.

new entrepreneur

New Entrepreneur Networking Tipsstring(32) "New Entrepreneur Networking Tips"

October 24, 2019
Entrepreneur, Networking, Networking Tactics, Online Networking, Social Media

As a new entrepreneur, one of your primary goals is to continue to fill your pipeline with new business. One of the most cost-effective ways to do this is through networking. One of the biggest roadblocks to networking is the fear that being a new entrepreneur impedes any successful attempts at networking.  Here are a few networking tips for a new entrepreneur:

Become the host

Volunteer to be an ambassador or visitor host for a local business networking event. This can be a great way to get involved without leaving your comfort zone. By serving as a visitor host at your local chamber event, you effectively become the host of the party. Try it! You’ll find it much easier to meet and talk to new people.

Build your social capital at your desk

Online networking is a very effective way to connect with potential clients and referral sources. Social media has made it easier than ever before to connect with large numbers of people. Online networking gives new entrepreneurs a broad reach with low cost and effort. However, what online networking doesn’t do is provide a forum where relationships can deepen. It’s usually better to use social media with people only after you’ve established a relationship with them by traditional means. To develop trust, respect, and true friendship, it’s hard to beat in-person conversation.

Offer advice to break the ice

If you’re not sure how to break the ice, you might want to start by offering some free professional advice. It is possible to offer some value-added advice without coming across too sales-y.  Sharing free advice will demonstrate your expertise as a new entrepreneur. Give your prospects a couple of ideas. Don’t go overboard. When it comes to building rapport and trust, few things do it better than solid, helpful information provided out of a genuine concern for the other person.

Become a trusted source for quality referrals and contacts

Another way a new entrepreneur can ease into networking is to provide a referral or contact. This could be a direct referral (someone you know who’s in the market for another person’s services) or a solid contact (someone who might be helpful down the road).

Most new entrepreneurs, over time, naturally develop a certain level of comfort from dealings with customers, vendors, and others in their day-to-day transactions. So even people who are new to networking can form meaningful relationships and communicate with a little practice.

three P's

The Three P’s Of a Great Entrepreneurstring(43) "The Three P’s Of a Great Entrepreneur"

October 7, 2019
, , , Entrepreneur, Group Dance Card, Problem solving 4

There are a variety of factors and circumstances that go into the making of a great entrepreneur. However, there are a few personality traits that will help you make the most of any and every situation you find yourself in, and that could prove the difference between success and failure. It is important to reiterate that there is no sure guarantee to success. However, with the three P’s in your arsenal, failing will not remain an option.

See if you have these three P’s, which have been found to be the hallmark of all great entrepreneurs.

Passion

Passion is the prerequisite for success in almost any aspect of life. Especially when being an entrepreneur comes with the promise of long hours and problems to deal with every day. Only passion can motivate you to keep at your dream in spite of all the hurdles in your way. There is no guarantee that you will be realizing your dream at the end of the journey. Then again, as an entrepreneur, the journey can be never-ending, and your passion is what will see you through it all.

Persistence

What is the reason 90% of startups fail to continue beyond their initial years? Lack of persistence could be the answer. It takes persistence to survive the critical early years and overcome the challenges that every entrepreneurial initiative is bound to go through. Many believe that securing your funding and starting out is It. However, reality proves that this is only the first step. Unless you keep at it through all the hurdles that you face, you will only be a statistic in the course of history.

Problem Solver

The third most important thing that can make a difference in your success is your attitude towards problems. A lot has been said about this, but it might not be enough. As an entrepreneur, one thing you will find yourself doing a lot will be solving problems. The experience of most great entrepreneurs has shown that unconventional thinking and the ability to take calculated risks is what matters at critical junctures.

Luckily passion also means that work will not feel like work, just the way of life; and happiness at doing what you love will enrich the experience.  Your passion will guide your ability to persist. So the greater your passion for your chosen idea, the higher will be your ability to persist at it till you succeed. Only if you are good at problem-solving and able to find the right people along the way to help you will you ever be successful.

Elevator Pitch

Seven Rules for an Elevator Pitchstring(33) "Seven Rules for an Elevator Pitch"

September 30, 2019
, , , Business, Entrepreneur, Introducing Yourself, Management 3

I used to hate the expression “elevator pitch.” It just drove me crazy. But now that everybody’s using it all over the world, I officially give up and am going to go with it. The metaphor developed out of the hypothetical that you are literally in an elevator with one minute or less to say who you are and what you do. What would you say? I want you to keep in mind that this is not a sales pitch; it is a creative and succinct way to generate interest in the listener.

With that in mind, here are my seven rules for creating an engaging elevator pitch:

Don’t do your elevator pitch in an actual elevator.

An unsolicited pitch in an elevator is basically face-to-face cold calling. I’ve been a victim. Don’t be a perpetrator. Unless someone asks what you do, just say “good day” to them. The elevator pitch is meant to be taken out of the elevator and into the right environment.

Make it tight.  

It needs to be short. This is a quick pitch, not a reading from War and Peace. Your pitch should be more like a work of art than a science project. It should be succinct and expressive, something you practice carefully and present cohesively and professionally. You also need to be natural. You want to rehearse, but not sound rehearsed, and avoid sounding staged and canned.

K.I.S.S.

Keep it simple. Don’t try to explain everything you do in the short amount of time you have. It will either be too much information (breaking rule number two) or too vague to be of any value. By keeping your elevator pitch simple, you have more of a chance to catch the listener’s attention, engage them with your creativity and create interest in your product or service.

Don’t use jargon.

If at any point someone has to say, “What does that mean?” you have officially lost them. Push the button for the next floor and exit now. (I know, you’re not really on an elevator, but you have really lost them.)

Share your USP.

A USP is your Unique Selling Proposition. One example of how to craft a pithy USP is to alter a bland, general statement such as, “I’m a coach and consultant” to something like, “I help people work less, make more and create referrals for life” instead. This is short, powerful and informative, i.e. the perfect combination for part of an effective elevator pitch.

Consider starting out with precisely how your listener will benefit.

My friend, communications expert Andy Bounds, calls this “the afters.” For your elevator pitch, this could be something as simple as, “I help people increase their sales by 33 percent, improve their closing ratio to 80 percent or double the number of new clients they take on per month.” In other words, focus on the “after” effect of the product or service you provide.

Pass the eyebrow test.

Another good friend, Sam Horn, author of Someday is Not a Day of the Week, writes about the “eyebrow test.” If what you say in your elevator pitch causes the listener’s eyebrows to go up, you’ve got ’em! You’ve left the listener wanting more, and that’s precisely what you want to accomplish. On the other hand, if the listener’s eyebrows scrunch down, you’ve just confused them. Find a new pitch.

Keeping these seven rules in mind when you create an elevator pitch will set you apart from the crowd. Now it’s time to press “Open Door.”

Entrepreneur

Through the Eyes of a New Entrepreneurstring(38) "Through the Eyes of a New Entrepreneur"

August 29, 2019
Author, Book, Entrepreneur, Mentors 1

What was going through your mind when you first decided to become an entrepreneur? To many of us it exciting, amazing, confusing, overwhelming, and frightening. You did not know what to do. However, that was a long time ago. Now, you believe that was the best decision you made.

It may be over 10 years for you since you first became an entrepreneur, but is the first few weeks for a new entrepreneur.  Think about what you know now and think back to the things you wish you had known then.

The same thing occurs with business networking

It may be years for you since you first started business networking, but is the first few weeks for a new entrepreneur who has recently joined a networking group like BNI. Therefore, I want you to take a moment and see “networking” through the eyes of a new member. Think about what you know now and think back to the things you wish you had known then.

That’s the reason I wrote “The Networking Mentor”

I have a newly revised book, “The Networking Mentor”, that is available on Amazon. “The Networking Mentor” is a parable about the transformation of someone’s life because another person took them under their wing and mentored them relating to the do’s and don’ts of networking. It starts with a struggling business owner, Ken, who is invited to a BNI networking group by a business associate. He proceeds to mentor Ken and helps him learn how to network effectively and build a referral-based business. Ken’s mentor teaches him very specific strategies on how to network better and at the same time, the mentor improves his skill set as well.

I wanted people to remember by writing this book, the concerns, fears, and frustrations when they first became an entrepreneur and started business networking with others.  Most importantly, I wanted to show how a mentor can make a HUGE difference in someone’s life. Volunteer to be a business networking mentor and you will also become a better networker. You will improve your game; you will improve your skill set.

We all have someone in our story. However, whose story are you in? At your next meeting connect with a new member.  Take them under your wing.  Teach them what you’ve learned and be in their story.

Please review this book

If you read my book. “The Networking Mentor”, I’d really appreciate if you would post a review on Amazon using this link. https://tinyurl.com/reviewsofthenetworkingmentor

For everyone who does a review of “The Networking Mentor”, we will send them a link to a one hour webinar that I did on Who’s in Your Network. It is a free gift for anyone who helps me out by posting a review. After posting your review, please send me a private message letting us know you posted a review. We will reply with a link to the recorded webinar.

MISNER AUDIO PROGRAMS

MISNER AUDIO PROGRAMSstring(21) "MISNER AUDIO PROGRAMS"

May 23, 2019
Entrepreneur, Givers Gain, Word of Mouth

I wanted to spotlight different audios from my legacy audio library available on MISNER AUDIO PROGRAMS. These professionally produced audios cover a wide variety of topics that can help you refresh and re-energize; get a new perception – be exposed to or reminded of new skills, ideas, and techniques.

One of the interesting things about audio learning and one reason I created the BNI podcasts is that so many members tell me that they can do other things while they learn-allowing them to learn more and more often. And an even more interesting audio learning research fact for you – is that retention is much higher in audio learning then video -so it’s the best of both worlds; convenience and effectiveness.

Networking and Word of Mouth.

I believe word of mouth is a basic skill for success in any life. I first introduced this concept to the world through BNI and it is even more fundamental now 30 years later as the pendulum swings from all the social media back to the interpersonal relationships that are the baseline of successful referrals. These audios available through www.misneraudioprograms focus not only on the basics but much much more. Many people have commented to me that having these audios to listen to educate, refresh and inspire. I’ve said this often, and it is still true, they do not teach this in college. Audios are a great way to learn it. BNI is the way to experience it!

BNI Networking Secrets

Understand the time confidence curve for your business and its impact. Do you know how it underlies every interaction you have and how knowing this information guides you in building your word of mouth and what to do when. Avoid scorched earth interactions-move at the pace of the curve for you and your client.

Knowing your target market is critical. Learn why being laser specific is so important. Target market is the key to only being referred to those people you want to do business with. And, once you know your Target Market, finding your Contact Sphere will take your business to the next level in a shorter amount of time then you might realize. These two business models will change the way you look at your business and your referral streams.

Entrepreneurs and Everyday Leaders

I always tell people – belong to several networking groups. Learn WHY diversifying your networking experience will be important to you and which organizations will offer what to your business. Whether you are in BNI and want to brush up on the fundamentals and maximize your experience or you are thinking about adding these skill sets to your business tool kit and exploring networking as an additional aspect of business development this collection of networking nuggets will take you to the next level.

This and other single packages are available with the special promo code IVAN for an additional 30% off at www.misneraudioprograms.com. The entire library package and other special packages are already significantly discounted for this time!

Org Chart

What It Takes to Grow a Little Company Founded on a Big Vision Org Chartstring(72) "What It Takes to Grow a Little Company Founded on a Big Vision Org Chart"

May 6, 2019
Entrepreneur

It was 1986, and I had just started my enterprise a year earlier. The concept of working “on” my business and not just “in” my business really resonated with me. So, I wanted to do some vision-making for my business. I needed to do my best to think ahead for the next 5-10 years. How many clients did I foresee? How many states would I be operating in? What additional support could we provide our clients? All of these objectives came down to the need for a more comprehensive organizational infrastructure. I needed a bigger operation to eventually handle the bigger vision that I had for the company. I needed an Org Chart.

X

When your company is small, everyone pitches in and does multiple roles. So, I worked at de-constructing everyone’s roles and drafting an organization chart based on all the functions that we were currently sharing. Then, I put the three of us into every box I drew relating to the functions that each person was currently covering. For example, my assistant was also the receptionist, and my shipping person also did the production of all the client materials. Consequently, I put their two names in four separate boxes for the roles that I envisioned as being separate in the future.

Then, I put my name into all the roles that I was currently covering. It was at that moment that the old saying “chief cook and bottle washer” came to mind. Because there I was, the Founder & CEO of the company, listed in many, many boxes. In addition to the CEO, I was the marketing director, the complaint department and yes, even the janitor.

This exercise, making my first org chart, gave me unwavering clarity on what I had to do to grow the company:

I had to get out of all the boxes I was in — except for CEO. Now that is easier said than done, but this was my 5-10 year plan. I knew it would take at least five years to get there. That meant I needed to start now to make that happen. I began by thinking about the things I hated doing and accounting was at the top of the list. Knowing that if I wanted to grow the company, I needed this and other things off my plate.

I believe an entrepreneur is either working “in their flame” or “working in their wax.” When they are in their flame, they are on fire. They are excited about what they do. You can hear it in their voice, and you can see it in the way they act. When an entrepreneur is working in their wax, they are being drained. They are tired of what they are doing. You can hear it in their voice and can see it in the way they act. Accounting was my wax and I knew it. It was one of the first things I needed to replace. The beauty of business is that something that may be my wax, also happens to be someone else’s flame.

X

For me, it could have been $50, and I would have said: “Oh well, close enough!” Could you imagine if it were $500 off? She wouldn’t go home and sleep until she tracked that money down. Bookkeeping was her flame and it was inspiring to witness her passion for it.

With each person I hired, I would put a line through the name in the box and write in the name of the person who replaced me or one of my first employees. It took about seven years, but I eventually replaced everyone on that original organization chart. Today, my company, BNI, has almost 100 employees in several corporate offices around the world. In addition, it has over 12,000 franchisees, director consultants and employees working for the company in more than 70 countries and it all began with that hand-written, vision-making org chart. This is a great exercise for you to do at any point in your business, not just early on (I ended up doing it several times myself).

One other thing I recommend — keep the first version of your chart! If I had kept my first organization chart, I know for certain it would be framed and on my wall today.

1 2 3 4 … 10