![092: Q is for Questions [ABC’s of EYB]](https://shawnwashburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/podcast_channel_artwork.jpg)
by Shawn | Jul 27, 2021 | Podcast
Today’s topic on the ABC’s of Engineering Your Business is a familiar theme – Questions.
If you’ve been around the podcast for any length of time you’ve seen this pop up in the areas of curiosity, problem solving, the 5 Why’s and more.
But questions are truly one of the unsung heroes of the business world. Like so many other tools we discuss, it doesn’t cost anything to ask more and better questions.
And in asking those questions, with a an end goal of learning and collaborating to a common goal, you find that you’re able to make better decisions, save time, money, empower your people, and send yourself down a better track.
The first step is asking more questions. Not being OK with answers given you but being an investigator, digging deeper and turning over the rocks.
In doing this, though, let me add a word of caution. Do this with respect and humility. Please.
I’ve been around plenty of people who love to ask questions of others in a way that is belittling and condescending. Doing this doesn’t help anyone and will actually shut off communication and potential.
Instead, if we’re willing to ask from a place of genuinely valuing the person we’re talking to and genuinely wanting to listen and learn from their answers, we can go a long way to strengthening our teams and plugging gaps in our businesses.
Along with asking more questions comes asking better questions. This parts takes a little more work. One way to start is just by being curious and asking follow-up questions. Especially if you can step outside what you already know and ask what an outsider might ask. Sometimes we don’t ask good questions because we’ve already answered them in our own head, but we can easily miss something that can be our downfall.
Create a culture where it is common to ask more and better questions and where people don’t have to feel defensive being questioned. If the questions come from a place of caring and curiosity, they will naturally come off in a way that doesn’t create a defensive response. Not so if they come from a place of pride or position.
What keys do you have to foster this kind of a culture? I’d love to hear them. Shoot me an email at shawn@shawnwashburn.com.
If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, consider telling a fellow entrepreneur or business leader about it. I appreciate you and would love to know any future topics you’d like me to cover or how I can help you and your business. Email me at shawn@shawnwashburn.com
by Shawn | Jul 26, 2021 | Podcast
Unfortunately, P is pretty far back in the alphabet. For the sake of the ABC’s of Engineering Your Business, I’d love to change that only because today we’re going to talk about the most important part of your organization: your People.
If you’re listening to this podcast, no doubt you would agree that people are the foundation, the vital part of your business.
But I think now more than ever businesses are really seeing this come into play as it seems that everywhere places are struggling to find and retain quality people for their teams.
And you’re seeing the ripple effects through all levels of supply chain, as consumers, B2B, B2C and more. Lead times our way up. Resources are hard to come by. And if you can get what you need, most places don’t have the people they need to do what they want with all of that.
As tough as this has been on everyone, one positive is that it has highlighted the bedrock truth that people is where it all starts.
As well, creating a culture in your organization where people will want to work and feel they are valued and can make a difference in the world… those are more important than ever.
Yes, technology only continues to grow and develop and there is more and more automation in the world, whether physical or digital or otherwise.
But I believe we were each put on this earth to fulfill a purpose, to connect and grow and learn and experience, to change and impact and teach and mentor, to leave a mark and make a difference.
That’s why each business, whether large or small, that employs anyone is providing opportunities to do some of that not only within their organization but also in the lives of your team members outside of work as well.
So make sure that your people know you care. Look for ways daily to encourage and inspire, to build into and lift up, to give opportunities and paths for growth.
Your people are your foundation.
What are some ways that you’ve found effective to show your people you care? I’d love to hear them. Shoot me an email at shawn@shawnwashburn.com.
If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, consider telling a fellow entrepreneur or business leader about it. I appreciate you and would love to know any future topics you’d like me to cover or how I can help you and your business. Email me at shawn@shawnwashburn.com
by Shawn | Jul 23, 2021 | Podcast
Years ago I read the book The One Thing. It challenged me in a lot of ways and gave me a lot to think about.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway was this quote from author Gary Keller: “What’s the ONE THING you can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”
In fact, for a long time I had that quote in my main Excel file that I use every day to take notes and organize tasks.
I tried to keep that idea top of mind and to try to step back and examine situations with that lens.
In today’s world, we’re all busy. Projects, deadlines, to do lists, quality issues, customers, hiring and retaining talent, texts, meetings, calls… it goes on and on.
And sometimes we find ourselves just sort of treading water or putting out fires because there is so much beating down the door of our mind.
But I love that quote and idea from the book and want us to think a little more about it.
If we were to be to display all of the demands that are on us and our team members on a large piece of paper in front of us, how many of those could be eliminated or made easier by doing just a single thing?
The single thing could be trying or buying a new app or piece of technology. It could be hiring one new position that help organize, communicate and keep things in order and running smoothly. It could be changing one thing about how the organization is run, a policy or procedure.
I’m an Excel guy so I’ve seen this time and time again with automating spreadsheets for people I’ve worked with. Maybe there’s a file that a lot of people use, but it’s cumbersome and inefficient and maybe even confusing. Over the years I’ve helped solve this problem time and again by enhancing Excel or Google Sheets files to save time and energy and improve communication at the same time.
You really never know until you step back and look at everything this way.
Maybe it would help to be able to quantify where your time is going as well as take a stab at the energy required for the various tasks.
However you do it, I think you’ll find this approach can really be a powerful way to start to get some breathing room.
It reminds me of the Abraham Lincoln quote, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
President Lincoln knew that the one thing that would make the chopping easier was to focus on the sharpness of the axe.
How can you sharpen your axe? What one thing could you change or put into place this coming week that could have the biggest impact for you and your team?
Let me know what that is for you by shooting me an email at shawn@shawnwashburn.com
If you’ve been enjoying the podcast and haven’t left an Apple Podcasts or iTunes review, I’d love it you’d take a minute to do that. You can head to shawnwashburn.com/apple to take you right there. Thanks for spending some time today to help you and your business thrive.
by Shawn | Jul 22, 2021 | Podcast
Want to make a big impact on people in your organization today?
Learn and use their names when you interact with them. It’s that simple.
I don’t know all the brain or scientific mumbo jumbo involved with this, but there is a power in having someone use your name when they talk to you, especially if you don’t know them well.
You and I could be talking and you could have used 27 words in your last two sentences, all of which might have had value. But if one of those was my name, you can bet that my attention would have been tuned in and I would have been drawn in.
I know if this isn’t your custom then it might seem a little awkward at first. You don’t want to forcing their name into your interaction, but I’m pretty sure if you’re trying to do it because you care about them you won’t miss.
It’s the difference between “hey, nice work!” and “hey, nice work Sheila!”. Doesn’t sound much different but the addition of the name adds a lot of meaning to the receiver of the message.
I’ll admit, I’m naturally horrible with names. It’s a short term memory thing. Tell me your name and I’ll forget it 30 seconds later. I’ve worked on different techniques to lock it into my memory like using it right afterward but still struggle sometimes.
My goal, though, is always to learn names, especially of new people at work or church or playing basketball. To me, maybe it’s because I know that they are a unique person who has meaning and purpose and learning and using their name is a way to convey to them in some small way that they matter, that they’re not just some random being.
I’ve found this to be really true for me if I’ve been having a rough day and someone encourages me and uses my name. It has a way of reaching across the space and connecting with me in a meaningful way that lets me know I matter.
I’ve also seen this in a huge way when someone like the CEO of a company goes out of their way to try to learn the names of people in the organization that he or she may never normally meet. But to then see them meet them and use their name in a genuine way when they greet them. It’s really powerful and a great way to value people and make them feel part of something.
So, try it out today. In a non-weird way. Just look for ways to naturally use names at work or at the grocery or when you go out to eat, with a waiter or waitress.
Names make a difference.
If you’ve been enjoying the podcast and haven’t left an Apple Podcasts or iTunes review, I’d love it you’d take a minute to do that. You can head to shawnwashburn.com/apple to take you right there. Thanks for spending some time today to help you and your business thrive.
by Shawn | Jul 21, 2021 | Podcast
Have you ever heard the phrase “that meeting could have been an email?”
Unfortunately, that is often the case.
And while the humble meeting has fallen on hard times in our world these days, I want to suggest that there is still a place for meetings, but maybe a re-imagined place.
We’ve all been in meetings that maybe drug on and on, with no action items or focus or any direction.
One of the hidden wastes is just the waste of people’s time.
It rarely crosses our minds that when we invite 10 people to a one hour meeting, the company is paying each of them whatever they would make for that hour to attend that meeting. When you start to add it all up, it can amount to quite a bit.
We don’t often think that way, but we should.
It’s true that many meetings could have just been an email or a text or a phone call or in person conversation.
But there are definitely times when there is no substitute for a meeting, whether virtual or in-person. If virtual, using video as much as possible.
There is a real value in discussing things face to face, where you can read each other, interact, and ultimately get farther down the road than if you just presented information.
So, if you absolutely do need to have a meeting, maybe start by asking yourself some questions:
1. What is the purpose of the meeting?
2. At the end of the meeting, what would it look like for it to have been a success?
3. Who is absolutely necessary for the meeting?
4. How can I best value everyone’s time?
5. How can I best prepare and have all the info, visuals and more to make the meeting as efficient and beneficial as possible?
Once you’ve asked those questions, make sure that you communicate clearly the length of the meeting and that you work to make sure things move along and that you end the meeting on-time.
There are few things more frustrating than a meeting that is already too long that is now going past the original end time with no end in sight from the meeting organizer.
So as a recap. First see if this is something that could be taken care of without a meeting.
Then, if a meeting is necessary, ask yourself the questions above and then value the time and investment of others in the meeting by keeping it moving, end on time, clarify action items and moderate as needed.
Meetings don’t have to stink. Let’s make meetings great again… unless they could have been an email.
If you’ve been enjoying the podcast and haven’t left an Apple Podcasts or iTunes review, I’d love it you’d take a minute to do that. You can head to shawnwashburn.com/apple to take you right there. Thanks for spending some time today to help you and your business thrive.
