Leadership Development - Why Invest In It?

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Leadership development is defined as any activity that enhances the quality of leadership within an organization or an individual. The recent economic times have resulted in some difficult decisions regarding allocation of resources for all businesses. Leadership itself is defined as the process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a given task. Allan Keith has stated, “Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen.” Given the definition of leadership is there a business or organization that can afford not to invest in the leadership development of their most important asset  (People!)?


The benefits of good leadership are numerous. There is a direct correlation to business success and the quality of leadership within the business or organization. In general, businesses with good leadership will have the following traits:

 More Productive and Profitable – good leaders are goal focused and achieve greater productivity with the resources provided.

 Better Vision – good leaders are able to plan for the future and make better decisions as changing business conditions dictate.

 Better Communication Skills – business is essentially about a series of crucial relationships. Customers, potential customers, vendors and employees. Effective and good leaders are able to communicate effectively and efficiently with all parties. Strong relationships allow opportunities to be maximized and problems or challenges to be overcome.

 Creativity – the ability to solve problems and work with diverse and challenging people requires creative skills to craft solutions in a timely and efficient manner. Good leaders also allow other team members to engage in a manner that allows for creative solutons for complex or difficult problems.

 Accountability and Credibility - good leaders take responsibility for their actions. A good leader knows that to lead others it is imperative that one must first learn to lead him/herself. A good leader will walk the talk. Responsibility mandates accountability or else the result is simple choas.

The benefits of leadership are well known and accepted. The key issue every business or organization must ask is are we developing leaders? The first critical question is can leaders be developed. The answer to this question is relatively simple to answer. List the qualities that are required to be a good leader on a white board or piece of paper. A quick review of these qualities will reveal that virtually all of them are qualities that can be developed. Leadership clearly is a trait or skill that can be developed.

A rather startling realization is that since leadership is a skill that can developed for virtually anyone, who in our business or organization is receiving leadership development. Executive level and managerial level employees in most businesses and organizations receive some type of leadership training or development. How effective is the development or training program. Are a high percentage of the executive’s good leaders? What about the management staff? Good leaders provide many if not most of the results listed above.

Is there a cost to implementing a good leadership development program? Yes there is a cost to create and implement a good leadership development program tailored to deliver the results a given business or organization desires. This can be called the cost of an investment. Successful businesses have found both in-house and out-sourced solutions. Resources that provide excellent leadership development training is  not in short supply.

Simultaneously, what is the cost of ineffective or poor leadership? Remember to include in the analysis the lost productivity and revenues. Lost opportunity in terms of relationships with customers, vendors, employees are more difficult to get an exact figure. However, what is the customer retention rate? How many new customers are obtained through referrals from current customers? What is the employee turnover rate? Number of employee related complaints and law suits?

A good leadership development program does have a cost in terms of an investment. Poor or average leadership within a business or organization has a much more substantial cost associated with it that can be determined. Leadership development must be a high priority for any forward thinking successful business or organization. In short, leadership development is something that every business or organization will need in order to achieve success.

Why invest in leadership development? Because Leadership Development is a business necessity! Please feel free to visit my website or contact me directly for more information at 847/541-5299.

Look for a future blog article on the importance of developing leadership skills for non-management staff. They are the likely the future managers! They have direct contact with the customers! Productivity and revenue generation is due in significant part to their effectiveness. Leadership development just makes great business sense.

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Employee Motivation

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Part Two

Workplace Analysis

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model was discussed in Part One. Part Two will focus on what this means in a workplace environment. It is important to realize again that people will be motivated by different levels at different times in their lives. Motivation is an area that is often spoken about by well meaning employers. The issue raises a lot of issues and questions for any employer looking for ways to motivate his/her workforce.

Level One: Physiological Needs: rarely are these issues raised in the modern workplace. However, construction crews and other businesses that work in the great outdoors often work in the elements and issues of thirst and protection from the elements can be an issue during extreme cold or heat. These are the most basic of needs and if not met all other needs are unimportant.

Level Two: Safety Needs – the ability to feel safe and protected is a basic human need. It does not take much imagination to see how this can be disturbed in the workplace. Workplace violence has become more frequent at least far as the media reports are concerned. Law suits involving sexual harassment, age discrimination and discrimination on the basis of race, gender and ethnicity also must be factored into this section. Many businesses have engaged in a lot of proactive training meant to minimize the possibility of these types of legal actions. Ask any business that has sustained one of these types of law suits and it is obvious that the cost of litigation is not the only expense that is incurred.

Level Three: Love and Belonging Needs - the need to be accepted and well liked by others is a need that must be met. People affiliate with groups to assist in the fulfillment of this need. A workplace is the second most popular method the majority of people have for fulfilling this need. A workplace that values its people and their contributions will assist in an employee being able to perform at Level Four and Level Five. Employees who do not feel valued will seldom perform at high levels. Employee turnover and customer complaints are often the resulting symptoms for the failure to fill this need.

Level Four: Self Esteem Needs – the lower level of the esteem needs speaks to respect for others, the need for status, recognition, prestige and attention. The higher level speaks to personal strength, competence, personal mastery, self-confidence and freedom. As we relate our personal development to esteem needs, realize that these needs become satisfied only when we set and reach goals that are challenging and stretch us to use more of our potential. Recognition and attention are the two main areas to be concentrated on in this area.

Level Five: Self Actualization Needs – Remember Maslow refers to this level as growth motivation. Only when Level One through Four has been met can this level be worked on an individual level. Self-Actualization and self-fulfillment refer to the process of making maximum use of our abilities and talent, growing and becoming the unique and worthwhile people we really are. At this level a person is a constant seeker of self-improvement. They view life as a process of becoming, of learning, of living a purposeful life and to contributing to the welfare of their fellow human beings. They value life and give value to all those around them.

There is not an employer in the world who does not want their employees to be performing at level five. The question to be asked is have you as an employer done all that you can (employer related issues) to make sure the employee has the needs of levels one through four met? Are you ready to start making progress?



Feel free to visit my website or contact me directly at 847/541-5299. To Your Success…..

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Employee Motivation

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PART ONE (Motivational Needs)



Abraham Maslow, one of the founding fathers of humanist approached to management, gave us much insight into the needs and motivation of people. Maslow theorized that human behavior is directed toward the fulfillment of several levels of needs that all people have in common. It is crucial to understand that while we strive to satisfy these needs, we must understand that different levels of needs will motivate us at different times. Directing your actions towards the gratification of the particular need of the moment will have the most meaning in terms of motivation.

Level One: Physiological Needs – These needs are hunger, thirst, fatigue, air and shelter. These are basic needs that must be met. People will go to any means to satisfy them. When satisfied, we are free to move to the next level.

Level Two: Safety Needs – these needs obviously relate to safety, security, protection and freedom from fear. Included here is the need to have order, laws and structure so a person can feel protected. In the modern world these needs are often represented by things such as regular income, financial stability and proper insurance. Examples in a workplace include safety needs such as equal treatment, fairness, honesty, due process or the right to be heard and arbitrary and unfair use of authority. OSHA laws and the American Disabilities Act are examples of how we try to fill these needs in an external manner. Once the safety needs are reasonably met we are free to go to the next level.

Level Three: Love and Belonging Needs – Social acceptance and love needs are strong desires with great motivating power for virtually everyone. This need to belong, to feel others around you that share your ideas and value you as a person, is a need that leads us to join a variety of social organizations, the most basic of which is a family. Love needs extend beyond romantic love and parent- child love. Love extends to the need for affiliation, to form friendships, to love and be loved, to join groups and to generally be well liked and accepted by others. Social acceptance is often an outward indication of the needs for self-acceptance. Being accepted by others offers us assurance that we are worthwhile.

Level Four: Self Esteem – Maslow actually acknowledged two levels of esteem needs. The first or lower level of esteem is focused on respect for others, the need for status, recognition, fame, prestige and attention. The second level of esteem or higher level esteem is the need for self-esteem, personal strength, competence, personal mastery, self-confidence, independence and freedom. It is important to note that according to Maslow only when levels one through four needs are satisfied can level five needs be addressed.

Level Five: Self Actualization – Maslow refers to this level as growth motivation. When a person is in need of one of the other four levels it is typically due to a deficit. Your body will tell you when you are hungry or thirsty. When we are afraid we will dwell on finding a solution or necessary protection. Self- actualization and self-fulfillment refer to the process of making maximum use of our abilities and talents.



Part 2 will talk about motivation in the workplace as it relates to the Five Levels. Please feel free to visit my website or contact me directly at 847/541-5299. To your success…

The What and Why of Executive Coaching

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Executive coaching is  used by many successful professionals to improve performance and gain control over their busy lifestyles. This article will discuss the WHAT and WHY of executive coaching.

What is Executive Coaching?

Coaching is a process through which executives are helped to improve performance and personal effectiveness while reducing stress. A good coaching process or program will adress these areas:

• Identify Your Strengths
• Address Understanding of Behavior
• Changing Behavior
• Effective Goal Setting and Planning with a Purpose
• Decision Making and Problem Solving
• Improving Communication/Human Relations
• Motivation and Appropriate Delegation

This list can be expanded to include other important aspects of executive leadership. However, the next question to be answered is Why?

Why Executive Coaching?

The answer must be found in what are the benefits of executive coaching. Here are many of the benefits:

• Increased Profits and Productivity
• Live Your Life with a Purpose
• A Clear Focused Direction Professionally & Personally
• Results Oriented Attitude
• Better Team Building Ability
• Enhanced Leadership Ability & Decision Making

Working with a coach will help you to understand who you are and what gives your life value. Coaching will help you establish your life's purpose and pursue it with confidence, skill and commitment. Know where you are going and how you are going to get there!

5 Stages to a Successful Business

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Stage 1 – VISIONING (WHY)


It is often said, “We’d better pay attention to the future, because that’s where we’re going to spend the rest of our lives.” Business success starts with creating a foundation. The foundation for success starts with having a clear picture of where the business is going and what the end result looks like. The VISION STATEMENT is a description of what the business is to become. A well written and thought out VISION STATEMENT captures the passion and purpose of the business owner.



Stage 2 – STRATEGIC THINKING AND PLANNING (Why)

Strategic thinking is defined as the process that determines the future direction of a business. Strategic thinking addresses all aspects and resources available to the business. Its foundation is a strategic thinking process; its conclusion is a logical and well thought out plan that, when implemented, will ensure your success.



Stage 3 – BUSINESS PLANNING (How)

Business planning actualizes the strategic plan. During this phase of the process, your mission is crystallized into specific goal categories. The goal categories become actionable through goals and action steps. In larger businesses each segment or department will have a mission and business plan which contributes to the overall businesses plan. The Mission Statement of the business is normally included here. A Mission Statement is normally a twelve to eighteen month goal that propels the business toward the ultimate achievement of its Vision.



Stage 4 – IMPLEMENTING THE PLANS (How)

Success will ultimately depend on action. The most compelling vision and well thought out planning process will not result in success without action steps that are measureable. Add time frames for the action steps to get accomplished with accountability assigned to particular individual(s) and implementation can be accomplished.



Stage 5 REVIEW AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT (How)

Measurement is crucial if you are to gauge progress and manage a business. Creating a dashboard for the communication of goals and objectives is critical for measurement to take place. There is always something you can do to gain control over every situation. There is always something you can learn to get better. Your business should and will change due to growth. You must change with it. Continuous improvement of your processes, strategies and people will allow you to achieve success!



Success – the continual achievement of your predetermined goals, stabilized by balance and purified by belief.

Please visit my website to find out about the services provided by LDG Consulting.

Coaching - Understanding My "Selfs"

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The vast majority of potential coaching clients are committed to personal improvement and achievement. Many have tried to get organized and focus their life to obtain a better result. But like most people, they find that traditional resolutions are often difficult to keep. The best of intentions quickly evaporate due to everyday life pressures, issues and concerns. Self-improvement ends up being a merry-go-round experience, round and round you go, never getting anywhere. You would like to change, but you do not know how.


There is an answer to this predicament and it is within your resources to free yourself from the inhibitions and constraints that limit your personal and professional growth. Self-awareness is the foundation to growth. You must know who you are, your desires, values, strengths and weaknesses before you can move forward. Socrates said it best “Know thyself.”

In reality, you are more than one self. You are a composite of several different “selfs” that surface and recede according to the circumstances. In some circumstances you are logical, and in others you are more emotional. In certain situations you might lead, and in others you are content to follow. In some settings you are active, and in others you are passive. When you take the time to better understand yourself, you will better understand your behaviors and the behaviors of others. What makes you and others behave the way we do? Understanding your three "selfs" provide a good deal of insight to this question.

Self #1 Parental: Your “taught” concept of life – this self embodies all the rules, values, and social norms that you were taught or conditioned to use during your early formative years. This self keeps you within the socially acceptable norms of behavior. This self can be nurturing and protective as well as judgmental and critical. The vocabulary of this self utilizes restrictive words like never, don’t and mustn’t. It also has positive words such as be careful, look before you leap and value language such as “honesty is the best policy.”

When this self gives you advice that is no longer appropriate for your current age and circumstances, it can adversely restrict your creativity, imagination and development. A great example would be “Do not talk to strangers.” This is a common phrase many parents instruct small children with for the legitimate reason of keeping them safe. This phrase would clearly be a hindrance to a person in sales or in the  public speaker field.

Self #2 Adult: Your “thought” concept of life – this self is rational and objective. This self deals with facts and makes decisions; it enhances your ability to ask questions, to reason, and to accurately assess situations. Self #2 logically calculates information and makes decisions. Its vocabulary includes the fact finding questions of who, what, when, where and why.

Self #3 Child: Your ‘felt” concept of life – this self is composed of your feelings and emotions. It embodies natural feelings such as joy, sadness, anger and love. It also encompasses adapted feelings such as inadequacy, shyness, fear of rejection and desire to please others.


Self #3 may come to the surface in a pressured situation in the form of being selfish, demanding, angry or mean. In more pleasant circumstances Self #3 may come to the surface and cause you to laugh, cry, love and enjoy. The vocabulary with this self is often in the form of “I want, Why not, It’s not my fault, and Did I do ok?”

All three “selfs” play an important role in your development as a total person. Although you are likely not totally aware of their influence, their voices affect your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Sometimes your different “selfs” compete with each other for your attention. You may think you want to do one thing (child-self), while your voice is telling you that you should do (parental self) another. Internal conflict is in reality a conflict between your different “selfs”. Developing a greater awareness of the dynamic interaction among your “selfs” can help minimize their conflicting messages and result in better decisions and choices being made.

My coaching process is designed to allow the client to truly understand and affirm who they are and what gives their life value. Understanding the “selfs” is a vital part of this process. Please feel free to contact me for more information.

HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL LEADERS: THREE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND SKILLS

Part 4 of 4

This four part series on leadership illustrates that there is no real secret to being a good leader. However, Highly Successful Leaders are known to be guided by three main principles and skills. Those three guiding principles and skills are:

•  Highly Successful Leaders are Authentic - they know who they are and where they are going. They set the direction and pace for the organization and lead by example.

•  Highly Successful Leaders provide Vision, Values and Strategies to transform their organizations to higher levels of sustained success.

•  Highly Successful Leaders have Personal and Organizational Values which govern their behavior. They lead by values.

The third and final guiding principle is that Highly Successful Leaders are guided by personal and organizational values. The ability to lead others first requires self leadership. Values like honesty and integrity clearly come to mind as well as being open minded and understanding of the importance of continual learning and self development. Highly Successful Leaders are in a continual learning stage. They seek to understand people, process and strategy.

Organizational values must be clearly articulated from the leaders to all members of the organization. Equally important, these values must be present in all actions taken by the leadership team. Many will refer to this as “Values-Based Leadership.” Values-based leadership focuses on balancing the needs of the individual with the needs of the organization by aligning the vision, values and resources of all concerned.

A look at any newspaper on virtually any day will illustrate how many organizations seem to be guided “Value-less leadership.” A classic example of a company that successfully demonstrated their commitment to “Value-based leadership” was Johnson & Johnson. They recalled Tylenol capsules after some deaths were reported in Chicago that attributed to their product. They made the decision to recall the product because of the following organizational value “we believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, to mothers, and fathers and all others who use our products and services. That expressed value made the decision to recall the product a relatively simple decision. Subsequent investigation revealed the product had been tampered with after it was on the store shelf. Johnson & Johnson did sustain some short term loss due to this decision. The good will and credibility they gained by taking immediate action for the protection of the consumer is still paying dividends today.

Values must be incorporated into your strategic business plan and into your day to day activities. They are a significant factor as far as keeping all members of the organization aligned on common goals. Make sure your values are meaningful to you and your organizational success. There is not an industry or profession that cannot benefit in a sustainable manner from running their organization with a “Values-Based Leadership” mentality.

Leadership is a skill that is developed. What are you doing to develop your leadership skills? What about your team’s leadership skills?

HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL LEADERS: THREE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND SKILLS

 Part 3 of 4

In Part 1 it was discovered that there is no real secret to leadership. However, we did find that Highly Successful Leaders are guided by three main principles and skills. Those three are:

• Highly Successful Leaders are Authentic - they know who they are and where they are going. They set the direction and pace for the organization and lead by example.

• Highly Successful Leaders provide Vision, Values and Strategies to transform their organizations to higher levels of sustained success.

• Highly Successful Leaders have Personal and Organizational Values which govern their behavior. They lead by values.

Part 2 covered the topic of being Authentic. The focus of this article will be on how Highly Successful Leaders provide Vision, Values and Strategies to transform their organizations to higher levels of sustained success. Highly Successful Leaders are able to take their organization to where it has not been. This requires that the leader have a Vision of where the organization is going. These leaders are known to be visionaries, coaches, stewards, designers, mentors and teachers. They are consistently learning, seeking new information, improving and stretching their capabilities.


They not only guide the organization for where it is going into the future but they also set the ground rules for how they are going to get there. The values of the organization are clearly defined and known throughout the organization. This allows for all parties to stay in alignment with overall organizational goals. Values will help to answer the do and do not types of questions. The Highly Successful Leader will identify and constantly communicate the commonly held values of the organization. Values are so important that Part 4 will cover them once again.


Finally the Highly Successful Leader will make sure the strategies are in place for the organization to get where it is going. The road to success cannot be left to chance. It must be planned for. There must be a plan in place to strategically take the business from where it is to where it desires to go in the future. Everything must be in alignment for organizations to achieve ultimate success.


Leaders are not born they are developed. What are you doing to further develop your leadership skills? How about the leadership skills of your team? Feel free to visit my website or contact me directly.

HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL LEADERS: THREE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND SKILLS

Part 2 of 4

Part 1 of this series provided an overview of Highly Successful Leaders. We learned that there is no secret to being a leader. However, we also know that Highly Successful Leaders share three Principles and Skills. They are:

• Highly Successful leaders are AUTHENTIC – they know who they are and where they are going. They set the direction and pace for the organization and lead by example.

• Highly Successful Leaders provide VISION, VALUES, and STRATEGIES to transform their organization to higher levels of sustained success

• Highly Successful Leaders have PERSONAL and ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES which govern their behavior. They lead by values.

The focus of Part 2 is on being AUTHENTIC. Authentic is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “that which can be believed or accepted; trustworthy, reliable, genuine, and real.” When you identify leadership on a personal level, you develop the authenticity to become a world-class leader. Leadership must start with the individual. Personal leadership precedes professional leadership, and authenticity is a cornerstone for both.


An important trait of an authentic person is openness, because authenticity is grounded in freedom, which is openness to being. The authentic person is alive to possibilities: his own, other people and the world at large. This openness is expressed to others through honesty and accessibility. The authentic leader is one who creates an organization where everyone feels free to be open, innovative and alive to possibilities.


Authentic people understand who they are and what strengths they have. They also understand the weaknesses or limitations they have. They place themselves in positions to take advantage of their strengths while simultaneously avoiding as much as possible having to use their weaknesses or limitations. Another way of looking at it is they are the person who is the right fit for that particular position. Equally important they are able to see other’s strengths and find the right fit for those strengths. People who are able to utilize their strengths will find success. Success leads to more success.


The following quote is sums this up quite nicely “ Stop trying to put in what God left out and instead, work with what he put in.” Dr Robert Hartman. Dr Hartman is the founder of the science of Axiology.


Please feel free to visit my website or contact me directly for more information. I do utilize an assessment called the Attribute Index that can help identify what makes you authentic. Remember Leadership is a skill that can be developed. What are you doing to develop your leadership skills and the leadership skills of your team?

HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL LEADERS: THREE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND SKILLS

PART I of 4

We can be assured of several things: the challenges facing us today will become even more challenging in the future; the speed with which change occurs will increase; and our competition will change. The only real constant we can be sure of is that change will take place. The challenge of the executive today is to create an organization that will maintain growth and improvement in an environment rife with rapid fire change.


Creating and leading an organization that will maintain a competitive advantage will require executives to transform an organizational culture founded on yesterday’s paradigms and ideas. Priorities will have to shift and thinking will have to change. Attitudes and behaviors reflecting new and different social and organizational values will have to be adapted. Adjusting to change for many people is difficult and stressful. Ultimately, success will require LEADERSHIP.

A leader is a person who does just that. He or she leads. Unfortunately, many are placed in a position of leadership yet few rise to the ranks of highly effective and strong leaders. Many books and studies have been written purporting to provide the secret to what makes a great leader. The truth of the matter is that there is no real secret. There are three guiding principles and skills that are fundamental to successful leaders everywhere.

•  First Highly Successful Leaders are AUTHENTIC – they know who they are and where they are going. They set the direction and pace for the organization and lead by example.

•  Second Highly Successful Leaders provide VISION, VALUES AND STRATEGIES to transform their organizations to higher levels of sustained success.

• Third Highly Successful Leaders have PERSONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES which govern their behavior. They lead by values.

Leading today’s organization into tomorrow’s competitive arena will require that individuals and organizations redefine their values and identify how these values translate into a leadership philosophy. Values-based leadership focuses on balancing the needs of the individual with the needs of the organization by aligning the vision, values and resources of all concerned.



Part II of this four part series will focus on being AUTHENTIC.

Part III will discuss VISION, VALUES AND STRATEGIES

Part IV will discuss PERSONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES

Leadership is a skill that can be developed. What are you doing to develop leadership skills for you and/or other members of your leadership team? Feel free to visit my website or contact me directly for more information.

Planning for Success Part II

Part II


Business owners many times have a business plan that was written years ago. Perhaps the business plan was written in order to obtain bank financing or was written with the intention of the plan guiding day to day operations but somehow it got lost in the chaos of running a business. The business plan if created and implemented in the right manner will result in improved business results. Part I of this article provided ample reasons why a business plan needs to be done. Part II is written with the business owner who had a plan at one time but for whatever reason it has been put to the side.

The first question to be asked is why should I update a business plan if I am getting by without now? The answer is simple. Would you go on vacation without making travel, hotel arrangements and a plan for how you are going to spend your time? A properly written and implemented business plan allows for the business owner to not only set a plan for where he/she wants to get to but also strategies for how to actually get there. The key component is strategic planning. Business owners and leaders today have found that developing a strategy and an implementation plan is far more effective than leaving the future to chance. The time, expense and energy the business owners have placed into their businesses is far too valuable to leave to chance.


The one constant in business is that change will take place. Conditions are changing all the time. A properly written and executed business plan will allow for the business owner to strategically plan for the changes that will take place. A well written strategic business plan must be capable of changing with the business conditions. The strategic business plan must allow for and actually encourage the creative energies of the business owner and his staff to make the necessary changes to reach the business goals. Ultimately, success will depend on this ability.


Finally, it must be stated that since there is a plan in existence, although outdated, the strategic planning process can be done in a relatively brief period of time. The renewal of the business plan properly written and implemented in a strategic manner will help to reenergize the business owner resulting in measurable positive outcomes. Improved sales, customer loyalty, employee retention rates and a more focused and goal directed leadership team.



The most important factor to your success is … YOU! Plan on it!

Planning for Success Part I

Part I


Virtually everyone knows that to be successful in business a properly written and executed business plan must be in place. It is not surprising for those who serve many small and medium sized businesses to learn that there is no active business plan in place or that there may be a business plan on the shelf someplace but that it needs to be updated and/or revisited in some significant manner. Planning for Success Part I will highlight the reasons for writing a business plan from scratch. Part II of Planning for Success will cover the importance of revisiting and or updating an existing plan on that shelf collecting dust.

There are many reasons why business owners choose not to write a business plan. It is this author’s belief that when properly done the writing of a business plan is not a mundane task to be dreaded and avoided but rather one that should assist in bringing the business owner’s passion and enthusiasm for his/her business to life. The starting point for any good business plan is the Vision Statement. This Vision Statement if properly done will bring motivation and commitment to the execution of the overall plan.

Secondly, the business plan should be strategic in nature. A strategic business planning process provides a format for developing specific strategies, converting those strategies into a business planning process, and establishing measurable and attainable organizational goals. It is a process that involves not only determining where an organization wants and needs to go, but also, how it is going to get there.

The most important reason for writing a business plan is to achieve success. Failing to plan is in essence planning to fail. The measurable results of an appropriately written and executed business plan include:

• A Strong Sense of Purpose
• A Defined Strategic Direction for the Business
• A Strengthened Focus on Attracting, Servicing and Keeping Customers
• A Proper Allocation of Resources
• A Pro-Active Management Focus
• A More Motivated, Focused and Productive Workforce.

The most important factor to your success is … YOU!

Part II is Next!