We’ve likely all heard the expression I used as the title for this post, but a recent experience has left me with a new understanding of the truth behind that statement.  Anyone reading this likely shares the feeling that there are rarely enough hours in the day to get everything done, which tends to create scenarios whereby we define a project based on our responsibilities rather than the end goal.  For example, as a marketer my primary role is patient flow and communication.  The goal of proper patient flow and communication is to maintain a healthy flow of new patients to the practices, and maintain a strong connection with new and existing patients.  Everything outside of that primary goal is something that usually resides in someone else’s circle of influence.  I’ve operated under this premise for the better part of my career, and the irony is that as a quote junky, I can’t tell you how many business quotes I’ve recently noticed that actually reinforce this type of mentality.  I’ve listed a few examples below.

“Don’t let your food get cold by worrying about what’s on someone else’s plate”

“Stay in your own swim lane”

“I’m too busy working on my own grass to notice if yours in greener”

The moment I slowed down I was able to see a much larger picture and speed up the results we were looking for.  Let me explain.

I do not like to plan out my marketing campaigns one month at a time.  Quite some time ago I learned that it was much more efficient to plan out at least one quarter at a time, so at the beginning of May I was reviewing preliminary QTD results.  As I scoured through reports, KPIs, and trends I received an email from someone in a field office asking a question about a program that had been in place for months.  My initial reaction was to simply chalk it up to someone who was not paying attention to what was going on around them, but as I read on I realized that there were some legitimate questions.  Rather than simply replying, I called the office to talk through some of the questions they had and better understand what was happening.

The call led me down a rabbit hole of conference calls and meetings that ultimately gave me a stronger understanding of what was happening both BEFORE and AFTER the patient had walked through the door as a result of the marketing campaign.  The dialogue that stemmed from that one email ultimately resulted in an increase in call conversion rates, decreases in patient “no-shows”, and an increase in treatment acceptance.  All without spending one additional marketing dollar, or changing one piece of collateral.

Years ago, I read “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey where he discusses the difference between your Circle of Influence and your Circle of Concern.  I was able use some clip art to demonstrate the principle.

By getting more involved and better understanding the operational processes that impacted the effectiveness of the marketing campaign, we were able to positively impact the patient experience and bottom line.  The key for me was to expand my circle of influence by working with others towards a solution and common goal rather than pushing my own agenda.  This was a very enlightening experience for me, and I am not currently applying some of the things I learned about the processes to other offices and regions.

“Change is inevitable, progress is optional.” — Tony Robbins

Change is inevitable. You experience it every day in one form or another. From choosing a new route to work to the sudden curveball that turns life upside down, change can affect you in many ways. However, it is not always easy to have a positive reaction to change. While it is sometimes easy to embrace and welcome change, other times you can experience a wide range of emotions including anger, denial, depression, opposition and fear.

When constant change is a reality in both your personal and business lives, your ability to handle change can have a direct impact on your happiness and well-being. It therefore makes sense to find ways to roll with change, react positively to the things you can and can’t control, and build change into your life rather than resisting it. Once you conquer your ability to manage change and move in time with it, you can look forward to a future of acceptance, sustained performance and ultimately happiness.

When you embrace change, it can hold so many benefits:

• Staying current
• Unveiling new opportunities
• Encouraging new ideas
• Increasing your efficiency
• Promoting new ways of thinking

How Change Unlocks Opportunity

An agile approach to change can unlock the most unexpected opportunities from the most unlikely places. Change can be the perfect time to mentally or physically test yourself, to explore new areas in your personal or professional life that you never considered before. For example, losing your job may be a blow at first, but it is a change nonetheless. It could be the start of a brand new career, a complete change in direction or simply the perfect moment to take some precious time out for yourself.

The Three Stages of Change

Change can be hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous in the end. The most important thing is to see through that uncertainty, anxiety and mess and to use that gorgeous ending as your guiding light. Sure, you could sit in a dark room and contemplate your fate for a while, but at some point you need to get back up and accept that this change is part of your life, and you need to turn it into something positive. People who are ready to embrace change are ready to embrace life, and will naturally attract more opportunity, more light into their lives and more happiness.

Handling Negative Change With Good Grace

Of course, your ability to work with change depends on what that change is. A positive change can be accepted with grace much more easily than a change that has a negative impact. If you have a negative change looming on the horizon, try not to fear it. Instead, seek out alternatives or strategies that will avert the change, lessen its impact or, if possible, turn it into a positive.

For example, if you are worried about your job, take control. Don’t simply wait to see what happens. Start looking for new jobs and new opportunities.

Change Reveals Your True Colors

When things are running smoothly in your life, it is easy to take everything for granted. After all, why upset the status quo if it doesn’t need to be upset? Why seek out problems that don’t exist? It is only when a major change disrupts your life that your true colors can start to shine through. Your first natural instinct may be to feel anxious and worried, or to run and hide from it completely. These are negative feelings that could actually hinder your progress in life, limit your success and destroy your happiness.

It takes a strong person to adapt to change, but everybody has that ability. You just need to find it within yourself. It is up to you to take the responsibility to deal with change. It is important to remember that your problems are your own. It might feel good to blame your boss, your parents, even the president, but ultimately you are in control of your own fate. Once you accept this, you can start to see ways to steer your life in the direction you want without anyone else’s influence.

Your Capacity to Change Holds the Key to Success and Happiness

The most important thing to remember is that change isn’t always for the worse. A new baby, an unexpected job promotion, a move to a new town or simply changing your morning coffee order — these are all positive and enlightening changes (yes, even trying a new coffee can change your morning outlook) that should be embraced. By accepting change and doing good with it, you will be better prepared for the curveballs that life throws your way from time to time.

Above all else, use change to improve your life. Your personal and professional life can change in the blink of an eye, and it can become a challenge to navigate in our fast-paced society. Learning to cope with change at your own pace, to welcome new opportunities and experiences, and to see the positive within the negative can help you to not only survive, but thrive and prosper. One of the most comfortable ways of living life is to just “go with the flow” and accept that change really is inevitable, however whether or not you choose to make progress is up to you.

Trade shows and conferences are by design the epicenter for all shiny things: cloud based platforms, hardware innovations, mobile applications and more — all promising to improve every aspect of a business, from communications to cash flow.

Today, business and technology move forward together faster than ever before. The challenge to us as executives, business owners and leaders is that we must constantly and consistently keep up to date with the latest breakthroughs and trends so that we can lead our business effectively.

However, the challenge doesn’t end there. We also need to choose the right solution. All new ideas are not necessarily good ideas, and we need to be careful not to let the “shiny object syndrome” direct our decisions. As leaders, it is our responsibility to guide our organization along a road map to success, and to choose the products or services that are the right fit. However, much like traditional Randall McNally maps, success can lie at the end of one of multiple paths, and this is when we must proceed with caution.

The challenge lies in ensuring we lead others to success by choosing the most efficient path. When a new and exciting idea captures our attention and imagination, we shouldn’t be led off on a tangent that could distract us from our objectives. Before choosing a new tool or service to solve an old problem, it pays to be sure that the problem actually exists and that the new tool or service will solve the problem efficiently.

When Tactics Can Threaten Strategy

The key to choosing the right path is to recognize the difference between strategy and tactic. If a strategy is the “what,” then a tactic is the “how.” The problem with many shiny new things, or tactics, is that they are not long-term solutions. It’s important to be competitive when defining a strategy, but it’s just as important to choose the right tactics that will align and drive the strategy rather than hinder its progress by diluting your efforts.

We are possibly most at risk of SOS when we have hit a crossroad or roadblock in our strategy. When the tactics we are using to execute our strategy are not producing expected or optimum results, the temptation can be strong to change course completely.

Frustration, stress, and the onslaught of shiny new objects can make us vulnerable and unsure of what to do next. Did we make the right decision? Should we look at another idea? Should we sign up for the new product we just saw at a booth, or the email in our inbox? Instead of making hasty and risky decisions, we should take a breath, weigh all options, and ask ourselves how this tactic will help us execute our strategy.

Choosing the Right Path Without SOS Distractions

We shouldn’t just make sure we choose the best solution to achieve our strategic objectives, but also avoid jumping on every new and exciting new tool or product that is released. We must to explore our options, but we must do so in such a way that exploration is productive, focused and not a distraction from what we are already doing.

By focusing on one thing at a time, it is easier to define what works and to tweak or discard what doesn’t. By setting goals, planning our day and removing distractions, we can pick winning solutions without threatening progress or wasting money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_myAHzZQE8o