Confessions of an Organizer

Posted August 29th, 2011 in Best Of Posts, Mindset, organization, small business, solopreneurs | 0 Comments

  1. Seriously, I hate technology! I know it’s supposed to make our lives easier, but I find it makes things more complicated. All things in moderation.
  2. I love my label maker and it definitely servers a purpose, but perfect labels and file folders with matchy-matchy colors make me a little nauseous!
  3. My desk has piles on it. Lots of them. I make them go away regularly, but in the midst of creation or switching between client work, the piles…they do grow!
  4. I’m not a die-hard minimalist, but clutter-free IS awesome! There’s something about minimal furniture and clutter that helps me breath better.
  5. There IS energy in getting organized. Seriously. That breathing thing? You’ll do it deeper and more often in an organized space. Pay attention to it, because our breath is as important as the blood flowing through our veins (literally and physically, the two are as one).
  6. I can organize anything. For almost anybody. But it’s their responsibility to keep it that way. Most people forget that when they are wailing in the phone, “I need you to get me organized!”
  7. Getting organized is a singular even. Keeping organized is an ongoing habit. It’s hard to create a new habit – but once you get it, you get it.
  8. Being an organized person is a learned skill. See #7.
  9. If you’re overwhelmed (with anything) the first step is to break the overwhelm down into big bite sized chunks. The devil is in the tiny details – and that’s where most people get STUCK.
  10. People moan and complain about their lives being so complicated. I want to shake them by their shoulders and show them that they’ve created the lives they are living and they have the ultimate power to change them. Whether they will use their power or not…that’s an entirely different story.
  11. Many times, I don’t get my clients perfectly organized. We don’t implement all this amazing technology to make their lives easier. We don’t buy a bunch of organizing bins and totes (although that is WAY fun when we do). Mostly, we simplify. We take away rather than add. We discard. My clients learn to become discerning about what they let in their lives (or into their bodies, their homes and offices, their cars, their email boxes, or their computers). It’s a glorious day when my client calls and tells me they unsubscribed from a bunch of crap or loaded up their recycle bin, or decluttered their desk, or activated their power by using the word “NO.”

Glorious, I tell you. Just glorious!

Time to get thee organized? Ready to exercise your “Power of No”, calm your Monkey Mind, and create a clutter-free world? Call me! It’s time. (704) 553-8082 or angie@mattsonbusiness.com.

Delegation Matters (Part 2 of 4)

Posted August 25th, 2011 in delegation, processes, small business | 0 Comments

The Situation

“Carol, come in here for a second. I’ve got about two dozen things I need you to take care of,” says Ms. Boss.

Carol dutifully comes in, notepad in hand, and writes down the details of the tasks her boss is asking her to do.

Back at her desk, Carol she works through them. A couple of them have pieces she’s unsure about. Carol completes what she can and schedules a few minutes with Ms. Boss to discuss her questions on the remaining work.

As Carol hands over her completed work, Ms. boss gets a funny look in her face. Carol asks what’s wrong and the boss says, “Why are you giving me this?”

Equally confused, Carol says, “Well, in our meeting on Monday, you asked me to do five things. This is one of them, which is done. I’ve got questions about two of the other tasks.”

Visibly frustrated, Ms. Boss replies, “I don’t remember asking you to do this. I need you to spend your time on…” and launches into a rant about other more important work.

And with that, Carol goes into shut down mode, tremendously frustrated because she’d spent time and energy on tasks she is sure her boss asked her to do (afterall, she took notes!). Evidently these tasks weren’t really important – and Carol thinks she must not be important if the boss doesn’t remember the tasks, or that she even asked Carol to do them.

“How does this keep happening?” Carol shakes her head in frustration and starts to think about finding a new job.
Delegation as a Skill

A business owner or manager has a lot going on. It can be a pleasure to have a team to delegate tasks to – but it also involves responsibility.

Creating systems to manage those tasks, make sure they’re being worked on, and that they are completed on time, on budget, and with a level of competence you’d expect.

Just as you would expect your assistant or team member to take notes as you assign a task, so too should you. The mutual agreement of the scope of work to be done, the milestones and deadlines, plus the details of what the finished product will be are crucial.

Documenting these details, asking an assistant or team member to follow up on the milestones, and expressing gratitude when the work is done are all important parts of the delegation process.

Need help creating a system for delegation? Working with the business owner, assistant, and/or team is a specialty for us at MBS, Inc. Call us to help clear the delegation fog and let’s get some great work done! (704) 553-8082 or angie@mattsonbusiness.com

The Wisdom of Teams (Part 1 of 4)

Posted August 18th, 2011 in delegation, small business | 0 Comments

Your business constantly ebbs and flows; it’s a living breathing system (similar to a garden) that needs to be tended, managed, and carefully grown. Interestingly, it takes everyone in your business to help this happen: you, your employees, even your customers.

In this four-part series, I want to focus on your employees (or your subcontractors, depending on your business model). This year, I’ve heard a lot of frustration from employees. I’ve also seen a lot of frustrated business owners who are stressed out, worried about cashflow, and who, in some cases, are feeling like employees or subcontractors are costing them more than they’re worth.

One of my goals in supporting small business is to make sure that we are keeping people working. My friend and colleague Denise Altman, of Altman Initiative Group, Inc., will work with your team, help you hire, and can even coach individuals who might be struggling with performance issues.

I’m here to tackle areas of disorganization, time management, productivity, and systems/processes with you and your team. I’m also here to help business owners:

  1. delegate more;
  2. delegate more effectively; and
  3. build trust with their teams as they do so.

If you are ready to dive into some delegation secrets that will help you think differently about the garden that is your business, let’s get started!

Delegation Secrets – Part 1 of 4
The Wisdom of Teams

As I sat with Bill, he sighed in frustration. “Your ideas are great and two of those are things I never would have thought of doing. But honestly, this part, I’ve told my bosses this a dozen times and they simply don’t listen. Maybe since you’re the “paid consultant,” they’ll hear you when you say it and agree to put it into practice.”

I wish this conversation was an anomaly. Something I hear once in a blue moon.

It’s not.

I hear it all the time. Employees have good ideas, but are reluctant to share them. Or they have shared them, only to find them falling on deaf ears.

As a business owner, are you ready to hear it?

If you’ve hired well, you have enormous wisdom within your business. That team of yours? They know stuff. They’ve probably told you stuff that would save your business money, make your business money, or could even radically improve customer service for your clients.

Your employees are probably talking to your clients and customers every day. If they are savvy, they see a pattern of errors. They’ve probably created “work-arounds” because the “approved way” isn’t working. And they know flaws in your operations processes because the take the calls from the vendors who aren’t being paid. Your employees “see” things day-to-day differently than you do (and so do I).

That alternate perspective is invaluable.

Have you asked your team what they are seeing? Asked them about their frustrations? Given them permission to share feedback, even if it isn’t rosy and nice?

And are you willing to listen to their answers?

If you need help opening this new door, let’s gather your team for a brainstorming session. Pick one area of your business you know needs improvement (customer service, billing, operations, etc.). Call me at (704) 553-8082 or email me at angie@mattsonbusiness.com. Let’s create a safe space to mine the wisdom of your team!

Getting Organized – Needed or necessary?

Posted July 29th, 2011 in organization | 0 Comments

Almost daily, I have conversations with family, friends, colleagues and clients about “getting organized.”

They almost wail, “I feel so overwhelmed with stuff. I feel guilty for having so much stuff. And I think if I get rid of stuff, I’ll feel more free.”

Will they have or be all those things after they declutter?

Perhaps yes. Perhaps no.

What do I mean by this?

Well, it’s really trendy right now to talk about getting organized. There are oodles of resources to help you simplify, pare down, declutter, and even become a minimalist.

Trends aside, I always ask my clients deeper questions about the stuff they have.

It’s easy to say, “I have too much stuff.”

The bigger questions delve into the reasons:

  • How did you accumulate this stuff?
  • Is there a pattern to the accumulation?
  • Why are you saving this stuff? And…is there a fear associated with the saving?
  • Do you actually USE this stuff?
  • Is is beautiful or useful day-to-day?
  • Does the stuff add to your office or home space or does it detract?

As I was thinking about this issue, I stumbled across not one, not two, but THREE magnificent blog posts on this very topic. Here they are:

  1. Danielle LaPorte – The Dark Side of Minimalism
  2. Natalie Baker – Shed Project Guest Post
  3. Lianne Raymond – red winkle picker regret and the dark side of decluttering

I love these articles because they delve into the mindset of minimalism, decluttering, and even consumerism. Each of these gorgeous ladies asks BETTER questions about our stuff. They’ll help YOU think differently about it, too.

Check them out and let me know YOUR thoughts!

If you’re stuck, feeling the *need* to declutter, or just don’t know where to start, I’m here to support you (and give you a kick in the pants, if necessary!). Get in touch – (704) 553-8082 or angie@mattsonbusiness.com. And, it’s almost ready – I’m changing the name of my company to Your Organized Guide. I’ll let you know more when it’s all LIVE! And seriously, let me be your organized guide to getting organized!

Everybody Calm Down

Posted July 20th, 2011 in Mindset, processes, small business | 0 Comments

Holy carps. It’s hot right now. People seem exceedingly cranky, easily irritated, and kind of frantic.

Or maybe it’s just me. ;-)

I’m talking with a lot of small business owners and solopreneurs these days. They (we?) all seem a bit frantic about the amount of work we have in front of us, plus the work we know we “should” be doing.

And at the same time, I hear, “We need to stabilize our cashflow. We need more clients. We need more jobs.”

Is this confusing to you, too?

This morning, I sat down with a list of 3 things I absolutely HAD to get done. I knew these were priorities (that fall in the IMPORTANT but not URGENT quadrant of decision-making) and activities that were guaranteed to move my business (and my cashflow) forward.

Have I done them? Well, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad, right?

I, too, suffer from “bright shiny object syndrome” coupled with procrastination and bit of overwhelm with all the stuff I “can” do or feel like I “should do.” Instead, I vacuumed, I read some blogs, and I caught up on some teleclasses. I got 2 of the 3 things done. Meh.

As the day draws to a close and I’ve got that one thing left to do, I realized why I hadn’t gotten that one thing done.

Thankfully, I know *exactly* the three things to do that will guarantee my success with getting this last thing done. It’s my secret formula to avoid procrastination…

  1. Commit to the project – seems like common sense, doesn’t it? BUT, if I don’t commit to getting it done, I give myself an “out” for doing it later, tomorrow, or never
  2. Set a timer. Seriously. It WORKS because it gives you focus.
  3. Sit and get started – again, common sense, no? But if I use every excuse under the sun for not sitting and BEGINNING, then the house gets cleaned, I read a bunch of non-important crap, and I procrastinate the day away.

So, what activities are YOU avoiding? Those IMPORTANT tasks that aren’t urgent, but dang, if you did them – you might actually see an increase in clients, cashflow, or even in your energy?

Hmmm…I took my own medicine. I wrote this article. And the timer hasn’t even gone off yet. Yay, me!  Now, I’m done for the day – and all three of my crucial to-do’s are done.

Wouldn’t you like to be able to say the same thing?

Do them – do them NOW!

Are you feeling frustrated because those important activities keep falling to end of the line? Do you even really know what the important tasks and activities are?

If you feel like you’d do better with an accountability partner – someone who is committed to you and will hold you in a place of committing to your success – it’s time to reach out and invest in your success. Let’s get your priorities straight and get you working your priorities. Give me a call: (704) 553-8082 or angie@mattsonbusiness.com.

Seth Godin is promoting my business

Posted July 8th, 2011 in Mindset, organization, small business, solopreneurs | 1 Comment

Ok, well not MY business specifically, but definitely the services I provide. You can read the whole post by Seth here.

In a nutshell, he says, “Go find a geek. Someone who understands gmail, Outlook, Excel and other basic tools. Pay her to sit next to you for an hour and watch you work. Then say, “tell me five ways I can save an hour a day.”

I am a little offended that he called me a “geek” though. ;-)

Seriously, though. When was the last time YOU audited how you work?

If you’re ready to save an hour a day, FIVE hours a week, and up to 20 hours a month, it’s time to call me.  William McKee from Knowmad did and here’s what he had to say:

“I like to be organized but have a hard time keeping up with everything while also running a growing business. In only 30 minutes, Angie helped me get past some of the mental blocks I had in place which were holding me back. She offered creative ways to handle the flood of incoming information and deal with the backlog of unprocessed email. Her enthusiasm in helping others get organized is contagious. This is vital counsel for every knowledge worker learning how to be more effective and enjoy their job more.”

It’s important to note here that William already was a pretty organized person. But he knew he could do better! An outsider’s perspective, an audit of his workflow (as Seth Godin called it), made a huge difference in his stress level — and he freed up time to focus on making MORE sales (which is his #1 priority in business).

You can read other notes from satisfied (and organized) clients here.

Ready? You know you are. Because feeling overwhelmed, drowning in email, dealing with administrivia, and being not nearly productive enough on those REAL priorities…you’re OVER it.

Give MBS, Inc. a call: 704/553-8082 or angie@mattsonbusiness.com.

Delegation Secrets

Posted June 20th, 2011 in delegation, organization, small business, solopreneurs | 1 Comment

When deciding to use a Mobile or Virtual Assistant, one of the hardest things to do is get started! Maybe you can’t decide what to delegate. Or you don’t have any written instructions for the things you would like to delegate!

It’s helpful to begin a list of what an MA or VA can do to help you.

Start paying attention – what are the tasks you don’t want to do? What are the tasks you know in your bones you should delegate? What aren’t you good at – but muddle through anyway? What are the tasks you’re doing that suck up your precious (and expensive) time?

If you’re stuck making a list, engage a friend or some other business owners. Start talking to each other and brainstorming what sorts of tasks you would like to have someone else do. At first, you might get an exasperated, “I have no idea!” Keep talking – soon, you’ll have a list as long as your arm.

Start with categories:

  • General Administrative Tasks – filing, data entry of business cards, returning phone calls, doing research, managing your calendar, making packets or photocopies
  • Bookkeeping – data entry, filing, tracking A/P or A/R
  • Specific Tasks – writing/editing letters, simple desktop publishing, more involved research, transcribing meeting minutes, running errands

Next, ask yourself these questions to elicit more ideas for things to delegate:

  • What project or task can someone else start?
  • What project or task can someone else keep moving forward?
  • What project or task can I have someone else finish up?
  • What’s on my “I wish list?” How can my assistant help me with these items?

One word of caution – we are all looking for quick answers and quick fixes – but delegation isn’t always a quick fix.

You need to remember to (1) train (2) review and (3) verify. You can’t simply hand over work and forget about it – especially in the beginning. Give your MA or VA time to ask clarifying questions. Provide structure for them to ask questions during the project. It’s helpful to set a time-limit at first, too. For instance, you hand over a project with some directions (written or verbal). Give your assistant a 30 minute limit. After 30 minutes, both of you should review the work/progress to make sure the assistant is working in the right direction. If not, give helpful feedback, redirect, and move forward again with a time limit. Check again. After you feel the assistant has the task firmly in hand, set ‘em loose with a clear description of the deliverable (the end result).

Still stumped on how to get started with delegation?  Call us at MBS, Inc. We can help you with time mapping, delegation checklists, and more! (704) 553-8082 or angie@mattsonbusiness.com.

Article originally published at EzineArticles.com: http://EzineArticles.com/6357655

Taking Time

Posted June 1st, 2011 in Mindset, routines, small business, solopreneurs | 1 Comment

“I’m in a hurry to get things done…I rush and rush until life’s no fun. All I really gotta do is live and die…I’m in a hurry and don’t know why.”

You know the song – and I bet it rings true.  Most of the time, if you stop and really THINK, you’re in a hurry but really don’t know why.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with being in a hurry. But mentally (and even spiritually – but that’s a different blog post), being in a hurry means:

  • you might be missing something
  • you are not fully present now
  • you’re probably also multi-tasking to get more done (and you almost never do)
  • you didn’t plan well
  • your results won’t be 100%
  • you perhaps didn’t choose – or aren’t committed – to the task that is making you hurry

Think back to a time you were hurrying. How did you feel?

If you just snorted and thought, “I’m always in a hurry!”…that’s very telling.

In a well-developed life, you find time to focus, and for silence, rest, relaxation, and thinking. In an overly stuffed life, one that isn’t well-planned or well-thought out, find yourself constantly in reaction mode. The fires, emergencies, and other people’s priorities take precedence over what you actually want to do (if you stopped long enough to think about it).

Being in a hurry means, in many cases, giving up control of your time and resorting to reacting. And time is necessary for thoughtful answers, responding, creativity, and choice.

Get Personal

As a business owner, work becomes life which flows back into work and affects seemingly every aspect of life, right?  If you’re always in a hurry, you might:

  • Forget important dates (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.)
  • Not take time to actually use the camper you bought
  • Not fulfill promises you make to your kids, spouse, or partner
  • Live at the beach – but never actually go sit in the sand and just BE
  • Have vacation days available, but feel like you can’t take them

The tragedy of being in a hurry is a life that is NOT well lived. Time is, ironically, wasted. But more importantly, so are energy, enthusiasm, and focus.

My request to you

Next time you’re in a hurry, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Am I doing something I want to be doing or am I fulfilling an obligation?
  • How does my body feel right now (breath, posture, vision, muscles)?
  • Did I fail to plan?
  • Have I even stopped long enough to think about what I’m doing right now?

In that moment of awareness (and asking these questions will bring you to that awareness, even if only briefly), take a really deep breath. Take another one.

And ask yourself, “How can I slow down, even for a moment, to be more present now?”

Don’t know where to start? Let us help! Contact us at angie@mattsonbusiness.com or (704) 553-8082. Small changes equal BIG results!

Monkey Mind

Posted May 19th, 2011 in Mindset | 6 Comments

The endless chatter fills our head, drowns our hearts, and starves our souls. We can’t concentrate on any one thing because dozens of thoughts steal our focus.

What are the causes of Monkey Mind? Who knows. It could be anything from stimulants (too much coffee or sugar, anyone?) to a chronic habit of worrying or more subtle things like simply never sitting down or forgetting to pay attention to our breath.

Many times we have monkey mind because we are trying to use our brains for remembering.  Or we’ve simply overcommitted ourselves by refusing to use the power of the word “no.” And sometimes we are perched high on a cliff, proudly wearing our martyr cape, shouting, “I don’t neeeeeeed any help. I can do it all by myself!”

Whatever the reason, there are few things more frustrating in this world than not being able to focus. In the process of finding focus, we also find our flow. Without those things, what do we have?

THE MONKEY MIND – completely out of control.

What are some of the signs (symptoms) of Monkey Mind out of control?

  • You think 500 different thoughts at once.
  • You have 12 different to do lists to help you remember all you’re “supposed” to do.
  • Your desk is filled with piles – “Out of sight, out mind,” you crow loudly.
  • You start one thing, stop, and start on something else.
  • You obsessively check email. Over. And Over. And Over.
  • You don’t know where to start. The beginning? What’s that?

These thoughts and behaviors simply serve to keep you unfocused and unproductive.

“But,” you ask, “why would I choose to be unfocused and unproductive? I have so much to do!”

Have you considered that letting your monkey mind run amok has its rewards?

  • procrastination
  • delay
  • excuses for not getting things done perfectly
  • focus can be difficult to find – especially at first
  • habits and routine can “feel” restrictive

By letting your monkey mind run wild, you get to AVOID. You can successfully avoid:

  • starting OR finishing
  • beginning OR ending
  • communicating
  • being clear
  • doing a really great job
  • disappointment
  • elation (if you feel you don’t deserve it)
  • praise and recognition (again, if you feel you don’t deserve it)
  • perfectionism
  • discipline
  • being conscious (in the metaphysical sense)

So, what’s a hardworking soul to do? How does one turn off the monkey mind, find focus, and get into the bliss called flow?

It’s a simple as this: put your hand on your belly. Take a deep breath. I’m talking a REALLY deep breath. Pay attention to the air as it enters your nose. Feel your chest expand. Feel your belly get big. Exhale. Feel your belly contract. Feel your chest release. Feel the air as it rushes out your nose.

Wait! What’s that you feel?

Calm. Aware. Centered.

You just shut your monkey mind right up, didn’t you?

Now you know how to be a monkey mind tamer. Do it again. Often. Daily. Hourly. You’ll find your focus and your flow now. And let me know how it works for you!

Wishful or Committed?

Posted May 9th, 2011 in Mindset, routines, small business | 2 Comments

During a recent teleclass with some awesome virtual assistants from AssistU, time management guru and VA Amy Thill began discussing how important it is to include self-care in your routine. The more she talked about the benefits of self-care, the more I got to thinking about how, for many of us, that’s the thing that gets bumped out of our schedule first.

The Reality
I mean, think about it – you’re up late one night working on a client project. The next morning when the alarm goes off at 5:30 am so you can get to the gym, you’re exhausted and roll over for more sleep.

When you finally DO get up, you’ve run out of time to exercise, pack a healthy lunch, or even pull together a decent breakfast. You run through the nearest drive thru for coffee and a pastry.

Lunchtime comes, and with no healthy option from home, you head out with the gang to grab whatever is closest (and tastiest).

There are more changes to be made to the client project after a crazy-long afternoon meeting.  Your evening agenda consists of staying at the office and ordering a pizza in order to get the project done.

The Perfect World Scenario
Intellectually, you know you should get eight hours of sleep. You know eating vegetables and drinking lots of water makes your insides feel better. And you definitely see the correlation between exercise and more energy.

So, what’s the solution for getting off this kind of non-self-care treadmill?

At the end of my thinking, it comes down to this:

  • Self-care = making an appointment or agreement with yourself to exercise, sleep enough, eat right, or get regular massages
  • Self-leadership = following through on the agreement or appointment instead of letting all the “other” things take it’s place

I hadn’t ever really thought self-care that way before and it was eye-opening to consider that I wasn’t giving 100 percent to myself when I put other’s needs/wants/deadlines above my own.

  1. What sort of self-care do you want to incorporate more regularly into your schedule?
  2. What priorities do you need to shift in order to fit that self care in?
  3. And finally, how will you successfully engage your self-leadership in order to make sure that the self-care maintains a priority status in the face of “other” looming “obligations?”

Still struggling with your priorities? Not sure how to fit self-care into your calendar through self-leadership? Call Mattson Business Services, Inc. to help! angie@mattsonbusinss.com or (704) 553-8082.

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