Flashback to 2010, Chad Everett Harris from The Garden Gates( I am that guy- writing in the third person) was writing articles, speaking at events across the country, and pushing the pedal to the floor building The Garden Gates retail business. Fast forward to 2019, things are a lot different. I, spend most of my days working on a complicated project that could be the next great thing, if I fail, it will be another expensive education.
Checkout my thought for 2010.
After all the topics that we have focused on over the year, they all speak to a mindset of constant improvement. Marketing, customer retention, branding and online efforts all represent your commitment to building a better business.
What commitments have you invested in your personal improvement as it relates to your business? Each and everyone one of us is clear about our strong attributes but what are you doing to improve your weakest attributes. Are you even aware of the importance of making this your top priority? Some experts believe that we should only focus on our strong points, I believe that strengthening our weakness makes us better operators.
Personal development does need to come from that TV program on at 2am in the morning or doesn’t require you to take up meditation( but it may help). Personal improvement can come in many different aspects which often result in greater self confidence. Brushing up on the latest technical information on industry products and processes will increase your ability to educate your clients. All these efforts will create personal development skills that grow your business.
Here is a start-
- What are the things you enjoy the most about your job? Most likely that are your strongest skills. For this exercise lets say its your ability to communicate/sell/present to customers( these are my bestqualities)
- What are other skills are you contain that are strong but not your best. Again for this exercise lets say they are you ability to manage people- can you lead them into a fireand convince them they are not burning? ( this is another skill ofmine)
- What is the skill you weakest skill or attribute? Let’s say its avoiding conflict.(again mine) Do you avoid these situation, does it make you uncomfortable to be in these situations?
Thinking about these strengths and weakness what are you doing to improve your weakest attribute? Consider openly talking colleagues and staff about what they consider their best qualities as well as their weakest. Openly discuss everything, basically putting it all on the table. By talking about what your best/worse skills you are making yourself aware of these attributes. Take 15 minutes a week, that is , to work on your weakness. It might require you to put yourself in uncomfortable situations on purpose, use different approaches to become more comfortable with your weakness.
Ironically, this will force you to repeating this process over and over which keeps you in a constant state of improvement.