New stuff

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

This morning I got an email informing me that I received my Texas Professional engineering license (PE.) It’s one of 9 or 10 states that I never really pursued or needed. Previously at our company we had another TX PE, but he moved on to another firm a few months ago. I decided it would be best to maintain it myself, and get another staff member registered as well.

The timing was great. We have a Texas client now with 3 new projects. It’s interesting to me how when we pursue certain activities, as a company and as a person, when we take action, expend energy, invest, and build, that stuff happens; stuff we expect and stuff we don’t. Activity produces more activity. It’s action-reaction. And there’s collateral benefit that happens as well. People talk, things happen, lives are touched and results are produced.

It’s good to act, to invest, and to see the results. How’s that going for you? Do something new today and await the results.

Healthy or Healthy-Enough?

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Are we truly “healthy” or “healthy-enough.”

Being “healthy” is objective. It is based on established criteria medically, physically, relational-ly, emotionally, financially, spiritually and so on. It is manifested in results, in metrics and in outcomes.

Being “healthy enough” is subjective. It’s based on what WE think, and our own determination. We justify why we are okay. “Well, I’m healthy enough.” It’s a moving target, a widening boundary.

I recently got some results that I was a bit surprised by and not pleased with. Then again, I should have known. I had been justifying my actions and decisions on some lifestyle choices by being “healthy enough.” That means I make healthy choices when I need to, but the rest of the time I can move the bar wherever I decide to move it.

“Healthy” pre-determines our boundaries and commitments. It establishes our indicators for performance and choice.

Healthy-enough allows the fences to drop, the gates to open, and the walls to come down when we feel like it. This is true in every area; exercise, relationships, business, our work, sleep, nutrition, finances, spiritual life and more.

Are we “Healthy” or “Healthy-Enough”? Within each of our given contexts we all have choices. It is up to us to decide, but to not be fooled by our choices when we see the results.

Let’s not fool ourselves. Let’s be honest and know which one speaks to our life and choices. Commit to “healthy.”

The Middle vs The Edge

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Why I can’t stand the “Middle”

The “Middle” is comfortable; or is it?

The Middle feels safe, but it’s not

Most suburbs are the middle

Luke Warm, not hot or cold, is the middle..

Mid-Sized business, not small or large…

Comfort Zones

What holds me back from the “Edge”

The “Edge”….

Acquire a lot or a little

Live big or small

Love deeply or not at all

Step in or step out

Do something great, not all things average, or do nothing at all

Seeking comfort is fleeting

The very thing that I find comfortable, is the very thing that will kill me

Stay on the edge; one end or the other

Stay out of the middle

Stay out of the middle

Post Project Meetings – Defining Experience

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Post project review meetings are arguably the most important project and team meetings in an organization (and a required SOP now at my company) since it defines lessons learned; what we did well, what we did not, how we can improve. It helps identify “the experience” of the team and the client. It’s ALL about the client’s “experience.” The team’s experience is equally important  (client experience is only as good as the team experience and service to each other)

There’s many hotels, restaurants, auto dealers, contractors, engineering firms, professional services corps, ALL TOUTING the SAME THING.

Which one’s do you like to frequent and write checks to? Those with whom you have a positive experience or a negative experience ? Positive experience (gratitude, smiles, fair price, great value, delivering on what has been promised) means repeat business and growth.

Post project reviews are necessary for company and professional advancement.

All progress starts by telling the truth. These meetings are great truth revealers and tellers. We learn and grow through doing, celebrating wins, and fixing problems.

The New You?

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

We woke up to a New Year, but did we wake up to a new “me,” a new “us?”

We carry our same old self into the new year unless something changes on the INSIDE. Circumstances influence us but should not define our reality.

How will we MAKE 2018 different. What will dominate our thinking, reality, identity? Whom will we serve?

Your choice. My choice. In good, bad or mundane circumstances.

Let’s encourage one another

#beintentional

Hats

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

When we started our company in 1994 my partner and I were the employees, technicians, marketers, officers, and owners. We both wore all of the sales, marketing, administration, and operational “hats.” At one time I was a project engineer, engineer of record, marketing VP, building envelope engineering VP, and President. If we liken roles and job description to hats, I wore five different hats depending on the day or hour of the week.  I actually did this for quite some time. It’s necessary for most of us in business start-up, boot-strap, entrepreneurial mode. I can be exciting and fun for a short time, but the problem is that it’s unsustainable for the long-term. It works well only if we want to kill ourselves and go to an early grave, or as a minimum, become disenchanted with owning a business and not make it. The goal for all of us as business owners should be to wear only one hat, the one that fits the best according to our most unique ability, to shed the extra hats, and hire others to wear them.

Educated and trained as an engineer, in the early days, I was a classic micro-manager and control freak. This works well when everything is dependent on  me alone. However, I recognized quickly that we needed to write job descriptions, build and organizational chart, and structure the company so that others could wear the additional hats we had to take on and off daily. I remember writing job descriptions (defining hats) on planes, at my kid’s piano lessons, and during the work day between urgent project work. Slowly, each role and realm began to take shape.

As the business has grown to five offices, two divisions, and many times the initial number of employees, I’ve worked myself slowly out of wearing all but one or two hats, mostly. I wear one primary hat as the leader and President of the organization, and then put on specific operational, developmental or sales hats depending on a project need, a unique ability I can apply in a specific realm or issue, or to support my colleagues. I say emphatically that if you are a business owner and are growing a business, it a disservice to yourself and your colleagues to not work yourself out of multiple roles and to find other hat wearers as quickly as possible. Our role is to be the owner, leader, facilitator, supporter. People are counting on us. You and I have a primary unique ability or two that we do really well. So do others working for us. They wear many hats better than we do. Our businesses will benefit the most by applying our unique ability, while also letting others do what they do best around us. If we do anything less, we are eroding the future stability and sustainability of our organization. We’ve got to build strategically all the time while working on the urgent matters of the day and still moving forward. Otherwise things stay status quo and can remain that way for a long time. This is not of any value in building and growing a business.

Often times what we experience in a business and life is due to our own lack of awareness of these issues. The more I’ve learned and the more I’ve grown and gotten inputs, the more the business has improved. While it may be a big challenge as a small business owner to have a 100% sustainable business without our presence 100% of the time other than for financing, leading, and providing strategic direction, that should be the goal. The people who work for us, our staff, our colleagues, all the clients, constituents and collaborators that are attached to and support the business, will all benefit.

Do yourself a favor and build in this manner. Give colleagues, and all those in your charge, the confidence that we are charting a course to allow for long-term growth with as little necessary input as possible from us as an owners. The less an owner has to be involved in day-to-day decisions, the more valuable the business. The more and owner can stay out while having their staff executing the sales and operations of the business, the more valuable the business to the staff, the world, and future acquirers. It may look good on the outside that we are involved all the time and working mega-hours, but in the end it’s counter-productive. Visualize yourself not in the business and reverse-engineer it. Figure out how to put others in the right positions and build something of value. Build the business. Build up the people. Share hats. Give away hats. See how good others look in them. The picture will look much better and the future will be much brighter.

Unbeatable

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

The Tirpitz was a WWII German warship that could not be sunk.

The Titanic was iceberg-proof

The 1980 Russian Olympic Hockey team was going to win the gold metal, no question.

Sears is too big to ever be taken down by an online retailer.

Wal-Mart will never pass K-mart

Be careful of these statements and perceived realities. There’s always something or someone to defy the odds, and to beat the unbeatable. Whether we’re David or Goliath, watch, look, and listen. The impossible may be closer to reality than we think.

Dissent

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Allow dissenting voice in meetings, especially around strategic discussions and direction. If  dissent doesn’t define this idea clearly, call it “allowing opposing viewpoints.” Some will say “I’m playing the devil’s advocate for a moment.” Phrasing aside, I find it good to appoint someone to state the “cons”, to point out the roadblocks, to take the opposite view, to articulate the worst case scenario. I’m not always excited about the opposing view. In fact for many years I didn’t think it necessary to hear, nor did I advocate for it. It made me uncomfortable. It still does at times. This is good. It allows freedom for all to vent their perspective and be heard. Collaboration in decision making wins. I’ve made many mistakes alone or in isolated decisions. Again, collaboration wins. Dissent and opposing viewpoints are one key part of that process. All stakeholders must voice input. In the end, the leader makes the decision, but  it’s harder to make the wrong one when all the facts are on the table and we are fully informed.

Until You Shift Your Focus

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

There are those days or times in our companies when we realize something needs to change. A paradigm shift needs to take place; a re-prioritization of time and leadership focus; another person to take over a role that is not being accommodated in an appropriate manner. It’s a conviction, a nagging thought, a recurring issue, a pain-point, that is becoming more and more obvious. Yet often we are not aligned with the need or issue. This is particularly true in a growth oriented environment because we will typically will find ourselves in a situation that we’ve never been before. Either our schedule, our focus, our skill set, or sheer force of habit will find us delaying the inevitable, or not really knowing exactly what to do. Sometimes those around us see it more plainly than we do. Clients often see it in first (and worst) as they are the recipient of our services or products. In these times we need to resist passivity, resist the past, resist fear or doubt, and we need to make a change; shift our focus. How do we do it? What does this look like? It can take multiple or various forms. Let me provide a few thoughts and examples from my experience as a start-up founder, and professional services company manager and leader.

1. Promote someone you trust. Hand over responsibilities to them and then coach them, rather than doing the work yourself. Do it today.

2. Develop a new job description or modify an existing one to accommodate the need.

3. Develop a process. Do it with those affected by the situation. Do it on your feet. Don’t delay. Confront every problem as an operational exercise to improve or refine a process. Revise as you proceed. Shift as necessary

4. Change your focus; shift your focus; re-allocate your time and priorities. Manage schedule aggressively. Force yourself to decide what you are “NOT GOING TO DO”

5. Get inputs from peers, from a mentor, books, resources, whatever it takes. There is a wealth of information to pull from

6. Develop an advisory board or board of directors. Meet with them. Be accountable to them. This may the best thing you can possibly do to promote continuous improvement.

7. Find a mentor. Someone who’s been there and done that (or done similar)

8. Meet with your team and work together to identify and define the situation. Work out a solution together.

9. Get out of the office; work remotely; think. Write. Monitor activity from a new perspective. Gaps and issues will be come more obvious.

10. Trust your people. Get out-of-the-way. Facilitate and support them. Stop meddling. Go do the work only you can do and stop doing the work of others

Look in the mirror, plant your feet firmly in the ground, and resolve to yourself that you are going to make a change TODAY. One thing. Until we change our focus, adjust our schedule, re-prioritize our time, re-direct our energy, nothing will change. Move forward. Fail quickly, fail cheaply. Adjust immediately. Learn. Grow. Monitor, Listen. Start shifting the focus today and make a change; advance something forward.