Rise Consulting Group

Three things that EVERYONE can do to experience more PEACE in 2018!

by Fred Schippa - Managing Director, RISE Consulting Group, January 1, 2018

Okay, I was planning on writing an article addressing some topic that business owners should consider as they lean forward into the new year. I considered changes in the new tax law, reminders to review insurance policies, tips to improve cash flow or key considerations for your annual business plan review. However, upon further reflection, I changed my mind and instead decided to pen something of far greater value; something EVERYONE can benefit from. Even though those other topics are important from a “tactical” perspective, I thought this would be an excellent opportunity to be a bit more strategic and wholistic in how we use the platform of our Rise and Shine Monthly Newsletter. Hopefully, you will find the information below helpful and worth the time it takes to read it.

Here are three things I have been reflecting on recently and I offer them to you for consideration. I truly believe, if you aspire to ALWAYS do these three things in the new year, you will enjoy deeper peace and experience greater levels of success in your business and personal lives. The first "ALWAYS" is....

ALWAYS be yourself – The best word that comes to mind in describing this attribute is "authentic". Don't try to be someone or something you’re not. No one has all the answers and everyone has their own issues and challenges. When you hide them behind a facade, all you do is exert more energy, create more stress, experience more anxiety and miss out on having an honest and open relationship with others who just might be in a position to help you address your challenges, or who you might be able to help if they felt comfortable sharing with you. In business, we often hear people suggest that we should "fake it until you make it". I don't think this is true at all. We often meet people who are, as they say in Texas, "all hat, no cattle". When I am talking to a client, prospect or business associate and they ask me something I don't know, I refuse to try to bluff an answer or guess, just to maintain the image of being “an expert”. There is nothing wrong with admitting you don't know something, if you commit to finding the answer and follow through. In fact, this will more likely increase their trust and faith in you and your guidance. I know how much I respect this trait in other people when the roles are reversed. The bottom line; when you are always yourself, you can relax around others, and I guarantee that transparency will improve your personal and business relationships.

ALWAYS tell the truth - I know this seems overly simplistic and is very similar to the first point, but I think it is different enough to warrant its own mention. I am not really talking about "flat out lying". I don't think any of our readers do that. I am talking about the more subtle and deceitful "shading" of responses to misrepresent both feelings and "facts". People may do this to better support their position, justify their actions, manipulate the situation or avoid conflict. To me, this is not only wrong but both tiring and tiresome. If you interact with many people, and play “fast and loose” with the truth, it would be extremely exhausting to try to keep your "facts" consistent. Far better to be truthful, and even if it leads to a consequence or conflict, it would be WAY better to deal with it and then move forward. Alternatively, when the truth eventually comes to light (as it ALWAYS does), the consequences may be much more severe and the conflict much greater. Plus, you end up damaging your relationships and reputation, which are two of our most valuable assets. Telling the truth and being a person of integrity will make life far simpler and less stressful AND peace will result.

ALWAYS remember that circumstances, no matter how difficult, are temporary - It is important, in life, to keep things in perspective or we can find ourselves overwhelmed and led astray by our circumstances or our feelings. The challenges we face are often short-term and may not be an ideal measure of the true trajectory of our business and personal lives. Just as we are cautioned not to make major decisions when we are upset or angry, when we find ourselves in difficult trials, as we all will eventually, we need to remind ourselves "this too will pass", and hold our course. We should also remind ourselves that whenever we step out of our comfort zone and attempt to grow and progress, we often meet resistance but it is important we persevere. We can also bring to mind other times in our lives where we pushed through similar trials and not only survived, but ultimately enjoyed some of our greatest successes. It has been said that "a setback is just a set-up for a comeback", which is a profoundly positive perspective (don’t you love alliteration?). Keeping this in mind will allow you to face adversity with a positive attitude and greater confidence.

As we are looking forward to a brand-new year, ripe with potential to continue to grow and improve, implementing these three "ALWAYS’" should simplify your life, improve your business and personal relationships, and allow you to carry a spirit of peace wherever you go. People will naturally be drawn to you and ask you what it is that makes you so calm, in spite of life’s crazy events. You can smile, nod your head knowingly and maybe, just maybe, forward this article to them.

From all of us here at RISE, we wish you a very happy, prosperous and peaceful 2018.

 Five Management Lessons I learned from watching Longmire

^{Three good ones and two awful ones} 

by Fred Schippa - Managing Director, RISE Consulting Group, February 5, 2018 

We don’t watch much television. Actually, we only watch Netflix and Amazon Prime, which allows us to occasionally binge on shows that we really like. We REALLY enjoyed Longmire, which I would (and have) recommended to anyone who will listen. The characters are relatable and complex, the scripts are well-crafted and just unpredictable enough, the dialogue is clever and real, the location is beautiful and the music is perfect. But beware, it just finished its final season so, if you decide to watch and I hope you do, pace yourself. There are only six seasons and 63 episodes to enjoy. The show was inspired by several novels by author Craig Johnson - I haven’t read any of the books yet and look forward to doing so.

Walt Longmire is the protagonist. He is the sheriff of a fictional county in Wyoming.  He is the quintessential cowboy/lawman. He would have been at home in the late 1800s but fits just fine in the present-day setting. Except that he stubbornly refuses to have a cell phone. The town where the show takes place is adjacent to a Cheyenne reservation and I think the writers do an excellent job of weaving the two cultures together to create a special dynamic that is both moving and inspiring. It also has Lou Diamond Phillips who I have loved since La Bamba.

Okay, enough of me channeling my inner-fanboy. Let’s get to the reason I chose Longmire for this month’s article. Upon reflection, I think we can all learn some practical management lessons from watching Longmire. Some of his traits we should strive to emulate, others we should avoid at all costs. I am highlighting examples of both below.

The GOOD…

Have a clear moral compass, always – Even though Walt lives in a complicated world and deals with complex situations, he NEVER compromises his moral and ethical values. Well, maybe once, but I can’t go into that here without spoiling part of the narrative. He is clear in what is right and what is wrong and steadfast in pursuing the truth and doing what is right, no matter where it leads. Being honorable, trustworthy and ethical is what we should ALL aspire to and will inspire those who work with and for us. Some people familiar with the show might have a different perspective, and again I am not going to spoil the show for anyone, so suffice it to say that, IF he ever did something that would be defined as “illegal”, he did it for a good reason AND he would absolutely be willing to take responsibility for the choices he made. At the end of the day, our reputation is our most valuable asset. With a good one, you can always recover from setbacks and unfortunate circumstances. With a bad one, no amount of success or financial gains will sustain you in the long run. Guard your reputation, don’t compromise your values, do the right thing always and trust that good will follow you.

Take care of your people, no matter what – I’m sure this is a given in law enforcement, where people’s lives depend on knowing that your boss and co-workers have your back, but it should apply as well to us in business, where the physical stakes are lower. Walt values and protects those who are in his charge. He would never “throw someone under the bus” or lay blame. In fact, he often takes the fall for what happens on his watch, regardless of who made the error. This is a very admirable trait and it goes both ways. If you take care of your people, they will be loyal and invested in your relationship and business. If they know that you have their best in mind, they will move mountains for you, look for opportunities to make you successful and forgive you when you make mistakes, as we all do. As leaders of teams in business, it really is our job to take care of our employees first. If we do that, THEY will take care of our customers and clients, who will, in turn, take care of us through their repeat business and referrals. That is the healthy business circle of life…hey, I like that!

Face your problems “head-on”, and as soon as you can – Whenever something required action, Walt took care of it right away. He also took on the toughest and most difficult duties personally. As you can imagine, one of the toughest jobs law enforcement has, is to notify family when someone is in trouble or worse. I can imagine some people might seek to delegate those things but not Walt. He would never procrastinate, delegate or vacillate when it came to a difficult task. We would do well to adopt that trait in our lives. It is natural to avoid conflict, but if something needs to be done or said, waiting doesn’t usually make it any easier and ignoring or avoiding it usually makes it much worse. In fact, dealing with the toughest things quickly usually leads to an easier resolution and less stress. Even when managing my daily tasks, always start with the “worst first” philosophy, in order to deal with those difficult tasks as quickly as possible. I think we tend to make things bigger in our minds than they are in reality so the sooner they can be resolved, the quicker we can move on. Also, we shouldn’t ever ask anyone to do anything we wouldn’t be willing to do ourselves. In business, I have always seen my “job” as doing whatever needed to be done and whatever my boss tells me it is. If your team sees you willing to take on any task, especially the unpleasant ones, they will respect you and model that behavior themselves. This can only make your team stronger as you develop future leaders.

The BAD…

Communicate with your team, clearly – One thing that Walt was awful at was communication. Again, in keeping with the stoic cowboy persona, he rarely spoke, and when he did, it was the fewest number of syllables possible to communicate only the absolutely critical information. Consequently, his team was often in the dark about what was going on and had to work together to puzzle things out. This made for funny scripts but a lot of confusion and unnecessary speculation. Perhaps one reason Walt’s character was so poor at communicating, is that the mysteries that were solved each week would have only taken 20 minutes, rather than the 40 or 60 that made up each episode. One of the main responsibilities of leaders is to keep everyone pulling in the same direction, toward a common goal and vision. We need to “over communicate” to mitigate the risk that someone might do something inconsistent with our goals and values. Communication is the grease that keeps the engine of a company running smoothly I suppose one saving grace of Walt’s poor communication style was, when he finally did speak, it was easy to understand what he meant since he spoke plainly and clearly.

Don’t be unwilling to consider you might be wrong – Again, I don’t want to spoil any of the storylines in the show, but one flaw Walt exhibited on more than one occasion was a stubbornness to consider he might be wrong, even when evidence pointed to it. It should be noted; WAY more often than not, he was right and very clearly gifted at his job, but on a few occasions, his personal feelings got in the way of his ability to be objective, and it had major consequences. In business, we need to find that balance between being firm in our convictions, which sometimes means sticking with our plans in the face of adversity, including other people’s criticisms and disapproval. There will always be people who point out something they think you are doing wrong. They may mean well, but for those of us who are trying to push the envelope and build something by getting out of our comfort zone, many of our friends may try to discourage us because we force them to consider why they aren’t doing the same thing. There will be times when we actually need to consider facts and situations requiring us to pivot and move in a different direction. I’m certain Bill Hewlett at HP wished they hadn’t been so certain that personal computers were a waste of time, when they refused Steve Wozniak’s first computer design five times before he went on to found Apple. I have always believed, the more certain you are that you are right, the greater the risk you are wrong and don’t see it. At those times, you need to be careful and check your reasoning.

The Epilogue…

Well, those are some of my Longmire lessons. There are many more that could be gleaned from the series, both good and bad, but I will leave you to discover them yourself. I don’t know if I am violating any rules by mentioning the show and network by name. If any attorneys are reading this, keep in mind I received no compensation for this article and I have only good things to say about the show, the network, the state of Wyoming, the Cherokee Nation and anyone else who might be reading this. Warning - There is some violence and colorful language in the show. It is, after all, a crime drama in a rugged community, but it certainly isn’t “Samuel L. Jackson colorful” (please don’t sue me Mr. Jackson, I love your work and am probably one of the few people who liked Snakes on a Plane). So just make sure the kids are out of earshot when you watch it.

Have fun watching!  

 Seven Ways to Avoid Burnout and Find Rest

by Fred Schippa - Managing Director, RISE Consulting Group, March 7, 2018

I was wrapping up a phone call with a business associate a couple weeks ago; someone who provides a service we occasionally refer to our clients. In closing, I suggested he “have a great weekend!”, to which he responded, “Oh, you mean the two workdays before Monday?”.  I laughed at the time, but as I hung-up the phone I thought about it and it struck me; I know just how he feels. For a small-business owner, or anyone who is building something new and challenging, it’s very easy to fall into the habit of working without ceasing. We all want to succeed and the price of success is often working harder than our competitors and pushing through many challenges. If you aren’t punching a clock and no one is there to tell you to go, or come, home, you can easily end up in a place where your work has no boundaries – not a healthy place to be. It can lead to stress, burn-out, and contribute to a myriad of other issues with your health and relationships. We all need to take care of ourselves and get sufficient rest to keep our balance, maintain our joy, protect our health and keep our priorities in proper perspective (sorry, had to sneak in the alliteration). Keep reading for seven ways to avoid burnout and give your body and mind the rest they need….

I know there will always be seasons when we need to put extra time into our work -- that just comes with the territory. As I type this on a Saturday, we are managing multiple audits, tax returns and year-end financials for many of our clients, but this pace shouldn’t become the “new normal” and go on for indefinite periods of time. If it does, we run the risk of losing our effectiveness and burning out altogether. 

Part of the challenge for all of us today is that we can work anywhere, anytime and in ways unimaginable a generation ago. If we are waiting for a table at a restaurant, we can check and respond to our e-mail, e-sign a contract, take a phone call from a client and schedule a follow-up meeting with a prospect, all before we get seated. I am experienced enough to remember the days when traveling on business meant you couldn’t be reached and weren’t expected to do any work, until you arrived at your destination and checked into your hotel. You could actually watch a movie, read a book or (gasp!) take a nap. Good times…..different times, and we can learn from them and establish a NEW trend!

Below are Seven Tips to help you stay rested and minimize the risk of burnout:

1. Get enough sleep – Everyone is different. Some people do their best work early in the morning, others at night. In either case, you shouldn’t try to be both at the same time. If you are morning person, get to bed early. I know this can be hard if it’s the only time you have to spend with your family, but do it anyway. You will be more fun to be around when you DO come together.

2. Power down – Look for opportunities to power down your devices (e.g. phone, PDA, computer). This avoids the temptation to immediately read or respond to emails or texts that “chime in” during your designated break times. This should be done during meals, family time, while you sleep (Please!), or whenever else you choose. 

3. Create a “work-free zone” – This should be a place where you never take your work with you. Maybe it’s a room or closet in your home, your back-yard, or the beach. No matter where you choose, It is important to have a place where your mind is free to relax, and meditate on things not work-related. Don’t violate the work-free zone!

4. Stay fed and hydrated – We all need to pay attention to our bodies and provide them with the fuel they need to sustain us and keep us functioning at peak performance.  When we’re busy working, we can lose track of time and neglect to food and drink - other than coffee. This can lead to headaches, low blood-sugar, emotional swings and an inability to concentrate.  I read somewhere that you should drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up each morning and since I started doing this, I find it really jump-starts my mornings.

5. Take breaks – When you’re working, it really helps to take little breaks throughout the day. Even a 12-hour day that includes 5 or 10-minute breaks every hour or two will seem like a much less arduous effort. This will also help you maintain your focus and energy. Ideally, these breaks should include some physical activity. Depending on where you work, you might be able to walk around your building a couple times, run up and down a set of stairs a few times, or do some push-ups. Whatever it is, make it fun! You will be amazed how refreshed you feel when you sit down to work again.

6. Focus your mind on something else – It’s important to give your mind something to think about besides the challenges you are facing in your business. Podcasts and e-books provide great opportunities to learn, while you are commuting or working out, but if all you listen to are classes, seminars or marketing strategies, you are missing out. Give your mind a break. Listen to some fiction, history, sports, music or something completely unrelated to what you do for a living. You will be delighted at the unexpected thoughts and insights that will invade your thinking when you aren’t looking for them.

7. Be with people who have nothing to do with your business – Surround yourself with family, friends and people who you enjoy but are unrelated to your business. Networking isn’t socializing. Do something fun and laugh…as much and as often as you can. By doing life with others, by taking our focus off our own challenges and sharing time and an interest with others, we can be rejuvenated emotionally, spiritually and physically. 

Please consider taking the steps above to heart. We have seen and known a lot of business owners who start out with a passion and joy in building their own business. They were driven to succeed and were excited and satisfied by the challenges they were taking on. However, when the initial thrill and energy of their new venture waned, and they didn’t find some way to re-charge their batteries, they became overcome by fatigue, depression, lack of motivation and other problems. As you can imagine, this put more than just their businesses in jeopardy. 

In fact, this is one of the reasons why we started RISE. We ease the burden of some of those tasks that most business owners aren’t properly trained for and provide little satisfaction, often contributing to their increased frustration and burn-out. Fortunately, we actually enjoy accounting and getting buried in the numbers (I know…crazy, right?). It’s such an important aspect to our value-proposition I’m considering a new tag line, “At RISE, we give you Rest by Giving our Best!”. I’d love to hear whether you find it to be CATCHY or CHEESY. 

For now, get some rest and we’ll look forward to catching up again in April! 

 Be Thankful, Always!

by Fred Schippa - Managing Director, RISE Consulting Group, April 13, 2018

By now I’m learning this monthly article isn’t so much for what other people need to hear but for what I need to learn myself. I know that sounds a bit selfish, but hopefully, many of our subscribers will benefit from these “life lessons” as well. As people who are driven to succeed and take ground in our professional and personal development, it’s easy for small-business growers (I just made that up!) to be continuously focused on their next sale, goal, or accomplishment. Or they may be singularly focused on some problem or issue they need to resolve immediately, only to be confounded by another one shortly thereafter. We are always looking forward to the next goal and constantly pushing for more. It gets us up every day and gives us purpose. However, if we aren’t careful, our forward-looking, ever-striving, never-comfortable posture can leave us unsatisfied, frustrated and depressed. It’s so easy to lose sight of how far we’ve come, what we have accomplished, and all the things we should be thankful for. Below is a remedy to that problem and a means to regain perspective, reenergize our minds, and continue to move forward with a positive attitude that will draw others - partners, clients and employees - to us, so we can accomplish our mission, AND thoroughly enjoy the process.

Here are three simple things everyone can do, that will help us keep a proper perspective and combat the negative emotions that can creep into our minds when we are battle-weary. Without getting off on a tangent here, we are all in some kind of battle, whether it be in the market-place or at home. While we draw breath, we ought to be moving forward and endeavoring to improve our current situation. There are forces that will come against us, some internal and some external, that we must fight to overcome. This isn’t a bad thing. Actually, it can be a great thing and, for me, gets me up every morning with purpose and a mission. These suggestions aren’t about settling or being content with what you have; comfortable can be the killer of success. It’s more like taking time to remember how far you have come, celebrating those accomplishments and encouraging yourself and those around you, so everyone is prepared and well able to continue the fight.

1) Start every day with an attitude of gratitude – Whether you call it prayer, meditation, or simple reflection, take a little bit of time each morning to be thankful for everything you have, and take note of how far you have come. Do this before your feet hit the floor. It doesn’t have to take long and if you say it out loud, it will be reinforced because you’ll hear it as well. Be especially thankful for those people in your life who you love. Quite often, these people are the real reasons we are working so hard. If you don’t have people yet, be thankful they are out there, and you will be meeting them soon. Be thankful for your health and if you aren’t healthy, be thankful you are alive and have the chance to get better. I GUARANTEE you that, no matter what your current circumstances are, you have many things to be thankful for. If you are reading this, and I’m pretty sure you are, you have eyes that can see, a mind that can interpret, and either a computer or a smart-phone that costs more than many people in the world earn in a year. The odds are you live in America’s Finest City, although we have a couple of subscribers out of U.S. (shout out to Robert in Australia!), and that alone should fill your heart with gratitude. I promise you, if you begin your day this way, you will establish a trajectory that will almost guarantee you to have a great day every day!

2) Keep a journal – It’s really important to have a written record of our achievements and the blessings we encounter. Interestingly, our memories seem to fall short when it comes to experiences that end well. We seem to be better at remembering failures than successes. I don’t know why this is, but I do know, when I take time to document favorable outcomes during my reflective moments, and later look back in my journal, I am always happily surprised to see what mountains I was facing in the past and how they were overcome. This serves as a tangible reminder of the ground I really have gained. This also serves as an amazing encouragement when it comes to those new obstacles that might seem overwhelming in the moment. Journaling isn’t as difficult or arduous as you might think. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time and, whether you prefer writing long-hand in a book, or typing on a computer, you only need a few minutes each day to capture your thoughts. Establish this habit now and you will be very grateful when, at the end of your days, someone (a grand-child or book publisher) asks you to recount your life. 

3) Don’t keep your gratitude a secret – This is so simple and is the true definition of a win-win, I know because I just looked it up in Merriam-Webster. Win-win: “Advantageous or satisfactory to all parties involved”. Certainly there are many people in your life who you are thankful for and they need to know it too. The difference between being “thankful” and being “grateful” is that thankful is a feeling and grateful, is an action. Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. This is especially true in business, where we interact with people every day with the mutual goal of collaborating successfully in the market-place. These are our co-workers, our clients, or business partners, and our suppliers. I’m in the process of sending out hand-written “Thank You” cards every week to some of these folks, simply to thank them for their help, support, business, or counsel. Just a few sentences, a minute or two, plus a stamp, can really brighten someone’s day. In today’s world of instant communication, there is something powerful when someone gets a card in the mail that took just a bit more effort than a text or email. That said, you should continue to send out encouraging texts and emails as well. Best of all, the next time you are face-to-face with a friend, family member, or business associate, let them know you appreciate them and thank them for how they make your life better. Everyone needs to hear this, especially our spouses, our children, and those closest to us, who we unwittingly may take for granted.

I hope you consider taking action on the suggestions above. I believe it will change your life. Melody Beattie said it perfectly when she stated, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.".

Till next month, may your life be filled with feasts, family and friends!

May you ALWAYS Rise and Shine….