Small businesses need attitude and action to achieve results

Join the Arlington Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, February 4th for an evening of networking, great food and an interactive goal setting agenda. Register now or learn more. This event is open to the public.

Our guest speaker Lloyd Franke will guide us through goal setting strategies. Here's a preview of one of his tips:

Tip 4 of 4: Moving toward results

At the end of the month, take a measure of the steps completed toward your weekly, monthly, and annual goals. Are you making progress in the right direction or are you stuck for some reason?

Attitude:

• What do you feel good about? Have you acknowledged your accomplishments for the month? Don’t focus on what you haven’t done – gain strength from your results and start anew.
• Have you remembered and lived your guidelines? These are the lessons learned from past experiences that will drive your on-going success.
• How have you demonstrated your New Paradigm? Are you living it and shouting down your negative internal voice?

Action:

• Are your goals in good shape or are some in trouble? It may be necessary to evaluate goals in trouble and determine if they need attention or revision.
• What are the next steps for each of the goals? Success is taking a series of small steps – keep moving forward.
• Review your plan daily and work on the steps that you have planned out and your will see results – balance action with your positive attitude.

“Be not afraid of growing slowly. Be only afraid of standing still.”
—Chinese Proverb

Winter Networking with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce

Spend an evening networking with colleagues and learning about guiding principles for setting and reaching goals.

New Year Celebration: How to Plan and Achieve Your Best Year Yet!
Featuring Lloyd Franke

Event Sponsored by: Mirak Automotive

Location: Whittemore-Robbins House (behind the Arlington Public Library)
Date: Thursday, February 4, 2010
Hours: 5:30pm - 8:00pm
Register now.

Event Agenda: 5:30-6:00pm Brief cocktail reception
6:00 - 6:45pm Presentation
6:45 - 8:00pm Questions / Networking

Arlington businesses: Do you need help achieving goals?

Join the Arlington Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, February 4th for an evening of networking, great food and an interactive goal setting agenda. Register now or learn more.

Our guest speaker Lloyd Franke will guide us through goal setting strategies. Here's a preview of one of his tips:

Tip 3 of 4: Practice being aware

It’s time to establish a new role in your life – personal coach. Many times we act as coach for others – observing and commenting on how they could improve. Now turn that focus on yourself.

Several times a day, put yourself in the role of personal coach. What does the coach observe in your attitude and actions? Are you making progress toward the results you want?

Attitude
Be aware of what you are thinking and feeling as you progress through the day. Tune in to your internal dialogue. What messages are you giving yourself? Awareness allows you to shift your thoughts and actions. Replace negative thoughts with your new paradigm.

Action
Check your actions. What are you doing? Are you taking the next steps toward the results you want? Are you putting off the activities that are uncomfortable? Do them first – delay distractions.

Think back over the day. What actions have you taken that lead you toward the results you want? How can you do better? Acknowledge accomplishments and continue success tomorrow.


"Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one's ideas, to take a calculated risk--and to act." -- Maxwell Maltz

Small business owners: tips for goal setting

Join the Arlington Chamber of Commerce on Thursday February 4th for an evening of networking, great food and an interactive goal setting agenda. Register now or learn more.

Our guest speaker Lloyd Franke will guide us through goal setting strategies. Here's a preview of one of his tips:

Tip 2 of 4: Step outside yourself and observe

Sometimes it is a useful exercise to “step outside ourselves” and act as an independent observer. Pretend you are someone else.

Attitude

• How are you doing in your quest to stop negative thoughts?
  
• What’s the possibility of reaching your goals?
  
• Are you truly committed?
  

It helps to keep our new paradigm visible: stick a note on your computer; put a note on the mirror; review your paradigm, guidelines, and goals before bed at night.

Action
Are you avoiding the steps you know are necessary to move toward your results? “Time for a cup of coffee.” Or “I better check my email – there may be something important.” Or “I can’t start that project now, I only have a half an hour.” Sound familiar?

If you observe this behavior in your day, you know what to do about it. Practice discipline and stay with the work. Set up a reward for finishing (coffee, stretch, etc.)

"Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit." -- Conrad Hilton

How do we become experts at producing results?

By focusing on one tip at a time, Llyod Franke from Franke Associates will guide us through settting goals and resolutions that are important to us. This post is a preview of some of his insight.

Come learn more and meet Lloyd Franke at the February 4th Arlington Chamber of Commerce New Year Celebration: How to Plan and Achive Your Best Year Yet! Learn more. Register now.


Tip #1: The Foolproof Combination: Vision and Action

Action and attitude are a necessary combination. In order to progress, we must have positive ideas and objectives and the confidence that we can achieve them; but, without positive action, we won’t make progress; it requires a balance of both.

Attitude - Limiting beliefs:
“How will I ever increase my sales that much?”
“I can’t lose that weight and keep it off.”
“Our company just can’t do that.”
“I’m too ______ to do that.” “This isn’t going to work.”

That little voice in our head that keeps reminding us of shortcomings and doubts must be silenced or shouted over. If we really want something we will find a way to get it. What chance do you stand of achieving your goals if you don’t believe something new or different can happen? Shift your limiting beliefs to a new positive paradigm.

Look at a major goal you have set for yourself. Now listen to that little voice; is it sending doubts? If so, repeat your new paradigm and constantly reinforce it until you believe you can achieve that goal.

Actions:

• Have you listed all the steps required to achieve your goals?
• What are the next steps? Success is a series of small actions toward the objective. Set the next milestone, commit to it, and do it.
• What are you feeling? Focus on your positive paradigm. What actions are you taking? Take action toward results.

“Vision without Action is merely a dream; Action without vision just passes the time; Vision with Action can change the world” -- Joel Barker

Winter Networking and Goal Setting for Small Businesses

The Arlington Chamber of Commerce and Mirak Automotive invite you to a special evening of networking and goal setting with Lloyd Franke on Thursday, February 4, 2010. Register now.

Over drinks and hors d'œuvres we invite you to learn more about effective goal setting. Here are the details:

How to Plan and Achieve Your Best Year Yet!
Guiding Principles for setting and reaching your important goals

What are your greatest challenges in achieving your goals?

Imagine your business (and you) …achieving the results you want!

Which results are your top priorities this year?
• Improved productivity
• Better financial performance
• Breakthrough sales results
• Personal transformation
• Organization transformation
• Employee satisfaction & development

Who will benefit from this session?
This interactive session explores the Five Principles of Transformation effective in helping teams and individuals set and achieve their goals aligned with personal and business values. Using the principles of the Best Year Yet strategic planning system, Lloyd Franke will demonstrate how participants can apply the principles to their own business and individual goals.

Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of:
• what’s driving their success and limiting results;
• what values they must follow to maintain a “balanced life”;
• the key roles they play personally and professionally;
• their major focus and goals for the year;

Register today. Space is limited. Priority will be given to Arlington Chamber members.

Arlington Chamber of Commerce Speaker Profile: Lloyd Franke

A new member of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Lloyd will be the presenter at the Winter Networking Event on Thursday, February 4, 2010. Visit our events page for details.

Lloyd is a business consultant and Best Year Yet Program Leader specializing in performance improvement for companies and individuals. He has successfully implemented programs that have helped companies to increase sales, profits and business value.

In conjunction with consulting activities, Lloyd trained and served as an Examiner for the Massachusetts Quality Award and uses the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence as a framework for analyzing company performance and structuring results-oriented strategic action plans.

Lloyd leads planning sessions to develop companies’ vision, mission, and goals and coaches management teams to achieve superior results. With over 20 years experience, he has assisted companies and teams through the challenges of rapid expansion as well as the trials of recessionary times. His education includes a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA.

Register for the Thursday, February 4, 2010 networking event.

Save the Date for the Arlington Chamber of Commerce Winter Networking on February 4

Spend an evening networking with colleagues and learning about guiding principles for setting and reaching goals.

Featuring Lloyd Franke

Event Sponsored by: Mirak Automotive

Location: Whittemore-Robbins House (behind the Arlington Public Library)
Date: Thursday, February 4, 2010
Hours: 5:30pm - 8:00pm
Event Agenda: 5:30-6:00pm Brief cocktail reception
6:00 - 6:45pm Presentation
6:45 - 8:00pm Questions / Networking