No. The shortest word to write; the hardest word to say
June 19, 2010
By Cat Matson, Alito
I’m frequently reminded of the importance of saying ‘no’ in favour of giving space to the things I want to say ‘yes’ to … but I do find it quite challenging. Particularly when so many of the things I say ‘yes’ to still fit within my strategic focus. It’s easy to say ‘no’ when you’re clear that something doesn’t get you closer to your goals… but how do you say ‘no’ when it’s something you really want to do?
In a recent blog post, Scott Gould provides what he calls ‘a lesson in no’ via Rich Quick (as an aside – is this guy destined for greatness with a name like that or what?!?).
Rich’s key point is that he often wants to say ‘yes’ to help out a client or friend, to get a sale over the line, or ultimately to be nice. I relate to that. Big time.
The problem is, when you say ‘yes’, the things that are already on your plate often suffer. An existing project is delayed, you compromise your service delivery or prices, or, more often-than-not in my case, I end up working too late into the night, affecting my sleep and therefore mood, tolerance, productivity, and worse-of-all, my relationships.
As Rich argues, when you say YES to things you should say NO to, you let people (or yourself) down.
Saying ‘no’ to everything that isn’t 100% ‘it’ for you right now is a powerful way to deliver quality … and to maintain your own personal sanity.
Saying ‘no’ then also needs to include saying ‘no’ to the parts of your business that aren’t your core strength. Up until now, I’ve always written all my own marketing copy. I think it’s good … and many people tell me I write well. But I’ve recently hired a copywriter to re-write my website copy. Oh. My. Goodness. The difference she is making is extraordinary and makes me realise that whilst I may be ‘good’ at something doesn’t mean I am the ‘best’ person for the job.
So how do you know what to say ‘yes’ to in your business?
- Develop what my colleague, Robin Dickinson, calls a ‘Diamond Focus’ for yourself within your business. What is THE thing in your business that YOU do best and that yields the best return on investment?
- Get very clear – crystal in fact – on what that thing involves. If it’s writing, for example, writing what? when? for whom? where?
- Recognise that all other things fall outside of that diamond focus… and therefore, need to be treated with appropriate ‘lower-priority’. Outsource or delegate as much ‘other-stuff’ as possible. What you can’t, deal with it as effectively and efficiently as possible to minimise ‘lost’ time.
How then do you say ‘no’?
- Practise. Yes, for most of us it’s awkward to say ‘no’ at first but we can get the hang of it. I’m often reminded of the clarity of intent of a toddler. When asked to do something that doesn’t suit him right now he has no qualms with saying ‘no’ (repeatedly in fact). As frustrating as those ‘nos’ are for parents, we would do well to learn from them toddlers are VERY reluctant to let anything distract them from their ‘current’ priority.
- Offer other options. Recommend another provider, suggest another solution, or, if it is something you can do but you can’t do it ‘now’, offer an alternative schedule – “I’d be happy to help you with that, however, my schedule is full for the next 3 weeks.”
- Be clear on your scheduling comittments. A friend recently started adding appointments to her diary not only for the actual meetings she needed to attend, but also preparation time and ‘action-time’ afterwards. Knowing that out of any meeting would arise a series of tasks / follow-up, she now blocks out the time in her diary to do that at the time of scheduling the meeting. That means she can’t get so booked up that she doesn’t have time to ‘do the work’ that arises from the meeting.
Ultimately, saying ‘no’ requires clarity – clarity of intent, clarity of available resources and clarity of what you’re willing to do (and what you’re not willing to compromise on).
As a friend recently put it to me, as I was contemplating saying ‘no’ to something I felt passionate about yet still felt conflicted about the time committment required, “Who would you prefer to be letting down? Those particular people or yourself and your family?”
What do you think? How do you say ‘no’? And how do you know what to say ‘no’ to?
MORE GREAT POSTS BY CAT MATSON
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Cat Matson - AlitoCat Matson ignites the performance of small business owners, their teams and ultimately their businesses through a range of robust mentoring, coaching and education programs. She is a strong advocate for practical, pithy and ‘real’ business advice and loathes the ‘one-size-fits-all’, ‘you-too-can-be-widely-successful-if-you-just-follow-OUR-system’ approach taken by many ’so-called’ business experts. Cat runs Alito with her husband Keith who provides synergistic and smart accounting expertise to their clients who enjoy having streamlined business advice across all key areas. When not working, Cat enjoys spending time with her two young boys and reading interesting business books and biographies.
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New Support for High Growth Women-Owned Businesses
June 15, 2010
Heads Over Heels is a new initiative that selects a small number of high-growth companies to support each year. Support can come in a variety of ways including providing access to mentors and business advisors, assistance with strategic and operational challenges, and exposure to potential customers through our extensive network.
Heads Over Heels portfolio companies are businesses with high-growth potential. These enterprises are led by committed, talented, women owners who seek to grow their companies, have impact in their chosen industry and establish ongoing, sustainable business operations.
Heads Over Heels holds four events per year including company presentation events and themed discussions.
You can learn more at the Heads Over Heels website. And, for more information contact co-founder Sue Klose on 0423 826 344.
The Curse of Mediocrity
May 20, 2010
by Cat Matson, Alito
I’ve been noticing a worrying trend of late. Despite the economic forecasts of ‘recovery’, the business community seems to be doing it tougher than ever before. I’m noticing in particular, small business owners scrimping and cutting corners – looking for the ‘low-cost’ solution rather than a cost-effective solution.
“It’s unwise to pay too much, it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money – that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot – it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.’
- John Ruskin (1819 – 1900)
Sure, VistaPrint can deliver you some charming business cards for next to nothing … but how does that affect your brand? Doing your own bookkeeping may save you a couple of hundred dollars a week … but can you be sure you’ve tracked everything for maximum tax benefit? Not investing in a quality accountant, business advisor or mentor might ease the pressure on the bank account … but are you making robust strategic decisions that enable your business to put its best foot forward?
There is no doubt that every business owner needs to make the right purchasing decisions for their business – decisions that are in line with their overall strategic objectives. And maybe VistaPrint is the appropriate solution for you in the business card department so you can invest in a quality bookkeeper – that’s your call. My concern is that an increasing ‘notion’ of ’sucking-in’ and ‘holding-on-to-the-cash’ is driving a new business culture of mediocrity – ‘near-enough-is-good-enough’.
On the surface that might be true – so what if the business cards aren’t as ‘glossy’ as last time? However it’s the mental and emotional shift that worries me. As soon as we, as business owners, start ’settling’ for ‘less’, then it’s easy to settle for less in our business as a whole … the standard we settle for now when things are tough becomes the new standard … excellence fades into average and our aspirations fade into survival.
The ‘curse’ that I speak of is mediocrity is self-perpetuating. You start ‘talking’ about survival … and other people chime in … and all of a sudden you’re having daily conversations at that level. This couldn’t be truer in the age of social-media where we gravitate towards people who are like-minded and are willing to share their experiences.
So the distinction I’d like to draw today is one of ‘keeping it real’ vs ‘lowering the standard’. It’s a mental and emotional space – one where while you adjust your strategy to meet ‘reality’ you maintain an appropriate level of excellence, a meaningful level of aspiration. If you start feeling the ‘pull’ of mediocrity – of ’settling for’ check who you’re listening to, reading or hanging out with (real or online). Reconnect with those who inspire you and keep you striving ‘up’ … and disconnect from spaces that invite you to stay small.
This quote from Ella Fitzgerald sums it up nicely …
“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do.
Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.”
Rise above the mediocrity … be ‘the tall poppy’ – the view is better from there anyway 
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Cat Matson - Alito
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| Phone: | 07 3289 7055 |
| Email: | cat@alito.com.au |
| Website: | www.alito.com.au |
| Twitter: | www.twitter.com/catmatson |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/AlitoFusion |
| LinkedIn: | www.linkedin.com/in/CatMatson |
| Blog: | www.alito.com.au/blog |
| Member Profile: | See Cat’s Member Profile |
More Posts by Cat Matson
- Win, Lose or Synergise?
- Coaching vs Mentoring (and is it worth drawing the distinction?)
- The Fallacy of Managing Time
- Silver Bullets
A Must-Attend Social Media and Technology Event -Sydney- 7-9 April
March 30, 2010
I don’t know how I almost missed it but I only just found out about this event three days ago. If you haven’t jumped on board and booked your seats then do it, do it now.
Connect Now is a three-day conference on social media, emerging technologies and social enterprise.
My jaw dropped when I realised that some of the speakers in the line up who will be in Australia, LIVE and in person. I travelled thousands of miles to see some of these speakers, and you can see them right here in Australia next week.
If I sound a little excited, it is because I AM. I get asked to endorse events all the time. Unless I’m truly convinced my community will get value from them, I won’t. When I saw this event I RANG THE PROMOTOR to congratulate them on a spectacular line up and to ask if I could spread their message far and wide. We seldom get a lineup like this here on in Australia.
While there’s a host of international and local speakers (three days worth) there are three that make attending worthwhile. I’ve seen them all present and am excited to see them again.
1. Tara Hunt – The Whuffie Factor
Tara Hunt - Author, The Whuffie Factor
Tara Hunt is a true pioneer in online marketing and one of the most respected authorities on online communities —how they are evolving, how they are changing both culture and business, and how businesses must behave in order to succeed in the participatory web economy. For her work in this area, Fast Company magazine named Tara in its 2009 list of the Most Influential Women in Technology in 2009.
She’s also the author of one of my 2009 top business books, The Whuffie Factor.
I heard her speak in the US in 2009 and her work has impacted how I engage with my community.
Please, please go and see her.
2. Gary Vaynerchuk – Wine Library TV
GaryVaynerchuk-Wine Library TV
His bio says “Gary Vaynerchuk is a 34 year old New York Times and Wall Street Journal Best-Selling author who is also a self-trained wine and social media success. From a young age, it was clear that Gary was a businessman. etc.”
But Here’s what I say…
I saw Gary speak in Austin two weeks ago and he had thousands of people totally electrified by his passion for playing big games, for cutting through the rubbish and being your very best. He’s a no-excuses kind of guy with an inimitable energy. And he’s a master at using at social media to grow business.
You definitely can’t miss seeing him… Australia has not seen anything like Gary.
I still can’t believe how lucky we are to have him visit. (And if you haven’t picked up a copy of his book CRUSH IT! do.
DarrenRowse-Problogger
Yes, he’s an Aussie and he’s probably far more accessible to us than the rest of the Connect Now speakers but if you haven’t seen Darren then take this opportunity to hear him speak. Darren is the founder and editor of three successful blogs – the most relevant for you is probably ProBlogger.net (blog tips for those wanting to make a living blogging). He connects with millions of readers each month through his blogs but also social media sites like Twitter and Facebook and regularly speaks on how to engage in the social media space.
SPECIAL ABN PRICE TO ATTEND CONNECT NOW
The organisers have cleverly made it so that you can attend 1, 2 or all 3 days of the conference. I recommend that you try and get to Day 1 and Day 2 (though if you’re in the NFP sector – definitely go along to Day 3 as well).
I’ve arranged a special price for the event for you. BUT you must email info@connectnow.net.au and let them know you are after the ABN price. (You won’t get this offer on the website).
- One day is $350 instead of $400
- Two days is $695 instead of $795
- Workshops are $250 instead of $295
I don’t see another event like this on the horizon in Australia. It’ll be a great learning and networking opportunity. I hope to see you there.
Suzi
Here’s a link to the event site where you’ll see the entire speaker line. But, remember. You’ll only get the special ABN discount if you email info@connectnow.net.au and ask for it.
Tips for successful blogging, from Problogger Darren Rowse
March 13, 2010
Day 1 at the South by South West festival and Aussie Darren Rowse (@problogger and problogger.net) took the Day Stage to talk about his book (which is about to be released in 2nd edition) and gave some great tips for successful blogging.
A few minutes into his presentation the room was evacuated when a (false) alarm went off but we were back 20minutes later to hear his great tips again.
I managed to catch up with him quickly and invited him to give some of his strategies for successful blogging.
In summary:
- Be as useful as you can.
- Enhance the lives of others.
- Produce content that others want to share.
- Put yourself out there and promote your content.
- Where are your readers gathering online?
- Interact with your audience as much as you can.
- Ask questions, start debates, engage with people, highlight your readers’ blogs.
- Capture people’s details (not just RSS) then you can email them update, drive traffic and promote product to them later.
- Look at the style you write in and experiment in different voices e.g. humorous, technical, use of video – readers will respond well to some but not others – and helps your style and voice evolve.
- Simple tips can work really well – writing for beginners is really powerful. What do you know that’s simple but important #sxsw @problogger
- Think a successful blog is an overnight thing? @problogger suggests 2yrs of building foundations
- Write content that solves problems.
- More posts is more doorways to your blog.
- Promotion: You can’t just build it and they will come – you need to promote your content, seed the content to the web.
PLUS:
Do you speak English? Communication tips for business owners. (PART 1)
March 4, 2010
As any new migrant will tell you, the inability to communicate effectively can get in the way of opportunity. No matter how clever you are, communication attempts can be thwarted by the lack of skill to communicate well and get your message across.
Communication skills are more important today than ever before.
And, communication barriers go beyond language barriers. Let’s assume you speak English well. You may not be the next best-selling author, or Tony Robbins, but you have a decent command of the English language. You’re good at what you do and you want to grow your business.
But, nobody’s listening, nobody’s buying.
What’s happening?
Do you speak English?
Mum. Aged 16. (Love the hair!)
My mum arrived here from Greece aged 15. She spoke no English and, like many migrants new to a country, struggled for a long time to be understood.
Some migrants, like her, moved to neighbourhoods with like-speaking people, worked in factories where their native language was spoken, mingled only with others from their own culture. No doubt their progress with the English language was slow.
Mum wanted to learn the language of her new country – to be understood. So, when my brothers and I were in school and she finally had some time to herself, she went off to English classes and while we kids would at times giggle at her attempts at words (English is a HARD language) she persisted. She wanted to be understood. I didn’t realise, at the time, the persistence this took.
Communication today
Doing business today requires you to be able to communicate better and differently than ever before.
Technology has given us many tools with which to communicate. But the tools themselves don’t make us good communicators. The mastery of one or many, could however make you a market leader.
Over the next few weeks I’ll post about the effective use of of my favourite communication tools for business.
Here’s my position on Communication:
Communication is a skill.
It can be learned, improved, mastered. By anyone. Yes, including you – regardless of your level of schooling.
Tools do not make you good.
Communication tools like blogs, podcasts, emails, newsletters, videos, webinars, seminars etc. are TOOLS. Their use, alone, does not make you a master of them.
In my opinion:
- A bad podcast COULD be worse for your business than no podcast.
- A bad webinar COULD be worse for your business and reputation than NO webinar.
The key to more effective communication is to take action AND to get education and improve your skills. For example:
- If you’re going to blog, get some basic training.
- If you’re going to podcast, then get some honest feedback on your voice and some voice training.
- If you’re going to do seminars, then please, please, get some presentation skills.
You get the picture?
The big opportunity
Those who commit to master of their communication will win the hearts and minds of their customers, staff, allies and community.
If you’re up for the ride, then let’s go. Next week’s post: Basic Communication Tools to Grow Your Business
Cheers
Suzi
Corporate Gift Ideas from our Members! Discounts and bonuses.
December 10, 2009
It’s that time of year. Time to shop for gifts to say thanks and show your appreciationto those who have supported you this year.
We are committed to making things easier for you in business – and this year we decided to also make it easy for you to buy gifts for Christmas. We asked our partners and members just like you to put together some specials for you for Christmas
Here is a fantastic list of 42 Christmas offers and specials from member-to-member. Save on active wear, marketing services, web design, cupcakes, children’s books, makeup, paper products, even fashion styling. You save AND you help another woman in business and fellow member. See all the specials here and Happy Shopping!
Not a member? Join now and save.
Fruit Hampers - Great (lowcal) gift ideas. Save 10% with code ABN.
10% off laptop bags and accessories. Use code ABN.
Business lessons we can learn from elephants
November 12, 2009
Last Friday ANZ held a Women in Business event at Taronga Zoo. The breakfast networking event was held at the Wild Asia Exhibit, the home of Luk Chai, the first Asian elephant calf to be born at Taronga Zoo.
The networking event (attended by local businesswomen and guests) was part of ANZ’s Be Money Confident initiative for women.
Antonia Kidman (2nd from left) spoke of business lessons we can learn from elephants
Be Money Confident ambassador, Antonia Kidman, gave a speech about business lessons we can learn from elephants.
The lessons, while light-hearted, held many truths and resonated with me.
These same lessons (and the recommendations that Antonia provided) are also very aligned with the work that we do at the Australian Businesswomen’s Network to support women.
Lessons we can learn from elephants
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The elephant’s gestational period is 22 months, the longest of any land animal.
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Lesson: It can take time for good ideas to gestate.
Slow and steady is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s important to take the time to properly plan, since many new start-ups can fail simply because they haven’t done their homework first. |
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Elephants are born with fewer survival instincts than many other animals. Instead, they must rely on their elders to teach them the things they need to know.
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Lesson: Finding a good mentor with experience is critical.
Being willing to accept their help, particularly in the formative stages can enhance your business’s success. It also provides a way to learn business skills as your business expands.
Seek out advice from an accountant, financial specialist or take advantage of mentoring programmes.
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Elephants are a symbol of wisdom in Asian cultures and are famed for their memory and intelligence. |
Lesson: Respect can take time to earn.
Women tend to be less adept at self-promotion. In other words, we are not quick to tell other people about our achievements and successes and this has wider knock-on effects. Successful businesswomen should be celebrated and more widely promoted, not only to inspire other women, but also to encourage the business community to consider the huge potential that exists in female-run businesses.
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An elephant’s skin is extremely tough and measures about an inch thick. But although tough, it is very sensitive.
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Lesson: Develop your own thick skin.
For many of us, criticism can be hard to bear. Whether it’s peer response, a tough economic environment or one too many rejections, every business faces situations which make it easy to think about giving in. But by learning to view these situations objectively and figuring out what you need to learn from the experience you stand a better chance of weathering the storm. And at the same time, relish your ability to show sensitivity and empathy, which can be used to your advantage.
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Healthy adult elephants have no natural predators, although lions may take calves or weak individuals.
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Lesson: A healthy business is the best defense.
This starts with proper business planning, including a focus on cash flow. Many businesses – particularly those in the service-based sectors suffer sever paeaks and troughs in revenue. Make sure you really understand the financial demands and costs of your business. |
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Elephants have the ability to use their trunks like snorkels for breathing and are known to swim like that for up to 6 hours and 50km. |
Lesson: Use what you’ve got!
Our skills at multi-tasking and organisation can make us great entrepreneurs. Have self-belief and be prepared to recognize your success. |
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The elephant’s trunk may have over forty thousand individual muscles in it, making it sensitive enough to pick up a single blade of grass, yet strong enough to rip the branches off a tree.
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Lesson: Know how and when to use your strength.
A factor that links many successful businesswomen is their determination to succeed. Often this manifests itself in competing just a little bit harder, and being prepared to make tough decisions when the situation requires it. While having clear goals and aspirations is important, real success requires self-confidence and courage.
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Elephants display a wide variety of behaviours including those associated with music, art, altruism, play, use of tools, compassion and self awareness. |
Lesson: A work/life balance is important.
While it can be tempting to devote ourselves to our business, this can at times come at the expense of our families or ourselves. Women are very good at feeling terribly guilty when we take time out. However, this is so important!
There is no doubt taking time out of your business can be hard to do if you don’t have the support system in place with good employees, friends or family. But when we do, the benefits are rewarding. Not only do you feel more refreshed, making you a better wife, partner, mother or friend, but it helps to centre you around what is important, providing the ability to look at your business with fresh eyes.
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Elephants can communicate over long distances by producing and receiving a sub-sonic rumbling, which can travel in the air and through the ground much further than higher frequencies. |
Lesson: Take advantage of the communication tools at your disposal.
Modern communication like the internet can help keep networking connections strong, through use of email, blogs, and social networking tools.
It can provide links to like-minded, experienced business owners through mentoring programs. There are great resources available online to assist in bringing a business idea to life, or helping to broaden and grow your business skills and best of all most are free. |
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Elephants live in a structured social order. Females spend their entire lives in tightly knit groups made up of mothers, daughters, sisters, and aunts. These groups are led by the eldest female, or matriarch. |
Lesson: As women we need to stand together and learn from each other’s skills, strength and experience
Make an effort to find people who share common interests and a sense of community. Local business associations and local council networking groups offer the chance to meet other women – and gives you the chance to support and learn from each other’s experience and skills |
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And finally: When a group gets too big, a few of the elder daughters will break off and form their own small group. |
Lesson: Women can be the driving force to create new enterprises, and explore new opportunities.
Research from the UK suggests that women are more likely to be more innovative than men in their approach to business development and new ideas, which can only benefit the business community. If you have a good idea, a plan for success and the resources to strike out, then have the confidence to be entrepreneurial. |
You can learn more about ANZ’s Be Money Confident initiative here. You’ll find interesting articles and resources as well as budget calculators.
New Member MeetUps start strong in Sydney
August 22, 2009
Congratulations to members Nancy Georges, Sheryl Cole, Frances Jones, Bianca de Reus, Julie Wise and Isobel Martin who held a Member MeetUp in Sydney’s Leichhardt last week.
Sydney Member MeetUp | Members Networking
Member MeetUps are Australian Businesswomen’s Network member get-togethers and a way for members to meet face to face to talk business, create business opportunities and collaborate around the monthly business focus subjects and other areas of interest.
We know that members value the opportunity to get face-to-face with other members. We also know that you’re not always able to attend pre-scheduled breakfasts, lunches and dinners and that often big networking events don’t serve to provide the intimate, real conversations you’re looking for.
That’s why we’ve introduced a NEW and intimate opportunity for members to meet other members to:
- Discuss business issues
- Talk about areas of interest
- Network and build relationships
- Introduce themselves and their businesses
Member MeetUps are held all over the country and are self-managed by our members in venues and times of their choice.
How to Attend a Member Meet Up
Watch the Australian Businesswomen’s Network website for details on how to attend a Member Meet Up near you! Members will be notified as soon as these events are available. Coming late 2009.
Brush up your Networking skills. Check out the 30 Days of Networking posts and get started with daily tips and resources to grow your network.
Is collaboration bad for your business?
April 27, 2009
In the April issue of the Harvard Business review Morten Hansen asked: Is internal collaboration bad for your business?
Hansen’s research raises a good point about just how valuable (or not) internal collaboration can be. He says:
“Too often a business leader asks, How can we get people to collaborate more? That’s the wrong question. It should be, Will collaboration on this project create or destroy value? In fact, to collaborate well is to know when not to do it.”
Here is a link to his article: When Internal Collaboration is Bad for Your Company
At the Australian Businesswomen’s Network COLLABORATION is one of our company values.
Internally we collaborate easily because we are a small team and we lean on each other to produce results. Our staff brainstorms many business development ideas before we execute them.
I believe it is the leader’s role (whether that’s the business or project leader) to ultimately decide if an idea goes ahead based on your business strategy, available resources and what course of action will achieve results. It takes a strong leader to run with an unpopular idea, even when it has come out of collaboration and team brainstorming.
But what about collaborating with those outside of your organisation?
Hansen’s points are as relevant when thinking about collaboration with external partners.
We encourage collaboration between our community members. Most members are women business owners who can benefit from joining forces with others to pitch for business, to barter services, to provide peer mentoring. Actively supporting collaboration fits our positioning of being a community of like-minded women who network and connect to help each other grow business.
Collaboration often works best when parties have an equal amount to offer each other.
If you’re a big fish (ie. you’re successful) in an area of business, you are more attractive to the small fish than they are to you.
For instance, I’ve never been keen to (or known the best way to) collaborate with competitors. Maybe that’s because often, when these opportunities arose, I was the big fish in the equation. I’ve had what it is that others want a piece of.
I’ve also been in the position of being the small fish in a situation (and today there are many areas where I am new/young/green and the small fish.) In these situations it’s up to the small fish (me) to find ways to provide value within the partnership. And, through collaboration you can add mass to your ’small fish’ weight and grow.
Hansen’s point – ie. Know when collaboration is pointless and when it is not – seems to ‘hold water’ regardless of who you are collaborating with.
