The Mind Reading Myth

One of the greatest challenges that we struggle with as Entrepreneurs (and something I’ve had to learn a few hard lessons from over the decades) is how to effectively transfer ideas over to my team. 

All too often we have these amazing ideas that we want to execute… 

Oftentimes these amazing ideas have absolutely nothing to do with the long-term goal and strategy…They are often short-sighted and simply satisfy a need in the short-term. 

We’re running a million miles a minute, juggling multiple priorities, and most times we simply throw out our ideas with the least amount of explanation or detail and assume our team has exactly what they need to execute what we envision in our mind.   

We also assume they know where it fits into the overall picture. 

They put all their effort into giving us exactly what we communicated that we wanted. 

And then we see it. 

Our reaction of “This is not what I asked for” immediately produces a look of bewilderment and disappointment upon their faces because the LAST thing they want to do is let us down… 

Them: They just poured their heart and soul into exactly what we communicated we wanted. 

You: You become frustrated, and end up doing it yourself or starting all over again.

Time and energy is wasted. 

Disappointment is felt by everyone. 

Projects aren’t completed on time.

Eventually, you find yourself with a revolving door of team members coming and going because they simply just stop engaging. 

Why? Because they start to feel an overwhelming frustration and sense of failure. 

Then comes utter defeat and they either leave or you let them go.

Here’s one of the biggest lessons I had to learn the hard way…

Your team does NOT know exactly what you are thinking unless you clearly communicate it.  

They are not psychics. 

They are not mind-readers. 

If you find yourself in this situation more than you care to admit, it's time to start looking at how YOU communicate. 

If you find yourself continuously disappointed in what’s being produced for you, or you find yourself constantly micro-managing, or you start taking responsibility away from your team (no longer empowering them, but criticizing and devaluing them) …                         

Take a moment to really think about how you can start communicating better about what you're thinking, needing, and wanting so your team isn’t trying to fill in the blanks with what they perceive you want.  

Earlier this week I was talking with a good friend of mine (who also happens to be a fellow Entrepreneur). He wanted a “retro” video created to attract a certain target audience. The goal was to elicit a feeling of nostalgia and trigger an emotion in their heart when they saw this “old school” video. 

He explained how he really wanted something different– Something that really resonated with the target audience on an emotional level. Something that would stand apart from what everyone else out there was doing. 

After sharing his idea with his team, they said, 

“This is incredible! We got this!”

So they went on to create exactly what he asked for. It was different, it was retro, it was moving. It encompassed every element he had asked for and then some (as he sent it to me to watch). 

He then told me he told his team he was disappointed because it wasn’t at all what he asked for. His next remark was, “They missed the mark 100%”. 

From where I was standing, I told him I thought it was absolutely amazing, and I couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t completely floored by it! 

If anyone else heard the instructions he gave, and anyone else saw the results, they would have agreed it was a complete understanding of what was communicated. 

He responded with, “I’ve got to get this done in the next few days. I'm just going to have to do it myself, it wasn't what I wanted”.

The following week (days past the deadline)… 

He ended up filming his own video. A video that looked exactly like what everyone else was putting out there. 

Again…Time and energy wasted, all involved are disappointed, the project wasn’t completed on time, 

PLUS, the second video (at best) was mediocre (in my opinion). 

If this sounds all too familiar, here are a few things I’ve found that really help me (and my team):  

1. Slow down to speed up. 

After sharing ideas my team, I set time aside to brainstorm and collaborate with them. This not only results in additional clarity, it always seems to produce even better ideas, and options that I would never have thought of alone. 

2. Give examples. 

I give the team examples of what I like and what I don’t like when it comes to particular projects. Most Entrepreneurs are “visual” learners, so use this communication strategy as an opportunity to help convey what you’re thinking, and what you have in mind.  

3. Practice reflective listening.

At the bare minimum, make this a requirement. Reflective listening is when the person who is listening has the opportunity to to reiterate what they heard to ensure it’s what you meant to say. 

After you communicate your idea, ask your team to take a moment to analyze what you just conveyed. Then ask them to reflect the message back to you. Confirm that they either properly understood or not. If not, give them more explanation. 

When you exercise these effective communication tactics, I’m think you’ll find the new found confidence in all the talented people on your team.  Plus, they will feel empowered again and that’s when amazing things will happen within your team structure and within your business overall. 

To your success,

David

click funnels expert

Top 5 Lower Back Pain Stretches

Chair manufacturers have now designed and developed specific chairs that support your back more effectively. This position can be held for up to 2 minutes, breathing softly. A common example of an unhealthy sitting habit is to sit on the edge of your chair. However, these chairs are not much good if you do not sit on them properly. From all 4's position, bring your feet closer together, placing tops of feet on the ground if possible

You'll be better prepared for treatment and more able to understand what will work and what won't to cure your pain once and for all. Low back pain relief is really just a stretch away. Experience it to believe it

You should feel a stretch in the lower back and hip. Low back extension stretches can be very effective at restoring natural motion in the low back. Pull the left thigh toward your chest until you feel a stretch in the hips and buttocks. Heat or ice can be used on the low back. If a sustained standing position is not possible then it is important to set a timer to remind yourself to get up from sitting every 20-30 min to walk and stretch

Getting up and moving or performing physical therapy can relieve back pain. Acetaminophen, available in many over-the-counter medicines, acts as an analgesic and is often used to treat acute pain. The medical community is now questioning the efficacy of bed rest, once thought to be essential for healing and lower back pain relief

cardiac muscle

Authenticity and Transparency

There’s no doubt about it. The consumer market has evolved exponentially with the multitudes of products and services available to us. 

Take a product like milk for example … 

There once was a time when the only kind of milk available was whole milk (sourced from a cow) and the only way to get it was from a milk delivery service.  

It eventually became available at local markets, including the introduction of different fat variances (skim milk, 2% milk, and whole milk).  

Then organic and A2 specific cow options arrived, followed by more and more competing brands. 

Somewhere in that timeline was the onset of different source choices of milk. Soy milk, goat milk, rice milk, oat milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, almond milk, etc. 

Let’s not forget all the different variations to some of those milk sources too (vanilla, plain, chocolate, unsweetened, etc.)

You get the idea. 

Choices, choices, and then more choices.  

Here’s a fun fact that might surprise you …

The average adult makes more than 35,000 decisions per day.  

Hard to believe? 

Now think about all the decisions you make on just ONE product … Again, going back to the one example of milk.

You may think to yourself: What’s the best value? Which is better for me and my particular circumstance? What’s the better brand? What size do I need? 

With all the options available to us for nearly every product out there in the marketplace, it’s almost impossible not to become overwhelmed. 

So much so, there’s actually a name for it. 

It’s called the Paradox of Choice.  

It’s a phenomenon that is quickly becoming an increasing concern in our world of seemingly endless access to such a vast array of products and services. 

What’s really interesting, is contrary to what we might believe to be the case, according to this paradox, the more options (or choices) we are given, the harder it is for us to make a decision. 

In fact, in some cases, a decision is NOT made at all by the consumer out of fear of making the wrong choice.

As a business owner trying to sell your product or service, where does that leave you in such a fierce and competitive market? 

The answer is simple. 

It leaves you with a BIG opportunity.  

An opportunity to capture your market and make your company, product, or service the only choice in your prospect’s mind. 

And it's not as hard as you may think to accomplish this. To a varying degree, it's as easy as just being yourself … 

It’s called being Authentic. 

When a consumer feels the brand/company is authentic and transparent, brand trust is established. 

Transparency + Authenticity = Brand Trust 

You’ve heard me say this time and again. 

The importance of TRUST. 

It’s vital piece to the sustainability and growth of any business.  

Why? Because it’s a critical competitive differentiator in the marketplace, no matter what product or service you offer.  

Now what do I exactly mean by transparency and authenticity?  

When a brand is transparent, it reveals important information to the consumer market about their operations, their goals, their core values, their mission, etc. 

This kind of transparency allows the prospect to align with their company or brand. 

When they feel aligned, they resonate at a higher level with their company or brand. 

One element of transparency may be simply giving the buyer confidence to buy from you without worry.  

Amazon is a great example of this. 

Part of why Amazon has managed to gain such a huge foothold in so many markets is because of their no-hassle return policy that is communicated clearly and simply. No fine print, just no-hassle. Period.  

But it’s not just about talking the talk — it’s also about walking the walk.  This is where authenticity comes in.

A company cannot be authentic without first being transparent. 

A company really has to live by their core values and stand behind their promises 100% to really prove they are authentic. It’s as simple as that. 

Can you stand behind your brand promise 100%? 

How transparent and authentic is your company or brand from where your ideal audience resides?  

Here are my 4 tips on how to achieve transparency and authenticity quite effortlessly: 

1. Let your audience know who you are.

In order to build a relationship with someone, you need to know who they are. The same holds true for your prospects. So be real. Tell your story. Share your experiences. The more real you are, the more your audience will resonate with you. 

Another great way companies do this is by giving their audience a behind-the-scenes look inside your company. 

In a recent newsletter, I talked about how our team incorporates SNAPs into our weekly meetings. So, we decided to record an actual team meeting and post it online to show others how to integrate something similar with their team. We received so much positive response and praise from viewers. First, it gave them the opportunity to feel more aligned with us, and our company values. 

Second, they appreciated that we practiced what we preached, which leads me right into #2… 

2. Practice what you preach.   

This is one of my favorites, because it's one of our core values here at Business Nitrogen. It’s darn near impossible to align or even resonate with a company that doesn’t even“buy in” to what they are promoting or communicating. I already gave you an example of this above. Another great example can be found in a short article a colleague shared with me. It’s worth a quick read: GANDHI STORY 

3. Do what you say you’re going to do. 

With the rise of online reviews and social media as trusted recommendation sources, more than ever you better ensure you’re honoring your promises to customers. You’d be surprised how many companies fall short in this area. Just by clearly communicating your promises AND honoring them puts you in a higher bracket, which in turns gives you an automatic competitive advantage. 

4. Be congruent and consistent. 

 This begins with the first touch point your prospect sees (whether that be an ad or a video, etc.). Your messaging should not only be crystal clear, it should be consistent across the board on every medium and marketing vehicle you utilize. 

Start reviewing your website, your social pages, your ads, everything! Ensure your message and communication is consistent and congruent. But not only that, make sure it’s genuine and in complete alignment with your core values, your brand principles, and your promises. 

All it takes is one inconsistency and a seed of doubt is planted in your prospect’s mind. Doubt breeds dis-trust. 

Keep in mind this doesn’t just apply to touchpoints your prospect or customer sees … It also applies to their experience. Maybe your messaging is 100% dialed in, but your customer service team isn’t. 

Bottom line: Ensure everyone on your team (on every level) is communicating the same messaging you are displaying and promising. 

There's no doubt that transparency and authenticity together are a significant driving force when it comes to growing and scaling any company.

When trust and loyalty are achieved, growth naturally follows. Customers make repeat purchases, or leave a great review, or refer friends and family. 

When in doubt, just think of some of the brands you are loyal to and refer to others. What do they do to earn your trust?  

To your success, 

David

clickfunnels certified

Premiere Flippers - Digital MarketPlace Alternative

Excited to announce a forthcoming platform to buy and sell start-up websites called, PremiereFlippers.com.  The website is in beta currently and plans to officially launch in the Spring of 2023.  The site is looking for feedback and comments from anyone.  Let us know what you think!  You can list for FREE, for 7 days, and the pricing is the lowest of any platform for options. 

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