[1] Three frequent questions guest author Barry Demp often hears from people starting their own businesses…
1. How can I set my goals?? (or, How can I define a clear vision of what I want to accomplish??)
Answer: To set goals, you need to determine what is important vs. what is urgent.
Answer the following questions for yourself to determine your “life domain”:
- What are you doing now?
- What does that entail?
- What do you like and dislike about what you are doing?
- Reflect and refine on what you like, and determine on how that can help you become who you want to be.
This is your life, and there is no right or wrong answer on this test. You need to spend some time defining what is important for you to achieve, then break those achievements down into small, manageable actions.
Some suggested reading for this topic:
- “Your Best Year Yet!” [2] by Jinny Ditzler
- “The Power of a Positive No” [3] by William Ury
2. How can I determine what type of networking works best?
Answer: There are many, many ways to network, and depending on your personality, career, and reason for networking, each one can have varying success rate for you. First let’s look at a few examples of networking:
- The Golf Course
- Workshops and seminars
- Alumni associations
- Colleagues
- Chamber of Commerce
- Business expos
- Business Network International (BNI)
- Local Business Network (LBN)
- Athletic clubs
- Leadership programs
- Professional associations
- Religious Organizations
The best way to determine what will work best for your goals, is to make a list of what you want to accomplish by networking, or having a network. Then list the resources, clubs, associations, etc available to you. Finally, see which ones correspond to supporting your goals, and try some of them out. Make sure that your some of your goals will be supported by maintaining an interest in one or more of the resources. It can take some time, however, finding the right fit is usually only accomplished by trying on a few of the opportunities available to you. Remember, you can always participate in more than one.
Some suggested reading for this topic:
- “Masterful Networking [4]” by Barry Demp
- “Little Black Book of Connections” [5] by Jeffrey Gitomer
3. What other resources are out there for me to learn how to set goals / network?
Answer: There are virtually endless resources and ideas for setting goals and networking. A few of my favorites are:
- “The Power of Focus” [6] by Jack Canfield
- “Focal Point” [7] by Brian Tracy
- “Now, Discover Your Strengths” [8] by Marcus Buckingham
- “The Laws of Lifetime Growth” [9] by Dan Sullivan
There is always something new to learn or read, and there is always someone new that you can make a connection with that can help you take your career to the next level.
Barry Demp is a highly-skilled Michigan Business and Personal coach focused on the areas of leadership, management, coaching, team-building, networking, business development, communication skills, relationship building, motivation, time management, life balance, and goal achievement. He specializes in working with business owners, executives, coaches, consultants, and high-potential professionals by helping them significantly increase their productivity, profitability, and life balance. For more information or assistance, please contact Barry Demp at 248-740-3231 or visit www.dempcoaching.com [10].