Things Entrepreneurs Never Do

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Hello, Ken Lear here again!

One of the reasons that entrepreneurs are so successful is that they know what to do to become successful and productive. Even more, they know what not to do:

Second-guess themselves and their employees

Entrepreneurs are confident in themselves and their own abilities. You will never find them second-guessing their decisions or the decisions of those working around them. Entrepreneurs know that one must have confidence in oneself to remain constantly productive.

Refuse to learn new skills

Entrepreneurs thrive because they are on the bleeding edge of their industry. If an entrepreneur refused to learn new skills or be up to date on the new events and techniques in their industry, they would quickly fail. Entrepreneurs understand better than most that professional development is vitally important to career success.

Avoid networking and public speaking opportunities

While they may not always be in the mood to socialize and network, entrepreneurs know how to “turn it on” and put on a pleasant face to take advantage of networking events. Since entrepreneurs are self-made and generally run smaller businesses, they understand that if they aren’t their company’s biggest advocate (and actually go out and advocate for their business), then nobody will be.

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Jealousy and envy

Being self-made, entrepreneurs are very good at embracing what makes them unique, successful, and special. Along with that knowledge is a mindset that doesn’t compare oneself to others, thereby experiencing jealousy or envy at another’s success or achievements. All that matters is their success. We could all benefit from this mindset.

Looking back at tough times

Entrepreneurs experience disappointment and failure like everyone else, but one difference is that they learn from their mistakes instead of dwelling on them. It is important to look back at tough times to learn something but never to beat yourself up about actually having failed.

Making excuses

Entrepreneurs know that when they fail, they shouldn’t make excuses. Learning from your mistakes is more important than finding some reason why you failed and that it wasn’t your fault. Instead, if you figure out how to do things better the next time, your efficiency and quality of work will likely increase.

Let failure stop them

Entrepreneurs understand that everyone fails at some point, and that failure is one part of the equation that includes taking chances and succeeding. You have to put yourself out there to make real innovations.

Multitask

Multitasking can distract your brain and essentially split your mind’s resources between two processes. This is not good! Instead, you should focus on doing one thing really well and devoting all of your energies to completing that task before moving on to something else. This will increase the quality of your work and help keep things from falling through the cracks when you are juggling multiple projects.

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Teambuilding During Meetings: How to Make It a Reality

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Hello, Ken Lear here!

Team building is an important part of creating a thriving work culture and an efficient team. However, it can become difficult to find a time when the entire team is free to participate in teambuilding exercises—so how are you supposed to bond with them? One trick you might try is taking advantage of the times you are all together, such as meetings, to hold teambuilding exercises and get to know your team.

Given that you’ll have a limited amount of time immediately before and after your meetings, your teambuilding activities should be short and effective. Below are a few examples of quick teambuilding exercises that are also really fun!

Two Truths and a Lie

This game allows you to get to know your team better in quite a few ways. The rules are simple: one nominated person will think of three things about themselves, two truthful and one a lie. Then, everyone else must attempt to pick out which of the three items is the lie.

This game is best played when the nominated person chooses ridiculous and unbelievable things for the game. Not only is this game a lot of fun, but it also allows your team to bond with each other and share exciting facts about themselves with the entire team.  

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Board Games

The short periods of time before and after meetings are perfect for playing one or two quick board games with the team. The biggest trick to accomplishing this without it devolving into a distracting exercise is to intelligently choose board games that are fast to play and where teamwork is present.

Keep in mind that there should be a set time limit for games, and that playing them isn’t appropriate before every single meeting. Most importantly, choose a game that can teach your team something that they can use in their work in some way. Some examples might include Checkers, Connect Four, Mancala, and Zombie Dice.

Just Talk!

It sounds obvious, but simply talking with your team can be one of the most effective teambuilding exercises. Try asking your team about their weekend, recent movies they have seen, or their hobbies and interests.

Think of this experience as similar to trying to make a new friend. Remember that you are still in a professional setting, but don’t be afraid to let your guard down and share a few chuckles with your team from time to time.

For additional blogs from entrepreneurship , leadership, and business expert Ken Lear, head over to his personal website Ken-Lear.com.

Tips for Staying Organized When Things Get Messy

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Hi, Ken Lear here.

Sometimes work gets so busy that we forget to stay organized. Desks get messy, calendars aren’t updated, and suddenly we feel out of sync. One of the easiest ways to deal with stress when things get messy is by staying organized. Next time you are in a pinch, try these tips to stay organized and get things back to normal:

Don’t Multi-Task

When things get hectic, it’s best to just focus on one thing. Multi-tasking can feel useful and efficient, but when things are busy, it’s better to narrow your focus. Make a list of everything that needs to be done, prioritize it, and do it in that order.

Clean Up Your Space

A messy desk or office isn’t the best work environment when things are stressful. Put things away, clean up any dishes, and make your space workable.

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Update Your Calendar

When things get busy, it is easy to forget about small tasks or meetings. Keep a calendar (online or a print version) that lists out when projects and deliverables are due, what time you have meetings, and any other items you need to remember. That way, you’ll always know how your day will go.

Delegate

You never know until you ask. See if any co-workers have some extra time or would like to do a project that you don’t have time for. It is hard to stay organized when there is simply too much to do; delegation is key to staying sane especially if you’re a manager.

Be Realistic

Don’t pretend something can get done that really can’t. Be realistic about your tasks by setting realistic goals about what you can control and what you need to stop worrying about. If there’s a deadline you know you can’t currently meet, talk to your supervisor or coworkers to figure out a way that you can make things work.

5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Mentoring

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Mentoring is a great resource for professional and personal development. A mentor is usually someone who has been in the business for quite some time and can teach others from his or her accomplishments and mistakes. However, just simply asking someone to mentor you and chatting with them once per month isn’t enough. Here are a few tips to get the most out of a mentoring experience:

Learn more about Ken lear on his personal website: http://ken-lear.com/.

Pick the Right Mentor

This is the most important step. What is the point of having a mentor if they can’t offer what you personally need? Find someone who is excited to teach, is great at what they do, and most importantly, is someone that you trust. In order for this process to work, choose a mentor who will take an active interest in your career and personal development.

Be Clear on Expectations

Make sure the mentor knows right off the bat what the expectations are from this relationship. Make sure both people clearly know what improvements are looking to be made, and what both parties would like to gain from this experience. This will help determine if this particular mentor is a good fit or not.

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Don’t Limit Yourself to Just One Mentor

There is no rule that says mentees can have only one mentor. One person may help improve your leadership skills, while the other focuses on communication skills. Don’t limit yourself if you have multiple possible mentors that can help you grow in different ways.

Show Thanks

Always express your gratitude. Saying thanks regularly will show your mentor that you are serious about this process and also value their time.

Don’t Take Everything They Say as Truth

Just because someone has 15 years of experience in an industry, that doesn’t mean they know everything. Take their advice as just that—advice. Let it help you make decisions and grow, but don’t let it completely dictate your path.  

Check out KMG Consultants Inc.

http://www.kmgconsultantsinc.com/

KMG Consultants is a business consulting and sales firm located in Southfield, MI. We specialize in customer retention and account acquisition for Fortune 500 clients. We are recognized as a leading producer in the Midwest region.

We aim to create value for our client and our employees through a second-to-none work ethic, integrity, and a quality of results that exceed our competition and surpass out client's expectations.

Building people from an entry level position into management at a fast pace is our vision. We plan to provide additional Fortune 500 companies with the benefit of our innovative services. We also want to expand into other markets to solidify our client base.

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We are hiring! Open positions can be found at Career Builder.

Hello, My Name is Ken Lear

Hello, world!

Ken Lear, Sales expert

I am Ken Lear, and this is my new sales blog. This is where I share my advice, motivation and ideas about how to succeed in the tough world of sales.

I played soccer from Penn State while earning my Marketing and International Business degree from the Smeal College of Business Administration.  My time at college taught me how to think critical, be a problem solver, be persistent and refine my leadership skills.  Playing soccer was a great lesson in learning how to work with and motivate others.

Today I am an entrepreneur with a great network of sales people bringing in great results years after year.  I recently relocated to the Detroit, Michigan area with my wife Sara and my son, Brady.  I am working out a colleague's office right now and preparing to launch a sales office of my own.

The key to success in sales is persistence and great relationship building skills.  I'm hoping to sure my share ideas here and that they will be of use to anyone looking for a new career.

You can follow Ken Lear on Twitter and on Google Plus.