Skills Gaps

HOW TO IDENTIFY AND OVERCOME SKILLS GAPS!

In life and in our careers we come across skills that we are good at some we are even great at and then their are those skills that we really struggle with. This could be communication, emotional intelligence, building rapport or just general communication skills and the worst one which has been shown to be one of the most feared skill of all is Public Speaking.

At times we have to get better at a skill because it holds us back from pursuing our dreams or its important to develop interpersonal relationships as we care for someone and if we don’t connect, we may miss out on something special. To go for that dream job we may need to be more confident, or learn how to articulate our self better. No matter what the gap is you can always find a way to build that skill just like you build a muscle.

Identify

SWOT Analysis

Doing a SWOT Analysis can help identify our Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Once we identify things we are not so good at we can focus on what we need to do to develop this weakness and use our strengths to build on our weakness’s where possible.  If you have never done a SWOT Analysis before you could ask someone that will help you.

NOTE: This person should know you reasonably well and be willing to be honest and constructive, not critical.

Follow the steps below to discover more about yourself and have fun.

Step 1. Agree to be honest with yourself. This is not to make you feel bad or inadequate, this is to identify where you need to focus to obtain the skill or skills you want to be better at.

Step 2. Get a sheet of paper and divide one page into 4 sections, label each section as shown in the image.

Step 3. Start with your Strengths and write as many as you can, communication, organisational skills, time management, dealing with people, team building, things like this. if you have trouble thinking of any then start with what makes you happy.

Step 4. Then go to your weaknesses and list those, this could be, saying no, poor communication, always being late. keep in mind a strength and threat could be the same. An organised person gets more tasks given to them as they get the job done, this could lead to a weakness of taking on too much.

Step 5. Look at your Strengths and Weaknesses and list the threats. This can come from Weaknesses and can also come from Strengths, again if you are supportive and always there for friends this can be a Weakness as you could be called upon and not say no, therefore not putting your needs first.

Step 6. Look at all sections that have been completed and look where their may be some opportunities. If you never say no in fear of reaction of disappointing, you may need to learn to become assertive, if you have trouble communicating a communications course may be helpful. These are opportunities to address weaknesses and reduce threats.         

Here is an example of identifying a weakness and seeing the threat that is created.

A weakness may be you avoid conflict as you don’t know how to deal with it and if you say something you may upset someone. This can happen in personal environments and work environments.

The Threat could be this means you never ask for what you want as this may lead to disappointment of fear of upsetting someone or not pleasing them, so you feel disappointed and unhappy about not having things or not going places you desire. Holding back can lead to unhappiness and feelings of being unfulfilled in many aspects of life. Dealing with conflict can be done in a very positive way so that everyone is happy or at least satisfied and no one is missing out.

What is holding you back

Sometimes we hold ourselves back from doing what we truly desire mostly because of fear, What will they think, what if I fail, what if I look silly, what if i disappoint? sometimes we just don’t know where to start. The good news is you can start here, next is the library, or an audio program, career advice or a short course. Their are many ways to get started but you need to have a clear plan of what you would like to do, so fist identify what holds you back. Sometimes its excuses I don’t have the time, I don’t have the money, in most cases its fear. Look at my acronym for fear and ask yourself if its real. In most cases its not but even if it is real you have to decide if you would like it to be different. Simply learning a better way to communicate can have a significant impact on everything that you do.

False

Evidence

Appearing

Real

Overcome

Make a Plan

Part of making a plan is finding the people or the course or even the resources that can assist in the plan being able to come to life. Resources can be people or things such as books and audio programs a short course or even setting a goal. What ever you want, you must plan and take action on that plan for things to be different. As you may have heard before “if you keep doing what you have always done you will keep getting what you have always got”

So make an action plan on what you are going to do today towards just one of your weaknesses and you will be on the road to better things today.

Example
Weakness – doing to many tasks and not getting the important tasks completed.
Threat – Deadlines not being met and tasks not being completed
Opportunity – Learn how to prioritise and not get distracted
Action Plan – Plan my day before it started and prioritise and allocate times to be completed
Outcome – A more efficient day, completed tasks, less Stress

We hope we have helped you fill in some of the Gaps.

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The power in Language!

“Old dogs can’t learn new tricks”

……..YES THEY CAN!

This saying has been around for longer than I can remember and probably longer than my father has been around which is 67 years this May. Like a lot of other saying that really don’t make a lot of sense or are so far from the truth and this one is right up there.

No matter how old you are you can learn new tricks in fact you can achieve many great things. Just take a leaf out of Louise Hay book, she is a great example of a woman who went through many tragic experiences as a child and teenager and then recovering from Cervical Cancer as an adult, at the age of 70 she founded Hay House publishing and is living an extraordinary life.

At times our language can trap us into limiting beliefs, stopping us from reaching our true potential. Think about when you use the word try, I will try and get there, I will try and make this work, I will try to call you. This is one of the worst words for ensuring you have a good excuse, Rather than saying I’m not going to make it, or I don’t want to attend or I can’t call you today. This language would free us from guilt and release us from great pressure at times.

What about the language of, I’m not smart enough, I’m not tall enough, I’m not educated enough, these limiting beliefs can stop us from going after what we deeply desire.

Listening to your language can bring about a greater awareness and then you have the ability to change the negative language to a more positive language. This brings about a more positive emotion which can reinforce what you want to achieve opposed to what you think you cant.

Simply reminding yourself and say “I can do this opposed to I will try. I am smart enough to achieve this, look at what I have done so far. Can be a great message and constant reminder.

Self talk

Lets not forget about the language we are using in our head, the language that no one else can hear. This is just as destructive as we say this without anyone knowing we are. Listen to your self talk, is it limiting you from your true potential? This can be more harmful than what we say outside to others. The next time your language in your head is negative and limiting, instantly change this to what you really want and watch the changes occur.

Think about your language over the next few weeks (both internally and externally) and see where you can become more aware of using better, stronger and more positive language to get you moving in the direction of where you want to go. Then think about what you want to achieve and don’t let your language or limiting beliefs hold you back.

Visit our website http://www.mantratraining.com.au/ and see what we have to offer or come and talk to us about creating language that supports your future.

Or read about my journey to Kokoda, http://blog.mantratraining.com.au/ it was a year ago today that we walked proudly into the Kokoda Village……this was a time where my self talk got me through some very big challenges and I succeeded. It was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done and had my self talk not been in check I would not have succeeded.

Donna Moulds – CEO/Director

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Create a successful 2013 NOW!

 Donna Moulds – Mantra Training & Development

Getting a good head start could be the difference between achieving your goals and not. The power in writing them down in indescribable and to say the least powerful.

I am writing this on the 1st January 2013

Yes that’s correct on the first day of the new year I am writing a Blog on Goal setting, not because I don’t have a life but more importantly that I have a great   life and want it to be better. The quote that is to the right is so true and I think we often forget that we do have a choice in everything we do. When we take 100% responsibility for our choices we take responsibility for our failures and our successes.

I have already set my Goals for 2013 and am in the process of writing them down in detail and then writing my action steps to move me closer to these each day. Last year seemed to go so fast and before I and many others knew it Christmas was here. So I decided that I didn’t want the year to fly by without a plan for what I really and truly want for me, my family and my team at Mantra Training & Development in 2013.

So I thought this is no better time than to do another more detailed Blog on Goal setting. I had written one in the middle of last year and as I still believe very much in goals and action toward them I would expand even further.

I once heard Anthony Robbins say that if you are not growing you are dying, and I am still growing every day and will continue to do so in many ways. We can grow in all areas of our life, Financially, Spiritually, Relationships can grow and most importantly our knowledge can grow .

You may think you don’t set goals but in one way or another we all set goals, they can be a small goals of getting somewhere on time if you are often late. It could be to get a pay rise or promotion in your current career. We set bigger goals for fitness, and exercise or to give up smoking or drinking for a Month, year or for good. many people will have a New Years Resolution (Bad idea as they are often short lived)

I have been setting goals since I was very young; however I am not sure that I knew I was setting goals. I would decide I wanted something or to go somewhere and then I would find a way to do it. As I have looked back over many years of doing this and also being a keen observer of others, I have noticed a few key facts that are fairly consistent.

Why do we achieve some Goals and not others?

 Let me see if I can shed some light on what I think are some of the reasons for success and failure to reach our goals.

 If you fail to plan you plan to fail “Jim Rohn”

 TRY and moving away from goals opposed to moving toward goals!

 TRY – This word drives me crazy and is used so frequently when it is an excuse word. What I mean by that is, it lets you off the hook….. I will try to get there…..I will try to lose weight…….I will try to stop smoking…….I tried to call. Lets look at each one of these and break it down.

Someone asks you out and you say “I will try to get there” what they may have wanted to say is “I don’t want to go but if I say I will try and get there and don’t make it I know I tried

I will try and lose weight, really! How do you try, you either do lose weight by doing something differently, like walking round the block each day and eating smaller portions, or you don’t!

The last one is I tried to call…… What about, “I called and you didn’t answer” or “ I Did call and left a voicemail message”

You see I use this activity in my training…..I ask someone to try and pick up a chair, they pick it up and I say no I asked you to try, so they pretend its heavy and can’t lift it, again I say no now you didn’t pick up the chair. I often get looked at with frustration until it clicks…..You either pick up the chair or you don’t….NO TRYING! “Anthony Robbins”

 Moving Away from Goals V Moving Toward Goals

 If you don’t achieve your goals someone else will “Jim Rohn”

 What do I mean by moving away from goals?

 When you are moving away from something it is generally because you have a negative outcome where you are, so you want to move away from it (use Fear or Pain as a good example). Take a heart attack for example, you may need to lose weight change your diet and exercise, which you were not doing before, hence why you have had a heart attack. So when you get away from the risk you tend to go back to old habits.

What we should be doing consistently is setting toward Goals with positive outcomes, let me give you an example;

In August 2011 I set a goal to walk the Kokoda track and I was specific about a number of reasons for setting this goal. I understand this is a big one however the same concept applies t small goals as well.

Smart format applied

Specific – To walk the Kokoda Track in April 2012

Measurable – Researched the most reputable company to do the trek with, costed flights, trek gear and time frames that fitted in with my daughter being away on school holidays.

Achievable – A plan was required with a deadline and results focused to ensure I would be successful (it was truly achievable with a plan)

Relevant –   It was relevant in a number of ways both physically and emotionally and also one of my highest values is growth “I was definitely going to grow

Timely – I had a number of deadlines and it was the perfect time in my life to do this journey

Whilst a lot more in-depth planning and reasoning behind this goal, I am sure you can see the concept. Take the time to think of a small goal you want to achieve and use the SMART format to set the goal. Then set some bigger Goals and have a clear action plan to start moving you in the direction of achieving them.

Here are a few additional steps you can take to ensure you keep momentum.

1. Write them down and stick it on your bathroom mirror so you see them every day
2. Take 10 Minutes a day to so something toward planning or achieving these goals, as little as 10 minutes a day can work.
3. Say them out loud, tell people about it so they can support you getting there.
4. Get an accountability buddy to keep you on track
5. Even if you fall off the horse so to speak don’t give up just get back on the horse.
6. Make sure you reward yourself when you achieve the goal or get to a major milestone.

I look forward to hearing about your goals and if you need any help to set goals feel free to contact Mantra Training & Development and we can help you not only set the goals, we can help you create a plan to achieve your goals in 2013.

Have an amazing year and remember to enjoy the journey.

  Donna

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Time Management

If time runs away from you, this may me an interesting read!

Welcome to my Blog, it has been a while since posting and let me just say not because I have been on holidays or taking it easy, quite the contrary. This has been a very busy and tiring time with lots of physical activity included. This is a very personal story this time and not a personal opinion but an experience I wanted to share.

Do you feel like time is passing you by? Do you feel like you don’t have enough hours in the day, days in a weeks or weeks in a month? well I know how you feel. Busy people tend to fit lot’s into their days, weeks and moths. Have you ever asked yourself why that is, well I have, and recently more than ever. So i thought I would share some personal stuff with you in this blog about how much I have fitted in recently.

Ask yourself these questions and then please read on for my personal story:

• Do you plan your day before it begins, plan your month before it begins?
• Do you allow constant disruptions that take your focus away from the priorities?
• The day before you go on holidays, reflect on how much you get done and how focused you are?
• What could you do better to create more time in your day or even week?

School holidays are generally a time for me to recharge and put on a different hat. My Youngest daughter being the only child left at home generally goes to visit with her Dad and his family in Darwin. I miss her a lot but I use this time to recharge, work longer hours to catch up and also have some creative thinking time. Unfortunately this has not gone to plan these holidays, let me explain why.

In December I moved my business from one location to another, now if anyone has done an office fit-out before I am sure you can empathise with me and even more so as I am not very smart in the electrical area of an office. So doing an electrical plan was where I was at breaking point. When I say breaking point I mean my boundaries and comfort zone were certainly pushed. I can coordinate many different things and I enjoyed creating a new learning environment for Mantra Training & developments staff and students. Well…….5 weeks later and a few melt downs we are in the office and very happy with the outcome.

I am also very proud to say that my Son has been recovering in a Rehabilitation hospital since the beginning of January and has been doing exceptionally well. Driving to Sydney every week (6 hour round trip) to support him may be tiring, but again I find a way to use this to my advantage and University in the car has been very re energising for business and me personally. For the past 4 weeks I have been watching my Son recover from 8 years of addiction and self destruction. It has been an amazing process and he is working very hard to recover and get life on track. He has been supported by Nurses, Counselors and Support Workers who have helped him in his path to recovery. I am so very proud of him; this has not been an easy journey by any means.

For the past three months I have been training hard for my trip to Kokoda in April and I am getting fitter and stronger every week. As the time draws closer I start to wonder if I have done enough but with 11 weeks to go I am sure I still have time to up the anti and make sure I am fit and ready to take on the trek. I look forward to the history, meeting the people in the villages and the physical challenge. I can’t wait to experience the different cultures and see the scenery of the Kokoda Trek.

So I think when we have to step up we can achieve greatness and fit a lot into a short period of time. Now I don’t think for a minute it is sustainable long term without reflection and rejuvenation, and very achievable in the short term. I think it is soon time for a 4 day long weekend kayaking with my Daughter to slow down and recharge my batteries and brain.

Remember this…… we all have 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year, how we use those hours, days, months and years will provide varying levels of results. if you want to learn some great strategies for time management then contact Mantra Training & Development

Till next time, remember to set your Goals for 2012, Donna

Goal setting with purpose will be the next blog

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Sales Facts

 

 

Here are a few sales facts to help you along the path of business success…

 

 

 

 

Sustainable sales revenues will take at least two years to develop
Sure, you will get revenues before this, but repeatable business will take at least this long

There is no right or wrong time to contact a prospect or client
Unless previously agreed, call them anytime (during working hours). They will soon tell you whether the time is right or not. If you can’t get hold of them, leave a message/email to say that you called, and that you will call them back.

There is no limit to how many times you should try getting in touch with someone
It really depends on how much time you’re prepared to spend. The fact that they haven’t contacted you doesn’t mean that they aren’t interested. There are many reasons why they haven’t called you back, and unless you can read minds, you will only find out once you have been in contact with them.

You have two ears and one mouth – use them that way
Listen to your clients and prospects (the above statement is figurative if you sell online). Have a conversation with them. Make sure you know exactly what they want. Ask questions. Wait for their replies. Take notes. Act on the notes. Provide solutions.

Plan, Action, Review, Plan, Action, Review…
The actual cycle time will vary, but keeping to this cycle will give your business the best chance. Make time for each phase.

Cold calling is a great way of renewing your business
Get a list, verify the list, and call everyone on the list. Expect about 10% response. It will give you feedback, it will give you new types of organisations into your client portfolio, and it will help to insure you against any future specific market sector slowdowns. Continue to do this regularly, not just once.
If you run a web based business, changing the way you advertise to attract a different market segment will achieve similar outcomes.

Do Business Development work regularly
If you don’t, you will invariably suffer peaks and troughs in your revenues, or at worst, cashflow issues

There are essentially two types of salespeople; Hunters and Farmers
Which one are you? You really need both in a business to run effectively, but I suggest that if you can’t do this, engage Hunters (or do the hunting yourself), and get your delivery people to manage the engagements once they are established.

A good face to face sales relationship will beat any other type of sales relationship every time
For the important deals, make sure this is the way you develop the sale above all else.
People buy from people. A major part of this is trust. If you can’t get close to your prospect to develop a good relationship, then look at ways of generating trust. Ebay have their rating system, testimonials will also do it, but the face to face relationship is the best.

Keep in touch
Meetings, Emails (approved of course), newsletters, blogs, Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Keep your profile fresh and updated. Keeping in people’s faces will remind them that you are still active and open for business. They will think of you before your competition. As Oscar Wilde wrote “There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”

You don’t need a reason to keep in touch
If you are genuinely interested in keeping your relationships going, call your colleagues and contacts once in a while, ask how things are going, invite them out for a cuppa. Invariably they will say yes.

Give freely of your time and expertise
Offering to help someone out with some advice for free (and with no expectation of return) is a great way to develop long term relationships and friendships. Of course, you will need to charge eventually, but you will find that the time to do this will come naturally.

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Manage Stress in any situation!

What strategies work for you?

There is a lot of information out in the community, on the web and also in the workplace on stress and how to manage it.

However the first step to managing stress is, knowing what stress is for you?

What can be very resourceful is to identify when you are stressed, how you are feeling and you could also rate this for example on a scale of 1 to 10.

Take the time to notice how your breathing is and if it is shallow, then you could take a few deep breaths and then see how you are feeling. Just breathing differently can make a difference.

I personally think one of the biggest mistakes we make is assuming how someone should be feeling or react to any given situation based on how we would be feeling or react.

Take for example 2 people going through Divorce, how one person reacts may be very different to the other person. The stages of emotions that may be experienced will vary from person to person, or the time in which it takes for life to feel relatively normal again, if at all.

In the workplace how two people respond to work demands, deadlines and managing people will vary. Is it getting to work on time, or is it your work load, or it could be work colleagues that increase your stress levels. What we need to realise is that it is not something or someone that causes us stress it is how we perceive a situation or react to what is happening around us that creates the feeling inside.`

When a crisis happens in the world such as the Floods in Queensland, the earthquake in Christchurch or the Tsunami in Japan, this is a situation that can effect people differently, if you have family there or feel very emotional about the tragedy and lives lost you may feel stressed by this situation, however if for example you don’t have any family there and have no emotional attachment to the situation then you may not have any reaction just a feeling of empathy or sadness. Please remember people feelings and reactions are their own and not right or wrong just their feelings.

Do you really know which strategies works for you? Have you ever been told how to manage stress, use the techniques and still no results?

This may be due to the fact that you have not discovered what works for you!

Is it
• Exercise
• Healthy eating
• No alcohol
• Mediation
• Deep breathing techniques

These are some of the tips that can be used in isolation or even combine a number of them or all of them. So what do you do when you have tried them all and nothing seems to work?

Well just like isolating what foods/preservatives don’t agree with you, you have to try some different techniques and measure what is getting a result, even a small result should be measured and when you get good results you need to keep doing that but also try other techniques to increase the outcome. Never give up.

Step 1. Identify how you are feeling (Angry, Sad, hurt, scared, uncertain)
Step 2. Ask yourself what specifically about this situation is making me feel this way?
Step 3. Can I change the situation? Become resourceful….
Step 4. Can I change the way I perceive the situation/ is it as bad as it seems
Step 5. What strategies work that I can use right now
Step 6. Take action

Remember not to fool yourself by saying nothing works. I can’t tell you how many times I hear someone say nothing works and when you ask the question they may have tried one technique once and given up.

If you want to know more about managing stress feel free to contact us for some more information or book a session on Managing Stress with resourceful outcomes.

Till next time

Donna Moulds

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Shiny Things!

Brian Miller, Creative Director, Luxgraphicus Design Agency

I realised today, probably belatedly, that I like making shiny things.

If something isn’t shiny, then I like to make it shiny. It doesn’t need to be shiny, it just can be shiny.

Recently I polished the floorboards in our lounge room after ripping up the awful old carpet. I really enjoyed the process. The filling of holes and cracks, the sanding, the numerous coats of varnish with more sanding between each.

It’s now shiny! It looks great. People like to come into the room and walk on the floor. It adds amenity to the space and value too. The floor isn’t a better floor now. I haven’t made it stronger, or more useful as a floor. But people perceive it’s value as greater.

Why? Because it’s shiny!

I’ve also just made some wooden boxes to hold camping gear. (holiday activities you might notice) I’m very keen to add some more unnecessary coats of varnish to these too. It is sure to give them added value, plus I like sanding and varnishing, and looking at shiny things.

Shiny floor!

Making things look and feel shiny, or more polished, or professional, or targeted, or appropriate, or even just easier to read, gives the underlying material more value. Our old lounge room floor was just as good a floor before its makeover. It stopped us falling through to the dirt underneath. We could walk on it, put our chairs and TV on it, but it wasn’t as valuable. We didn’t enjoy walking on it. We didn’t want to show it to our friends. Others didn’t comment on how good it looked, wished they had one just like it, or contemplate doing the same themselves.

Designers like to make things shiny. The basic content, the marketing messages, the delivery method, they may all be created by others and be just as strong, but when a designer polishes them into a beautiful shiny thing, people want to look at it, they want to have one too and they want to show it to others.

Make your stuff shiny too and others will want one just like it.

I’m off to put the next coat of varnish on my wooden camping boxes.

Brian.

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THE POWER OF READING! Mantra Training & Development

What books, magazines or articles are you reading?

 As an avid book reader myself I am always on the lookout for new books that I am inspired by. I have read many and have built up a fairly good library over the years. I also love to loan out the books to others who may not want to build up a library but want to read a good book.

 A good friend of mine asked “Who will you leave your library to when you go to the next life ?” To be honest I had not thought about that till then, but it is actually a substantial collection. Including a very old edition of the, “Laws of Success” by Napoleon Hill and a signed copy of Jim Rohn “Seasons of Life”. Books that I am very proud to have in my collection.

Note to self, add library to the will………

Anyway…… I have always loved to hear stories about what someone is reading and why they love it so much or what did it bring to their life. One of my previous Trainees read 7 Habits of highly effective teenagers. The feedback from her was amazing and I know that the book impacted changes in her life in very positive way. She read this at work in the quiet times, and as a team leader I think this is a very productive use of down time.

 I would love to know the answer to some question from all you Canberra Small Business blog supporters.

What are you reading?

Or what have read recently?

What has it brought to your life?

What has it taught you or inspired you to do?

I have read many books, but some of the most powerful books that have been very impactful are the Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz, The Success Principles, Jack Canfield, Excuses Begone, Dr Wayne Dyer, The seasons of life, Jim Rohn and Heal your body, Louise Hay

The success Principles has a great free coaching program that has some tools to get you started for FREE. https://www.canfieldcoaching.com/

Books have inspired me to learn from my many business and personal mistakes and given me insight to find alternative solutions. They have given me drive and inspiration to keep going and also to motivate others. I will forever read and obtain ideas on how I can continue my growth.

 I once heard a saying that has stuck with me for years now, “If you keep doing what you have always done you will keep getting what you have always got” Anon

 Please leave your comments answering the question;

 What are you reading?

Or what have read recently?

What has it brought to your life?

What has it taught you or inspired you to do?

Till next time……… Donna Moulds

Mantra Training & Development – Training with Innovation, Flexibility and Support.

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Doing it yourself

Brian Miller, Creative Director, Luxgraphicus Design Agency

I’m a do it yourself type of person.

I like to have a go at lots of things, and don’t mind learning and experimenting with projects as a hobby. Most of these projects aren’t critical however, and most are just that, hobbies.

Sometimes I really apply myself and work on a project with a discipline and a degree of learned skill. In these cases I can do a good job, as good as the professional might do. It takes longer of course, but it costs less!

And sometimes this project fits in with my business operations. It means I can control my expenses as a small business owner by not having to pay the full costs of hiring a professional, and I still get a result which is good enough to drive the success of my business. I need to have the time available of course, and weigh up the benefits of missing out on time I could have spent on something I am an expert in. But in small business, sometimes, these compromises can mean the difference between getting the job done, or not doing it at all.

So how do you decide what to do, and what to leave for the professionals? Early on in your business development, you may find yourself with a longer list of tasks to handle in-house. Then as the business grows, the list can be reduced as you  manage towards success.

Think about the tasks that you actually do have a degree of skill, expertise, experience and knowledge in, and those that you honestly don’t! Some reality check may be appropriate here. A business coach or mentor might help. And think about the time it will take you to do a really good job. Could this time be better spent?

What do you value as a small business person? Getting things right first time. Satisfaction in doing a good job yourself. The bottom line on your business accounts. Your spare time. Doing what you think others think you should do?

We all need to make these value judgements. In small business you will make many of them, and it’s often a case of balancing what works for you when it comes to what to do for yourself. After all, that is one of the main reasons to start a business, to do it for yourself.

Brian Miller
Creative Director
Luxgraphicus Design Agency

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DREAMS DO COME TRUE, so think like a kid, and reach for the stars!

 

Author, Donna Moulds www.mantratraining.edu.au

When we are children we dream about becoming a superhero, or travelling the world, or in my case a hairdresser, untill I had no dolls with hair. As adults…do you think we forget to dream? Dreams are what give us hope and passion, they can drive us to do something that logic would tell us can not be done!

If you have a teenager who is yet to decide what they want to try before they grow up, here is an inspirational story they may want to read………

Chris Warren came to Mantra Training & Development in September 2009 for work experience, which is something that Mantra Training & Development have been part of with various schools and industry bodies for about 3 years now. Taking young adults from a school environment and putting them in a real work environment, that is not only supportive it is also empowering and teaches self motivation. This has also been a wonderful opportunity for the team at Mantra Training & Development.

We have a number of businesses that provide support and mentoring for our team including those involved our work experience program.
One of the Mentors that Chris has had an opportunity to work with and learn from has been john Phillips. He has played a very supportive role with both of Chris’s qualifications.

As the CEO and also a Trainer/Assessor, Chris instantly caught my eye with his “go get it” type attitude to technology and websites. At the time I thought I had a good website and was pretty proud of the fact that I could update it. Now……. don’t get me wrong we had to rein him in on a number of occasions as he wants to do things today without looking at the security or other access and usability implications. In fact I remember him launching our new website way to early and he didn’t take a back up. But we had a plan B and more importantly Chris was able to learn the importance of planning and being patient.

Once we launched the new website early in 2010 I realised how primitive my old site was. Not even 12 months later Chris has created yet a better website allowing for growth and advances in technology and has learned a greater degree of skills in many areas allowing for a much better product. He has also learned how to work better with people not just technology and has grown into a wonderful young man with some great skills that have now seen him accepted into a Bachelor of Software Engineering.

Chris has completed a Certificate III in Information Technology and will have completed his Certificate IV in Information Technology (Web design) by December 2010 and this will then take him into the University by February 2011.

In August this year Chris was also invited to the Google office in Sydney where he was able to contribute some of his skills and learn what it would be like to work with such an elite group of IT experts. He was blown away by the experience and I also think it ignited his motivation and drive to really go for what he wanted in a career path as well as was he is truly passionate about.

Here is what Chris had to say:

From College to University

At the end of college I always knew what I wanted to do, but I didn’t know how I would go about doing it this involved having a Gap Year and then going to University to complete my Bachelors of Software Engineering then I discovered Mantra Training & Development, after initially completing work experience I was offered a
job by the CEO Donna, to Continue working on the Mantra Training & Development website and be part of the team.

An entire year later, the experiences I have had, the people I’ve met, the skills I’ve gained, and the qualifications I have achieved are amazing to say the least. To put this into perspective I never anticipated what I have achieved in such a short time. It truly has been a incredible year and a great start to both my personal and professional life. I now look forward to an exciting future as I know anything is possible.

And now through gaining my Qualifications under an Australian Apprenticeship with Mantra Training & Development as my RTO and Employer, I created the pathway and had the
support to enter University, my new Journey will begin in February 2011.

I will continue working with Mantra Training & Development and assist them in growing their organisation into one of the best RTO’s in the ACT, and help Mantra generate more pathways and opportunities for it’s students, staff, and trainees.

I would like to give special thanks to two people, Donna & John. You have parted with some tremendous skills that I will use for through out University and the rest of my life. Thank you….

Now this is a great message about keeping dreams alive.

Donna Moulds

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