4 systems that can cause (and fix) the ceo bottleneck
If you are the bottleneck in your own business, you may be wondering which systems in your business need to change. I have the answer! In the Bottleneck Rx course we give an “extreme makeover” to the 4 top systems in your business that can really cause a...
My Interview on the Laura Sprinkle Show
Laura Sprinkle and I have some history. We’ve worked together, ALMOST worked together again, ALMOST worked together a SECOND TIME…then worked together briefly……and perpetually WANT to work together. But recently we caught up and recorded our...
We Need to Talk About Your Delegation
We need to talk about your delegation. I know, I know. The very mention makes that vein in your temple throb again. (Sorry.) Because — you’re not an idiot. And they’re not idiots either (tho some days, you would admit to doubting this). So why. is. it. that you guys...
Read My Mind
Unless you hired for clairvoyance🔮 – your team is waiting for you to paint a picture of what to build. What does “Done” look like for the project you assigned? What MUST it have (or do)? What must it NOT have? So often I hear frustration from CEOs that they have to...
The Devil You Know
Change means friction. Effort. Investment. Faith. There’s a high cost to change. That’s why so many of us default back to “muddling through” So basically we’re saying: “It’s a little too tough for me to think about how I might do things...
Are you placing enough bets?
How do you know that what you’re doing in your business will work? You don’t. We don’t. We lay some bets and see what pans out. (With a whole lot of elbow-grease in the meantime.) It’s one thing to acknowledge that “failure” is part of how our businesses grow, but...
Bottleneck #4: The CEO Bottleneck
This last bottleneck was the most popular of the talk. Literally every business owner in the room had their hands up, as a confession that they themselves were a bottleneck (even the main bottleneck) in their business. Here’s how CEO bottlenecks tend to...
Bottleneck #3: You’re Missing a Kitchen Manager
Tell me if this sounds familiar: You, as a CEO have a great idea — a new project, something you want to do — and you bring it up to the team, you have some discussion…and it fizzles out and somehow you end up doing things the same old way you’ve always done. Or,...
Bottleneck #2: The Team Member Bottleneck
The 2nd bottleneck I want to talk about is a team member bottleneck. Many of us are all too familiar with this one. What does a team-member bottleneck look like in your business? Here’s 3 common ways that it appears: 1. You have a team member who is just not reliable....
Bottleneck #1: The Tech Bottleneck
Back in March I spoke at Todd Herman’s 90 Day Year Live event in La Jolla, CA on Breaking the 4 Bottlenecks That’ll Keep You From Scaling Your Business. This blog series is drawn from that talk. Business owners usually call me pretty much when they reach a crunch...
Is the “press of business” holding your business back?
Remember how it used to feel to land customers? (A little like this?) Those were heady days. But these days…it’s a little different: “This sounds crazy to say, but if we take in even more more premium client, I think my team will implode.” “From the client side, it...
Are you secretly in love with your fire drills?
“It might look like we have our act together, but let me tell you, back here, everything’s a fire drill.” I hear some version of this with nearly every client I worth with. It’s usually why they make the choice to start working with me to improve their ops. Not only...
Hacking Happiness at Work
If you’re happy and you know it: high-5 your boss! Over on the Redbooth blog, I tackle the issue of happiness at work. Workplace happiness is becoming big business, and even Chief Happiness Officers are popping up everywhere. This round-up features: What science...
Managing Freelancers
Work with a freelancer? Chances are that’s a Yes (or the freelancer might even be you). As the gig economy attracts more and more workers, there’s growing demand on businesses to get it right when it comes using freelancers. Over on the Redbooth blog, I’ve...
Get Organized with a Spring Cleaning at Work
Ready for some spring-inspired tips for getting organized? Over on the Redbooth blog, I have strategies and inspiration galore. Check out How To: take stock of your progress on your business goals get organized for tax season add color and pizzaz to your desk area...
How to Scale Your Business
You know you’ve arrived when… your business is facing growing pains. But as problems go, these are good problems to have! If you’re looking to scale — and craving expert advice — I have a round-up for that, over on the Redbooth blog....![How to Keep Client Projects On Track [Infographic]](https://i0.wp.com/karensergeant.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Screen-Shot-2016-04-01-at-8.24.12-PM-e1459567539847.png?resize=250%2C206&ssl=1)
How to Keep Client Projects On Track [Infographic]
Managing a client project? Here are some tips to keep the project running smoothly.. Brought to you by Redbooth.com:
How to Stop Procrastinating
Over on the Redbooth blog, I outline 5 strategies for how to stop procrastinating. Including a neat self-assessment infographic (taking it it doesn’t count as procrastination, I promise). Read the article here.
How to Create a Smart Client Intake Process
It’s here! My first infographic debuted over on the Redbooth blog. Does your business work directly with clients? Then you’ll want to have a look at this. It’s 4 steps to delighting your brand-new clients (and saving your sanity). Brought to...
How (and Why) to Say “Thank You for Your Business”
“Thank you, Come Again!” Does your business say Thank You in a special way? You really should be! If you think that improving your thank you game is really just code for expensive gift items that are out of your budget — or for high touch gestures that...
How to Delight Your Customers
If improving customer service is on your 2016 priority list, take heart — I’ve rounded up some great resources to help. I’ve assembled articles about the wisdom of investing in customer delight, as well as how to measure it, how to design it, and how to...
Switch Up Your Morning Ritual
What do your mornings look like? Mornings — especially the early hours between waking and work — can set the tune for your whole day. Want to up your game? Over on the Redbooth blog, I round up the best articles on morning routines. These articles explore how the rich...
New Thinking on Productivity
Over on the Redbooth blog — a roundup of the latest thinking on employee productivity — including getting a grip on distractions and interruptions. You know, the things that happen approximately every 30 seconds during your work day! Read the article...
Favorite Links Roundup
Over on the Redbooth blog – my very own Best Of roundup — and yep, I pretty muched saved the best for last. Longer-form, extra thought-provoking…articles I couldn’t pass up. Read the article here.
The Best Business Lessons in the Galaxy
Star Wars: The Force Awakens just enjoyed one of the best opening weekends of all time. Movie magic aside, that’s a product launch we all can admire. To celebrate opening week of the long awaited Episode VII, over on the Redbooth blog I curated some of the best...
Handling Negotiations
Over on the Redbooth blog, I tackle what you need to know about negotiating. Learn the negotiating tactic that secured the UN climate deal in Paris, plus a monster article on how to use emotions during negotiations — no matter which side of the deal you’re on....
Goal Setting for Next Year? Read this!
Setting goals for next year? They’re the business equivalents of New Year’s resolutions, and most people have a love/hate relationship with the whole process. Over on the Redbooth blog, I offer some new perspectives on the practice of goal setting....
How to Run Better Meetings
We love to hate them, but we all got ’em. Meetings. Over on the Redbooth blog, I check out what’s new in meeting management. Need some help crafting your meeting agenda? Know what to do immediately after your meeting is over? (Or: are you looking to ditch...
Gratitude and Appreciation in the Workplace
Over on the Redbooth blog, I take inspiration from the Thanksgiving holiday and highlight articles that offer practical advice on expressing appreciation — and giving gifts — at work. There are also some gems that explore the fascinating relationships between...
High-Speed Leadership
Over on the Redbooth blog, I tackle the high-performance side of leadership: speed, secret weapons, succeeding against odds, and commanding armies. Make no mistake: this is authoritative advice sourced to experts. Just with a dash of Bond-worthy panache. Read the...![How I Used Evernote to Plan My 1000 Mile Move [Case Study]](https://i0.wp.com/karensergeant.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/IMG_0449-e1438219887199.png?resize=250%2C250&ssl=1)
How I Used Evernote to Plan My 1000 Mile Move [Case Study]
Last September, I moved a thousand miles up the west coast, from San Diego to Portland (downsizing an entire room and a garage – which is as much a logistical feat as the 1000 mile move). It took over my life for a couple of months. While I was a big fan of...
Moving House? Plan Your Move with Evernote (and Save Your Sanity)
Today I’m launching a new series that shows you real life Evernote use cases – showing you how to use Evernote to solve a problem or reach a goal. I’m starting off with House Moving — how to use Evernote to manage everything from researching and...
How my Client Improved Productivity by Integrating Evernote and Redbooth
It’s no secret that I rely on Redbooth to manage my business life, and it’s my #1 recommendation to clients team-size and bigger, to manage their daily collaboration and to-do items. A few weeks back, I exchanged tweets with Redbooth’s CEO about...
5 Worries You Might Have About Using Evernote for Your Business
The decision to move your business to Evernote is exciting to contemplate: it’s so easy to see the benefits and imagine the productivity gains. But I also think that it — as with any major business decision — doesn’t come without concerns as well. It’s my job to field...
Making Table of Contents notes in Evernote
Dear Evernote users: As the notes for your project start to add up – sometimes you’d like to see an inventory list of all the notes in a notebook. Easy to do, it takes two clicks! Here are some tips for how to create — and pin — table of contents notes in...
How to Search in Evernote
Searching in Evernote is a dream. The AI that undergirds Evernote search was the original patent & idea for creating the Evernote program. And they keep making improvements to it. I believe that it’s realistic to say that you can put your hands on what you’re...
5 Ways to Use Evernote to Build Your Info-Product
So you’re beginning to think about your next info-product. Is this you? You have a Pinterest board to capture infographics & images that are firing your creativity. You have a couple gDocs with your brainstorming notes & maybe an outline You stashed some...
My interview on Breakthrough Directions podcast
I love this interview so much – despite the fact that it was about 90 degrees in the house that day. These ladies were terrific interviewers and I enjoyed telling my story, covering everything from Afghanistan to Evernote. Please have a listen! (Bonus: during...