First: What IS a standard operating procedure?

A standard operating procedure is a set of written/audio/video instructions that describes the step-by-step process that must be taken to properly perform a routine activity.

It’s intended that SOPs be followed the exact same way every time to guarantee that the company remains consistent - especially if you work in a highly regulated or monitored environment such as financial services, some health providers, and even for health and safety reasons…

Steering the ship of a business is can be both exhilarating and challenging. Decisions made can have a profound impact on the entire company and its performance. It’s in this context that personalized business coaching emerges as a powerful tool for business owners to not only navigate the complexities of their roles but to thrive and excel.

I’ll dive into the various advantages and positive outcomes that business coaching brings to owners and founders as a not-so-secret weapon.

I want to share a story about a business owner who was consistently feeling behind the eight ball…Always feeling 2 steps behind each week.

She was growing but everything was chaotic and she was exhausted.

She was struggling to deliver her services to her clients and grow her business - She was engaged in most of the business development, dealt with many of the clients and was the primary contact for any customer service issue.

She was onboarding a new team member yet because she was still a small business of only six, she was still wearing many hats each day.

Then, after working together, she was able to turn things around.

How?

Have you experienced those times when you feel:

• Consistently overwhelmed thinking: How am I going to get it all done?

• You have too much to do but feel like you have so little time

• You can’t focus on what needs to be done

• Continuously checking your emails, for the next thing to do

These can all be signs of not implementing a few intentional and savvy strategies that can take you from wondering how to get it all done….to moving your biggest initiatives - and your business - forward.

If this is you or if you’ve dipped in an out of these phases, here’s what you can do about it.

If you’re like many Business Owners and Founders, you’ve found a way to delegate to your team members.

What I hear, however, is sometimes you feel like you’re doing a great job and other times it feels like you and your team member are speaking two different languages.

If you feel your delegation is hit or miss, don’t worry, I’ve got a resource for you!

First, why is it important that we delegate in our businesses?

I suspect you know the answer to this already.

How easy is it for you to find time and space in your calendar to work on the really important things to you?

You know, the things that will advance your business or improve how you work?

Here’s a thought.

What if the act of creating space for meaningful work is just as powerful as the space itself?

If creating space in your business feels like a big lift, I want to invite you to think about how the practice of creating time and space for important initiatives is a fundamental skill a founder and owner can cultivate.

We can all relate to the owner that wears all the hats. Bookkeeping, Sales, Customer Service, Leader, HR, Manager, etc. You may be at this stage right now.

Even when you have team members occupying these roles, the work of an owner and founder is rarely a calendar of open space.

However, the owner and founder that is able to create some white space is the one that goes farther. Their companies seem to advance, evolve and grow further…

There’s a lot of advice out there on leadership and sometimes it can make one feel that we have to have things perfectly figured out to be a good leader.

So, I’m suggesting that if you feel that way too, let’s agree that we can let that idea go completely.

In fact, I believe that’s the beauty (or challenge) of leadership…much of the learning is experiential and you have to live it, learn it, and be willing to try things out. Some will work, some will not. And, some will be painful and messy.

However, I think the intention, effort, and a mindset of continuous improvement can go a long way in expanding your leadership skills and creating a high-performing team.

This is a collection of ideas to inspire you in your leadership to dig in and explore ways to take your leadership to the next level so you can heighten results from your team…

I had a conversation today where someone asked me if I provide ‘Life Coaching’.

It’s an interesting question, because in a way all coaching is life coaching because even though I work with Leaders and Business Owners, we’re not always talking about business and work.

We talk about all the things that might come up that impacts WHO we are and how we show up professionally.

“Where ever you go, there you are” — Jon Kabat-Zinn

We bring our whole selves to work. We typically aren’t one way at work and one way at home…and if we are and it’s a dramatic difference, that can cause a LOT of stress for you in the long-run. If this is you, we need to speak.

I digress.

The question I received today make me think again about how we show up and what we bring with us wherever we go.

It can happen to any of us, getting to that point in our career where we don’t know what to do next. And then suddenly, that lack of direction can turn into the feeling of being stuck.

I find the tipping point in going from ‘exploring options’ to ‘stuck’ is when we let fear drive the ‘career path’ bus.

Living with intention is a way of tuning into your own desires, needs and goals and not letting yourself be swept away by the goals and desires of others. 

I've been thinking lately about acceptance & strength.

Acceptance of what you ask?