At the age of 26 I was finding myself leaving corporate America and venturing into business on my own. I had a fair inclination as to what we were going to do and lots of ideas on how to do them. We had originally started as a small entity with the best of intentions to produce independent film projects, with my leave from my corporate adventures we started a consulting division to house the new contracted services from Microsoft. We had bold ideas to launch a magazine which eventually lead to a modeling and talent agency, record label, retail division and other business interests for what would be come FrostFire Media Corporation.

Early on in this adventure I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to drive this bold ship without some much valued advice. As a young company it wasn’t practical to have a board of directors right away, and we also did not have the resources to have a full finance department, human resource department and other departments commonly found in larger companies.

You see, at the time all of my background, education and experience had been in the marketing communications field. Because of the roles that I played at DaimlerChrysler and Microsoft however I had a great deal of exposure to the other parts of business and what was needed to conduct the day to day operations. Even so, I wouldn’t call myself an expert in any of them at the time.

A friend of mine asked me over lunch a few weeks back. “How do you manage to know so much about business and what courses of action to take?” He’s a fairly young entrepreneur himself and finding himself growing much faster than he’d ever expected. My answer was simple – when I started out I didn’t know everything, I still don’t know everything. But the key to being an effective leader, I think, is surrounding yourself with talents and individuals that have strong knowledge and backgrounds in places that you don’t. Furthermore, I personally like being surrounded by people that are not afraid to challenge my ideas and debate ways of doing things. This often times produces an end result that is far more effective and works more congruently across work styles and various business needs.

I shared with this friend about our concept of the Board of Advisors. This board consisted of close friends and colleagues with expertise in various parts of business. This board proved invaluable as we experienced rapid growth, an economic downturn, a natural disaster and eventual restructure. The fourteen member board consisted of two human resource professionals, six business owners, three non-profit and community advocates, one communications professional and a few with general community interests.

The board of advisors was structured fairly loosely, we had full board meetings but also engaged the members individually on several occasions as needs arose. This team was a large reason why we were able to accomplish what we did.

Much like a board of directors, these advisors can help funnel their collective experience into your business and drive greater success, aid in crisis and ultimately help produce larger returns. They also serve as ambassadors for your message and can bring in key contacts to drive more opportunity.

But your answer doesn’t need to be a full out formalized board, it can just be an identified list of friends and colleagues that you feel comfortable going to for help. You’d be amazed at how willing people are to help make your dream come true. And how much more secure you’ll feel knowing that each business decision you make is backed with the collective knowledge of people from all sorts of professional backgrounds and experiences.

Before I start I should mention that this current post has nothing to do with former ties to Microsoft, nor is it meant as a promo for Microsoft Office products. With that said, it’s been twenty years since the advent of this software onto the business scene and its transformed the way in which we correspond, analyze data and drive decisions. However, I’m finding more and more as I work with various companies that there are still vast amounts of people that haven’t completely harnessed the basic power that this suite of software can hold.

I’m not just talking about generations past who remember typewriters in the office place and a day in age when the mimeograph machine was how you distributed the corporate newsletter. Surprisingly this is an observation of recent high school and college graduates who have only a very basic knowledge of Microsoft Office and even that is limited.

I won’t question the educational institutions because I know far too well that the courses are offered and undoubtedly highly under utilized. Students and veteran workers alike need to own the decision to become familiar and learn these tools. There are countless community education classes on the subject and more than enough ways to dive in and become exposed to these tools.

Bottom line, it’s difficult to get ahead without the tools to get you there. You want to make an impression and affect the momentum of your organization? Get into everything MS Office and similar solutions have to offer. Know how to format impressive business correspondence. Learn how to manipulate data with formulas that will cut your work time in half or more by automating many of the calculations you may be doing by hand now. Land that new big client with a sales presentation that shows without a doubt that you’re the top show in town.

With time saving functions across all of these solutions you’ll discover you have more time for enjoying life out of the office while being far more productive in the office.

Here are some basic tips to get you started:

Outlook for email

1. Treat your inbox as your to-do list. If you have a message that has an action that’s already been completed? File it away.
2. Use flags to color code and prioritize your work.  You can also view these flagged items sorted by color in your “Follow Up” folder.
3. Sort email into folders. Create folders for the various types of tasks you work on each day or perhaps by business divisions and departments.  This makes finding that vital email proof you need in a bind MUCH easier.
4. Set up “rules” to help manage the flow of email. This is especially helpful when you have your flagging system down. Do you have a similar email that comes in that perhaps is just a reference? Or maybe you need to make sure to flag it as a high priority? By right clicking your email – you can select numerous parameters to automatically flag, file and even respond to your incoming mail.

Word

1. Track Changes is an excellent review tool when passing strategies and other documents around for comment and input.  This feature illustrates what edits were made by whom along with showing comments. The ability for the final reviewer to accept or decline changes as needed.
2. The Forms tool is an excellent way to format standard letters and correspondence that need a consistent look and feel without altering the boilerplate text.
3. Mail Merge for your larger mailings. This feature ties in with a list created in Excel and can be used to produce labels for office supplies as well as the standard mailing.

Excel

1. Auto Filter can help you short through your data quickly and get to exactly what you need fast.
2. Formulas, Formulas, Formulas…with this one notion in mind you can save time and make more effective decisions. The nice thing about Excel is that by clicking on the formula button the wizards will walk you step by step through how to use the function.

PowerPoint

1. Keep your presentation on track by using your notes slide.  This is a great place to put speaker notes and your outline for what you plan to talk about.
2. Keep your slides simple. Don’t fall into the typical habit of reading your slides – your audience will feel like they are back in elementary school reading the text book aloud. Slides are a visual support to your speech and presentation.

Time to get back to work – I hope these basics help simplify your workday and save you time.

With budget cuts continuing to be the norm in business and the reality of smaller bonuses, it becomes ever more challenging to engage employees and motivate them to produce at a higher level. Today we are challenged to come up with new and innovative ways to bring our work teams together and the best way to do this on a tight budget?  Make work fun again!

I know, for all of those traditionalists out there reading this you are probably panicking at the notion that work could become a place where laughter, loud cheering and an occasional HOORAY! might disrupt the normal calm of the cube farm. Rest assured its time to change that tone.

More and more, companies are adopting the practice of introducing “play time” into the work day. This comes as a result of an ever increasing level of stress and new demands on the work-to-life ratio. This play time not only offers employees a way to relax and break from the normal day, but it also in a sense builds the team mentality throughout the office. Much like high-school where we used sports, music, theatre and clubs to build team and strengthen relationships, companies are now adopting many of these practices to do much the same thing in their corporate environment.

It is important to develop games and activities that can both bolster morale and offer a sense of belonging. Softball leagues were the first foray into this realm many years ago, but now you can see knitting groups, book clubs and even social involvement and charity groups forming to tackle causes on behalf of the company. Managers are incorporating traditional games into their off-site meetings and even introducing incentives to drive prizes and awards.

By incorporating these practices and supporting their formation, companies can achieve a greater sense of employee satisfaction without risking the bottom line in a tough economy. Of course as the bottom line improves, feel free to up the ante on prizes and awards.

An investment in your team is the best investment you can make. These are your front line warriors out there everyday representing you and your brand. Empower them to have fun, get involved and make a difference. They’ll be proud they work for you, share their goodwill. What will you get in return for introducing utter chaos into your workplace? You can count on getting a reputation as the company who has employees that give back, get involved and love their work. Chances are your human resources department may start singing your praises as their recruiting task becomes ever easier as word spreads that your company is the one to work for.

So let your creatives in the workplace go wild and create some fun adventures for your team. After all, spring is here and what better time to reenergize your most valuable asset, your team.

Life is about choice. At every turn we have decisions to make that could have a profound impact on how the rest of our lives take shape.  The key is to not be afraid. I learned a long time ago that ultimately you will go one direction or the other. The reality is that no matter which direction you choose, the end result has the potential to be fabulous.

I find that many people have a sense of real fear and anxiety that comes along with taking on the challenge of choice.  It’s the questions that hang us up and stop us from really taking advantage of the opportunity.

There are all the “what if’s” in life that scare us.  What if this happens? What if that happens? For those that know me well, I have a theory here. Whatever the choice in life may be, always eliminate the “What if’s.” I remember saying to myself back in middle school, “no matter what I experienced in life, I would hope that I would never look back on anything and say ‘What if?’” This is when you really start missing out and begin to develop regret.

These “What If” questions pop up in ways big and small. Could I really be a homeowner? Do I really have what ti takes to do this job? Can I really make it through college? Should I plant corn in the garden? The truth is, you’ll never know until you choose to eliminate the “What If”. When you do this you’ll find yourself completely empowered. Now I’m not saying over extend yourself, we all must learn to live within our means and our limits. But its perfectly well to push the envelope.

Another aspect in life where choice is important is when it comes to relationships. We can all relate to the varying complexities that revolve around our interactions with other people. There are the co-workers you just sort of deal with, the ones you enjoy happy hour with after work and those that eventually make their way into your personal life. Likewise with friends there are those that you must maintain on a regular basis in order to properly and effectively keep the relationship going. Then there are those friends that no matter how long the distance, every time you meet you can talk and converse as though no time ever passed.

We have choices when dealing with those around us – we choose the types of relationships that we are comfortable with and we also find ourselves choosing who we are most compatible with. Its not a sense of right or wrong, its a sense of spirit and energy. We each affect people in different ways and like a jigsaw puzzle some pieces fit perfectly while others have a better fit in another part of the life puzzle.

It’s when we need to find that “better fit” that choice becomes the most difficult. A very dear friend of mine is currently going through a divorce. We’ve all heard the horror stories of the fights, the legal battles, the terrible toll on the children involved. What I admire about this friend is that she is grasping the power of choice in the ordeal and choosing to love, honor and celebrate a life once shared while being positively open to a new chapter in her life about to unfold. This openness is allowing her to maintain grace, dignity and most importantly a positive energy as she moves forward. A friendship is spared, children are left feeling loved and two people are able to start anew with hope and revived spirits.

Through the entire journey we call life, choice is a driving force that takes us from where we began our journey to where we are today while shaping what will become of us in the future. The key is to recognize that choice is the most valuable tool we have and we must use it wisely, discreetly and without hesitation.

So tomorrow when you wake up, I challenge this. Choose to see the world in a different way than you did today. Choose to love and be loved. Choose to make an impact. And as a wise teacher once told me, always choose to be happy.

Make good choices!

Christopher

In the last few weeks I’ve received several questions pertaining to more specifically facebook. However, in this world where we are constantly bombarded by social networking opportunities I’m discovering a constant blur between what is for business, what is for personal and for that matter what is personal now-a-days.

There are several options and networks out there and I would actually highly recommend that in this day in age everyone be exposed to at minimum one of them. They are a great way to stay in touch with family, friends and even a way to meet new people.

I’m going to attempt to outline the different sites, a bit of what they are and how you should use them. Keep in mind this is all largely based on my opinion and how you choose to utilize the various sites is completely up to you.

Facebook

This site has gained huge amounts of popularity and overtook its predecessors like myspace and others. In my opinion this site should be used primarily for personal connections and not professional. Granted there are some instances where you may have a good friend that is also a work colleague. However, for professional reasons and by the sheer fact that you probably don’t want your boss aware that you hit the town with all your friends and stayed out late on a Sunday night and perhaps that’s why you’re less than perky on a Monday morning, just avoid accepting your co-workers in this venue.

Don’t be afraid of the ignore button when you get friend requests. You are NOT obligated and the most they’ll notice is if they go to request you as a friend again. For those that are out for a popularity contest, get over it.  If I don’t know you, I personally won’t accept your friend request unless we have several friends in common and one of them vouches for you.

Another quick and easy tip in this area is think twice before diving into the wonderful world of facebook applications. Sure, these are a fun way to pass the time away, but be aware of your friends and what their interests might be. Many people are actually quite turned off by applications and find them a hindrance to using facebook.  No one wants to spend their valuable ½ hour of facebook time ignoring 50 invitations to help someone grow a farm, take part in a mafia war or the myriad of other options that exist.  For those that are wondering what I’m talking about here, don’t worry join facebook you’ll find out soon enough.

Be sure to exand your network in Facebook. Take advantage of the tools such as friend finder and search by school.  You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can find and connect with long lost classmates from college and high school.  There are even search functions by work place to connect with those co-workers you still want to be in touch with.

For those that are looking at facebook as a tool to get the word out about your business or services, there is a great feature called “pages.” This is that feature that pops up and you can “become a fan”.  It’s a great way to have a connection with your customers and supporters without being obligated to that personal connection.

The most important feature to be aware of are your privacy settings.  This is where you control what the world see’s about you.  If you are new to facebook, I’d highly recommend placing your settings at the highest levels, at least until you are more comfortable with the site overall.

Finally, the status update. Yes, this is the news feed that appears on your homepage that I’m sure many have come to hate or love. I strongly recommend limiting yourself to MAYBE 4 updates a day.  Anymore than this and it gets a little annoying.  Also, try to avoid the temptations to make your friends a part of your latest diet where you post everything you eat in an effort to trim down your amount of intake. If you do find that someone is inundating your news feed with updates, there is a handy little “hide” button that appears when you hover over an update.

Twitter

This site is probably one of the more largely misunderstood. Basically, this is the status update from facebook in a simplified format and often more limited. The site utilizes RSS feed technology (basically runs the information real time to you if you have an RSS reader either on your phone or computer. You can also program to have the “tweets” from people you are following sent to your cell phone via text messaging.

I think businesses and organizations have the greatest difficulty on how to utilize this site to get their message out. Try to think of your posts in terms of quick announcements you want to get to your followers and customers. Let them know about a new shipment of merchandise that just arrived, new product that you just launched or in terms of this blog when I’ve made an update. From a business stand point I like to think of these as tweeteasers (I’m secretly hoping that term catches on). The more you tease your followers with information the more likely they are to take note and see you above the crowd.

Same rules apply here as in facebook with followers. Think about what you intend to post, if its professional leave it wide open for anyone to follow you. If you are posting your daily journal of activities you might want to set this to private and approve and monitor those that are following you.

LinkedIn

Now, this is your professional network of contacts. So feel free to reach out to everyone you know professionally and those you know personally that can vouch for your professional achievements.

The main keys you want to consider here are ensure that your information is up-to-date. Recruiters today are actually using LinkedIn to find candidates for new positions. Think of this as your online resume and then some. Be sure to be specific about achievements and take the liberty to brag a bit. This is your avenue to shine.

Maintain the art of recommendations. Probably the most powerful tool in the LinkedIn interface, however make sure you go about this the correct way. The best way to get a recommendation or referral is to give one. I’d strongly recommend taking the initiative to go out and write up a recommendation for someone you think highly of and that may think highly of you as well. Once you have written your raving review, invite them to replicate the favor. The more people you have vouching for your capabilities the better your chance of wowing a potential future employer.

Let’s Wrap it Up!

I hope this, my longest post, served to help answer a few basics for diving into social networking. If you have more questions feel free to shoot them my way, comment below and I’ll be sure to update with answers.

If you’d like advice on how social networking can improve your bottom line and work into your business’s strategy feel free to email me at christophermohs@gmail.com.

Til the next post – reach out and reconnect with a long lost friend.

Christopher!

People often ask how I have the energy to dive into what I do. Well, it’s easy.  I’m a type triple A personality with a pinch of obsessive compulsive and a dash of dreams and hope. But in all reality, I probably don’t work and play as hard as many think, but in everything that I’ve done I find that the small things make the biggest impact.

Sure we can trump out, run for president and solve world hunger. But let’s admit it, that job is left to one person out of 300 million in a draw of fate and insanity every 4 years. I like to think that the friendly hello as your going through the fast food drive through and a gracious thank you have a far greater impact when practiced regularly. Its volunteering to apply your skills and expertise to a local non-profit so they can grow and flurish. Its taking the time to sit down with you child when they’ve been bad and talking with them about the consequences and the rewards for being good.

We all do things everyday that positively influence our world, both big and small.  So here’s my question to you the fresh readers of this blog. How do you influence your world?

Drop your answers below in the comments and check back to see all the ways others are influencing their own worlds.

Have Fun!

Christopher

I’ve had quite a bit of exposure with non-profit organizations over the years.  From volunteering to serving on the board of directors. These organizations have also varied in focus with strengths in community service, arts and health issues. One thing I’ve observed over the years in the uncanny ability for a non-profit organization to focus on two things, 1) Raising money and 2) Spending money.

Now, I know, these are the primary functions and purposes of non-profit organizations.  However, in one of the toughest economies in the last 80 years, how will these organizations continue to raise the money needed to provide vital and enriching services to their communities? It’s really quite simple.

Today’s donors are ever increasingly sophisticated in their donor approach. They now see their donations not as a gift, but rather an investment in a cause they passionately believe in. As donors continue to see non-profits in this way, non-profits are pushed ever more to create sustainable and efficient business models that will appeal to an ever decreasing base of funding.

So how does a non-profit do this?  Here are some quick steps that are vital to this approach.

1. Create that strategic business plan. – I know, this is that big binder you created about 10 years ago at a weekend retreat and you just regret pulling it down and revisiting it.  The reality is this is your number one tool for bringing on “investors”.  They want to see what their funding can do and how far it will reach.
2. Develop an organizational growth map. – What’s an organizational growth map? This is a term that I pulled together when working at FrostFire Media.  Yes, I’m proposing yet another business practice to apply towards your everyday non-profit world, but it really is effective.  An organizational growth map is a document that tracks not only the current organizational chart, but also seeks to identify future team needs that align and match with your strategic plan. This document serves two purposes, it shows donors where their additional funding will go and gives your team members within your organization a vision of where they can fit in as the organization grows and prospers.
3. Policies and Procedures. – Surprisingly many think that policies and procedures will slow down progress and the goals of the organization. Not really the case. I’ve witnessed so many organizations flounder because of a lack of policies and procedures. How do you handle that new big donor, what about naming rights, who approves expenditures and how are budgets tracked.  These are all items that flow into a policies and procedures document which will be requested often times by donors to ensure that you have your ducks in a row.

It might seem like very basic practices, but keeping your eye on these 3 main areas will help set your non-profit apart from the others in the battle for funding that will undoubtedly continue in the coming years.

If your interested in assistance in developing some of these areas for your organization, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here to help you achieve your mission and goals.

Keep the passion alive and the communities thriving.

Christopher