Bud Bilanich | The Common Sense Guy

Common Sense Guy Overview

2008-03-09T12:58:06-06:00

I’ve written 603 posts on this blog, beginning in 2005 and ending in January 2008. These posts were on three topics:

· Leading people.

· Running a successful business.

· Creating a successful life and career.

I have taken a hiatus from posting here to concentrate on my other blog www.SuccessCommonSense.com. Success common sense focuses solely on creating a successful life and career, my passion these days.

However, there is valuable content here. If you are interested in leading people and running a successful business, scroll through these posts. I think you’ll find some information that may be helpful to you.

I am leaving this blog up, for the content, and because I will probably begin posting here again. In the meantime, enjoy what’s here. Thanks for logging on.

Bud Bilanich

The Common Sense Guy

March 9, 2008

The End of a Great Ride

2008-01-07T12:22:15-07:00

This is the last post on Common Sense Guy. I made this decision over the holidays.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know it started out as a blog on three things: 1) career and life success, 2) leadership and 3) small business and entrepreneurship.

About a year ago, I created a new blog www.SuccessCommonSense.com. This blog is devoted to career and life success. Common Sense Guy remained the place where I blogged about leadership and entrepreneurship.

In February, my new book Straight Talk for Success will be out. Straight Talk is an outgrowth of my Success Common Sense blog. In it, I describe and explore the five elements of a successful life and career.

Self Confidence
Positive Personal Impact
Outstanding Performance
Communication Skills
Interpersonal Competence

I developed this model for use with my coaching clients. They’ve given me such positive feedback on it, that I turned it into a book.

While I will continue my leadership and entrepreneurship consulting with existing clients, I have decided to refocus my business on my career and life success coaching practice.

That’s why I am closing down this blog. It will remain up -- with this post – until the end of January. If you want to grab your free copy of my book 4 Secrets of High Performing Organizations, you can do so until then by clicking on the image of its cover just below my picture on the top left side of this page.

Writing two blogs where I post four or five days a week is time consuming. By cutting down to one blog, www.SuccessCommonSense.com, I will be able to continue to provide you with the high quality, unique content to which you have become accustomed.

I value you, and thank you for reading Common Sense Guy. I hope that you will subscribe to www.SuccessCommonSense.com.

One more thing, as I am The Common Sense Guy, after February 1, www.CommonSenseGuy.com will direct you to my newly redesigned web site.

Thank you again for your support and for reading my Common Sense Guy blog in the past. I hope that you will continue to read – and comment on -- www.SuccessCommonSense.com.

You have my best wishes for your continued success, and my sincere hope that 2008 brings you peace, health, happiness and prosperity.

Bud Bilanich
The Common Sense Guy

A Little Bit of Common Sense Can Move Mountains -- or Boulders at Least

2007-12-20T09:38:32-07:00

This will be my last post for the year. Cathy and I will be visiting family and relaxing for the next two weeks. My next post will be on Monday, January 7 2008. Cathy and I wish you and your family a very happy holiday season and peace, health, happiness and prosperity in 2008.

Today’s post is a common sense story. For all I know, it is an urban myth, but I like its common sense message, so I’m posting it here.

“When the city of St. Petersburg, Russia was being laid out early in the 18th century, city planners had to deal with a number of large boulders that had been deposited by a glacier centuries before. There was one particularly large boulder that was in the path of on the principle planned thoroughfares. The planners were frustrated in their attempts to move it.

“A peasant offered to remove the boulder. The planners gave him the job, because they felt they had nothing to lose.

“The next day, the peasant showed up with a crowd of workers, all carrying shovels. The dug a huge hole next to the boulder, propping it up with timbers as they worked. When the hole was large enough, the peasants removed the props and the boulder dropped into the hole. The workers covered the rock with dirt, and carted away the extra soil.”

I like this story because it demonstrates how the common sense solution is often overlooked. The planners and engineers were caught in the paradigm of moving the boulder. The peasant saw the problem from a different perspective and solved the problem.

Remember this story next year when you are trying to figure out how to solve a problem.

Thanks for reading this year. My new book Straight Talk for Success: Common Sense Ideas That Won’t Let You Down will be out early in 2008. In the acknowledgments, I thank all of my blog readers, especially those who comment on my posts, because my last two books have started out as blog posts. I’ll let you know when the book is available.

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense. Check out my other blog: www.SuccessCommonSense.com for common sense advice on becoming the career and life success you are meant to be and to get a copy of my new ebook Star Power: Common Sense Ideas for Career and Life Success.

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open. Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

First Rate Customer Service

2007-12-18T09:29:48-07:00

In my book 4 Secrets of High Performing Organizations, I point out that all successful businesses and the people who lead them have four things in common.

Successful businesses and the people who lead them develop and communicate a clarity or purpose and direction.
Successful businesses and the people who lead them engage the full commitment of everyone in the organization.
Successful businesses and the people who lead them skillfully execute the things that matter.
Successful businesses and the people who lead them build strong, lasting, mutually beneficial relationship with important outside constituencies.

Today, I’d like to focus on customer service and share some customer service best practices I picked up in the First Rate Customer Service Newsletter.

Calm an upset customer by explaining how you solved a similar problem. Say something like, “Last week another customer had the same problem. We sent a tech to her location and he solved the problem in a couple of hours. Would you like me to do the same for you?”
When a customer is upset and speaking quickly, don’t say “I can’t understand a word you’re saying.” Instead, say something like, “Let me catch up with you. I’d appreciate it if you would repeat your complaint so I’m sure I understand.”
Get customer reviews by asking for them. As for customer testimonials when you send them things like order confirmation e mails, shipping confirmation e mails or packing slips. Zappos.com does a great job of this using a survey format.
Be specific and clear when you respond to customers via e mail.
Stay in touch with your customers. Offer them the chance to sign up for an e newsletter that you publish. Make sure that you allow them the opportunity to opt in to your list.
Return telephone calls between 8:00 and 10:00 in the morning, and 3:00 and 5:00 in the afternoon. These are the best times to find people at their desks.

I hope you found these common sense ideas useful. I’m impressed with the common sense advice found in First Rate Customer Service.

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open. Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

21st Century Leadership Advice from the Mid 20th Century

2007-12-17T10:00:24-07:00

I have been reading David Halberstam’s latest (and sadly, last) book, The Coldest Winter. It is an absolutely fascinating account of the political and military issues surrounding the US involvement in the Korean War.

Last night, I read a passage that I want to share it. When President Truman relieved General Douglas MacArthur of his command in Korea, he appointed General Matt Ridgway to replace him. Mr. Halberstam makes the following point about General Ridgway’s leadership style.

“Ridgway’s concept of leadership was better suited for a more egalitarian era. He tended not to impose his will on his men, but to allow the men under him to find something within themselves that would make them more confident, more purposeful fighting men. It was their confidence in themselves that would make them fight well, he believed, not so much their belief in him. His job was to teach them to find that quality in themselves.”

This passage was written about events that occurred in December 1950; 57 years ago. If anything, this is a more “egalitarian era” than then. Matt Ridgway’s ideas about leadership ring true today.

In my forthcoming book, Straight Talk for Success: Common Sense Ideas That Won’t Let You Down, I argue that career and life success begins with self confidence – and this was before I read what Mr. Halberstam had to say about General Ridgway. I believe that self confidence and a sense of purpose are key to success in any venture. It was interesting for me to see that, like much of my common sense advice, I am echoing something from the past in my book on career and life success.

The common sense point here is simple. Whether you are a leader in a large company, or a small business owner, find ways to help the people who work for you to become self confident and purposeful, and you’ll build a strong organization.

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open. Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

Holiday Party Advice for Small Business Owners

2007-12-14T08:34:33-07:00

It’s holiday party time. On Tuesday, I posted dos and don’ts for partygoers on my www.SuccessCommonSense.com blog. Today I’d like to post some advice for small business owners on hosting a holiday party.

Choose your venue wisely. It’s usually better to have some sort of private room then a large table in a restaurant.
Keep your entertainment strictly g rated. That means no strippers, belly dancers, comedians who can be a little over the top.
Avoid religious themes unless you are 100% certain that all of your employees, their spouses and/or guests practice the same religion.
Serve a varied menu. Make sure there is something for everyone.
Be careful with alcohol. You can be held liable for people who leave your party who are legally over the limit and get into an accident. If you serve alcohol, make sure that you arrange for taxi service to those who might drink a little too much.
Invite spouses, partners and guests. Your employees and spouses will appreciate it.
Be careful with mistletoe – things can get carried away.
Be charitable – ask your employees to bring a toy or non perishable food item that you will donate to charity.

This all boils down to one piece of common sense advice about hosting company holiday parties. Create a situation in which all of your employees and their guests feel comfortable.

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open. Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

Common Sense Advice for Developing Leaders

2007-12-13T10:52:58-07:00

Recently, I read Ram Charan’s new book Leaders At All Levels. I like this book because its basic premise is something that I have long believed – companies need to approach leadership as a hands on activity.

Mr. Charan’s focus is on large companies. However, I believe that leadership development is as important, or even more important, for small companies and entrepreneurial ventures. He lays out six building blocks for leadership development. Smart leaders and small business owners would do well to heed them.

A deep leadership pool is a competitive advantage.
Every leader should be required to treat leadership identification and development as a critical part of his or her job.
Leaders should spend 20 to 25% of their time observing future leaders and providing them with feedback.
A company’s leadership development system should be as rigorous as its financial system.
Companies should ask the question – “What is the right job for this individual?” instead of, “Who is the right individual for this job?”
Leadership can’t be learned in a classroom exclusively, but educational experiences can accelerate a leader’s growth.

I particularly like point 5. It creates a new paradigm for leadership development. By asking, “What is the right job for this individual?” instead of, “Who is the right individual for this job?” you emphasize the need to develop talent, not just fill vacant positions. Leadership At All Levels is full of interesting, innovative thinking like this.

Mr. Charan’s thoughts on what it takes to do a good job in leadership development can be summed up in the following ten points.

Developing other leaders should be an important part of every leader’s job. Leaders should be expected to devote considerable energy and a minimum of 20% of their time to it.
Leaders who identify and develop other leaders should be rewarded and recognized for doing so.
Leaders should regularly coach aspiring leaders on the one or two most important things on which they need to improve.
Performance evaluations should consider not just what a leader achieved, but also how and under what circumstances.
Leaders should pool their insights to determine how an aspiring leader might develop and where he or she should go next.
The most promising aspiring leaders should get assignments that are greatly challenging and may be far outside of their demonstrated area of expertise.
Aspiring leaders on development paths should not be kept waiting for job openings. They should get challenging new assignments as soon as they’re ready for them.
Assessments of leader and aspiring leader talents should be precise, balanced and complete – and separate from annual performance reviews.
The leadership development process should be consistent and rigorous as other business processes.
HR should ensure that leaders at all levels actively develop other leaders and plan their succession. HR should provide useful input to help leaders and the aspiring leaders who they lead to find good fits for people and jobs.

Some of these ideas may seem quite radical (20% of a leaders time spent on leadership development), but Mr. Charan believes there is a looming leadership crisis in US business today. I agree with him. If you want a fresh and interesting perspective on leadership development you should read this book.

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open. Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

Personal Productivity Tips

2007-12-12T08:10:22-07:00

Running a small business is time consuming. I’m writing this at 3:55 pm. I’ve been in my office since 7:30 (with a small break to shovel snow). If I had not looked at the clock, I would have guessed that it is about noon. It’s always that way for me. I never seem to have enough time in the day.

However, I have come across some common sense ideas for making the most of my time and becoming more productive. I subscribe to Dan Robey’s ezine (www.thepowerofpositivehabits.com). The other day he laid out his formula for preventing work overload and being more productive. Dan’s ideas, like most things easy to say and somewhat difficult to do, are simple common sense. Take a look:

“There is a very simple formula to help you prevent work overload and be more productive every day of your life.

“Every time you are faced with a new task to perform, (an email request, new project at work or at home, phone calls, etc.) apply the 4 D's as listed below. You will find that your workload will be reduced and your productivity will go up as you apply this screening and decision making tool to each task. Decide on the most appropriate choice - and take action.

Do It Now. Take immediate action, do the task right away, don't procrastinate.
Dump It Now. Make a quick decision and dump the task.
Delegate It. Give the task to someone else. This is a very critical aspect of time management. Your time is valuable; make it a habit to work on tasks that you do best and delegate the tasks that can be performed by someone else.
Defer the Task. Make an immediate decision to postpone the task to a later time. Make sure to schedule a time to complete it.”

Dan is great with alliterations – Do it, Dump it, Delegate it, Defer it.

Number 3 can be a difficult one – especially for small business owners. Afterall, one of the reasons we’re in business for ourselves is that nobody can do things quite as well as us. Correct?

I struggled with this one for years. I’m a solo entrepreneur, and I always felt as if I needed to do everything myself if I wanted it done right. This year, I hired a VA – that’s web speak for Virtual Assistant. Her name is Alex Greer. Her email address is alex@justtoobuy.co.uk.

Alex doesn’t even live on the same continent as me, but she does a great job on the things that I don’t have the time, or the skills to do – like creating .pdfs. If you are in need of a VA, you can’t go wrong with Alex.

But the purpose of this post is not to plug Alex. It’s to remind you that smart business people use their time wisely. They don’t do themselves what they can delegate. They don’t do things that don’t need done – they dump them.

Until I started working with Alex, I did too much myself, and I did things that I should have dumped. For example, I began teaching myself html so I could do more of my website work. There are many more profitable ways I can spend my time than learning html.

I am intellectually curious, so I often find myself spending too much time doing things that are interesting and fun – like learning html -- but that do not contribute to my bottom line. One of my business resolutions for 2008 is to adopt the Pareto Principle in my work. I am going to apply the 80 – 20 rule and concentrate on the “significant few” and jettison the “trivial many.”

The common sense point here is simple. Delegate. If you are a one person business, find a VA. If you have people working for you, trust them to do their jobs, so you can spend your time doing yours.

That’s my productivity resolution for 2008. What’s yours?

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open. Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

Chipotle Mexican Grills -- Building Strong Relationships by Giving Back

2007-12-10T09:37:58-07:00

In my book, 4 Secrets of High Performing Organizations, I suggest that high performing organizations and the people who lead them have four things in common:

Successful businesses and the people who lead them develop and communicate a clarity or purpose and direction.
Successful businesses and the people who lead them engage the full commitment of everyone in the organization.
Successful businesses and the people who lead them skillfully execute the things that matter.
Successful businesses and the people who lead them build strong, lasting, mutually beneficial relationship with important outside constituencies.

The community in which you do business is an important outside constituency.

If you read this blog with some regularity, you know that I am a big fan of Chipotle Mexican Grills, a Denver based company. Their food is fresh and delicious. But I like Chipotle for more than its food. Chipotle is very generous to the Denver community. For example, last Saturday, Chipotle donated the first $10,000 of its sales to Denver Children’s Hospital.

Being sick is no fun. It’s worse if you are a child or a parent or loved one of a child. It’s even worse this time of year. The folks at Chipotle recognized this and made a donation to help brighten up the lives of the kids and families who are spending their time at Denver Children’s Hospital this holiday season.

Here’s another example of what I’m talking about. Mark Berzins is a friend of mine. He owns several small pubs scattered across Denver. The Irish Hound is my favorite. Besides running his growing group of restaurants, Mark finds the time to give back. He is on the board of several philanthropic groups here in town.

The common sense point here is simple. Successful businesses give back to the communities they serve. They do this because they help others, and because it’s good business.

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open. Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

Business Blogging, Part 3

2007-12-06T05:59:17-07:00

This week, I’ve been posting about how blogging can contribute to a small business’ success. If you haven’t read my posts on Tuesday and Wednesday about what Denise Wakeman and Rich Brooks had to say at the Blog World Expo on this topic, you should.

Today, I’d like to highlight some suggestions from John Unger on blog usability. John has five tips to enhance blog usability.

Make it easy for people to find exactly what they’re looking for.
Optimize the speed of your blog.
Consider your readers’ needs first. Learn where your needs and theirs overlap. Focus on those areas.
Make yourself accessible and easy to reach.
Figure out the simplest way to present your content – and yourself – in an organized and easily understood way.

I like all five of John’s suggestions, but I really like number 1. Your blog should be easy to navigate. If it isn’t people won’t stay very long or come back. Here are John’s tips for clear and easy blog navigation.

Create a navigation menu at the top of every page that points to the most important areas of your blog. If you need more than seven links, use a drop down menu, breaking your content into categories.
Place the RSS subscription button near the top of the sidebar. This will encourage return readers who are the most valuable asset your blog builds.
Place a call to action above the fold (visible without scrolling down) and provide a link to more information and the option to buy or subscribe now.
Place your search field and links categories above the fold in a place where they are easily seen.
Keep choices to a minimum. The more things from which your readers have to choose, the more likely it is that the choices become overwhelming and people will look elsewhere.

Over the past three days, I’ve shared information on small business blogging that I picked up at the BlogWorld Expo in early November. If you want to learn more, I suggest you go to the websites of the three people whose ideas I have shared.

Denise Wakeman: www.BlogSquad.biz
Rich Brooks: www.flyte.biz, http://business.mainetoday.com/smallbusiness/internetmarketing/
John Unger: www.johnunger.com; www.TypePadHacks.org

The common sense point here is simple. Blogging is a great way to build strong relationships with your customers. Customers are an important outstide constituency. The stronger your relationships with them, the better your business.

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open. Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.