Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/420183
DECEMBER 2014 22 THE JOURNAL Sharpen the Saw BY SCOTT STROUD MARKETING CONSULTANT It's time say goodbye to 2014 and to look for- ward to a brand new year, ripe with possibilities and hope. Are you ready? Are you prepared to engage and embrace the opportunities that will present themselves? Steven Covey, in his best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, promotes the idea of "sharpening the saw", that is, tak- ing time to stop, take a deep breath, review and renew ourselves - to realign our attitudes and ac- tions with our goals and objectives. And what better time to do that than now, before the rush of 'the home buying season' hits. How can you do that? Here are some suggestions: Planning retreat The hardest place to stop and take stock of your business, goals and strategies is while sit- ting at your desk, surrounded by the minutia of business as usual. Instead, find a quite place free from distractions where you can think cre- atively. By changing your environment, you change the input and open your mind to new ideas that just wouldn't come to you back at your desk. I spend a lot of time traveling, and find that as soon as I leave my office, while driv- ing or even sitting in airports, new ideas seem to flow more freely. Most of my writing (this arti- cle included) is done while traveling. Choose your spot, and bring with you a list of goals and objectives for the next 12 months, as well as what you see as the most formidable ob- stacles that need to be overcome to achieve those goals. If you're a business owner, consider bringing your management team, or at least your key advisors, with you for a 1-2 day brain storm- ing session. Encourage creative thought - there are no dumb ideas; the most unlikely statements or thoughts can sometimes spur the best ones. If ideas are slow in coming, then start by per- forming a SWOT analysis, listing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to your business. That's usually enough to get the cre- ative juices flowing. Attend a conference January has two important housing confer- ences, the Louisville Manufactured Housing Show and the International Builders Show in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, as in years past, these two shows will be held on the same dates. (Note to organizers: Wha....?) Both shows offer the chance to see what's new in housing technol- ogy, to meet and speak with other industry pro- fessionals, and see what others are doing that's working for them. At the Louisville Show you'll see dozens of new homes on display, along with many product and service vendors. The NAHB's Builder Show offers a 'big picture' perspective of the housing industry. There are literally acres of ex- hibitors, and you're bound to discover things that you never knew existed. But the real 'meat' of the show are the educational seminars - over 100 sessions delivered by industry experts in construction, engineering, construction codes, sales and marketing. (My favorite hang- out at the show is Sales Central, the hospitality room sponsored by the Sales & Marketing Coun- cil.) Whichever show you wish to attend, I rec- ommend you review the show's program ahead of time, determine which seminars or exhibitors are of interest to you, and plan your agenda be- fore you arrive. And, if you're really ambitious, you might plan on spending a day or two at each show! Take a course Studying a new aspect of business or learning a new skill has never been easier. Likely your state housing association or local home builders group offers a series of courses specific to the housing industry. For example, the National Association of Home Builders offers a number of courses on green building, building technology, business management, marketing and sales, most available from your local or state chapter. Find a list of available designations a http://www.nahb.org/ fileUpload_details.aspx?con- tentID=186797&fromGSA=1. Or, consider taking in a lecture or course of- fered by a local community college, Chamber of Commerce or business group. And if none are available, simply look online. You can find a wealth of valuable topics free for the asking at TED.com , including a talk by architect Alejan- dro Aravena on how to design with the commu- nity in mind, or Simon Sinek on how great leaders inspire change (http://www.ted. com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_in- spire_action). Join a peer group You don't have to look far to find new ideas and inspiration. Are there local business lead- ers that meet regularly to share ideas? Ask for an invitation to join them. And if there's not a group yet, then why not start one? Your group should be diverse so that you can get fresh per- spectives from different members. For example, a builder might find benefit in a group that in- cludes a banker, insurance professional, HR exec, CPA or other such professionals. Or, consider joining a Builder 20 group. These groups are made up of similar companies from different non-competing markets. The ad- vantage here is to see what other businesses sim- ilar to yours are finding successful, what's working, and what's not working, giving you current, relevant input and saving you the cost of trial and error. You likely already know other business owners or managers of companies simi- lar to your own in other areas of the country. If so, why not place a call and get a group started? Invite a consultant Bringing someone into your company that has a clear understanding of your industry and a keen knowledge of best practices can be of tremendous value. I often joke that the job of a consultant is to sell more con- sulting, but in reality consultants bring a fresh pair of eyes to a business, helping us \ 23