Many people wait. They wait for their confidence. They wait until they feel better. They wait for the weather to change or the stars and planets to align. They wait "their turn. They wait for … [Read more...]
WTF is your WFH Policy?
Is it about camaraderie, culture, and efficiency, or ego, control, and your reliance on habit versus strategy? There are obvious exceptions, so don't be dumb, but office environments do not need every employee physically present to be considered … [Read more...]
Maybe a little S.P.I.C.E.
If you are a creative person who generates many ideas, you are also likely to sabotage yourself by overthinking and second-guessing yourself. You procrastinate implementation and don't take the first steps because you're overly concerned that it will … [Read more...]
On Planning
Sometimes people treat their planners like precious and delicate things. They spend a lot of time and maybe money trying to find the “perfect” one. Then, they hate to mark it up because they don’t like their penmanship, or they don’t want to commit … [Read more...]
Success Is In Your Hands
Depending on your perspective, some nights can be filled with anxiety or anticipation, as thoughts of commitments and deadlines inevitably creep into your brain. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed with too much to do, or apathetic and without a … [Read more...]
Nine Easy Ways to Look Outstanding in Your Field
There are nine things you can do instantly that are easy unless you’ve had a hard time with them in the past. Pick one or two habits that give you trouble and begin improving your performance. Many of the people you interact with do not put in … [Read more...]
The Kick-Ass Boss Program
A little bit more about Karl Bimshas Consulting and our accountability partnering programs. There's one that we have specifically for creative professionals, small business owners, solo-preneurs, people who work alone. Maybe you’ve got a … [Read more...]
Solopreneur Productivity: Essential Tools for Maximizing Your Time
Guest Post by Dean Burgess When you’re self-employed, you can’t afford to waste time being disorganized. Every minute you’re not working is time that you’re not getting paid, which is why productivity is high-priority for solopreneurs. While … [Read more...]
Halftime Pep Talk for Busy Professionals
You are halfway through the year. How are you doing on your goals? Riding high, or don't want to think about it until you're back from vacation? Halftime is a great time to review the past 90-180 days of your life to see what's been going … [Read more...]
Burnt Out? Shape Up!
This five-part shape up plan is for people who are feeling a little burnt out in their current role. If you still have some fuel in the tank and to want to be helpful to your organization you’ve got to place yourself where you can make the … [Read more...]
Take Action
Decide. Then take action.When you take action you take away the excuses. An overabundance of thinking tends to mean a scarcity of action. Think, yes. Then make a decision. Commit to that decision. Take action. No more excuses. If the action … [Read more...]
Dismantle Dismay
Let’s face it. Sometimes things stink. They just do. If you let the little things in life start to bring you down, you’ll have no resistance to the big things. And now you have dismay. If you’re feeling blah, or just kinda bummed, you’ve got to … [Read more...]
Are you Facing a Problem or a Challenge?
When I was a new operations manager I would regularly meet with my sales counterparts to review activity at our shared accounts. At the time, the organization valued positive language, sometimes to the extreme. One day, a crusty account executive … [Read more...]
Leadership Assessments
Assessments serve as a quick way to get a sense of self and perspective. They provide a snapshot of current conditions and form a framework individuals, teams, and organizations can use to communicate concepts efficiently. Karl Bimshas Consulting … [Read more...]
Diversity
Diversity of thought, life experiences, and belief systems is what makes organizations stronger. The fittest ideas can flourish, and greater numbers of people benefit. If the room you're in looks like you, you're not learning enough. You'll feel … [Read more...]
Can You Do Better with Account Management?
I’ve been struck by how few micro, small, and mid-size businesses, regardless of their level of success, have any kind of Account Management process for their important clients. Any size business with a clean Account Management process, can … [Read more...]
Do My Employees Need External Coaching?
Is it worth investing in outside coaching for a direct report who is facing change or second-guessing his or her abilities? Here are five questions to help you find the right answer. 1. Is his or her current performance or potential, … [Read more...]
You ARE Leading
Just because you don't consider yourself a leader doesn't mean others aren't following you. You are leading. Get better at it. You can deny it. You can hate it. You can battle over semantics. Like it or not, you're leading someone (maybe … [Read more...]
Your Thing
Everyone has their thing. It might be zouk dancing, skeet shooting, gourmet cooking, or 5K running. The passion, flow-inducing activities you engage in can clear your mind, center your soul, calm your nerves, and inspire you to achieve greater things … [Read more...]
Stepping Forward
I am not without fear, but I have a knowing. It's not as clear as I'd like, but my inner guide assures me I'm heading in approximately the right direction. A fog of uncertainty obscures the way, and I can only see scant steps before me. … [Read more...]
Success Doesn’t Happen All At Once
Success doesn't happen all at once. Neither does failure. It is hundreds of little decisions, conversations, actions, and thoughts that make or break you. Make seemingly unimportant nudges in the approximate direction of your dreams every … [Read more...]
10 Year Anniversary of The Disposable Journal
Are you tired of carrying anger, sadness, or fear that is immobilizing you or holding you back? It’s time to let it go, regain control and invest in you. The daily prompts you receive in the disposable journal can help you do that in seven … [Read more...]
Your Story Doesn’t Define You
Your story doesn't define you; you define your story Most of the success in your life is because of the combination of your attitude and approach. Lousy attitude, lousy success. Great attitude, great success. A large measure is your … [Read more...]
The World is Not Against You
There's a rugged individualism spirit many ambitious people possess. There’s pride and joy in setting a great goal for yourself and achieving it on your own. It's one of the reasons I enjoy writing. I face the blank screen alone, sometimes … [Read more...]
Help or Not?
Every person must learn the balance between "The instinct to help" versus, "It's none of your damn business." You've got to develop an internal checklist to determine what level of involvement you are willing to commit to. That's where knowing … [Read more...]
Small Steps
Immediate results are rare and seldom last. Knowing this doesn't stop us from playing the lottery and gambling our long-term success for short-term gains. Some people get lucky. The magic wand produces what they need, often just enough to … [Read more...]
Be Brave and Break Free
I take a lot of pride in the work Karl Bimshas Consulting does with new and established leaders who want to improve what they do so they can manage better and lead well. We don't talk about it a lot, but I'm equally proud of what we do … [Read more...]
Mopey Mondays
Quick Reminder: We don't do Mopey Mondays around here. Monday is for brushing yourself off and pursuing your dreams with renewed vigor. Go get 'em! https://youtu.be/rURCngUpCfw … [Read more...]
Do The Work
Leading well is not always easy. It's not glamorous. It doesn't photograph well. It's not Instagram-able. Many times, good leadership can look like lousy leadership if you don't know the context or intent. And most don't. You don't typically … [Read more...]
How Much Do You Pay in Lousy Leader Tax?
Leaders play an important role in any organization. Great ones have a compound additive effect which we frequently celebrate. Are those accolades overstated? If esteemed polls and studies are to be believed, we seldom crack the 30-35% range of fully … [Read more...]
Start to Lead – Dare to Give a Damn
Imagine if you started to lead, instead of whining. What could you accomplish if you dared to give a damn? Live your values and act on purpose. It is the simplest, most straightforward way you can identify leadership in yourself and … [Read more...]
Passion on a Pedestal
Stop seeking passion. It will elude you until it sees you working. What you are passionate about is the thing you are most willing to suffer for, enduring it for 10, 15, 20 years or more. Passion is the endeavor you cannot stop doing. It consumes … [Read more...]
New Day
When you are on purpose, the dawn of each day is filled with potential and excitement. It's your chance to hit the reset button while countless others around you fumble for the snooze. Such is the power of a great goal. It fuels your mornings, no … [Read more...]
Don’t just sit there. Think about it.
When was the last time you thought? I'm not talking about dwelling, regretting, wishing, or worrying. I'm talking about honest to goodness, calorie burning, serious thinking. Not scenario planning and what-iffing, not endless rumination. … [Read more...]
Summer Special on Assessments
Karl Bimshas Consulting's popular leadership assessments are a quick way to get a sense of self and gain perspective. 📕DISC, for how you communicate 📗Emotional Intelligence, for how you make decisions 📘Hartman Value … [Read more...]
Your 90 Day Review
1. Review the last 90 days of your life. You set some big goals -- how ya doing? Do you need to adjust them? Don't go smaller. Reach higher. 2. You met new people. Did anyone positively influence your life, your goals, your success? Have you … [Read more...]
How Do You Invest Your Time Over a Long Weekend?
Remembering? This weekend, you will no doubt make time to remember fallen heroes. Reconnecting? Do you make time to reach out to family, friends and the other important people in your life? Relaxing? Will you spend time in a hammock or a … [Read more...]
Today is Your 90 Day Review
Review the last 90 days of your life. You set some big goals -- how ya doing? Do you need to adjust them? Don't go smaller. Reach higher. You met new people. Did anyone positively influence your life, your goals, your success? Have you … [Read more...]
You Always Make a Difference
If you don't think you do ... keep thinking until you find a way you can. Then go do that. You won't always know how, when, or why, but you will always make a difference. You won't always know who, or what is affected by your actions, but it is … [Read more...]
Be Ready to Lead
Ever sit with a bunch of people and awkwardly talk about what to do next? Everyone is tentative and polite. No one wants to offend or look foolish. People are going out of their way to avoid disagreements and confrontation. And that is only trying … [Read more...]
Something Missing?
You know those times when you feel like things just aren't right? Things aren't firing on all cylinders. You're not panicking, but your frustration is growing. You feel stumped because you cannot figure it out. Things should be going better, but … [Read more...]
Monday Excitement
If you are aren't excited each Monday, you're working on the wrong stuff. Act on purpose. You don't HAVE to like your job. Few people get excited about their commute and interacting with busybody coworkers, always asking about their weekend … [Read more...]
Never Feel Lost
When you know your purpose and values, you feel great about making decisions that support who you want to be and where you want to go. When you set your mind on your dreams and you celebrate along the way, you are making … [Read more...]
Are You Bad for Business?
Treating your employees poorly is not only lousy leadership, it's bad for business. 1. If you're a manager, supervisor, leader -- anyone who has a team, and you treat them poorly, that's one strike. You're messing up your role. 2. If you can't … [Read more...]
Daily Focus
Try The Daily Focus -List 10 things you need to do that will bring you closer to your goal. -Brainstorm 10 ideas to improve a problem you're facing. -Give 10 compliments to other people. -List 10 things you're grateful … [Read more...]
Leaders Ask
Leaders think differently, which is one of the reasons they stand out from the crowd. Crowds tend to settle, content with how things are, or lamenting about how things were. Leaders like comfort too, but in smaller doses. They know too much … [Read more...]
18 Lame Excuses
Below are eighteen commonly made (and lame) excuses you may have heard -- or made -- for not engaging in something new. See if any of these excuses sound familiar and review the suggested no-nonsense remedies to help you achieve your next great … [Read more...]
Hedge Less; Lead Better
Those who have read my work for a while know that insight frequently strikes me via the rule of threes. The first mention of something might prompt me to make a casual note. The second mention prompts familiarity and begins to breed curiosity. The … [Read more...]
Keep Wallowing to Five Minutes or Less
Don't tolerate wallowing in yourself or your team. We wallow when we're feeling relaxed or lazy. Lazy doesn't pay well, action does. We wallow in our victory and success, forgetting how short-lived they can be without vigilance and … [Read more...]
For Leaders who Cringe on Sundays when they think of Mondays
Well-meaning managers and leaders fail to find the time to recharge because you know you could be managing better. It is not imposter syndrome. It is because you have left something unresolved and allowed it to fester over the weekend, if not over … [Read more...]
Basketball Players, Filmmakers, and Nurses
Ask a basketball player about the game, and they will talk about possessions of the ball, the clock, openings they created, and specific shots they took. Of course, winning is, important, but the great ones know they get there shot by … [Read more...]
Make a Habit of Painless Networking
You can't just be an introvert or an extrovert anymore. You could be an extroverted introvert or an introverted extrovert. You might even be an ambivert. There are many terms floating around the heads of people who are trying to make sense of the … [Read more...]
4 Time Chunks for Better Performance
To be more productive in your life start organizing your major activities into four areas. Prepare Do the prep work. Invest time in the practice and learning required to meet your specific performance needs. Pick the formula and ratio that … [Read more...]
Be a Better Gatekeeper
Not long ago we didn’t give too much thought about where we got our information. Primarily it was filtered through our family and friends. There were other filters in place. Our schools had a set of standards, depending on where you lived. Our … [Read more...]