Expanding Excellence Blog

  It's "Tammy's Tiny Tip Tuesday" where I share bite-sized nuggets of information regarding time management, that are easy to digest. We will build on these small habits weekly. #tinytiptuesday Let's start with one of the easiest tips to improve your time management, the pause. I have seen this time and again, we get in such a hurry and we need to make rapid-fire decisions so we can get onto the next one, right?  The fact is that if we pause for just a moment, letting that decision settle enough to come up with the right action is a much better strategy.  "Let me think about this" is a perfectly acceptable answer.  Too many times our mismanaged time stems from rushing to a decision and making a wrong one, resulting in needing to solve a bigger problem, undo or redo what was done, (damage control).  What if the secret is as simple as just practicing the pause?  Try it, and you will be amazed at how much time this crazy paradox will save you.  Expanding ...

  Anyone who knows me knows that I do a lot of reflecting...like a lot.  I do not reflect ever to feel guilty or ashamed or any other negative feeling from something that did not go exactly right on a project I just completed, but to learn.  We all make mistakes but through those, we know to make better ones (hopefully). Additionally, there are so many blessings hidden in those challenges.  I journal daily and there are two categories that I feel apply here. Daily I record any "happy successes" and "things I have learned".  At the end of the week, I review each day, and I summarize them in a monthly retrospective so that at the end of the month, I can get a quick view of each of these categories. I am grateful for every moment and the opportunity to reflect, learn, pivot, and make improved decisions for a brand-new ending.  Take a moment to reflect on your life so far, pause on the difficult seasons and find the blessing buried in that season.  Do this...

  This week's tip is more of a pause to remind you that small progress is still progress.  Listen, it's hard to get your budget in check in a few short weeks.  Give yourself some grace, recognize the improvements that you have made, and keep going.  You may only have a few coins in a jar to justify your progress but it's more than you had 4 weeks ago.  You are gaining awareness and formulating a plan and that takes time.  In case you need to hear this, I am proud of you and your commitment to improving your finances and your future and you should be proud too. Your future self is going to be grateful you took these steps.  "Just keep swimming" Dori from Finding Nemo   Expanding Excellence - Personal Paradise Builders Blueprint, Productivity Training (expanding-excellence.com)

  Has your head ever been so full that you felt like you just need to dump out all of the thoughts so you can organize them? Or have you tried to pull out ideas from yourself and others?  Try brainstorming, it is used to produce an idea or way of solving a problem by holding a spontaneous discussion.  Typically brainstorming sessions are informal with few “rules”.  Brainstorming can be done by oneself or in a group. You can use a notebook, post-it notes, dry-erase or chalkboard, or anything to capture your ideas.  There is no wrong answer.  It is important to have boundaryless thinking in order to capture large, wild ideas.  If necessary, the large wild ideas can be scaled later but make sure to capture them during the initial brainstorming. You are simply asking a question, then capturing the thoughts...all of them. The more that you can think outside of the box the better.  If you find yourself saying "I won't write that one down, it is too far-...

  As I share weekly, some of these terms and leadership tips you will start to see a trend, that these tips actually have nothing to do with being in charge and everything to do with being a decent human being.  This week is no exception, as we are given advice about connecting.  I get it, it's difficult connecting sometimes.  We do not want to blur those leadership lines and become "friends" right?  We don't have to.  We can still establish boundaries and connect at the same time.  Connecting with our team members allows us to understand how our skills, knowledge and our hearts overlap. It is not only ok to connect with someone you interact with regularly, it is necessary. 

  It's "Tammy's Tiny Tip Tuesday" where I share bite-sized nuggets of information regarding time management, that are easy to digest. We will build on these small habits weekly. #tinytiptuesday for my favorite planner go here: https://bit.ly/3G3YR4I So after last week's tip, you are now aware of how you are currently spending your time and you have some ideas on how to improve but you don't know how.  This week's tip and understanding what is going on in the brain are super useful.  The key is to start small.  Make 1 minor adjustment today and as soon as that is your new normal, make another adjustment.  The more you are making these adjustments, the more new neuropathways are created so it then becomes your norm.   Know that this process is ongoing.  I have been practicing time management for over 30 years and I still reflect on how I am spending my time so I can reprioritize or eliminate tasks as my life evolves, so don't look for perfection, ju...

  Do you suffer from "analysis paralysis" too? Much of what I do is risk analysis on projects, which is what it sounds like: what are the risks of doing a process one way vs another way? What is our risk tolerance or how risky are we? So weighing risk is a good thing right?  Unfortunately, it is difficult to turn off the risk analysis machine when I am not working, so it often spills into my personal life, and occasionally causes analysis paralysis. So what is the cure?  Make a decision.  Just decide and ride it out.  If it didn't work, make a different decision, and keep going.  When we learn to take reasonable risks and just try something, we become better and faster at it.  We can tell earlier what the benefits are and if/when they outweigh the risks.  Oh, we will still be surprised by the frequent bonus benefit or risks, but then that information goes into our database of experiences and ability to analyze the next one. What decision has paral...

  "A small leak will sink a great ship" Benjamín Franklin This quote from Benjamin Franklin reminds us that some of the improvements we can make are small.  We should beware of the little expenses as they can wreak havoc just as much as a large one, sometimes more because we ignore them and let them accumulate.  Small changes in your daily habits may be all you need to gain momentum on your financial improvement journey.  I like to look at it like a scavenger hunt and find creative ways to save a dollar here and a dollar there.  It make me feel good when I find an area that I can cut back especially when my solution is even better than what I was paying for. For example, if you eat out a lot try making more meals from home.  Spend time with someone you know who is really good at it and learn from them.  You are gaining knowledge, cultivating relationships, and saving money. Win Win Win! Expanding Excellence - Personal Paradise Builders Blueprint, Produ...

  One of the biggest mistakes we can make when working on a process improvement plan is to not involve those impacted by the process.  The truth is, sometimes as leaders our egos get in our way, and we think we know best, right? I mean, it is frustrating working with employees that are, let’s say, difficult.  What if they are difficult because they are frustrated with a poor process, and they actually have a solution, but they lack the authority? There is so much value in getting their input and by considering all of their input, the improvement will be so much more robust and they are way more likely to buy into the improvement because they were involved.  But wait, there’s more… you are also, creating a cultural shift.  By interacting and involving stakeholders, we are building relationships and trust. When we build trust and understanding we become more empathetic and the culture of the business starts to shift to a “yes we can if..” team.  When our team...

  This is one of my favorite definitions of empathy. Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.  Empathy happens to be one of my core values and is so important to me that I search out employers and clients that also value empathy.  When we have empathetic hearts, we give each other grace and understanding instead of criticism and judgement. It takes practice and discipline, but like lifting weights to work our muscles, if we consciously use our empathetic heart it becomes stronger and eventually second nature. Empathy is not a weakness, it is a superpower. Empathy (expanding-excellence.com)

  It's "Tammy's Tiny Tip Tuesday" where I share bite-sized nuggets of information regarding time management, that are easy to digest. We will build on these small habits weekly. #tinytiptuesday If you are interested in knowing what my favorite planner is, go here: https://bit.ly/3G3YR4I For the last two weeks, I have mentioned thinking of time as a bank of time and the importance of having a purpose of each minute like we do for our budget, then I suggested making sure to schedule your most important things (the big rocks) first.  Now it is time to do a time audit to really see how you are currently spending your time. Follow this tip to log your tasks. After a few days, you will want to analyze the logs to get a feel for where you are spending your time. This exercise it not meant to make you feel bad, it is meant to make you aware so you can take some small steps today to improve.  Don't worry, we will get into how to do that throughout the year. Right now, just...

  We are all going through something challenging, which is good, that is what growth feels like.  It also seems like every topic is controversial, just try posting an opinion on social media.  "I don't like peanut butter and jelly together because..." and you will get hate posts for days. But I do not feel like it needs to divide us.  I think it is good and healthy to have conversations with each other especially when we differ in opinion.  I believe we can have those conversations in reasonable and respectful ways. When I learn that my view on a particular topic is tarnished or biased, I owe it to myself and those I interact with, to expand my view beyond what I have experienced and empathize, appreciate, and respect others' experiences. We should apologize when needed, do some damage control where needed, but be better.  Eating peanut butter and jelly does not make you a gross person, I just prefer each flavor individually.  I still like you though....

  Last week we took the first step to improve our finances by reflecting on how we had been spending our money and creating a budget.  Eye opening wasn't it? I recently had a client who was frequently frustrated with her husband and his irresponsible spending only to realize that after this exercise of recording their past spend, she was no better than he was.  They agreed to call a truce, still have an allowance for the things that they enjoy, but to set limits in order to stay within their means.  This is the focus this week, making sure that you are living within your means.  If you are spending more than you have then find ways to cut back immediately.  Keep in mind that some of these things that we will have to cut back may only be temporary.  For example, you may need to cut back on the NFL network and Starbucks for a few months or a year in order to not overspend and that could be your reward next year when you gain on our finances. You may actu...

  Last week we learned how to determine what needs to me improved and how to prioritize the projects by what surfaced by creating a Value Stream Map.  You have narrowed it down and have selected a process to improve, now what? From here I start a worksheet where I ask the following questions:   1.     Why is the process redesign necessary? 2.     What is the scope of the improvement? 3.     What are the goals? 4.     How will know that the process improvement was successful? 5.     Who will make up the team? a.     Project Manager b.     Process Owner c.      Process User d.     Skeptics e.     Facilitator f.       Technology Expert 6.     Is there someone in the organization that we will need additional support from (i.e., Approval for funding, pilot or test driver of the improved process,...

  A stakeholder is one who is involved in or affected by a course of action. When we can consider not only the consequences to our decisions to ourselves but also those affected by those actions, we become better decision makers.  In leadership, we make decisions every day that impact the company, our employees and our customers. While we cannot think of every scenario that may come up, it is important to pause between decisions and think of all of the stakeholders that may be impacted by the decision.  Expanding Excellence - Personal Paradise Builders Blueprint, Productivity Training (expanding-excellence.com)

  A professor stood up in front of his class with a large empty jar. He filled the jar to the top with large rocks and asked his students if the jar was full. The students said that yes, the jar was indeed full.  He then added small pebbles to the jar and gave the jar a bit of a shake so the pebbles could settle among the larger rocks. Then he asked again, “Is the jar full now?” The students agreed that the jar was still full.  The professor then poured sand into the jar to fill up any remaining empty space. The students then agreed that the jar was completely full. The professor went on to explain that the jar represents everything that is in one's life.  The big rocks are equivalent to the most important things in your life, such as health and family. This means that if the pebbles and the sand were lost, the jar would still be full, and your life would still have meaning. The pebbles represent the things in your life that matter, but that you could live without. T...

  It is funny how many times I have pursued and landed my "dream job", my definition of success, only to have something abruptly change that, something that really rocks my world and makes it come to a screeching halt... or did it? When I reflect on my "failures" and savor the successes I find my true passions.  Without both, I would not know what drives me, what is not my calling, and everything in between.  This season in my life is no different. A big change is not a setback, it is a setup.  I am grateful for all of it. Success Is Never Final... (expanding-excellence.com) #motivationalmonday  Expanding Excellence - Personal Paradise Builders Blueprint, Productivity Training (expanding-excellence.com)

  Happy new year! Do you have a resolution to improve your finances? Do you have goals you would like to achieve if only you had more money? Did mentioning it just now trigger the idea that you really should take action to improve your finances? I have good news. every Friday I will share a financial tips that I have learned and put to practice by going through some amazing financial programs. These tips have truly been life changing and if you get the chance to go through any of these programs, do yourself a favor and make it a priority. My favorite was Financial Fitness and if you are interested, I can hook you up.  The first step to improving your finances is establishing a budget. Don't freak out! You are establishing a baseline of where you are now.  Simply take your bank statements and tally up each expense in each category.  Be honest and record EVERY expense.  Remember this is meant to give you a baseline of where you are right now.  Does this terri...

  The last few weeks we have introduced you to Lean Manufacturing or the Lean Production System, which I shorten to say “Lean” as it applies to all industries. I also shared a short list of what a Lean system does.  The first tool that I introduced was the Value Stream Map since that is the first step to identify a continuous improvement project. What if we have identified several areas for improvement, how do we decide? I am glad you asked, here are the 3 focus areas that I take into consideration when prioritizing projects so after you have reviewed the criteria, take a vote. Since process improvement projects have a range of impacts to the stakeholders it is important to weigh the impact by taking a vote.  Everyone is on a level playing field so everyone’s vote weighs the same. The CEO’s vote weighs the same as the custodian, for example. List the project ideas, give everyone 3 -5 votes, if they feel especially strong about a particular category, they can put all their...

  Self-governing - the ability to make one's own decision.  As leaders it is important to recognize and encourage autonomy in our employees, even when their decisions are not ones that we would have made. Autonomy sparks creativity and it is the creative solutions that are the easiest and least expensive to implement.  Consider this, the alterative is a culture where we want our decisions made for us. Do we really want that?  Encourage autonomy and decision making and you will build a culture that can manage themselves. Fun fact: this is also true as parents when dealing with our children. What is Autonomy? (expanding-excellence.com)

  It's "Tammy's Tiny Tip Tuesday" where I share bite-sized nuggets of information regarding time-management, that are easy to digest. We will build on these small habits weekly. #tinytiptuesday. For my favorite planner shop here: https://bit.ly/3G3YR4I Tip 1 is to think about how you currently spend your time.  I like to think of it as a bank of time. If you had a bank that credited your account every morning with $86,400, but carried over no balances from day to day, allowed you to keep no cash in your account, and every night cancelled whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day - what would you do with it? Draw every cent, every day, of course! You do have such a bank account, the name of it is time. Every morning it credits you with 86,000 seconds. Every night it writes off as losses all of those you have failed to use or invest for good purpose. It carries no balances. It allows to overdrafts. Each night it closes out the record of the passin...

  Every so often, especially at the beginning of the year, I like to do a full-body check-in.  I get so busy throughout the year spinning several plates at a time that I often forget about my own self-care.  I am improving every year by being mindful and having tools in place to help me focus.  This check-in is one of them.  I typically schedule my medical appointments for the year early on and it has been helpful to take the time to be more aware of my current state.  I may need to monitor something, for example, before bringing it to my doctor's attention.  Make sure to get specific about any concerns.  This form helps me be more aware of the positive things too. After all, you get more of what you focus on. From here, I identify the observations that need action and create a plan.  This falls into one of the categories that I call "The Positive Habit Builder" and has a file created for these docs so they are easy to access. Pro tip: create...