Chris Barrow’s Blog

It seems so at the moment – there is so much going on.

After Tuesday’s visioning exercise, Wednesday was a “head down” day of answering client emails, reading and responding to their weekly progress reports, making some phone calls and generally keeping my task list manageable. A big “tick” on yesterday’s list was also completing my slides for the forthcoming Quarter 2 dental workshops. The material doesn’t change that much but I love to recreate the slides with a different background and some new visuals – largely to entertain myself.

A nice moment was a call from my old friend Henry Brownson (a top dental accountant) with a referral to a potential new client. Referrals are always the best way to grow a business and I have been cross-referring with Henry for years. Money never changes hands between us – we refer on merit alone and I like that.

I made a very big decision yesterday and withdrew from this year’s London Marathon on 23rd April. That, let me tell you, was a tough one.

I hate to say this but “at my age” I need to listen to my body very carefully – and I know I’m just not fit enough physically and wired enough mentally to show up AND have a great day. I would get round but the last 10 miles would be even more unpleasant than usual and I have one or two physical niggles that I’m sure would become real problems.

Part of coaching is to admit sometimes that you have to let things go – and this is one less “to do” at a very hectic time. The people at my chosen charity, Whizz Kidz, were very gracious and have confirmed a “roll-over” to 2007. In the meantime I am going to pick another event later in the summer and train up for it without the immediate pressure.

Today I am interviewing a potential candidate for the position of business manager, to be vacated by Barbara at the end of April – I know that, even if the meeting goes well, the new team member will not be in place in May, so I’m contingency planning and looking for a short-term locum manager.

If you know anyone that would like to look after me and my business for a few months, please let me know.

My business planning day was inspiring.

Mike Hutchinson (my coach for the day) began by explaining that when we were standing at the base of a mountain and looking up, it appeared to be a stiff climb – but that when we are standing on the summit, the view will be spectacular.

I have been standing at the base of my mountain for some months now – and becoming increasingly overwhelmed by the climb – life has looked like a struggle.

Taking my own medicine for once, I wrote “28th March 2009″ at the top of a flip chart and, as I sat in Mike’s lounge, he scribbled on the flip chart as I began to describe the view I want to see in three years from now.

The process took around 4 hours and, as the view came into focus my energy levels grew and grew.

After a delightful lunch of fish, augergine, potatoes and vegetables, prepared (and I was impressed) by Mike in his country kitchen, we then spent another 2 hours beginning to plot my “camps” on the ascent of the mountain – the most important being “Camp 1″ in 90-days time.

I also had the opportunity to articulate many of my emotions around both personal and professional issues that trouble me (all the ways in which I could fall) – and gain clarity on what has to happen.

To be on the receiving end of first-class coaching was refreshing and inspiring.

I have altered my work schedule to facilitate another meeting a week today, in which we intend to deconstuct and reconstruct my cash flows, to determine action necessary now to begin the ascent.

The view from the top is simply fantastic – and I am now plotting a route and gathering the team and the equipment that will be appropriate for a succesful expedition.

I am wired, fired and ready to climb.

Today I am working with an accountant/business coach, spending 8 hours being coached 1:1 on my business vision for the next 10 years.

I met him at a recent workshop, which he attended as a guest of one of my dental clients.

We connected over lunch, I visited his offices and we discovered a lot in common.

I am impressed that he has offered the day on the basis of “pay me what you think it is worth”. Now that’s professional confidence.

I am so looking forward to the day and will let you know what happens.

I’ve been attacked by two silver BMW’s in the last 48 hours.

On Thursday a 5 series driven by a French Poodle (read the next issue of my ezine for an explanation) and Friday a 3 series convertible.

The poodle incident was at 20mph and so taking avoiding action was easy enough and humurous.

Yesterday, I walked over to meet my 11-year old daughter from school, which involves negotiating a busy main road and a pedestrian crossing with traffic lights.

Pushed the button and waited for the “green man” and the beeps. Stepped into the road and the 3 series blasts by at over 30 mph – didn’t slow, stop or give any sign of noticing me. Had the car not been travelling on the “other” side of the road, it would have hit me.

These two events have unsettled me, especially bearing in mind that the pedestrian crossing mentioned in the second incident is used by dozens of kids and parents, twice a day.

Maybe it’s just me again – I don’t know.

I do know that I travelled into city centre Manchester on Wednesday, for the first time in months, and I was overwhelmed by the traffic congestion and the hustle/bustle of people.

I think that spending time out of town is beginning to change me.

A coach and former client sent me a link today to a web page she had created with a new service provided by Google – cleverly entitled “Google Page Creator” (how do they think of such cool names?).

So this afternoon, in between “to do’s” I ambled over to the web site and received the following message:

“Sorry, we are unable to offer new accounts today. We appreciate your interest and invite you to add your Gmail address to our wait list. We’ll let you know when we’ve enabled your account.” Â — The Google Page Creator teamÂ

Now I cannot sleep until they let me know – I want my page creator and I’m going to stamp my feet and spit my dummy out until I get it.

Brilliant marketing (probably by accident due to overwhelm).

The moral of the story.

Create a bit of scarcity – it will drive interest in your products through the roof.

In the last 24 hours I have been interviewed by two coaches over the telephone.

1. Last night with James Smith in America on the subject of “creating nourishing work environments”:

This reminded me of just how much trouble I go to in creating physical spaces where I can do my best work. When I am on business development days I want to work in an office environment that thrills me when I arrive, whether that’s a professional office or a home based office. To suit my style (I’m a Virgo) neat, tidy and with plenty of personal nick nacks, as well as the best of technology.

I have even put together a written summary of the “perfect workshop room” that my team send to the venues we use around the UK and the globe.

2. This morning, with Tessa Stowe in Australia on the subject of “Getting Known Fast” – how to develop visibility in your niche market.

My reminder here was of the sheer hard work that I have invested in lead generation over the last 8 years by speaking publicly at a multitude of dental and coaching conferences.

On both calls I have repeated my current frustration with the “snake oil” merchants who are selling get-rich-quick schemes to gullible and/or desperate coaches who are looking to build their practices too rapidly.

It’s taken me 9 years to become visible in UK dentistry and we never falter in our efforts – to do so would be dangerous.

I love these interviews – they are so much fun and give me immense pleasure.

Questions for you:

1. Are you working in the best environment possible to bring out the best in you?

2. Are you visible in your niche or in your community?

Today I have an appointment at the college that two of my sons attend (ages 17 and 15).

Over the years I have often giggled or fumed at the amount of notice that schools and colleges give of parent evenings or social events. They do not seem to understand that, for some business people, the calendar is set many weeks or months in advance.

As a result, I have missed more of these events than attended – and then suffered from a form of emotional blackmail, trying to explain to disappointed kids that I wanted to go but couldn’t re-organise.

My 11-year old daughter was recently chosen to sing “Burlington Bertie” in a school concert and, after weeks of rehearsal, was visibly upset that I was working down in the South of England on the nights in question. In previous years, I have watched a video later – not now – to be “p.c” there are no cameras allowed. How ridiculous.

I even took a digital camera to watch my 15-year old play soccer a few weeks ago. The referee stopped the game and told me to put the camera away – no longer “p.c.”, although I hardly think that photographs of 22 teenagers playing soccer on a wet Sunday in Urmston would make it to an internet site?

It’s a mad, mad world.

Today, I’m catching up on a parent’s evening from some weeks ago, to get progress reports and discuss what’s happening after the summer. Trying to book the appointment – it would have been easier to book a squash game with the Pope.

“Gary” doesn’t take calls during the day (because he is teaching, of course) and communicates through the secretary in the office. It took 3 weeks to organise an hour’s meeting, playing telephone tag.

You will notice a slightly changed look to the blog today. My web business manager, Kim Black, suggested that we move to Wordpress – so here I am!

No idea why – but I trust Kim’s judgement and she tells me this will be better in the long term. I’m expecting to add some features to the blog over the weeks ahead as I familiarise myself with the system.

In the mail a few days ago, I received a complimentary pre-publication issue of Andy Wibbels new book, Blog Wild! – it’s a guide to blogging for small business owners – what blogging is, how to do it and why bother. Andy has written in a style that suits even non-techie people like me – I’m enjoying it.

Changing the subject – yesterday I chatted with a business coach in Istanbul about the possibility of bringing The Dental Business School to Turkey later this year. I continue to operate as a “lone ranger” and resist the opportunity to engage associate coaches, franchisees or licencees. I know it restricts my growth in business but I just don’t want to do it.

Problem is, that means my business will never have a capital value, as the product is “me”. I know how to create income – but how do I create capital as a solo-preneur?

My lunchtime bowl of creamy vegetable soup is nearly sputtered out as I watch the aerial shots above Wembley Stadium, showing that a welding has failed in the structure.

Thousands of hard-hatted builders and consultants evacuated to a nearby car park and work stopped in its tracks, after we have already been told that the FA Cup final (the Superbowl of soccer) has been moved to Cardiff, Wales.

The Wembley project was already behind schedule, well over budget and becoming a national embarrassment. Now, as the former CEO of Wembley said on the TV – a public relations disaster.

No doubt the spin-doctors will be meeting as I write this blog, composing suitably soothing words for the evening news broadcasts.

No doubt there will be comparisons with the excellent facilities on show every day from the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia (a truly beautiful city).

No doubt the Germans will be doubly proud to show their preparations for the FIFA World Cup in a few months time.

What is it with the English and buildings?

The Millennium Dome was a scandalous white elephant.

Now Wembley follows in that tradition.

I did consider booking tickets to see The Rolling Stones at Wembley on 20th August this year – but the 200 pound+ ticket price was an insult to my intelligence. Now I’m glad I didn’t – can you imagine what might happen when Mick and the old boys start banging out Honky Tonk Woman? It’s a great idea for a movie – but not in real life please.

Inevitably, there is a business management moral in here somewhere but I’ll let you figure that out for yourself.

As a Mancunian, I cannot resist the temptation to point out that my own soccer club, Manchester United, have one of the best stadium’s in the world and that, just a few miles across town, our arch rivals, Manchester City, occupy the Blue Camp – the stadium that housed the last Commonwealth Games – and a very pretty structure it is too.

Maybe the London city boys who have greased each others palms from the Wembley project could have taken a leaf out of the book from the people who made Manchester a great sporting venue.

Or maybe, they should have listened to the popular vote – and built a national stadium in the Midlands, to serve the whole population, rather than this poorly situated North London venue where the roof is now falling in both physically and metaphorically.

London to host the Olympics? God help us.

An interesting conversation on Wednesday evening’s telephone conference produced the following email exchange – good enough to share with you today:

“Hi Chris

I enjoyed the phone in last night which left me pondering a few things – what would you say is the difference between performance and behaviour?

I presume that performance is more readily monitored for one thing, easier to appraise objectively whereas behaviour could be considered more subjective?

Performance easier to change by incentives, whereas behaviour more deep-rooted psychologically?

If you take as an example a dental nurse who is on occasion grumpy (and knows it) I assume that is a behaviour problem, provided that she still nurses adequately and is sufficiently nice to the patients? But the behaviour might ultimately affect the performance?

Would be interested to hear your thoughts”

My response this morning…

“Remember what I said on the bridge call:

Knowledge – the amount you know about your subject – enhanced by qualification and Continuing Professional Development;
Skill – how effectively you apply the knowledge – this is performance;
Attitude – the behaviour with which you apply the knowledge.

And I keep saying that successful business is 98 per cent customer service, 2 per cent clinical skill (but you have to have 100 per cent of the 2per cent).

So I’m suggesting that the 13th month bonus is payable if the whole team achieves a set target – but individuals are paid differing amounts by virtue of what they have done to achieve and maintain their “score” in all three categories above.

We all have bad moods – but not “on stage” – only “back stage”.