Howdy everyone!

Josie here, happy to be providing you with more information about the highly accomplished and sought after, Mark Goldstein. I've included a little bit about him below, and you can click here to visit the Communication Mark website to learn even more about what he and his company are all about.

And be sure to join us for the next telecall - it will be chock full of information!!

Dec 3rd, 2009 7-8pm EST
Make your Mark!
Funding, Fundraising and Grantwriting for 2010
With expert guest, Mark Goldstein

Thursday Dec. 3rd, 7:00 - 8:00 PM EST
Join Us! It's FREE!

Mark Goldstein, CFRE

Mark Goldstein, CFRE, is President and CEO of Communication Mark consulting in Arden, NC. Mr. Goldstein is most sought after as an expert proposal writer and project strategist. He is the creator of the Open Communication Fundraising Model, a system that enables all nonprofit agency stakeholders to effectively work together toward organizational and fundraising goals. Mr. Goldstein has consistently served nonprofits as a staff member, board member or consultant since 1991. He has raised millions for his clients and employers by obtaining grants for organizations of all types, sizes and locales. As a volunteer, he recently played a key role in launching the first public access television station in western NC. He is a 2009-2010 board member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Western North Carolina Chapter and recently taught a course on case statements for the Duke University Continuing Studies Nonprofit Management program.

Thursday Dec. 3rd, 7:00 - 8:00 PM EST
Join Us! It's FREE!

Howdy ya'll!

Hope Fall is beautiful wherever you are. I have an exciting group coming up in January I wanted to tell you about.

The Frozen to Focused is a 4 month teleclass/coaching/consulting group for folks who are looking to move their program to the next level (or to just get unstuck!).

In the course of the four months, we meet on the phone one a week for an hour each time, discussing various aspects that every program needs to be successful and sustainable. Topics include:

• Start-up Needs (Insurance, formation, etc)
• Strategic Planning
• Finding your Ideal Client
• Message Development
• Marketing Plans, PR, Advertising
• Websites, Brochures, Newsletters
• Selecting your Ideal Herd
• Grantwriting & Funding

We have special guests each month who are experts in their fields, including Mike Sowinski CPA & CFO, Brenda Dammann (who co-wrote the book with me), who specializes in Marketing, Strategic Planning & Message Development, and Elizabeth Barbour, who knows it all about networking and finding your ideal client.

And of course you'll get MORE THAN YOUR FILL of ME!!! Cool!

In a nutshell, this program combines professional consulting, personal mentoring, inspirational experience, & educational information through powerful (but simple) technology to save you time and money & get you on the road to success.

Click here to visit the information page on the HorseSenseBusiness.com website. It's got all the info you need to join! If that doesn't work, go to Equine Assisted Business Consulting section of HorseSenseBusiness.com website, and click on From Frozen to Focused Masters Group.

There is an application process, and we are accepting applications now for January's group. Download your application by visiting this page!

Look forward to having you there!

Shannon

Shannon@HorseSenseOtc.com

You know the old adage...”The customer is always right.”  I had an experience the other day that highlighted abysmal customer service (I was the customer and I was right...), and hence my topic for this blog. 

Lord knows we have all dealt with customers that are difficult, and it is all we can do to try and be respectful, polite and “move them along”.  But that is the key...respect and politeness.  We can do more damage to your businesses if we choose to be rude, belligerent, loud, etc. 

My experience had to do with a bad meal and failure of the owners to rectify the problem.  In fact, when the problem was staring them in the face, they still ignored and denied it.  Needless to say it hurt them.  The power of “word of mouth” and the health department had them contacting me and apologizing profusely and offering me a lot of free meals. 

Unfortunately, they can’t go back and “unring the bell”.  They left a proverbial “bad taste” in my and my family’s mouth.  Remember...you can’t unring the bell once you have rung it.  Last impressions (good or bad) are just that...last impressions.  Those impressions move you and your business forward or set you back. 

Obviously in the world of EAP and EAL there will be moments of uncertainty where the client is concerned.  Maybe the client had a bad day, a powerful session, an emotional breakthrough, etc.  All the more reason it is paramount that we as professionals be mindful, present, polite and appropriate.  That does not mean you have to accept verbal abuse or feel threatened. 

In fact, the key here is to actively diffuse the situation with as little emotional baggage and further upheaval as possible.  While it may sound a bit cliché, I do believe the key to success here is to be grounded and centered.   

I also believe it is your responsibility to set your staff and business up for success.  Training your staff (and yourself, if you have not) in the area of customer service is critical.  Have some “golden rules” of customer service for your business.  What is your policy for complaints that come in?  What is your policy with respect to deescalating a situation with a client?  Do you have a general protocol or “party line” with respect to how you run the customer service part of your business? 

You can google customer service skills and get an infinite amount of hits.  I have attached the website of the first one I came across and it has a free booklet on “Quick Tips for Outstanding Customer Service”. www.DaleCarnegie.com 

That’s it for now.  Remember...the customer is always right! 

Lisa Wheeler

Director of Operations

Horse Sense of the Carolinas, Inc.

My original blog was “Say what you mean and mean what you say”. Today, I chose to scrap it at the last minute as I sat at Starbucks and watched the interaction between two individuals. One was clearly a supervisor and the other a subordinate. It was ugly. 

In this case, the supervisor chose a public forum and a louder than acceptable tone of voice to discuss with her employee his failure to meet benchmarks, and where he ranked in comparisons to his peers (among other things). I felt sorry for the guy until he opened his mouth in response.

My perception of his comments, tone and body language were of disrespect, disdain, and defiance. In fact, he challenged the objective numbers she placed in front of him. He actually put her on the defensive. This went on for over an hour. When I left they were still going at it.

As a boss and facilitator of leadership trainings, not only was I appalled, but red flags went off all over the place. To have observed this interaction was to see text book “what not to do” as an employee and a supervisor.

As a Practice Administrator, Director, or CEO, successfully  managing people is as important as managing money, calendars, etc. (some would argue that it is actually more important). As an employee one must have an understanding of one’s role, expectations, policies, conduct and the proverbial food chain.

This event actually made me think of a comedian and one of his characters: Jeff Dunham and Achmed. As a part of a joke, Achmed says two things:  “location, location, location” and “timing is everything”. Clearly you have to see the skit to appreciate the whole thing. However, these two things just played out in real life for what I will call Management 101. Both of these were grossly flubbed, and I suspect the end result will not be favorable or promising for either the supervisor or the employee.

So, the common sense take-home messages are:

• Discretion is the better part of valor: avoid public areas for taking someone to task.  (probably not Starbucks)
• Respect is paramount: mutual respect between supervisors, employees and co-workers is critical to the success of any team (being on the defensive should not happen)
• Have a clear plan of action: have a plan for good, mediocre and lousy outcomes (fallback for if the employee blows you off)
  

Until next time!
--Lisa
Practice Administrator
Horse Sense of the Carolinas, Inc

Recently I was at a required meeting for one of the granting agencies we receive money from, the State.  At this meeting we were reviewing the annual “monitoring” process (AKA: audit).  Policies and procedures (P & P) came up, as well as the fact that agencies are required to have policies and procedures for their organization.  They must include certain policies identified by the state.

There are the typical P & P requirements: job description, emergency plan, safety plan, restraint plan, etc.  Then there were the policies that I had not thought of:  corporal punishment and nourishment.  Now of course they dress the language up so as not to be too blunt, but at the end of the day it is the “don’t beat or starve the client” policy. 

I was thinking: What??  Well of course we aren’t doing that...Then I am reminded of media reports where this does occur and it makes sense why this has become necessary: legally protecting yourself and the granting agency.

I would like to invite you to talk with your granting agencies and ask them if they have requirements for policies and procedures for grantees.  Here is a good example to also go investigate, the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (NC DJJDP) P&P Template.

I have said it before:  don’t re-invent the wheel in your administration practices.  The website link is a template for baseline required policies and procedures.  Don’t be fooled: it is not all encompassing.  There is more you need, but this is a nice guide to what you may not think of, like “don’t starve or beat the client”.

So effective today, Horse Sense’s new policy regarding youth goes something like this: “Respect the needs and rights of clients.  Under no circumstances is it ever appropriate to withhold nourishment and under no circumstances is corporal punishment acceptable.  Violation of this will result in immediate termination.”

Take Care and Happy Holiday!
Lisa

We just completed an EIL Facilitation training at Horse Sense (see the Horse Sense Business October Newsletter for more about this), and I was reminded that every day provides two opportunities:  to be a teacher and to be a student. With this comes multiple lessons. Are you aware of when you are a student or when you are a teacher? Are you aware of the responsibilities of both? Do you ever have role confusion? Do you ever lose the meaning of the lesson?

In the activity we did the first night, the horses were the teachers and we were the students. The question to answer was: "What was the lesson they were teaching us?"  When I was able to be still and present it was amazing the lessons I learned. There was nothing new but great reminders of little lessons that make me a better person.

1) Be inquisitive and curious
2) Know your environment
3) Ask for what you want
4) Be present

In an ideal setting as Practice Administrator I have multiple roles, not the least of which is to be a daily student of my profession, a student of staff and a student of my employer. In that same vein I have a responsibility to be a teacher for these same groups. It is easier for me to be a teacher, at this point in my career, than a student. However, the task at hand is to be a better student, and pay attention to the message in the lesson. 

So ask yourself every day some simple questions related to how you operate administratively:

• Was I a good student today?
• Was I open to all that was placed before me?
• As a student, what did I learn today that makes me a better person to the internal and external clients I work with daily?
• As a teacher, did I create an environment that fosters growth?
• Does the message in the lesson support the mission of the business, the professional growth of all parties involved, and the personal growth and integrity of staff?

So until next time, be a present student and a mindful teacher.

Lisa Wheeler
Practice Administrator
Lisa@HorseSenseOtc.com

I talked to Shannon this week after a very successful Business Building Intensive (I’m sorry I wasn’t able to join you all!). She was thrilled with the attendance, with the enthusiasm and with the new ideas generated – both for her business and for all of the attendees. One of the things we discussed (which is often part of our coaching conversations) is the importance of having systems in place for your business.

If you consider yourself an entrepreneur and are building your business, you must read Michael Gerber’s  The E-Myth Revisited. He talks about three different kinds of systems: hard systems, soft systems and information systems. Systems give you structure, focus and accountability. He defines them as follows:

Hard Systems: inanimate, not living things

• Examples include: computer, office furniture, signage, day timer, business card, uniforms etc

Soft Systems: animate, living, ideas

• Examples include: people, sales script, marketing plan… all of the verbal and written communication that a client or potential client will encounter when dealing with you

Information Systems: Provide us with information about interaction of the other two

• Examples include: inventory control, sales activity reports, prospective client tracking system

If you take time to assess all of your systems, you will be able to quickly see what’s working, what could be improved and what’s missing. For a lot of new entrepreneurs, it’s the information systems that are lacking. Yet these are most critical for your business to grow and thrive.

If you do one thing to work on your business this week instead of in it, make buying and reading this book your top priority. You won’t regret it!

--- Coach Elizabeth
www.elizabethbarbour.com

As the Practice Administrator for Horse Sense, I serve as Shannon’s “right hand." In essence, my job is to run the daily operations of Horse Sense. From EAP to EAL to Horse Sense, Business Sense, it is my job to have my “fingers on the pulse." That doesn’t mean micro-manage and be a part of every aspect, but rather to know what is going on. So let me share with you some things I have learned about doing my job, and keeping up with the business.

Principle 1: Have a “go to” person
When you are as busy as Shannon is (and now me) you need a person that you can depend on to help out with the “little stuff," to be a sounding board, to be a “barometer," etc. For Shannon, on any given day, that is one of my responsibilities and I feel honored that Shannon trusts and respects me. My “go to” person in our office is Josie. She fills those rolls I just listed and she does a lot more! 

Find this person in your business. I don’t think it has to be an employee necessarily if you are not structured to support this, but find someone (friend, consultant, spouse). Finally, here are the two most important components of this relationship: trust and respect.

Principle 2: Thank the people who support you (and do it often).
Acknowledging staff routinely is critical for morale and productivity. It can be one of the hardest areas to remember in the daily grind. It is so easy to be critical and find fault. I would guess for all the good going on in your business there is much less wrong or in need of change. However, I bet it is pretty easy to find fault and be critical (even of yourself). 

Recognize the daily grind, the mundane, the monotonous work that has to get done daily just as readily as you recognize something special that has occurred. A simple “thank you” goes miles! I sent an e-mail to one of the Horse Sense staff thanking them one evening, and it was the first thing they saw the next morning when they came into work. That person thanked me and told me what a bright spot that was for their day. It was easy for me to do. It took no time at all. It was sincere, and it made a difference.

Happy Spring and Spring-cleaning!! Tis that time of the year to try and review the basics and straighten up accordingly. For us it is audit time with our insurance friends. So I actually have a motive to get it done. So what does this look like from my position as the Practice Administrator?  Here is a basic list to review and clean or straighten up:

• Personnel Files
• Policies & Procedures
• General Ledger (the books)
• Tax Payment records (state & federal)
• Insurance (review health, worker's comp & liability)
• Internal audit of client records
• Grant paperwork/files
  

Some people are great at keeping up with all these materials on a regular basis. Some people prefer to do periodic cleanings (more my speed). There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong way as long as at least once a year you are going through these things. Call it a self-audit.

April is a very busy month for us, and probably one of the hardest as far as paperwork, premiums, federal and state reports, etc. So May is a great month to re-cap and straighten up. For example, my staff hasn’t seen the wood on the top of my desk in probably a month (I pull everything I am working on and keep it out on my desk), but they will in the very near future. I have done my hoop jumping for the first quarter and now it is time to review all areas, file what needs to be filed and find my desk.

It seems like a lot, but don’t despair! You don’t have to do all the above in one day. Spread this out over the course of the month, and get help if you can. Start simple and work up to the more difficult and arduous. By the way, no, I don’t know what the easiest one is to start with. I will tell you that I will be starting with personnel files because it is always the last one on my list. This year I am making it the first.

So jump in and fear not! You will feel great when it is done and be surprised upon review how organized you are and how much you know.

The first day of the Strides to Success workshop is behind us, and I can't say enough good about this organization. Kacey, Laura and myself are all here in chilly Indiana to participate in a 4 day workshop on developing EAL programs with and for your local school systems. It's already been well worth the trip, and it's only day one!

Today was primarily a classroom day, with lots of important information about working with schools, designing lesson plans, and learning about how to talk to your school system. It reminds me a lot of what I often say about Juvenile Justice: it's not rocket-science to figure it out, but it is a specialized language for a unique audience that you need to learn about and be familiar with before you can make any inroads.

While this is true for any new program you develop, it's amazing how often I see programs just thinking they'll wake up tomorrow, march in to Important-Potential-Client's office, and blow them away by the EAP/EAL program, culminating in signing them up for a 5 year contract on the spot. There's a little more elbow grease that goes into it, not to mention trial and error!

Already they've addressed some of the troubles we'd encountered in our attempts to get a school program up and running beyond a semester-long program. We'd had good feedback and positive experiences, but something always seemed missing. Turns out we just didn't know what we didn't know. That's why I recommend seeking the experts who have already trudged the road before and learned, sometimes the hard way, the best ways to grow and develop.

Also, I'm delighted to see so many others here who tell me they came after stumbling upon the Strides information on the Horse Sense website or based on hearing Debbie Anderson, Executive Director and Co-founder of Strides in our Free Monthly Telecall with her recently. (If you missed the call, you can download the notes for free by visiting here. You can also purchase the MP3 & the transcript at the same site.) My goal of driving folks to high-quality programs and programming is working, and I'm honored to be a part of your journey to a successful EAP/EAL program in your community!

All the best!

Shannon

Greetings Bloggers,

In many of Shannon's teleclasses and training sessions over the last year she has mentioned the concept of "chasing chickens." That phrase certainly conjures up a clear visual picture for me of my youngest brother in my great grandmother's chicken coup trying to catch one of her 25 prized chickens and each going in 25 different directions!

In business we face the same thing . . . they're called distractions or interruptions. How do we handle them? Do we allow ourselves to be sucked into the moment and make each interruption a priority, thus wasting valuable time on something which could have been addressed later?

Four distractions identified:

• An associate sees you alone and not appearing to be "busy" and assumes you are available.
• A friend or family member shows up and sees you out in the barn so you must not be busy doing anything important.
• Your office door is open and your assistant or other co-worker assumes you are not working on anything important.
• A client or colleague wants to meet you for lunch with the intended purpose of "catching up."

Four Tips for handling distractions:

• Schedule regular "closed door" periods of time and block them out on your calendar so that everyone knows.
• If interrupted and you're sitting, stand up immediately if you desire to get back quickly to your work. If you are already standing when interrupted and you cannot engage in the interruption at that moment, begin moving so that the individual will know that you cannot be interrupted.
• Avoid eye contact.
• Make fewer trips through the office or common areas.

The cost of our lost time with distractions goes something like this: 30 minutes per day equals 210 minutes per week which equals 180 hours per year and 180 hours per year is equal to 15.8 8-hour work days. Some of us allow more time to be lost on distractions. I don't know about you but I sure would love to have that 15.8 days to add back to the value of my business which in turn gets passed on to my clients like Shannon.

VIRTUAL TASK: What's distracting your valuable time?

VIRTUAL ACTION: Put one tip for handling distractions into play in 2008.

Virtual Lauri
Shannon's Virtual Assistant

Greetings! 

The focus here is on organization and saving time and money.

Some of what you will see here you might think is basic and common sense, but you would be surprised how often “basic” and “common sense” are missed.  How often do you put off the simple tasks because they can wait and something else is more important?

For example:  I very much dislike filing.  Filing means I have to make files, and making files is boring and takes time.  I know what I have and I know where it is.  My colleagues laugh at me because of my particular filing system: strategically placed on my desk or on the floor next to me.  But once I hit a certain point, I file like a mad woman.  It takes me a couple of hours, but it all gets filed and organized.

My friends, this is the wrong approach.  Work with me here...file as you go.  If you stay organized and up on your stacks of paper as far as filing and organizing, you will save much time.  Seem overly simple, yes.  Again, how many of you put off something as simple as this because there is something more important?

Lisa
Your Horse Sense PA

Greetings!

In this “episode” of compliance I am going to address other compliance issues.  Do you know what you have in your filing cabinets?  If you get a visit from someone saying they are an investigator are you prepared to have that person (or persons) start at one corner of your office and not stop until they are at the far corner of your barn?

HIPAA was fun, but let’s get into what you need to have “on deck” for the other “players” in the compliance game.  Before I generate the list, I want to remind you that your are open to inspections from the federal government, state government, granting agencies and private sector parties that have an investment in your business (ex: insurance companies).

Okay, so get ready to hit the print button on this and start hunting to see if you are compliant.  Here’s the list of what you are responsible for:

• Certificates of Insurance(s)
• Records on all financial transactions
• W-2’s, I-9’s, and 1099 forms
• Payroll records for anyone and everyone
• Tax returns and records on what you have paid (SS, unemployment, sales tax, Etc.)
• Worker’s Comp records
• Policies and Procedures
• Personnel Files: resumes, evaluations, rate of pay, start date, criminal background checks, copies of driver’s licenses and SS numbers.  This list goes on, and feel free to contact me.

• Conflict of Interest policy and statement
• Health Insurance Records
• Subcontract Agreements
• Grant Agreements
• Articles of Incorporation
• Fiscal accounting policies

 Okay, I’ll stop...and yes there is more.  Don’t panic, take a breath and pause.  This list is doable. If you think you don’t have it together, I bet you have 75% of it.  But do you know where it is?  Is it readily accessible and is it efficiently compiled?

Some of you may be wondering,  “What happens if I don’t have this stuff together and I get audited?”  Depends on what agency is auditing you and what mood the auditor is in.  Consequences can range from slap on the wrist and a warning all the way up to hefty fines, jail time, loss of license(s) or certificates, and closure of your business.

The area of compliance, I think, is one of the easiest things for you to keep up with and probably the number one thing blown off or overlooked by programs.  It may prove costly to you if you don’t take the time to make sure all your ducks are in a row.

I have one more entry on compliance and then we’ll move on to less scary and more fun administrative stuff.  Please don’t hesitate to contact us here at Horse Sense if you want or need help with any of this.

‘Til Next Time!

Lisa
Practice Administrator

Are you living in a maze of file stacks in your office or in your car? Do you wake in the middle of the night with your thoughts racing about all the goals and tasks you need to accomplish and feel overwhelmed?  Do you find yourself forgetting appointments?  Do you tell your colleagues and friends that you need more than 24 hours in a day? If any of these describes you, read on.  You are a candidate to form the perfect alliance with a virtual assistant just like Shannon because:

1. Cloning isn’t an option.  While you may believe that you are the only one who can best serve the needs of your business and clients, cloning a human being has not met with scientific success.  It is a misnomer to believe that if you want it done right you have to do it yourself.  Rather the smart, savvy business person believes in the team and thinking outside the box to be successful.  A virtual assistant provides just that – a professional relationship with the same drive to have your business and client’s best interest at the heart of their business without the traditional setting of the workplace.
   

2. Two heads are better than one.  It takes a team to build a business properly.  A virtual assistant will support your needs while bringing a fresh perspective on problem solving and offering a diverse network of resources.
   

3. Time is money.  Experience the freedom to concentrate on your business rather than the routine, mundane tasks associated with running your business.  If your billable hours are $150 per hour then contract an assistant who can do the $35 to $50 per hour of work so that you can land the next new contract that reinforces why you operate a business.
   

VIRTUAL TASKS:  Shannon discovered in the growth of her business that she needed help with scheduling, communication, website maintenance, shopping cart assistance, database management, travel & speaking assistance, and a host of other administrative tasks.

VIRTUAL ACTION:  Like Shannon you can’t be more than one individual and you need the expertise of the team.  What tasks are stealing your time from productively moving forward?

• Make a list of tasks
• Talk the list over with a confidant
• Take action