Deborah Hightower

Happy New Year! Wishing you the most prosperous year ever!

|Hearts| can be seen in many places. Pay attention.

|5 ways to encourage and engage| 1️⃣ Put your people first.
2️⃣Make verbal conversation a priority. There is so much to infer from spoken, rather than typed words. 3️⃣Communicate often, accurately, and timely to share important information.
4️⃣ Personalize the message as much as possible.
5️⃣ Be open to feedback and hold discussion in a positive way.

I'm out the door this morning with these reminders in hand.

|Show up| I must say it feels a little weird to be on the road headed to in-person meetings (using all CDC guidelines and other precautions, of course!). Showing up, whether in the real or on a screen, is a key to success. Research shows that showing up is 80% of the equation. How will you show up today?

|Prepare for Monday, on a Friday| By Friday, your desk is covered with notes, files, and a sundry of things too important to discard yet not important enough to keep longterm. It's tempting to slack off on Friday (especially Friday afternoon). Instead resist the urge and use the day to finish the week strong and set yourself up for next week.

Here are 3 ways to lay the foundation for a productive and prosperous Monday (and we all know that Monday sets up the week's success).
1️⃣ Clear as many pending items as possible. These items tend to compound if not handled in a timely fashion. Document files, delegate appropriate tasks, and close out as many items as possible.
2️⃣ Make calls to clients and prospects to set appointments for next week. It's more efficient to fill your calendar on Friday rather than waiting until Monday. Use this time to call clients to touch base and bid them a good weekend. It is also a good day to call past clients or centers of influence to sow goodwill. 3️⃣ Look in your business. In other words, examine from the inside. Was there a situation you could have handled more efficiently? Did you move the needle closer to the goal? If not, what adjustments can be made? Be specific about your success plan.

Finishing up the week on a high note not only sets you up for success next week but adds to your weekend rejuvenation.