How to Gain a Competitive Edge in Business, by Dan Schaefer, Ph.D.
Do you find yourself in one of the below situations?
- We’re having trouble closing the big deals.
- Our senior team is not working well or consistently towards the same goals.
- Members of our senior team need help developing specific skill-sets.
- We don’t want to make the same expensive mistakes others in our industry – or on our career path – have made.
- I want to achieve work/life balance without sacrificing top performance.
- I simply need a confidential sounding board.
Or perhaps you’re an athlete and you’re facing one of the below:
- You’re having trouble concentrating.
- You feel you have more to give to your game, but you cannot access it.
- You find yourself in a slump.
- Balance has become a significant issue in your life.
- You have no one you can safely discuss these issues with.
If your answer is yes, please take a moment to fill out the following survey from Peak Perfomance Strategies, an organization dedicated to assisting individuals and companies in the achievement of a competitive edge, quickly, through the enhancement of personal and business performance. This survey is designed to help you identify your goals and learn to overcome any obstacle(s) you may be facing!
List Three Short-Term Goals You Would Like to Work On and “By Whens” (please add measurable results for each, i.e. timeframe or dollar amounts, etc.)
List Three Long-Term “Stretch” Goals You Would Like to Work On and “By Whens” (please add measurable results for each)
Regarding You and Your Business: We will work backwards from 2023.
Where do you want your personal life to be? 5 years from now? (Think big.) 1 year from now?
Where do you want your business / career to be? 5 years from now? (Think big.) 1 Year from now?
What could hold you back or slow your progress?
What is the critical need or biggest concern you need addressed right now?
What is the biggest opportunity that you are not taking advantage of right now? What is the biggest opportunity that you have missed?
What do you do well?
What 3 things do you want me to watch out for?
Regarding the Strategy/ Coaching/ Confidential Sounding Board dynamics
When, where and in what situations might you decide to use a confidential sounding board?
Do you have any uncertainties about working with a strategist/ coach?
Please take a close look at your vision for 2023. Make a comprehensive list of everything you could possibly do if you wanted to destroy your business and your 2023 plan.
Please make a list 50 things you want.
Most agree that Negative Self talk is distracting, contaminates performance, lowers self confidence and that given a choice they would like a way to control it. The following survey is the first step in taking charge.
What do you hear yourself saying to yourself?
When does it start?
What starts it?
How long does it last?
When does it end?
How does it stop?
How do you stop it?
Is it always your voice?
Identifying your personal performance zone experience, is the first step in being able to recall and return to that state when necessary.
When you perform at your best in sports or business:
What do you hear? What sounds disappear?
What do you see? What happens to clarity?
What do you feel like inside?
What do you feel like outside?
What do you smell?
What happens to time? [does it slow up or move quickly]
What happens to speed?
What switch do you use to turn it on?
[Complete for at least 3 Key Direct Reports and Key figures up in the organization or 3 potential clients who you may need to interact with in the future. This helps you prepare for the best way to interact.
Individual Personal Profile
Name Age Sex
S/M/D Children US Location
Position Previous Position
Length of Employment Next logical position up
Describe styles of communication, management, culture buy-in + anything you feel important.
Describe their Strengths
Describe their challenges and
Describe your challenges in dealing with them.
Describe YOUR Strengths
Describe where you could improve
Describe Opportunities
Current
Missed
Future
Describe Risks & Threats
List EVERYTHING that could destroy your business
_____ I find myself struggling with balancing my career and personal life.
_____ I am considering a transition. Does it have to be trying and difficult?
_____ I frequently feel “stuck” in patterns that slow down my progress?
_____ My desires are frustrated because I have an aversion to confrontations.
_____ Could I be afraid to fail? Is fear of failure impeding my progress and detracting from my quality of life?
_____ Important new growth and profitability initiatives stalled because of confused or less than effective management personnel?
_____ Key management personnel seem “split into camps” because they can not agree on critical policy issues?
_____ Top management personnel feel isolated and lacking effective sounding boards?
_____ I would like to have a confidential sounding board to advise me on people, culture issues and the psychology of everyday corporate life?
_____ The perception is that top management is out of touch with staff personnel?
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Dan Schaefer PhD, president of Peak Performance Strategies, an organization dedicated to assisting individuals and companies in the achievement of a competitive edge, quickly, through the enhancement of personal and business performance. To contact Dan email [email protected] or call 917-880-6758
