Good to Great - Do it Big!

There’s something about working at scale that changes the way we see and think (and feel) about things that makes it much easier for us to make connections and derive insights.

We often say “let’s get another perspective” or “what’s another way of looking at this” – working at scale does just that. By interacting with something big that you can see and touch you engage both body and mind and make use of all your resources. The physical interaction changes our perception and we connect in a real, tangible way with the things we’re working on as well as the people we’re working with.

Andy King and Mike Paton are working with a team who have a successful business, with people who are generally happy and bought into the company, their values and the strategy - but still there’s a feeling that communication is a weakness. This is despite briefings, newsletters, emails etc. setting everything out. So what's going on and, given that more of the same will get the same results, how can things be changed? By “doing it big!”

Here is the big picture they created that’s going on the wall and which they’ll use to have conversations and engage everyone. It captures everything in one place - strategic themes on the left; their journey in the middle; goals and milestones at the bottom; and vision on the right.

At Clareon we see this as being Smart and Healthy. Being Smart is having all your plans, goals, metrics and kpis in place; being Healthy is creating your culture and being able to engage, motivate and align your people.

If you'd like to create something similar with the things that matter in your business please give us a call 01865 987 138 or email Mark Spolander - we love helping people and businesses thrive.

Expansion... when is it the right time?

Another actioned packed workshop was run last week in Sevenoaks by Mark Spolander and Mike Paton. As with most of these workshop there is was a common challenged faced by delegates. This week was all about expanding premises to increase sales and filling up spare capacity.

This is common challenged faced by business owners - when is the best time to take the jump and get bigger premises? We started by looking at each business's basic performance information i.e. lead generation, conversations and sales etc. This gave the business owners great insights into what areas of the business needed to be tweaked in order for them to confidently make the decision to upgrade the premises.

Everyone left with a comprehensive visual business plan and list of key priorities to implement in order to move their business to the next level.

We look forward to the opening of all the new premises!

Thanks to all who attended and for the kind words below.

"Fantastic day, really enjoyed it. I have much better direction on where to take my business now and detailed goals. Loads and loads of experience from the presenters. Thank you"
Christian Bates - The Perrymount Clinic



"Considering that this was by definition generic, I found it extremely relevant and helpful, Thank you!"
Richard Olley - Kingswood Training Services

To find out more about attending a Growth Workshop please email  Mark Spolander or call 01865 987 138 OR contact your local Growth Manager at Growth Accelerator www.growthaccelerator.com

Ideas backed with confidence...

Mark Spolander had the privilege of working with a small a group of business owners in Southampton recently. Two of the delegates had spent a great deal of time and money developing the infrastructure in order to launch their new ideas. Both ideas have huge potential.

Having a day out of the business gave these entrepreneurs space and time to clarify and prioritise the next steps. They have both created fantastic businesses and it was now time to back it with the confidence and grow it. Everyone left with a clear list of priorities to implement in order to move their business to the next level!

It was great spending the day with you all and thank you for the kind words below:

"Mark Spolander is excellent he makes you feel that every business can succeed. Thank you!" Teresa Dupay - Menu Analyser

"I had no idea what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised at the high quality of the material and presentation" Kevin Barry - Menu Analyser



"My business is 21 years old. I really wish I had done this workshop in year one. Excellent structure and very though provoking" Jeff Downs - Quantum

"Fantastic day were a business plan has been created that is realistic and very useful. the day out of the business has been a day very well spent" Sheilagh Blyth - Enable Me Method

To find out more about attending a Growth Workshop please email  Mark Spolander or call 01865 987 138 OR contact your local Growth Manager at Growth Accelerator www.growthaccelerator.com

WHY do you do it?

Have you spent any time recently considering or remembering WHY you do what you do? WHY do you get up in the morning.  WHY are you willing to spend so many hours doing the work that you do?

It's worth stopping and thinking about this for a moment. I know that there are many sound pieces of advice out there to consider, yet I am more and more convinced that the thoughts put forward by Simon Sinek in his book 'Start with WHY', are a crucial beginning for anyone and everyone in business.

His explanation of the Golden Circle has been instrumental in some of our leadership programs with businesses preparing to grow and move to the next level.  We have had enormous success recently using this theme to run a workshop with one of our Oxford based clients, and have been delighted at both the success and the positive response across the business on a number of different levels.

If you haven't already come across his work, I would highly recommend this book, and perhaps the best introduction to the essence of his ideas are captured in this short 6 minute video clip..... a much longer version is available if you have the time...

If you want to find out how Clareon can help you thrive and move to the next level call us on +44(0)1865987138

The 2 Minute Power Pose

Did you know that your posture can really affect your performance? If that sounds a little far fetched, take 20 minutes to watch this excellent TED video by Harvard Business School Professor Amy Cuddy.

She shares some interesting research that shows how adopting a more confident posture increases your performance and decreases your stress levels. She ends with a 2 minute 'power-pose' challenge that you can use to boost your performance in a challenging work situation...


So why not try that power pose before your next big pitch or meeting?

Stop, Reflect, Plan then Communicate!

Clareon's Mark Spolander ran another successful Growth Workshop in Crawley earlier this week. A great group of business owners who are really excited about growing their businesses. The common challenge faced by this particular group was communication and aligning their teams. All too often as busy business owners we forget to take the time to communicate the goals and vision we have for our business, which leaves the team in state of a uncertainty that ultimately has a detrimental effect on team moral and motivation.

By having a clear strategy and sharing this with your team on a regular basis will go a long way to ensure they stay motivated and focused, especially when you listen to their ideas and opinions (great source of new ideas and insights however this is sadly often overlooked!).

When was the last time you had a team meeting and shared the goals and vision for your business?

Thanks to everyone who attended yesterday’s workshop, it was a pleasure working with you all. Here’s what a few had to say about the day:

“Fantastic and inspiring day which allowed for planning, sharing and motivation”

“Great day. Learnt so much. Feel really empowered and motivated”Jackie Denyer and Sharon Lock – Professional Training Services (PTS)

“Excellent day, far exceeded my expectations. Time very well spent. Thank you”
“A good, well-structured course – enjoyable and informative”
James Penny and Paul Service –Comms Learning

“I learned more than I realised on the day. It has energised and inspired me to focus and push forward with developing the business”
Iain Tindall – Belay Rope Access

To find out more about attending a Growth Workshop please email Mark Spolander or call on 01865 987 138 OR contact your local Growth Manager at Growth Acceleratorwww.growthaccelerator.com.

Prioritise and Focus!

Thanks to all who attended this weeks Growth Workshop in Southampton just before Christmas! The common challenge that this group of business owners shared was focusing and prioritising. Getting caught up in the day-to-day running of our businesses, we can sometimes forget to focus on those very important (but less urgent) tasks that are key to achieving our goals. Make sure you take time out every week to plan and really focus on the tasks that are going to take you closer to your goals!

Thanks to all who attended and thanks for the kind comments below, there where some great "aha" moments on the day. Thanks for the great comments below:

"Thank you for providing the space to think through lots of business growth challenges"
Steve Macklin - Pure IT

"Excellent workshop, bags of energy and lots of things to focus on. My priorities have changed and what I thought was the most important is now not!"



"Engaging workshop delivered cleverly by inspiring experts in the field of business"
Thom and Alison - Dancewise Studios

"Excellently presented, great to be led through the process of prioritising our key actions"
Rich Curtis - The Root of IT

To find out more about attending a Growth Workshop please email Mark Spolander or call on 01865 987 138 OR contact your local Growth Manager at Growth Accelerator www.growthaccelerator.com

Take Time Out to Celebrate!

All too often we spend so some much time being busy that we rarely take time to stop, reflect and celebrate what has been achieved. At Clareon we encourage all our clients to take time out and enjoy the journey. After a successful year Clareon took Trevor and Opinder from LAPD Architects out for a Mercedes AMG Driving experience at Mercedes Benz World. Mike Paton and Mark Spolander rode in the back while Trevor and Opinder put the high performance cars through their paces. After an hour of 500 BHP fun it was time enjoy a steak lunch. Very well done LAPD Architects for a great year and thank you for the referrals!

To find out more about working with Clareon please email  Mark Spolander or call 01865 987 138 

www.clareon.co.uk

Clareon Winter Golf Break

The perfect way to prepare for Christmas - 2 days of golf and relaxation! Yet another successful event held at The Old Thorns Manor Hotel hosted by Mark Spolander and Mike Paton. All the usual fun and games combined with great business ideas and sharing challenges. A great time had by all and we look forward to returning to The Old Thorns in 2014!

Keep a look out for our 2014 events which will include Golf breaks, Finishing, Formula 1, Fine Dining and many more! If you would like to attend any of these events please contact Mark Spolander on 01865 987 138 or email.

www.clareon.co.uk

Clareon's Growth Workshop Update

Clareon's Mark Spolander has now run 6 Growth Workshops and we have been overwhelmed by the positive response and feedback that we have received from the delegates - here's what some of the delegates have said so far:

"Excellent day masses of information and plenty to think about. There is no stopping us now :) Can't wait to move forward..."

Rachel Boyle, ABC Magazine

"A really great day, a must of any business"Kevin Hishley, TFSL
"Great value. Loved the canvas and all I need to do now is move it forward - looking forward to it! Thank you very much :)" 

Loran Leck, Sales Activator

To find out more about attending a Growth Workshop please email Mark Spolander or call on 01865 987 138 OR contact your local Growth Manager at Growth Accelerator www.growthaccelerator.com