[00:00:00] Speaker A: Success isn't given, it's earned. And earning it means becoming the person who deserves it. The bottom line is where we cut through the chaos to simplify success.
Uncovering the strategies, mindset and resilience it takes to win. Real stories, expert insights and practical tools. Because the only way to the top is by putting in the world. This is the bottom line.
[00:00:24] Speaker B: Welcome to the Bottom Line, where we cut through the noise to uncover what really drives business success.
I'm your host, Ryan Herpin and today I'm joined by Doreen Milano, CEO of Visions to Excellence.
With over 40 years of experience as a business controller, a profit coach and an NLP certified coach, Doreen specializes in helping service based businesses streamline operations, grow profits and build lasting success systems. Doreen, thank you for joining us today. I'm really excited about this.
[00:01:01] Speaker C: Thank you, Ryan. It's a pleasure to be here.
[00:01:03] Speaker B: I, I, I can tell you three reasons why I'm really excited about this conversation. But a big one is we work in a lot of the same worlds, we deal with a lot of the same stuff. And I'm always looking for perspectives and experience that can be shared that helps others. So yeah, we're starting with big issue that, you know, many leaders really face. And it, it's simple, but so difficult at the same time. Accountability, it's one of the hardest things to get right inside of a team and when it's missed, progress really stalls. So if I were to look at the challenge here. Right. You know, many business owners, they want to hold accountability, they want to hold the teams accountable, but often feels like no one is truly taking ownership. So I'm ready to ask another expert on, on this topic that is so problematic for so many businesses.
[00:01:55] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:01:56] Speaker B: As the name of the show would suggest, I like to get right to the bottom line. So I'm gonna come at you with some rapid fire questions that are all geared towards let's get to the bottom of this. But why is accountability such a challenge in businesses and why do people tend to avoid it?
[00:02:13] Speaker C: Well, what I've seen and helped uncover is that accountability is attached to much larger goals than what is attainable.
So if business owners start breaking down what they're trying to do into smaller pieces and put timelines on it, it gives the workforce the ability to actually move the needle instead of tripping over the needle, so to speak.
So I think it's breaking it down into smaller pieces and setting realistic timelines.
[00:02:56] Speaker B: I could not agree with you more. It's so funny because I've dealt with so many businesses where this. This concept of accountability is so overwhelming at times. But I couldn't agree with you more. And the reality is you can't eat the whole plate in one bite.
[00:03:12] Speaker C: You can.
[00:03:12] Speaker B: You belong on television for sure.
[00:03:14] Speaker C: But if.
[00:03:16] Speaker B: If you break things down into smaller, manageable steps that, number one can be clearly by the team, then accountability is much easier to handle and people want to buy into it much, much more.
[00:03:29] Speaker C: Well, let's. Let's talk about the other side of accountability is how are you as a leader?
[00:03:36] Speaker B: Yes.
Yes.
[00:03:38] Speaker C: If you're going to come at me as an authoritarian and hold me accountable for something, I'm going to back away.
[00:03:48] Speaker B: It's difference between a boss and a leader.
[00:03:50] Speaker C: That's right.
[00:03:51] Speaker B: It's so true. So another question that really ties into this is what's the difference between holding people accountable in a harsh way versus in a healthy, supportive way?
[00:04:01] Speaker C: Well, I think it comes down to a lot of different things.
Are you running a culture that is authoritarian? It's like a police force and, you know, the FBI is sitting over your shoulder all the time waiting for you to do something wrong? Or are you running a culture that is really about learning, growth, and making the employee have what it is that they need to move forward with their career and be a valued employee of the company?
There are different perspectives based on the kind of leaders that we are dealing with.
[00:04:46] Speaker B: You know, there's. There's something someone once said to me a long time ago, and it stands true to this day if the leader can make or break the business in a very simple way, depending on the leader, people are either showing up to a job or showing up to a career.
[00:05:02] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:05:03] Speaker B: And that com. That changes the tone completely. It changes the output, the effectiveness, the involvement of the team. And not to mention, I'm sorry, I've dealt with bosses and leaders of all shapes and sizes. A boss, you don't feel like they've got your back, and you certainly don't want to have their back. But a leader, A leader, they're going to be the shield when things go wrong. They're going to be in the spotlight when all the problems happen because they take responsibility for the results of the team. But when things go, you know, it.
[00:05:30] Speaker C: Rolls downhill, my friend.
[00:05:32] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:05:32] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:05:34] Speaker B: Yeah. So true. So true. And that does make all the difference. But it does. It so does. Can you share a story where creating accountability actually freed people up to do better work?
[00:05:48] Speaker C: There's lots of stories along those lines, but one that comes to mind right away is a leader in A business that was codependent and hired a bunch of codependent people to be their staff.
And so no one was willing to stand up and be what they needed to be to fulfill what they needed to fulfill.
Because everybody was looking to the top, because everybody needed the approval from the top to do anything.
And she would. That individual was not able to do that.
So we had to break it down into silos.
[00:06:31] Speaker B: It's funny, this is a such a common problem in bigger entities.
You know, when the small to mid sized businesses you've got clear authority to be able to make moves in a lot of cases. But when it comes to those larger entities.
Yeah, yeah. Sometimes when it comes to those larger entities it can be quite difficult to get through all the red tape, the chain of command, the communication flow.
[00:06:52] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:06:53] Speaker B: And instead of being able to address a problem directly, it can be weeks, months, and it might not even happen because somebody along the line might disagree or they might forget to respond to an email even.
[00:07:06] Speaker C: But that, you know, I had, I had a situation once and this was when I was working for a Fortune 100 company and I got a phone call that said, you know, we've got a million dollar expenditure on the financial statement. Need you to dig into it and figure out what's going on.
It took me about two and a half hours to figure out what was going on. When I did, I called somebody back up at, in the C suite and said, look, this thing is sitting in your lap, guys. You haven't done what you needed to do. It's all been documented. It's all in your, in your lap. Figure it out, get it done and that million dollar expense line will go away.
[00:07:48] Speaker B: It's crazy because I ran into something really similar. Was $600,000 of obsolete inventory.
[00:07:54] Speaker C: Yep.
[00:07:55] Speaker B: And it's just, it kept getting passed around and then ended up in someone's inbox. And nothing ever happened.
[00:08:00] Speaker C: No. It's a hot potato.
Yeah.
[00:08:05] Speaker B: It's over a half a million dollar hot potato. Yeah.
[00:08:07] Speaker C: So mine was a million dollar hot potato. But it really came down to, hey guys, we're here to support whatever it is you want to do, but you've got the solution, it's been given to you and nobody has done anything about it. And everybody in the C suite was really surprised to hear me say that.
[00:08:26] Speaker B: Sometimes the truth is so obvious, but also so surprising.
[00:08:31] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:08:32] Speaker B: And it's funny, we could probably share stories all day, but I'm curious from your opinion, from your experience, from your knowledge, how can a leader create a culture where accountability feels empowering rather than punishing.
[00:08:47] Speaker C: Well, I think it comes from focusing on what the core values of the company are and building a company culture around those core values.
Building your, your employee experience and your customer experience based on the core values. And when everything is aligned, then you have the ability to create accountability. That is empowering.
[00:09:15] Speaker B: That's, that's that right there. I, I think that's noteworthy. You know, I think our audience should grab pens and pads because there's so much wisdom being shared right now.
And the truth is it doesn't have to be super elaborate. No, it's so simple, so, so many ways. The problem is we tend to over complicate things. I operate from them.
[00:09:36] Speaker C: You know, how many companies have not chosen what their company culture is? How many business owners go, I don't even know what it is?
Well, it is the language, it is the feeling, it is the emotion, it is the je ne sais qua, that thing that you don't know, but you feel okay.
[00:09:58] Speaker B: I tell business owners all the time, if you don't create the culture, if you don't decide the culture will be created one way or another the way you want it to be, you're not.
[00:10:08] Speaker C: Going to like it.
[00:10:09] Speaker B: Exactly, exactly. It's funny, I, I deal with methodology that my business partner and I put together and we call it the cardboard and crayon method, where most problems within bigger businesses, simply put as overcomplication. How many steps, too complicated, too convoluted, Just simplify it, Cut out all the middlemen, go from point A to point B.
[00:10:29] Speaker C: If a process happen on one page, it's too complicated.
[00:10:34] Speaker B: Oh my goodness. I love you. This is fantastic. It's so nice to talk to somebody else who has seen it and has experienced it and help solve those problems. But you know, what are the long term risks of a company that avoids addressing the accountability problems?
[00:10:49] Speaker C: Bankruptcy.
That comes right, right to mind immediately.
[00:10:55] Speaker B: Simple, simple.
[00:10:57] Speaker C: You don't pay attention to what you need to pay attention to. The doors are going to get shut.
[00:11:03] Speaker B: It's funny, almost like sometimes it happens so rapidly, other times it's like a slow burn or a, or a sickness that grows. I've seen, I've seen accountability, I've seen issues with accountability go unaddressed multiple times. It's the concept of one rotten apple can ruin the rest of the batch. Right. You know, it's, yeah, one thing and, and where I come from, you know, apple trees and apple orchards are really common. Well, if you have a diseased tree, it needs to be removed quickly. Otherwise all the other trees will get it.
[00:11:34] Speaker C: I mean, and the same thing happens with a business and people in the business. There are answers within that business. And you have two options, surgery or chemo.
[00:11:49] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
[00:11:50] Speaker C: Chemo takes a long, long, long time and it doesn't negate that somebody else isn't going to get cancer.
[00:11:58] Speaker B: I like that analogy. That is a really good analogy.
Really, really well done.
[00:12:03] Speaker C: Over out. You can correct the culture gap and keep going.
[00:12:09] Speaker B: It's a good point. It might, it might. You know, sometimes that surgery method can be a little abrupt to catch some people off guard, be even a little shocking. But ultimately, what do you prefer to get the problem done and over with so you can go?
[00:12:21] Speaker C: It really depends on the problem. But if it's, if it's one of those problems that's going to fester.
Surgery.
[00:12:29] Speaker B: Yep. That, that makes a lot of sense, you know, to our audience. If you're loving this conversation as much as I am, you've got to stick around, grab some coffee, grab some popcorn, whatever it is you got to do. Stretch out a little bit, wake up. But grab a pen and pad because there's a lot of wisdom here today. And we've got a full episode with Doreen. And I'm excited to keep digging into that beautiful brain of hers and to share some of that experience with you so we can help you bridge that gap, find that accountability and grow in leadership. So don't go anywhere. We're going to be right back on the bottom line.
[00:13:20] Speaker A: Success isn't given. It's earned. And earning it means becoming the person who deserves it. The bottom line is where we cut through the chaos to simplify success, uncovering the strategies, mindset and resilience it takes to win real stories, expert insights and practical tools. Because the only way to the top is by putting in the board. This is the bottom line.
[00:13:44] Speaker B: Welcome back to the Bottom Line. Loving what you're watching. Don't miss a moment of the Bottom Line or any of your NOW Media your favorite NOW Media TV shows. Live or on demand, anytime, anywhere. Download the free Now Media TV app on Roku or iOS and enjoy instant access to our full lineup of bilingual programming in both English and Spanish. Prefer to listen on the go catch the podcast version of the show right on the Now Media TV website at www.Now Media TV. From business and breaking news to lifestyle, culture and everything in between, now media TV is streaming 24 7. Ready whenever you are.
Now we are back and still here with Doreen, a wonderful mind with a Lot of experience and knowledge. In this segment, we're focusing on a problem every business owner wrestles with on a regular basis. Aligning vision with action.
Yes, I said that. That scary word that a lot of people like to avoid. Action.
But the challenge if we were to really look at this, Businesses often have a strong, strong vision. You see it clearly. But daily actions don't always line up with that bigger dream. So, Doreen, it is such a pleasure to have you on this show. I'm ready to dive right back in and get to the bottom line of how we can align vision to action.
[00:15:05] Speaker C: Oh, well, it comes down to objectives.
[00:15:10] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:15:11] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:15:11] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:15:13] Speaker C: I actually created. You talked about coloring. I've created a coloring book to help people really hone in on what their vision is going to be or what it currently is.
But it comes down to once you understand that vision and you realize what that vision is going to create, then you have to look at the objectives that have to happen in order for that vision to meet its creation success.
[00:15:42] Speaker B: Ah, so like how simple you put that. It is step by step.
[00:15:47] Speaker C: It's step by step. It is not these grandiose plants that entire in are encased in a, you know, 200 page business plan.
Yeah, that's too complex.
[00:16:02] Speaker B: That, that's so true.
So true. I think there is this notion of the more in depth, more detailed, more complex it is, the better it is. And I feel like that is such a.
[00:16:13] Speaker C: No, the crazier it is.
[00:16:14] Speaker B: Bad misconception. Exactly.
[00:16:16] Speaker C: The more chaos is created.
Yes. Come on.
[00:16:20] Speaker B: I got a good question for you though. But why do you think so many businesses have a strong vision but struggle to bring it into that real life?
[00:16:31] Speaker C: Because it's tucked away in a corner in the bottom corner of a desk somewhere.
It's not a living, breathing document.
It's not something they're actually putting into practice every day.
[00:16:48] Speaker B: That's power.
[00:16:49] Speaker C: That's what it comes down to.
You know, if you have a vision to get to XYZ in a certain period of time so that you can do whatever it is you want to do.
So what are the objectives that have to be hit to be able to attain that?
What are the big picture line items? And then you can break those down into the smaller steps. But if you don't understand what it's going to take to get from point A to point B, you can't build the roadmap.
Then you're driving into the forest with no compass.
And no compass means you don't know where you're at.
[00:17:30] Speaker B: I thought. It's funny because I think of it like goals.
Goals, goals, goals. And I tie that to vacations. Right. If you want to take a vacation. What's that?
[00:17:40] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:17:41] Speaker B: Decide where you're gonna go. What's the destination?
Step two isn't just hop in your car and drive any direction. No.
You've got to figure out what it looks like at that destination, then how to get there. You got to map it out.
Then you get in the car and you go. You don't just go off in any direction. But that vision is so important.
But the even more important part is to act upon it.
[00:18:03] Speaker C: But you got to break it down, because if you're. If you're expecting your team to help you get there and they don't understand where they're going, there's no way you're going to go.
Yeah.
[00:18:15] Speaker B: It's like putting a blindfold on and running through the forest. You're gonna run into a tree.
[00:18:18] Speaker C: You don't know what. You don't know what you're gonna trip over.
[00:18:21] Speaker B: Yeah. Yes.
[00:18:22] Speaker C: And you do a lot of tripping, by the way.
[00:18:25] Speaker B: Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
[00:18:27] Speaker C: So what it comes down to, from my perspective, is a leader. The owner of the company, one of the leaders, the CEO, whoever it is, has got to break down what that vision is and put it manageable chunks so that the team can actually take on those chunks and get those things done, get that momentum or movement happening in the direction that it needs to happen.
If they don't understand what they're doing, the direction can be anywhere.
[00:18:59] Speaker B: Okay, you actually just answered one of my questions, and I wanted to dig into, you know, what happens when a team doesn't see how their daily work connects to their overall vision of the company. But you just addressed that perfectly.
It's just like, you know, a captain of a ship. Yes, the captain knows where they're going. He steers the ship. But the team's going to work much better, more effective, and taking care of the ship and helping the ship get there. If they also know where they're going, they can see it clearly as well. But can you share a story of a business that finally aligned vision with action?
And what changed for them?
[00:19:34] Speaker C: Oh, goodness.
I spent a lot of time coaching in and working in the automotive industry, helping car dealerships go from point A to point B.
And then when I started really helping other businesses do the same thing, I had an attorney who understood that, you know, what she had was really a great legal mind, the ability to actually do something important in the community.
And it wasn't until she, she figured out that she was doing this so that she could create a family and have a family that was well taken care of.
And it wasn't until we really broke down the steps of what that was going to look like that she was able to really attain the ability to charge her value, put her business on the map, make a difference for the client base the way she wanted to make a difference for that client base.
And she was able to start hiring paralegals and other attorneys to support her vision because she had a very clear vision by the time we were done.
And so she was able to bring people on board that allowed her to meet her vision, but they also got to buy into that vision and meet that vision for themselves.
And that was more powerful than what she was doing. Singularly.
[00:21:23] Speaker B: That's powerful. That's a great example. I mean, you know, it's something that, that sticks in my mind and I actually bring it up in one of my keynotes that I have is, you know, if you want to go far, if you want to go fast, go by yourself. Yeah, if you want to go far, go with others.
You know, if you want to be successful, you've got to have that vision very clear. And then you've got to be able to have others that can buy into it. Like I said before, you know, difference between a job and a career, a lot of the time is the leader, but also the vision, the mission, the reason why that changes people's perspective of what they're doing and how it ties to their own goals.
But what are some simple ways leaders can bring their vision to life in that day to day work?
[00:22:08] Speaker C: Well, one of the things that we get to really focus on is what is the goal? What is this the objective?
Now, granted, when I meet with a client, I usually meet with a client about once a week, depending on the client, maybe once every two weeks, depending on their schedule and what kind of time they have.
I believe that one of the positions I have to hold is accountability to the bigger picture.
We as human beings have a tendency to get really caught up in the day to day, putting our nose to the grindstone and getting that, that 10 item checklist done. Check, check, check, check, check. Right.
And we're not paying enough attention to what the bigger picture is.
Where are we going? How are we going to get there?
So one of my positions I hold is the keeper of the vision.
[00:23:19] Speaker B: Ooh, okay.
[00:23:24] Speaker C: That allows me to help hold that business owner or that person. I'm, I'M coaching to be accountable to the bigger picture while they're being accountable to the minutia.
[00:23:37] Speaker B: I like that.
You know, something that kind of comes to mind is something my mentor said to me a long time ago when I stepped into leadership roles and, and, and took over a manufacturing company.
He said, you've got to be the master of sitting at 10,000ft but strategically diving back into the weeds.
He would always tell me, don't stay in the weeds for too long. You lose vision and sight of where you're going and why you're going there. So you've got to be able to get back to 10,000, 10,000ft to see the picture and to get others involved in that picture.
But I've also got to ask Doreen, you know, where can our audience learn more about you, your work, and connect with you all at the same time? Because you're dropping serious wisdom here, and I want to make sure we can share that with the audience. Where can they find you?
[00:24:27] Speaker C: Visions to Excellence has a YouTube channel, and so that has a, a lot of content in it.
You can email
[email protected] so that's V as in victory.
The number two E is in excellence. Visions to excellence.biz not.com. biz.
[00:24:52] Speaker B: I'm glad you keep that nice and clear because I've definitely made those mistakes before.
[00:24:56] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:24:56] Speaker B: But coming up, we'll explore how setbacks, how setbacks, when handled right, can become strengths. So, yes, once again, don't go anywhere. We're going to be right back on the bottom.
[00:25:26] Speaker A: Success isn't given. It's earned. And earning it means becoming the person who deserves it. The bottom line is where we cut through the chaos to simplify success, uncovering the strategies, mindset, and resilience it takes to win. Real stories, expert insights, and practical tools. Because the only way to the top is by putting in the world. This is the bottom line.
[00:25:50] Speaker B: Welcome back to the Bottom Line.
Every business faces roadblocks.
How we respond makes all the difference. In this segment, we'll dive into how to turn setbacks into strengths. And we are still here with Doreen, the other, the magnificent mind and keeping things simple but getting real results. So, Doreen, thank you for being here. I'm excited to dive into this topic with you.
[00:26:18] Speaker C: Well, I'm excited, too, because this is a lot of what stops people cold.
[00:26:23] Speaker B: So true. And if I could kind of reframe the challenge here. Right. Setbacks often feel like failures instead of opportunities for growth. And, and I want your help to Share with the audience some of the ways that you see they could turn those opportunities into growth. And I want to start by something super simple. Why do setbacks feel so heavy for business leaders and what makes them hard to bounce back from?
[00:26:52] Speaker C: Because they're taking it personally.
It's just a set of circumstances.
You are not the business, the business is not you.
So it doesn't have to be a personal result. That's number one.
Number two, if there's a setback, let's step back.
There's a four step program I go through when a business has a setback.
Let's go through what's working, not just working a little bit. Let's look. Look at what's working well and how it is supporting your core values and how it's supporting your vision and how it's supporting your client base and how it's supporting your employee base.
Once you figure out what's working, then we can take a look at what's not working in the same venue.
You know, how's it not working for your core values? How's it not working for your client base? How's it not working for your customer base?
How's it not working for your purpose?
Now you think you have enough right there to go and fix anything. Right? Wrong.
Next thing you're going to do is you're going to really look at what's missing.
Now when we look at what's missing, we find that a lot of things that we're working are not working at the level that they really need to work.
So we look at the things that we have to add to make them work really well.
And the last thing we have to do, come up with a strategic plan.
What are we going to drop, what are we going to stop doing and what are we going to start doing?
[00:28:42] Speaker B: One of those insight mic drop moments.
That was powerful. And it's, it's so clear and concise. But you said something that I've got to highlight because it is so easy not to do this in the midst of a setback.
We feel the pressure, we feel the concern, we see the issue and we want to pull it closer and look at it so close, try to figure it out as fast as possible.
But that only makes it worse. You can't see the forest for the tree.
[00:29:10] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:29:11] Speaker B: So you said when there's a setback, step back.
[00:29:15] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:29:16] Speaker B: And my goodness, it is so not natural for us to do that.
But when you think logically and you're focused and you're really objective based, the best Thing you can do is step back, break it down, and find solutions, not just band aids.
And there's a lot of power, power to that. Honestly, you know, if our audience is not sitting there with a pen and pad taking notes on this, I'm going to be upset with them because that's incredibly powerful. And a lot of people in business miss that, but they do.
What mindset shifts can help leaders see setbacks as stepping stones instead of those dead ends?
[00:29:55] Speaker C: Well, you have to look at what are the emotional results that you're looking for, because you're getting stuck in the emotional result that you don't want.
So why stay there?
It's not going to move you forward.
It's not going to get you what you're looking for.
So let's look at the emotional result you want.
Is it winning?
Is it connecting with the audience?
Is it connecting with the employee base?
Is it doing something great for your customer base?
What is that emotional trigger that you really want to be gaining?
[00:30:46] Speaker B: You know, I find it to be hard for a lot of people to separate the emotion from the business and from the events within the business. You know, something you said before, you know, it's a situation.
It's not, you know, you're not your business, not you, not you.
A situation.
It's something that's happening. And you know, something that I, I. It's funny, I consider maturity the ability to respond to emotion rather than react. Yeah, you get very reactive when it comes to our business, when it comes to problems and things.
[00:31:20] Speaker C: Because it's personal.
We've made it personal.
There's a belief set that we have put in place that says we've got to care more about the business than anything else in our life.
Because that's what's going to pay the bills. Because that's what's going to put the kids through college, because that's what's going to handle the mortgage.
So we've got to pay more attention to that than anything else.
And that's a belief system.
How can I say this?
That is not as useful as you think it is.
[00:31:55] Speaker B: Preach that.
So true. So true. And it's funny because I feel that you might have a story in there that you could share where major setback turned into a turning point for success. You got a story like that you could share with us?
[00:32:10] Speaker C: Sure.
I, I can even make this one a personal one. How's that?
[00:32:15] Speaker B: I like it.
[00:32:16] Speaker C: So my husband, who was software architect in California, we lived in California. I'm a California girl. I was raised in Santa Cruz on the beach, and spent my youth racing yachts.
Loved it. But I got married to this wonderful man, and he's a software architect and got to a point that he was not able to find work in Silicon Valley. And he had several job offers from bank of America here in Dallas. And he said, I can't do it. I can't do it. I can't do it. And I said, well, what's in the way? What belief is in the way? And he goes, you and your business.
And I said, well, my business is portable. I can do this anywhere.
And he goes, really? And he goes, but you're always going off to see your clients. And I said, yeah, because I enjoy spending time with my clients, but I can do it online.
It's not a big deal.
He goes, really? And I said, yes. So you make the phone call, you say, yes, and in three weeks, I'll have us move to Dallas.
And he goes, how can you do that? And I said, you don't worry about the how. You just do the thing I asked you to do.
So he gets the job, and we moved to Dallas. And the belief that was holding him back was that he was going to disrupt my life.
But it wasn't until I confronted that belief and let him know otherwise that he was able to move past it.
And that is what goes on with our employees, by the way.
They have beliefs that they can't do something, that something is too hard, or that something is not going to benefit them.
And a belief is nothing more than a thought that you have decided is either real or true.
When we can start looking at beliefs as something that we can actually control, we can make a difference in how we look at our business, how we look at our employees, how we look at our client base.
[00:34:34] Speaker B: Definitely on board with that. And I think the story is a really, really good example of taking what was interpreted as a setback and turning it into a big point of success.
I'm glad you made it personal because it makes sense. And it a really good example that's also relatable, you know, and you started talking about teams.
[00:34:55] Speaker C: He was out of work for four months, and he was getting all these job offers. And I'm going, what's going on?
[00:35:01] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:35:02] Speaker C: He finally coughed up what the problem was.
[00:35:05] Speaker B: And that also highlights the value of communication.
[00:35:07] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:35:08] Speaker B: Don't let a problem fester. Seek the solution. Address the problem as fast as you can. Ask the question in a way that is seeking solution.
[00:35:17] Speaker C: Yeah, ask the questions.
[00:35:19] Speaker B: How can it. Like, how can teams really, like really rally together after a setback so that they can come out stronger on the other side. You know, when you've got a lot of different personalities and people, everyone's going to interpret that problem differently. They're going to handle the setback differently. But from your experience, how can those teams come together during the setback and come out stronger?
[00:35:42] Speaker C: Well, I'm a big Lincioni fan, so I believe that you have to be willing to start telling the truth and you have to create the safe space to to allow everybody to tell the truth.
Telling the truth is not always safe, it's not always welcome.
But if you start creating the space to be the truth teller, you go a long way to not only mending fences, but allowing people to align and allow people to get excited in positive ways.
[00:36:28] Speaker B: You know, a lot of people like to avoid dealing with problems and setbacks. You know, sometimes we do it unintentionally. It's not our objective, it's not our goal. But briefly, could you tell me what happens when leaders ignore or hide from those setbacks instead of facing them head on?
[00:36:49] Speaker C: Lawsuits.
[00:36:50] Speaker B: Oh man.
Yep. Yeah, that's a big one.
[00:36:53] Speaker C: That's a big one.
Lawsuits.
That's number one. Number two is your infrastructure unravels.
So where you thought you could actually grow your business and make more money because you were growing your business, if your infrastructure unravels, you cannot fulfill what you have promised.
[00:37:19] Speaker B: Unfortunately, that's pretty powerful and it's very, very real.
So to our audience, don't go anywhere. Once again, we will be right back. And up next, why settling for good enough can keep businesses from ever reaching greatness.
I'll see you right back here on the Bottom Line.
[00:37:56] Speaker A: Success isn't given, it's earned. And earning it means becoming the person who deserves it. The bottom line is where we cut through the chaos to simplify success, uncovering the strategies, mindset and resilience it takes to win real stories, expert insights and practical tools. Because the only way to the top is by putting in the world. This is the bottom line.
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I am here again with Doreen. And to wrap this up, we're diving into the highest level of business growth, creating a culture of excellence.
Now, I've had many conversations on the show about culture excellence, but creating that culture is not as simple as it might seem.
It has simple aspects, but it can be more complicated than just a simple. Here's our values, here's our vision. So to talk through this topic, I'm excited to have Doreen with us. Thank you for being here. I'm excited to handle this last segment with you and really pick your brain.
Culture of excellence.
[00:39:38] Speaker C: Well, thank you, Ryan.
What do you want to know?
Because this is a loaded subject.
[00:39:45] Speaker B: Yeah, it is. It really is. And we don't have a ton of time, so I want to make sure we're hitting the important stuff. But many businesses settle for good enough rather than building a culture that consistently strives for excellence.
So the first question I want to get you with is, why do you think many companies settle for average instead of pushing for excellence?
[00:40:07] Speaker C: Well, there are two things that are going on here.
One is, what is the culture set up to do?
If the culture is there to get by and just do the bare minimum, it's going to be mediocre at best.
Excellence is a journey. It is not a destination.
So those folks that think, hey, we do this and this and this, and we're going to hit excellence wrong.
Excellence is about continual improvement. Excellence is about making sure everybody's needs are met. Excellence is about this, that, and the next thing. I mean, you know, whatever the list is for your business that lets you know that you hit excellence, but those things are not static.
You are never going to be able to deliver excellence 100% of the time.
You may be able to deliver excellence 20% of the time, and then, you know, 80% of excellence 50% of the time, it really depends on your team. It depends on the focus, it depends on what you're doing.
But what it comes down to is that it's a journey. It's not a destination.
So what does that mean for a business?
It means that you're having regular meetings and you're looking at how can we improve and what is the next factor that we have to tackle to create excellence. Business is fluid, really fluid.
Excellence is going to be more fluid than the business because needs change, attitudes change, your client changes.
What was excellent yesterday is not going to be excellent tomorrow.
So how are you going to choose to grow.
What is the team going to decide the next growth factors are going to be?
You know, communication is a big part of this.
[00:42:23] Speaker B: It truly, truly is. But without the communication, you can't have collaboration. And something I like to think about when I talk to business owners and people like about culture of excellence, I always try to break it down to a culture of excellence is when your team, your people, your business, they want to be better today than they were yesterday.
They want to consistently grow. They might fall, they might make mistakes, but they're trying to move forward and be better. That's, that's a culture of excellence. And on top of that, the real culture part is when everyone is doing that for each other.
[00:43:00] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:43:01] Speaker B: They're trying to help each other, trying to help each other grow. They're not beating each other down for making mistakes or on the, you know, the days where someone has an off day and they get snippy or short fused, it's not cutting them down. It's no understanding, hey, I'm here to help supporting them. Exactly.
[00:43:17] Speaker C: Now, one of the things, the things that we didn't talk about here, Ryan, that is fundamental is that if you're going to have a culture of excellence, you're having a culture of change.
Yes, that word that everybody's scared to death of.
But change is at the core of creating a culture of excellence.
And it's not. Change today is change every day.
[00:43:42] Speaker B: Exactly.
That actually leads me to my next question, though.
You know, with that in mind, what does a culture of excellence really look like on that day to day in a business? How is that cultivated and maintained?
[00:43:56] Speaker C: Well, we had a couple of dealerships that were really focused on culture of excellence.
And that was, you know, Honda went through this process for many, many years.
And so what we did is we had a team that met every week and we handled what the issues were for the clients, what the issues were for the employees, what new products were coming, how we need to be able to support those products, what education systems had to be created, how did everybody need to be updated, how did the communication need to work? So we would have, we would meet for an hour every week and we would break all these things down and come up with a strategic plan every week as to what was going to get handled and who was going to handle it and how it was going to get done.
But it was really moving and making the commitment to move that needle forward.
Now, let's think about this a minute. We had a team of 15 people in a business that had maybe 120 people all together.
And so we were committing that we were paying 15 people an hour a day to plan.
That is a commitment of dollars.
[00:45:28] Speaker B: Yep. An investment.
[00:45:30] Speaker C: That is an investment in the future of your company.
And most people look at it as an expense. It's not an expense, it's an investment.
[00:45:42] Speaker B: Yep.
It's just like with any discipline, if repeated consistently, it moves mountains over time. Might feel small on the day to day, but done consistently, you're building something, you're gaining momentum, and you're creating massive change, especially when it comes to planning, strategizing, and seeing the realistic results of your actions. When you.
[00:46:05] Speaker C: And by the way, the people that we had in that room were not managers.
They were the complainers, they were the influencers. They were the people that always had a problem.
[00:46:20] Speaker B: Why, that just adds more power to it.
[00:46:22] Speaker C: Because if they're able to solve those problems, they become the raving fans.
[00:46:29] Speaker B: That's good. That's good. You know, through this process, how can a leader encourage excellence without overwhelming their teams with unrealistic pressure? Because I see that as something that can happen pretty quickly.
[00:46:42] Speaker C: Well, pressure from within, you cannot, you cannot really diffuse pressure from without.
As a manager, that's your job, is to mitigate the pressure from without.
Allow the team the space to find their rhythm and make it work.
[00:47:10] Speaker B: I like that. Have trust and faith in your team.
You know, it's funny, I always round leadership.
Yeah, I always round leadership back to parenting.
[00:47:23] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:47:24] Speaker B: Very similar to raising a child. If you want your child to learn and grow, sometimes you've got to step back and let them make mistakes, let them run on their own, let them learn, and that can be the catalyst for their growth, their development.
And it's vitally important not to hover over everyone and everything. Giving that space to really operate is extremely important. And it alone can give people the comfort of knowing I'm a meaningful part of this business. But what happens when a business never reaches for excellence? How does it affect their growth, reputation, and their people?
[00:48:06] Speaker C: Part of the journey is acknowledgement.
And I really sincerely mean that. As owners, you have to acknowledge.
As managers, you have to acknowledge. As teammates, you have to acknowledge each other.
And if without that acknowledgment, nothing moves forward.
[00:48:36] Speaker B: That'S powerful. I do got to jump in right there because I'm. I've got to make sure our audience knows where to find you. Where can they find you to get more of this valuable insight, this, this, this guidance, this understanding and, and learn more from your experience? How can they connect with you.
[00:48:53] Speaker C: V2E coaching.com is one way.
V2E biz is another. They're two different websites.
I play on them every day.
You can email me at Doreen V2E Biz.
You can reach me via my YouTube channel, Visions to Excellence.
And I'm always available.
Always.
[00:49:28] Speaker B: Doreen, thank you so much for joining us today on the Bottom Line.
[00:49:32] Speaker C: Thank you for having me.
[00:49:33] Speaker B: Yeah, it's been incredible and we've explored a lot. We've explored the importance of accountability, the power of aligned vision with action, how setbacks can become stepping stones, and finally, the difference excellence makes in long term business success. So to our viewers, take these lessons to heart. Ask yourself where in your business are you setting settling for good enough and what would it take to step into excellence?
I'm Ryan Herpin. I've been your host for this show and this has been another wonderful episode of the Bottom Line. Thank you for watching. Until next time.
Keep building towards your own excellence.
