#I’ve been watching the shenanigans in Manchester this week…the inevitable, if painful climax to a United reign rife with under-achievement, embarrassing losses, and the cumulation of all the wrong sort of records.

David Moyes seems like a good bloke…he is certainly a very good manager, but whether you’re taking over someone else’s business or looking to make changes in your own, there are important lessons to be learned from his ten month tenure at Old Trafford.

1. Don’t start off on the back foot.

Maybe it’s just me, but I find it staggering that someone would be told they were taking over a business, a project as big as the one at United, and wait until their official start date to actually get started! As a result, Moyes was on the back foot from the off, having missed out on deals and other business that his competitors were doing in his absence.

The lesson: Get started as early as you can - plan your strategy - start doing your groundwork, and get ahead of the game.

2. Take time to understand what’s working and what isn’t.

United had just won the Premier League by 11 points…were Champions…and yet Moyes seemed determined to change everything…to fix stuff that wasn’t all broken. He’d clearly listened to advice to put his own stamp on things, but simply changed too much too soon.

Teams like continuity, they like to know where they’re at, to feel safe.  Moyes affected all of these things on day 1 when he shipped out the experienced and winning team of coaching staff, and replaced them with his own inexperienced team.  All of the tried and tested systems that the players had worked with, knew and trusted…gone over night…and with it, their respect.

The lesson: Spend time working out where success has come from in the past, which systems are working and which need fixing; learn who the key players and influencers are, and work with them to install the changes painlessly.

3.   You are the leader…lead.

People want to be led by leaders…by people who are confident and clear, who know where they are going and how ‘we will all get there together’. They don’t want to hear that you’re unsure.  They don’t want to hear you talking up the competition. And they certainly don’t want to hear you telling the world that you’re not good enough and you’re all going to have to be replaced!  Moyes did all of these things, and worse still, he had the team…the Champions of England…play safe.

The lesson: As leader you must lead…boldly, courageously and confidently.  All of your communication must be positive and inspiring, clearly outlining what the direction of travel is, and how long it will take for you all to get there.  Yes, of course you must be honest, but leave your fears and your doubts at home, and lead with certainty.

Some say that the job was too big for Moyes…my take is a little different.  I believe that with the right support team around you - people with skills and experience you don’t have - and with the right mentor to work with you, and guide you and act as a sounding board…then no job is too big.
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What’s your take?

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk

Consistency and reliability are the foundations of any successful business, big or small.

Consistent and reliable systems developed for one small restaurant in Illinois, helped McDonald’s grow to over 30,000 restaurants around the world. Those systems, and that consistency, are what keep millions of people going back to McDonald’s, and seeking them out in foreign lands - that knowledge that no matter where you are in the world, you can rely on the food, the value and the environment.  Forget whatever views you may have on the burgers and fries, and focus on this…

There is power in consistency and reliability… it’s the power of systems.

In racing terms, McDonald’s would be the equivalent of Formula 1 and the well-drilled, reliable systems of the pitstop teams.  The alternative is the chaos, confusion and aggression of Wacky Races.

So which are you, Wacky Races or Formula 1..?

On a scale of 1-10… 1 being Wacky Races and 10 being Formula 1… where would you sit?

Is your life chaotic and full of complexity?  Do you over-commit, to customers, associates, friends? Do you let other people take advantage of you… focus on their priorities rather than your own, and as a result feel overwhelmed and stressed all the time?

Or are you more Formula 1, well organised, fully focused on your real Priorities and the targets you set yourself?  As the driver in your business, are you fully supported by your mentor, your swiss army knife, and a small external team of specialists…your personal pitstop team.  Are you calm and confident?

If you’re anywhere close to this Formula 1 ideal…fantastic!  Keep going!

But if you’re more Dastardley and Mutley, than Button and Massa…consider what the chaos you live and work in is costing you.  What it’s costing you personally. How it’s affecting your relationships…your health..your self-esteem. What it’s costing your business.  What impact it’s having on your ability to find and keep customers and make money.  And what about the money you’re wasting - are you really able to control your costs effectively when you’re so disorganised?

Good systems are the building blocks which will grow your business.  They are what make you consistent and reliable…easy to do business with.  Your day to day systems remove the chaos and give you space to breathe.

What systems you have in your day to day life right now…you may know them simply as, ‘the way I like to do things’.  Ask yourself if you’re over-complicating…making things more difficult that they need to be.  Is there an easier way to get from A to B? Does the technology you use help or hinder you? Does it make life easier or more difficult?

Consistency and reliability or chaos and confusion? Wacky Races or Formula 1..?

You choose.

This is YOUR time.  2014 is YOUR year.  Make every single day of it count.

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk

Distractions…those things that move our focus from one thing to another…are keeping you overwhelmed, doubling your workload…and keeping you poor.

Distractions overcomplicate our lives…and they are completely avoidable…we CHOOSE to be distracted.

While a few distractions are unexpected, like the phone ringing or someone at the door, the majority begin in our mind.  We distract ourselves to overcome fear, boredom, feelings of inadequacy, resistance to doing something particularly difficult or challenging.

And there are lots of ways to distract ourselves.  Just think about your average day…how do you distract yourself?  …answering e mails, chatting on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, taking calls, having a meeting you don’t need to, being tired or hungry?

The 3 biggest time-stealers and focus-takers, are rarely even recognised as distractions:

- Subscriptions to other people’s stuff
- Shiny objects
- Personal development addiction

Subscriptions
- How many e mail lists are you subscribed to - personal and professional?  How many people are you following to see how they do things…to get ideas? Have a guess! You’ll be amazed!

Shiny Objects
- How many new things have you bought in the last 12 months…physical products, replacement kit that didn’t need replacing, new bits of software that you then needed to install and learn how to use?

Personal Development addiction
- How many programmes have you joined…training sessions attended…Mastermind Groups are you part of?  How many different mentors do you have, focusing on how many different things?Have you moved from one development programme to another…for how many years?

These are the really serious distractions that double your workload and stop you from making money…and now is the time to recognise that and take action to eliminate them.

Unsubscribe from anything and everything that doesn’t move you towards your Priorities.  I did this myself again recently, and you’ll be staggered by how many lists you are on, both personal and professional…and how long it takes you to filter them out of your inbox! But it’s an exercise well worth undertaking.

Get conscious about the shiny new objects that you are attracted to, and take another look at the personal development you’re involved in.  Are you hanging onto a Mastermind Group for example that is costing you a fortune and distracting you from your real Priorities…your ideal future.

Find a mentor who will help you to develop a simple plan that will keep you focused and hold you accountable.  Someone who is right for you right now.  It’s a solution that continues to work for me…and it will work for you too.

Ultimately, it’s your choice…focus your energy on what’s really important or on distractions. But remember…

This is YOUR time.  2014 is YOUR year.  You want to make every single day of it count!

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk
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